One Makeup Kit To Go, Please

You don't have to lug a huge makeup bag to get pretty while you're on the go. Here are products I normally keep inside my travel makeup kit. 

These are also the products I use at work since I put on my face when I get to the office. (Otherwise, it would take forever to leave the house!) Most of these products are multi-purpose, that's why they are great for traveling. Read on for tips and some product swatches, too!

1. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer: This doubles as a sunscreen because it contains SPF 20 and works as a light foundation.

2. MAC Select Cover-Up Concealer: I prefer the liquid concealer over cream because it is easier to blend and does not cake, especially underneath the eyes. On days I want more coverage, I mix a drop together with my tinted moisturizer. Plus, it comes in a small tube so it takes up very little space.

3. MAC Pressed Blot Powder: Keeps the shine away.

4. ELF Studio Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder: I can use this handy compact as a highlight, blush, bronzer and contour. To get a deeper cheek color, lightly swipe your brush alternately over the bronzer and blush powder, tap excess and apply.

5. NARS Blush in Mata Hari: I bring this along in case I do not want any shimmer on the cheeks. It looks natural and not overly done when applied, even if the pan is screaming PIIIIINK.
   
   

   

   (Left) ELF Studio Blush & Bronzing Powder
   (Right) NARS Mata Hari

6. Maybelline Eyeshadow Quad in Chai Latte: This quad is great for everyday use. It has neutral colors so your eyes don't look too made up, especially during the day.

Maybelline Eyeshadow Quad in Chai Latte - LOVE!
Swatched dry, no base. Very pigmented for a drugstore brand!

7. Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner in Brown: I prefer a dark brown pencil liner, especially for daytime, because it looks softer and more natural.To create a smokey eye for a night out, apply a thicker line close to the lash line and smudge with an angled brush or your pinky finger.

8. Revlon Kohl Eyeliner in White: I apply this to the inner corners of the eye and on my lower waterline to brighten and lift the eye area. 

9. Lipstick and/or Lipgloss to finish off your look.
   

   

   (Left) The Body Shop Lipstick - this shade has no name.
   I think it was from their Moroccan Rose Collection.
   (Right) NARS Lipgloss in Stella
   I love the subtle gold flecks in both of them!

All these fit nicely in my ELF cosmetic kit - with room to spare for additional knick knacks like hand cream, eyelash curler, wipes and another eyeshadow quad.

What's in your travel makeup kit?

Ria

REVIEW: Sigma Makeup Eyes Brush Kit

These were the first bunch of eye brushes I purchased for my kit and I have been using these for over a year. I decided to get Sigma's Eyes Kit to save me the headache of choosing between all sorts of individual eye brushes. 

I have extensively road tested these babies so let me give you my honest opinion in detail. I will rate each brush with 0 to 5 lippies based on quality, performance, usefulness, packaging and cost.

Oh ya, before I begin... Sigma has changed the coding on their brushes, but still sells the Eyes kit with the exact same kind of brushes. For reference, the new codes are in parentheses.

SS 209 Eyeliner (E05)

This brush is too thick for eyeliner, I can line my entire lid with this - in one swipe. I occasionally use it as a lip brush so it doesn't go to waste. This brush looses out on performance and usefulness.

SS 219 Pencil (E30)

This brush was quite pointy when I first received it and it's all fluffed out already after all the washing. I can't use it anymore for precise shading on the lid or along the lash line. Instead, I use it as a small contour brush for the crease and I actually like the results. My real gripe is that blue-green thing close to the ferrule. I think it's the glue bleeding into the hairs(?). It just won't come off, even if I clean the brush thoroughly.  Minus two lippies for quality and performance.

SS 224 Tapered Blending (E40)

This is my favorite brush from the bunch because it's dense, soft and performs very well. I also use this to blend out concealer for an airbrush finish, to apply loose powder underneath the eyes and to apply highlight powder on the bridge of the nose.

SS 239 Eye Shader (E55) 

I'd give this brush 5 lippies if the hairs weren't starting to come out and if the glue from the ferrule was not clumping into the hairs.

If you can see the white dots, that's the glue I'm talking about.

SS 252 Large Shader (E60) 

I prefer this over the SS 239 because it packs on shadows better and you can precisely apply color on the lower lashline because it is flat.

SS 266 Small Angle (E65)

I use this brush everyday to fill in my brows and smudge eyeliner near the lashline if I'm going for a smokey look.

SS 275 Medium Angled Shading (E70) 

This brush applies color to the crease and contour to the nose nicely. I can also apply a light color in the inner corner using the fluffy tip of the brush. This brush gets 4 lippies only since I don't reach for it often.

Overall, I'd give the Sigma Eyes Kit 4 Lippies based on the following:

- Quality: These brushes have withstood a lot of tough brush cleaning and they are still intact! The bristles aren't scratchy at all. The handles have just the right weight and length to it so you get a better grip on the brush. I'd say the brushes are well crafted.

- Performance: I can create any eye look using this set of brushes alone.

- Packaging: The brushes look professional, which is great for aspiring makeup artists.

- Cost: This set currently retails at $45 for 7 brushes - that's $6.50 per piece, almost one fourth the price of a MAC eye brush.

In terms of usefulness, this kit could have been better (in my opinion) if the eyliner brush wasn't so thick and if they substituted the SS275 with another more useful brush like a tapered blender or a small shader.

For anyone building their kit, I would recommend Sigma's Eyes Kit because the set is affordable for starters and will last a long time. Plus, you'll get a free travel size blending brush (it was called the SS217 when I got mine - i love this brush, too!!!) with your purchase! :)

Ria

A Beautiful Canvass

Good skin is the best base for makeup application. Your foundation and concealer will go on smoothly and evenly, plus you will use less product. Having good skin does not mean spending hours having expensive procedures done and having a whole cabinet of beauty potions. You can save a ton by choosing a few products that will effectively address your specific skin needs and by religiously sticking to a routine that will give you your desired results.

I have been following my skin care regimen for 3 years and most of the products I use are very inexpensive. I have oily skin with few areas of discoloration and the products I use are meant to address oily skin and pigmentation.  Just a quick note: I am not a dermatologist, have no medical background, nor am I being paid to promote the brands mentioned. This regimen is just a suggestion of what other gals (and boys, too) with the same skin problem can incorporate into their own routine.

My arsenal of skin care stuff (L-R):
NeoStrata Face Cream Plus & Eye Cream; skin-etc.com
Neutrogena Deep Clean Facial Cleanser; PCX or Rustan's Supermakret
J&J Baby Oil; any supermarket or drugstore :)
T.N. Dickinson's Witch Hazel Astringent; Health Options
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20, Rustan's
Ocean Potion Clear Zinc Oxide SPF 45; drugstore.com
Kiehl's Sodium PCA Oil-Free Misturizer; Kiehl's Greenbelt 5
Blistex Medicated Lip Balm SPF 15; drugstore.com

1. Cleanse

I have been using Neutorgena Deep Clean for over a year and this stuff really removes oil without drying the skin. On days I wear makeup, I massage my face with some Baby Oil to loosen grime and then wipe it off with a moist tissue or cotton pad. Baby Oil is espeacially great for removing mascarra and eyeliner down to the last trace. Plus, it's so cheap and multi-purpose!

2. Tone

Toner is optional, in my opinion. It can make skin dry and blotchy when overused due to its alcohol content. I tend to apply toner on days when my skin feels extra greasy or dull. I use witch hazel astringent since it is natural, non-drying and has anti-oxidant properties. Did I mention, very inexpensive, too?

3. Moisturize

My dermatologist introduced Neostrata to me years ago to reduce breakouts and oily skin. I have been hooked since then! I currently use Neostrata Face Cream Plus and it really improves the skin's texture and tone, plus I have never had a painful, red bump since I started using this stuff. I use this every other night only since the formulation is quite strong. It is packed with 15% glycolic acid which gently exfoliates dead cells from skin and has the potential to reduce hyperpigmentation, acne scars and fine lines. This is the most expensive thing I use for my skin regimen, but a full tube will last me over a year. I would also recommend Alpha Hydrox AHA Souffle from drugstore.com. It contains 12% glycolic acid and costs half the price of Neostrata.

On the neck, I use my Kiehl's moisturizer every night. I also moisturize the entire face with Kiehl's on the nights I do not apply Face Cream Plus. 

For the eyes, I apply a tiny dot of Neostrata Eye Cream on my ring finger and GENTLY pat (do not rub!) the cream underneath the eyes, starting from the outer corner, moving my way towards the inner corner. An alternative to eyecream is petroleum jelly, it protects and moisturizes the sensitive area around the eyes. Make sure to use a really teensy bit since petroleum jelly is greasy and can weigh down the thin skin around the eyes.

4. Protect

Sunscreen is probably the best preventive to wrinkles and dark spots. My current favorites are Ocean Potion Zinc Oxide and Laura Mericier Tinted Moisturizer. And of course, the lips! The lips need some sun protection too. I love using Blistex because it's cheap, hence, I can apply this very generously.

5. Last, but not least, SMILE! :) Smiling relaxes tense facial muscles, hence preventing droopy lips and eyes and keeps premature wrinkles at bay.

Having good skin does not have to cost an arm and a leg. You can customize your own skin care to fit your own needs and budget. Now, that's another reason to smile. :)

Toodle-loo, for now! :)

Ria