Beauty Addict Packin' Light

I'm leaving for my Ontario trip in one week! Hard to believe how quickly July has gone by. I have begun to think about what I want to pack for my trip. Partly to save myself some stress the night before I leave and partly because I truly enjoy picking out my beauty products that I will bring along with me. It helps me to see what products I truly love and consider to be "can't leave without" products.  My goal for packing is to pack REALLY light. I'm only bringing a purse and one large suitcase. I want to keep the suitcase fairly empty so that I have lots of room for whatever I end up buying.

 All of my makeup fits into this Quo bag that I received as a gift for purchasing quo brushes at Shoppers Drug Mart. I have used this bag quite a lot since I've received it. I like how compact it is and I like that it is both long enough and wide enough to fit most makeup products. For some weekend trips to my hometown this has also doubled as a brush holder since it is so long enough for brushes. For this trip, I will be using my Sigma Dry and Shape to hold my brushes. I do not have them included in this blog as they are dirty and need to be washed before I leave.

This is a side profile of the makeup carrying case. As you will see, it hardly takes up any space. In yet, it is holding quite a lot of stuff!

See? It holds a lot of stuff. I also told myself that this actually had to be able to close. I had to downsize and take out a few items the first time I attempted picking out my items.

So what all is in the bag? First up: my face products. I must be the lightest packer among beauty addicts when it comes to face products. I don't wear foundation so that didn't need to be packed. I also didn't want to bring tonnes of face products because it is very hot and humid in Ontario and I don't want makeup melting off my face. I have been wearing minimal makeup this summer as I have a bit more colour on my face from the sun. Pictured here I have my Garnier Anti Dark Circle Roller. I love this and can't be anywhere without it. It is one of the few things that doesn't fall into the fine lines under my eyes. It covers my dark circles (mine aren't severe) and makes me look slightly more awake. I also have my NYX concealer in a jar for blemishes. Finally, I have my Maybelline face powder which I sometimes use as a powder foundation. I also use it to reduce the redness around my nose and to take care of any oil issues. I really love this powder and have had it for ages. It is one of the few face powders that doesn't make my skin look powdery.

I'm only bringing two blushes. This one is from Essence Cosmetics and is in the shade "Secret It Girl". I chose this peach blush because I find that peach blushes go with nearly any eye look. I wanted to bring blushes that were versatile to cut down on the number of things I needed to pack.

This is my Hard Candy Baked Blush in "honeymoon". I love this blush and wear it often. It also doubles as a highlighter because it is quite shimmery. This product can also be used on the eyes as a highlight as well. I love multi-use products!

On to eye stuff. This is a sample size of Urban Decay Primer Potion that came with my Book of Shadows IV. I am determined to use up all of my sample primers.  I  used up the one that my sister game me ages ago and I used up another one that came with my Naked palette. Until I opened this one, I had been using Too Faced Shadow Insurance, Palladio Herbal Eyeshadow Primer and an ELF Primer. Normally I would argue that all of these primers perform about the same, but I have noticed that Urban Decay is the clear winner in the summer time. I've noticed my makeup has been holding up a lot better in the hot weather since opening this tube.

 For eyeliners I'm bringing two Urban Decay 24/7 liners. These were part of a kit which came with 5 deluxe sample size liners. They are about half the size of a regular liner. I have used these two shades a lot, so they have been sharpened quite a few times. One liner is a black called "zero" and the other is a rich dark brown called "demolition". I find these liners to be pretty smudge proof and long wearing. They are also ultra creamy and easy to use on the water line.

This is a re-discovered favourite. Lisa gave me this mascara as part of a makeup swap that we did last year.  (Yes I keep makeup forever). This is the Wet n Wild Mega Plump mascara in "black". I had used it a few times and enjoyed it and then stashed it away because I'd bought other mascaras. I have been using this mascara all of July and LOVE it. I think it is one of those mascaras that is just average upon first use and then becomes wonderful as the formula dries a bit. This one also doesn't flake or smear on me. I have tried to pick items that will withstand hot, humid weather.

On to eyeshadows. I can't leave anywhere without my favourite two eyeshadows of all time: MAC Phloof (best inner corner colour EVER...no seriously. If you don't have this you need it.) and Satin Taupe (best taupe ever invented and can be worn so many different ways. It was an xmas gift from Lisa).

For a cream shadow, I have chosen Tarte Emphaseyes Clay Shadow Stick in "champagne". These shadow sticks are seriously amazing and I NEVER use them. I bought a set of 6 of these for a really great price from QVC last year. I don't know why I never use them. They are long wearing, do not crease and come in really beautiful shades. This week I am going to incorporate them into some looks and plan to use this one while on my trip. I wanted to bring a few other colours, but some of the colour families were similar to things I had already packed.

L'oreal Infallible Eyeshadows. I now consider these must-haves at all times as I've used them a lot this summer. The shades I've chosen to bring are "Hour-glass Beige" (pretty beige/champagne colour), "Burning Black" (gorgeous black/burgundy shade), "Sahara Treasure" (a nice golden taupe- you can never leave the house with less than five taupes), and "Flashback Silver" (a beautiful silver with a lilac undertone).

 For palettes, I have chosen two Sleek Cosmetics palettes. I love these because they are SO compact and hold 12 colours each. This one is in "Au Naturelle". I love the neutral colour scheme here. I have been wearing a lot more neutrals these days. I'm not sure if it is because my makeup tastes are changing or if I find neutrals to make for quicker eye looks in the mornings when I have very little time.

The second Sleek Palette is the "Storm" Palette. This has mainly neutrals again, as well as a few colours. I may only take one of these palettes, I haven't decided.

For lip products I am going very minimal. I have chosen a L'oreal Colour Riche Balm in "Caring Coral". I have chosen this because peachy coral lips tend to go with many eye looks. This colour is also very sheer, moisturizing and has SPF 15.  I have chosen a Revlon Lip Butter in "Cupcake", which is a bright blue-based pink.  Finally, I have a Smashbox lip gloss in "Radiant". I love layering this gloss over "Cupcake". It has been one of my favourite lip combos this summer. Usually I just wear one lip product, but I really love this combination.

That is all of the makeup products I will be taking on my trip. The only makeup related items that can't fit in this bag are my makeup remover wipes and my brushes.

Next I thought I'd start thinking about toiletries. I figured I would have to buy a few travel sized items for this journey. I was ecstatic when I found this kit at Walmart. All of these items (minus the hand sanitiser- I added that in) were $4.98. This was a much cheaper option than buying the items separately. This bag is very compact and contains nearly everything I need.

It contains a razor. A decent one too! This is a schick razor with four blades and smells like raspberries :). It should be perfect for the week.

It contains a fold up toothbrush. This is pretty neat and saves a lot of space. The pink portion comes off and can be snapped on the other side to be the handle of the toothbrush. The bristles are really soft too.

This is the only product I didn't really need but I'm kind of weird about breaking up sets. This is just a moisturizer. I do tend to get dry feet though so this will be nice to have on hand if I need it.

This is a vanilla body wash. Such a great little compact size and I love vanilla scents. I'm happy that I won't have to lug around a large body wash.

A tiny toothpaste. I didn't want to have to buy another tube and this amount is perfect. I hope it tastes ok! I can't raid my own stash in the bathroom or my boyfriend will have nothing to use while I'm away.

A half sized deodorant! Love the scent of this and this particular brand is one I buy often anyway. This size, again, saves space!

Small shampoo and conditioner. These are slightly bigger than you find in a hotel room. The scent is really nice and I'm excited to try out dove hair care products. I am happy that I do not have to lug around big shampoo bottles.

This hand sanitiser was not in the kit. I added it. It smells great and I think you should always have hand sanitiser where ever you go. Who knows what germs Ontario has :)  I may put that in my purse since it is under 100ml.

I highly recommend purchasing one of these kits. I've seen that at Walmart and Superstore here in Canada.  I have noticed there are different versions and there are usually some options for different scents and products. This basically has everything I need for toiletries except I need to bring floss, sunscreen, a heat protectant spray for my hair and my Moroccan oil for my hair.

Together, these two small bags contain all of my makeup and nearly all of my toiletries.  I think I've done pretty well for packing light so far!

I hope you have enjoyed this post and that I'm not the only one that is this neurotic about packing. I hope this may have given you some ideas for ways to pack light.

Until next time...

xoxox

Nicole

Commitment to a Clutter Free Existence

I live in the upstairs portion of a duplex in a two bedroom suite.  Our place is roughly the size of an average two bedroom apartment.  That being said, I have enough clutter to fill an average 5 bedroom home.....the madness needs to end.

I have begun a major de-clutter project which I hope to be completely finished with by the end of August. My goal is to fill one large garbage bag full of clutter once a week until it is time for me to go back to school.

If you have read my previous post about throwing old makeup away, you will know that throwing things away is a challenge for me. Actually the word "challenge" is a bit of an understatement...it is nearly IMPOSSIBLE. 

I have started this project in our spare bedroom.  This is where I keep my clothes, makeup, craft supplies, and various other sources of major clutter.  I have a feeling this room alone could stand to lose 3-4 garbage bags of clutter.  The other reason for my de-clutter is I would like to purchase a few new items while on vacation in Ontario and I do not want to put clutter on top of clutter! I'm a bit neurotic about clutter...in case you haven't realized this. I'm assuming most people would not dedicate an entire post to clutter. This post will mainly consist of things I pulled out of my closet and shoe rack.

Anywho, I thought I'd share some pictures of what has been removed from my dwelling so far!

I have a lot of purses that I love, and this just isn't one of them. I received this as one of those "free gift with purchases" kind of deal. It looks cute in the photo, but I tell you...it is really cheaply made and flimsy. I don't think I have ever used it actually. I don't think it could carry much without ripping to be honest. Why did I keep in my closet for so long? I need therapy...clearly. Do you want to know what makes this even more shameful? I already have a much nicer leopard print purse....

This shirt I loved for MANY years...it looks cute on, is comfy and goes with nearly everything...That would all be true if you asked me to describe this top 2-3 years ago. Now it is getting ratty, and has HORRIBLE sweat marks in the armpits. Um gross? Why do I still have this?

Here is another top I have loved for years. I'm sorry to see this one go because it is one of those tops that makes me feel skinny. It is just really flattering. Problem is, at some point I must've got bleach on it or something..as there are a few spots on it...quite noticeable ones when you have it on.

There is nothing wrong with this top at all and I've hardly worn it despite having it for more than five years. The reason I do not wear it is it has a VERY revealing neck line when worn.  I don't mind these sorts of tops for around the house, but I have so many tank tops that I wear around the house and I have lots of others that are more appropriate to be worn outside the house. So long boobtastic top.

I think I kept this shirt more for nostalgic purposes than anything. Some clothes just remind you of many memories in your life. This top reminds me of grade 10 and the good group of friends I had then and the stupid things we used to do. I wore this to one of the grade 10 dances as well...It doesn't really suit my style anymore as I don't care to look like a disco ball these days...

Getting rid of this is actually painful.  I LOVE this hoodie and have loved it since 2008.  It still fits well and is so comfy. It is really warm and very flattering.  The problem with this hoodie is that A) I have a billion hoodies from the great hoodie buying binge of 2009 and this one has various stains that will not come out. One of them appears to be yellow paint, one is chocolate (or at least I hope it is), and one appears to be mustard. Yes I am disgusting. So long stained friend!

Another hoodie purchased in either 2009 or 2010. Like I said, I have so many hoodies and this isn't one that I ever grab for. It shows stains quite easily as it is so light in colour and I am not really in to the designs on it anymore. If you've read my previous post about my shopping must haves for my Ontario holiday, you may be thinking "why is a hoodie on your list?" Because lululemon hoodies are unlike regular hoodies and they are a bit more mature looking than the above hoodie.

Another nostalgic shirt that I never wear. It is looking pretty rough and needs to be thrown away. I'm not particularly attached to it and am not sure why it is still in my closet. Oh right, because I'm mental.

This is another one that makes me sad to get rid of. My mom gave me this shirt in high school and I have worn it a lot over the years. It is beginning to show its age and has some sweat marks as well.  Why am I such a sweaty beast?

This is a MAC gift bag that was included in one of my MAC orders around Christmas. I put in my closet thinking "Oh. I will use this for an xmas gift!"...I never did and likely will never use it. Be gone!

On to some footwear...This is another painful picture to look at as these are now removed from my hosue.  They have been very well worn and have a lot of scuff marks on them.  I have had these since possibly elementary school to be honest. I remember one of my friends having boots with a heel in like grade seven and then begging my mom to buy a pair. I keep packing them around from place to place that I've lived even though I never wear them anymore. So long boots. I will miss you.

But wait...these shoes look really cute! These shoes look brand new! That's because they are. I also have these shoes in tan and LOVE THEM. They are really comfy and look more expensive than their actual $10 price tag from Walmart.  I wear the tan ones often but rarely put these ones on. Why? Because these have always felt really tight and uncomfortable and I never knew why. If you look closely at the shoe on the left, it is clearly a half size smaller than the one on the right. The shoe on the left is in a 7 and a half and the shoe on the right is in an 8.  The shoe on the left is actually painful and unwearable. How did I not notice this when I bought these? Well..I tried on the tan ones and loved them and just grabbed the coral ones without trying them on...not knowing someone had mixed up the sizes...sigh.

I still have some more work to do in the closet but I was getting bored and the heat in the spare room was becoming unbearable as it has been quite hot the past week or two.  So last week I purchased two nail polishes and one L'oreal Infallible eyeshadow. As promised, I have pledged to throw away one item for every beauty item purchased.  First up...this Sally Girl lip gloss.  As you can see in this photo, this gloss has really separated and has a gross blob of liquid in it. Yummy!

The third item I chose to throw away was this Hard Candy Glow All the Way body bronzer. It is SUPER sparkly. Pretty much makes anyone who uses it look like Midas touched them..Not attractive on my fair skin whatsoever.

I am actually thrilled to through this away. It makes me mad every time I look at it. It cost over $20 and has ZERO pigmentation.  It is some cube shimmer thing from the Body Shop that I purchased 5 years ago. I have to pack about 237928329 layers on my eyes to notice even a slight wash of colours on my lids. This item made me angry and yet I still held on to it....


So there you have it! The above items and a few pieces of old poster board I used for various school assignments equalled one large garbage bag full. I will be looking to get rid of another bag hopefully this weekend!

I hope this inspires you in some way to rid yourself of clutter.

Cheers!

Nicole



Blue Suede Shoes

So I have a small fashion haul to show.  I know...I know...this post is a little comical given that my previous post went on and on about how good I have been and how I wouldn't be purchasing anything until my Ontario trip...In my defence, I did got into several stores and only came out with two items...coming in at $47.  Both of these items came from Winners. I don't go to Winners often as my boyfriend has very little patience for shopping.  Winners just isn't a store you can spend less than an hour in.  There are so many racks to look through and it is very time consuming! I went to Winners with my mother in law and was able to take my time.

I was very drawn to this top.  I LOVE the colour. I am pretty certain that I do not currently have this shade of blue in my wardrobe. I don't actually have much blue in my wardrobe period.  This top is very soft and has a lot of stretch to it so it is very comfy.  I am not sure what the brand is...I am currently wearing it and do not feel like taking it off to look at the tag :) It is a nice length. It is long, but not so long that it cuts off my already short legs.  This top is fitted and accentuates my curves, but isn't too clingy. It is a tighter fitting top, but because of the material I feel confident sporting it!

After oooing and aweing over the colour, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it has the cutest zipper in the back! I thought this was a cute and interesting feature. It kind of gives the top more of an edge and takes a basic top up a notch.  You do not feel the zipper at all when you sit down in chairs which is a bonus! This top looks great as a layering piece as well.  This top was $16.99 and my size is medium. It also came in black and a plum colour.  I liked the plum as well, but I have a lot of purple in my wardrobe. I am wishing I got it in black too since I like the fit so much.  But alas, I must save for my trip!

Keeping with the blue theme...I present you with my first pair of blue suede shoes! Everyone needs a pair of these, particularly Elvis fans. Ok..so they are faux suede, but close enough! These babies are SO comfy. I love the colour and the details...the comfort and look of a moccasin, with some chic details. They really have a lot of give to them and accomodate my wide feet.It is surprising how comfy they are given the very affordable price tag.  These were $24.99 and are in size 8.  They are by a brand called Bamboo. I've never heard of this brand. I looked up this brand online and they have a lot of funky shoes for a very affordable price. I may purchase some more from this brand in the future. Most of their shoes appear to be in the $20-$25 dollar range. They seem to be quite well made too.

 

Here's another angle...obviously multiple angles are necessary. I heart Winners! Hope you enjoyed the post.

xoxox

Nicole

ME WANT.

Wow..long time no bloggin'. I love when bloggers or YouTubers go MIA for awhile and then do a big update blog post/YouTube video and it is usually a whole bunch of excuses...I don't even have any lame excuses. It has been unbearably hot for a few days. That's all I've got.

I'm going to Ontario in 3 and a half weeks! I'm going to visit my sister, her fiance, her kitty and her budgie bird. It will be my first plane ride ever and I am very excited! It will also be my first time visiting another province. And HELL it is my first time taking a vacation! I'm very excited to have zero work/homework obligations for an entire week. This hasn't happened since last December, and that wasn't entirely like a vacation because January stress was lurking just around the corner. Isn't September stress lurking around the corner you ask? No. I've blocked it out of my mind.

So with a trip to Ontario, comes a shopping trip in Toronto! I'm very excited to shop till I drop! Naturally, I have made a shopping list in my mind weeks in advance.  I am keeping my list semi small so I am able to discover items I hadn't thought of or didn't know existed.  I thought I would share the must haves on my list!

First up! A black scuba Lululemon hoodie. I know. Not the most exciting must-have. It is for me though! I have always wanted this plain black hoodie. I have one scuba hoodie in pink and I love it. I wear it so much. These hoodies are so comfy, keep their shape very well and are much more flattering than most hoodies.  They are perfect for BC's frigid weather.  I have ordered from lululemon.com several times, but have never ordered this hoodie. I'm not sure why, as I've always wanted it. There is nothing better than a black hoodie. I only have one black hoodie currently and it isn't my favorite because it has a brand name across the chest...it's a bit young for my style now. This is the grown up hoodie in my opinion :)  I would also like a new headband! I go to the gym and I like to do yoga so this is a must have purchase for me!

On to the glory that is MAC Cosmetics.  I have a few MAC eyeshadows and have slowly been building my collection one eyeshadow at a time.  I also have one MAC blush and one MAC lip gloss. That sums up the extent of my MAC collection. MAC is a major treat for me. There is no MAC store anywhere near where I live for 100's of kms so I am thrilled to enter a real MAC store for the first time ever! I order MAC cosmetics online once in awhile but their shipping is kind of annoying because they tend to ship FedEx and you have to be home to receive the purchase! Otherwise, it gets sent to the FedEx shipping Centre and it is located way on the other side of town.  Bussing to this location is also a major headache. I have no vehicle. WHINE WHINE WHINE. I would love to try a MAC Mineralize Skin Finish (MSF). I'm particularly interested in the ones that are more of a blush/highlighter for the skin than a skin tone powder. I haven't decided on a shade as I haven't found any swatches that seem to do them justice yet.  I would like to see these in person before I make a decision.  Secondly, I would like to have a MAC lipstick.  I know there is likely a dupe for every single MAC lipstick, but I don't care. It is like the Chanel handbag of lipstick. I want it for the label on the side of the tube...sue me. The two I have picked out here are both coral lipsticks. I really love coral lipsticks and I find that it can be challenging to find a perfect coral at the drug store. I am not certain what shade I will end up getting, but I fancy these a lot!

On to things I would like to purchase from either Sephora or Shoppers Drug Mart.  I have Shoppers Drug Marts here but I have a $25 gift card to use and I'd like to use it when I'm in Toronto so I can have fun shopping for makeup with my sister.  Above, you will see Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara. I have gotten a case of the mewantitis EVERY time I've seen this mascara used by makeup gurus. I am very against paying high end prices for mascaras as I feel there are fab ones at the drug store for a fraction of the price. I have never seen a wand like this available at the drug store and this tiny tube is only $10.  I know Maybelline makes one with a tiny wand but I cannot find it in my stores. Plus, I will be on vacation. Plus I haven't really bought much for myself all summer. Plus, sue me.

This may be the purchase I am most excited about and CANNOT stop thinking about. This is the new Smoked Palette by Urban Decay.  It is sort of the response to the Nakeds, I suppose.  I love that there are beautiful jewel tones and a new taupe to add to my neurotically large taupe collection.  It also comes with a full size eyeliner in perversion and that is a kick ass liner. The packaging is cute and I am excited to try UD's new and improved eyeshadow formula.

Finally, I'd love to own a designer iPhone case. The one pictured is a beautiful wristlet by Kate Spade. I have been looking at this case for months online.  I love that it has places for your debit/credit cards/ID. There are many times I just want to take a debit card and my phone and not lug around my purse. This would be perfect for that! I also love the colour and I think the interior of this case would go very well with my iPhone 4GS. My phone is my baby. My prized possession. I currently have an Otterbox case which I do really like and it is very good quality. I find that the white rubber gets a bit grungy looking though. This purchase will require a trip to the Apple store. Another place I have never visited before as we do not have one in my city.

So that wraps up my must haves! My me wants! My gotta have it nows! I will likely do a post detailing my haul of what I actually ended up purchasing. I have been so good resisting every temptation to shop this summer and am very excited for my one splurge shopping day in Toronto. I'm also excited to shop for makeup with my sister as we only get to do that once a year...if that!

Have a great night!

xoxox

Nicole