Traveling Sizes

  This week is Spring Break for Purchase and I went to Baltimore with my boyfriend for the weekend. I don't usually buy travel size items from Bath and Body Works but since I work there, I got some gratis which was a travel size ritual (shower gel, lotion, splash) in our newest scent, Carried Away. Since they are small (3 oz; they are perfect if you are going on a plane, too!) they fit perfectly into my small weekend bag.

  Most of our signature scents are also made in the travel sizes but some are only made in lotions and not the entire ritual (like my favorite, Black Raspberry Vanilla). When I first tried Carried Away, I HATED it. But, when I tried the shower gel, I fell in love and gave the lotion and spray a second chance and now I wear it almost everyday. Simply, its a fruity scent with floral undertones. To me, I smell the raspberries the strongest. Some of the other top notes are Italian Bergamot, Meyer Lemon, Mandarin, and Pear Nectar. The mid notes are Purple Freesia, White Tuberose, White Jasmine, and Violet Petals while the base notes are creamy sandalwood, whipped vanilla, and musk. When I smell it in the bottle, I smell mostly raspberries but when it's on the floral notes come forward.

  At 3 for $10 (the ongoing promotion) these are PERFECT for traveling OR if you just want to try a new scent before committing to a full size product. Also, for the sale, you can mix and match ALL travel sizes (forms, scents, and even other brands like True Blue Spa and Aromatherapy).

Eyeliner solutions

When I first started wearing make up, eyeliner was my number one thing. Never went anywhere without it.  As I got older, I started hating how it looked on me because I didn't know how to wear it right. I always just used a cheap stick of black eyeliner that you can buy at CVS for about a buck. While that may be okay when you're 15/16 years old, as I got older I realized it was always running and I looked so unnatural with these black lines over my eyes. While that may be a "trend" for some (Taylor Momsen), for me, I felt like an idiot, as do most people, I think.

Then, my friend gave me her MAC eyeshadow (Beauty Marked) that she never used, it was a really dark, dusty purple that looked almost black. I like this color because I have a green tint in my eyes so the purple-ish color really brought out the green flakes in my eyes. If you use this, find which one matches your eye color best. I threw out all my dollar stick-eye liner and started using that shadow. All I do is lightly wet a slanted brush (mines on the other end of my eyebrow brush). This probably isn't what it's supposed to be used for, but I use it anyway. Then, I dab it in the eyeshadow and just slowly swipe it atop my eyelid, right on my eyelash line. Sometimes, depending on the amount of water, this would be dark so I would use my finger to smudge it a bit. I found this LOOKED better and LASTED much longer because it doesn't run.
Alas, three days ago I lost my MAC eyeshadow. I've tried using other eyeshadows that seem to not do the trick. I remember a couple years ago in a magazine it suggested that if there is no eyeliner, try using your mascara. I did that. It worked better than a cheap stick of eyeliner but wasn't really as pretty as the MAC eyeshadow.
Although the shadow is, what I think, a bit too high in price ($14.50 for 1.5 g), it works. I have yet to find a comparable result with a less expensive product but I'm on the hunt!

Supermodel by Victoria's Secret Eau De Parfum

Victoria's Secret "Supermodel" Eau de parfum is my secret weapon. I wear it any time I want to impress someone. Let's just say the first time I wore it was to a party my freshman year in college and I met a really cute guy. I've been convinced ever since.
    This super sexy and fruity scent contains berries, peach blossom, and creamy sandalwood as their top notes. When I wear it on my skin I can really smell the sandalwood which kind of gives it that sexy, musky scent. The lighter notes, the Berry and Peach Blossom,  are kind of an afterthought when mixed with my body chemistry. However, this can be very different on every person; it's all about how it mixes with your skin. My number one suggestion is to utilize testers in the store! If you can't find one, ask. If the store wants the product to sell and wants to satisfy a customer, they will make a tester if there isn't one. I recommend spraying it on you and then walking around the store for a little or shop some more before making a decision on if you like the scent. There are NUMEROUS scents that I cannot stand in the bottle but when I put them on, they smell completely different and some I've even come to buy.
    Because it is an eau de parfum, it is a little stronger than your typical EDT or body splash. There is more perfume so the scent will last longer throughout the day which means you need less touch ups.
   As to the price, although it is a little more expensive than some may want to spend, a little goes A LONG way. I had the 2.5 oz bottle and it seemed to last me forever. A month ago, I bought the 1 oz bottle and using it a few times a week (three to four), I still have 90% of the bottle left. Like I said, this is totally worth it and always makes a good impression!

Taaz.com - Free makeover

 Hey, so I'm doing my sisters hair and make up for her junior prom (I know, it's months away but I'm excited) and I came across this really cool site that lets you try make up before you buy! Taaz.com lets you upload a picture of yourself, or you can use one of their pre-set models, and try on a bunch of different brands and colors of make up. There are thousands of different varieties you can try. Also, they have celebrity hair styles that you can try on and even change the hair color. You can save your creations and view other people's creations in a gallery. It's a free makeover!
 Only problem I seem to have is that it's really hard for most people to get a good picture of themselves with the perfect lighting so unless you have a really good camera and lighting, it may be hard to really get a feel on how the make up will look on you.
  Check it out though! Even if you don't want to upload your own pic, it's still fun to be creative with make up!

Tweezerman Tweezers

   One of the things I hate when plucking my eyebrows is how long it can take! Even if you're just trying to keep up in between waxes, if you have the wrong tweezers it can take a little while to get them perfect.  With some of them, it takes a couple tries to get a grasp on some of the shorter hairs. Like I said... if you have the wrong tweezers.

   The first time I tried Tweezerman tweezers was my freshman year in college and they were my roommates. I never kept up with my eyebrows in between waxes because it hurt so bad and took more time than I cared to give. Well, since I bought my first pair of Tweezermans (you can buy them at Sephora or on the Tweezerman website) I have never gone back to the drugstore brands. They may be a little more expensive (ranging from $12.50 to $40) but let me tell you, they are completely worth it. I bought the mini slanted tweezers for, I believe, $15 a couple of years ago and still use them. My 16 year old sister even begged me to buy her one last Christmas, so I did.
  There's not much you can say about the actual use except that the slanted head really grasps on to even the shortest hairs and you don't have to try multiple times to pull them out. Another great thing is that they come in a variety of colors. My make up bag area can become a hot mess on the weekends or when I'm in a hurry to get ready and I always seem to lose things. But, my Tweezerman's are light green so they are easy to find against all my other make up. That also comes in handy if they're on the bottom of a big, cluttered purse.