Travel Case

I'm not quite ready to show my face yet, as I'm still recovering from The Plague, but I thought it might be interesting to photograph what I took to the beach whilst I cleaned out my travel case. You'll notice that this is missing a lot of my usual staples: there are no red lip products, no liquid liners, and hardly any cheek products. The thing is, I knew I was going to be pretty lazy, and I knew I was going to flounce around in warm, salty, sandy air for 9 days, so I didn't want to overdo it. I actually ended up hardly using most of these products--I only wore makeup 4 times--and there are a few I didn't even touch. Regardless, it was good to have them around. :)

An overview of my travel case! I actually got this product roll from an antique shop for $3 and absolutely love it, but you can find similar products from Amazon and Etsy. Not pictured here are a few products I generally keep in my purse: Clinique Airbrush concealer ($19.50) in 01 Fair, Jack Black lip balm ($7.50), Palladio Rice Paper blotting sheets ($5), and a Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter ($7) in Berry Smoothie.

The first pouch is all about the face, although I also jammed a few hair accessories in there as well. I brought my depotted Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer ($45) in Sx02, which I still haven't finished despite using it regularly--that's the same teaspoon of product I depotted when I first bought it. O__O I also brought my ELF Complexion Perfection powder ($3) and a sample of the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector ($42) in Pearl that a very kind MUAer sent me. I ended up using the Real Techniques Stippling Brush ($10) just once, but I use my La Femme brow pencil ($1.50) in Taupe on an almost daily basis, even if I'm not wearing any other makeup.

My "cleaners pouch" contains just two items: a small vial of baby oil and a mini size of the Sonia Kashuk Brush & Sponge Cleanser ($7 for full size). The SK brush cleanser is actually very impressive; I still deep-clean my brushes several times a month, but you can really see the way this cleanser pulls dirt and product out of brush bristles, and it doesn't dry them out.

Yes, I only brought 2 blushes: Urban Decay Glide-On Cheek Tint ($24) in Quickie, a sheer, bright, fresh pink, and Becca Beach Tint ($25) in Watermelon, my go-to "no-makeup-makeup" shade. I considered bringing a peachy shade, but I usually like to match my blush up to my lipstick, and I knew I wouldn't have to patience to make a peachy lip work on my pigmented rosey lips. I also knew I wouldn't do my usual winged liner--too fussy for the beach--so I just brought my GWP Lancome Le Crayon Khol ($25 for full size) to tight line and make my lashes look fuller. The Real Techniques Kabuki ($10) is the only other brush I brought; it buffs the ELF Complexion Perfection powder in to my skin and smooths out my blush/highlighter beautifully.

I decided to stick with Solid Scents from One Hand Washes the Other ($5.50 each) for my fragrance needs, since I've noticed they are incredibly resilient in extreme heat and humidity; I also carry a tube of 1605 and Nirvana in my purse. I always use my trust Too Faced Shadow Insurance ($18) to smooth out my oil-slick lids and help my undereye concealer last a bit longer, and I've kind of fallen in love with my sample of the Anastasia Brow Gel ($21 for full size) in Clear.

The little skincare pouch that could! The small pots contain Avon Nurtura Replenishing Cream ($8.50 for full size) and Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream ($46 for full size); because the eye cream is so astronomically expensive and I don't necessarily need it, I only use it once or twice a week as a sort of "treat." I will stretch this sample as far as I can! I also brought my mini Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Intensive Daily Moisturizer for Face ($35 for full size) to mix in to my KA SSE or provide a bit of moisture and sun protection in the early mornings as needed. And I snagged the Blistex Medicated Mint lip balm ($2) when we stopped at Target because I'm running low on my Jack Black lip balm and always need to have a lip product with SPF handy. Lastly, q-tips, and lots of 'em!

Here's the rest of my skincare! My generic Rite Aid Faces Sunblock ($8) is probably about expired and should be replaced ASAP. I also bought the ELF Makeup Mist and Set spray ($3) and a $1 travel bottle to depot it in when we were at Target, since I wasn't able to bring my almost-empty bottle of Skindinavia. The white sheets are Clea de Peau cottons ($20 a box), which a very sweet MUAer sent me a sample of. I almost didn't bring my Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream ($19.50) because the tube is kinda big, but I've come to absolutely love and almost depend on this product, so I made it fit.

All of the lipsticks and eyeshadows I brought. No, really! Well, ok, I had another lip butter in my purse, but that's about it. I brought 2 "fresh" pinks, MAC Viva Glam lipstick ($15) in Nicki and Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Sweet Tart, and ended up wearing neither, just because I was stupidly lazy. I also wore the Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stain ($8) in Sweetheart for a semi-fancy dinner out. The small pot of Chanel Illusion d'Ombre ($36) in Mirifique was actually a boo-boo--I meant to grab Epatant. I also brought Emerville, but never used it. I did wear the Benefit Creaseless Cream shadow ($19) in Birthday Suit, but other than that, I skipped eyeshadows on this vacation. Also, that's my old tube of Prestige My Biggest Lashes Mascara ($8); I replaced it with a fresh back-up tube as soon as I got home.

And of course, MAC Face & Body foundation ($33) in N1 and White!...which I only wore once. Something about the formulation just didn't agree with the North Carolina air, which was thick with salt. I decided to stick with my KA SSE for the rest of the trip.