My Three Makeup Bag Musts

I can officially say I've completed my spring cleaning for this year. After tackling my closet, makeup drawer  and everywhere else I could think of, I concluded with my everyday makeup bag. My friends have always referred to my makeup bag as "CVS," since given it's contents, it's safe to say that I am prepared for almost anything. Really what that translates to is a bag full of unnecessary, and often, useless items, which then makes my handbag heavy. No bueno.

While the whole idea of the overhaul was to get rid of the excess, there were a few things that I kept and added to the mix, even if I may not use them very often. I call them my "little life savers" since having them on hand makes a world of difference and because they make my day go that much smoother.

The Life Savers: Mascara by Benefit, Earrings from my Etsy, Friction Block Stick by Band Aid

Mascara 

Every now and then I find myself going through my entire makeup routine yet somehow forgetting my most important step: mascara. I'm usually too far from home (or too late for the train...) to turn back, so adding a backup mascara to be applied at my destination or on the train, (I'm so discrete I swear!) was necessary.

Earrings

Like mascara, I just don't feel like myself without a pair of earrings. I feel naked without them! Again, adding a backup pair of earrings just made sense. I just need to remember to put them back in my bag after I've worn them!

Friction Block Stick 

I've lost count the amount of times I've decided to wear a pair of new or uncomfortable flats while parading around the city. I think the reason it keeps happening is because I have this little miracle stick with me at all times. A quick swipe before or after with a band aid and I'm usually good to go. I also love it in summer for sandals and "flip flop burn." Truly a must.

What are you're essential backup items?

Spring Cleaning

So the weather this past weekend? Just spectacular. The blue, sunny skies, and warm-ish temps, had me in the best mood and in the mood to get some spring cleaning done. Spring cleaning for me usual centers around my closet, discarding what I haven't worn/what I don't like and what doesn't fit. While I absolutely hate this type of cleaning, it becomes a win-win situation as clothing that no longer fits needs to be replaced with clothing that does. I love when the odds are in my favor!

Once I got started on my closet, there was no stopping. My dressers, storage closet, and even my little corner in my dad's office all got refreshed and reorganized. The last stop on my spring cleaning tour was probably the most important: my makeup drawer and everyday makeup bag. While I take very good care of my makeup, (sterilizing after each use, etc.) I have a tendency to keep makeup, that I don't like, and worse, has expired. I know, it's terrible and not to mention, gross. 

 I think the lip lacquer and gloss are at least 6 years old...

Like my closet, cleaning out my makeup means room for new products! One of my favorite things about discarding empties the Back to MAC program. If you're not familiar with it, MAC has a program where you bring in six empty MAC products and in exchange, you get a free lipstick (at the counter) or a free lipstick, eyeshadow, lip gloss (at a freestanding MAC store). These empties bring me to a total of 12 empties. Two free products!

info via

Did you get any spring cleaning done this weekend? Are you good at cleaning out your makeup?

Highlighting & Contouring

One of my all time favorite beauty tricks has to be the art of highlighting and contouring. In a nutshell, highlighting brings light to areas of the face and makes them more pronounced, while contouring makes other areas "sink in" and appear slimmer!

New Beauty Buys

MAC: Fix+, Hozwat eyeshadow from the Iris Apfel collection, Love Nectar lustreglass, AVEDA anti-humectant pomade, ESSIE Winter 2011 Collection 4 Piece Mini (purchased here),  SMASHBOX powder and primer

I have been on quite the beauty buying binge lately. I figured with the new year (it's still new, right?) there was no better time to stock up on some new products.

Some of the above are tried and true products that I have been using for years (like MAC Fix+ and Love Nectar, Smashbox primer) and some are new that I have no idea how I lived with out. One such product is Aveda's anti humectant pomade. The combination of this pomade and my keratin treatments, its hard to believe that I don't chemically straighten my hair any more. The pomade does wonders at keeping  hair straight. 

I wish I could say my beauty binge was over, but I have been planning a trip to MAC all week to check out the "Shop, Cook" collection and NARS just came out with a new tinted moisturizer. See, no end in sight.

BTW: In case you didn't see or hear about it, the FDA published a list of 400 lipsticks that contain lead. You can check them all out here. Since the study was conducted in 2010, I hope some necessary changes have been made...