As a birthday getaway, we drove to Mendocino for the weekend and stayed at the Sea Rock Inn. We had such a fun time so I wanted to do a quick little review:
Tag: travel
Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. There is so much to see and many different hikes and trails to explore. Here’s a list of my top 7 hikes in Banff National Park:
We visited Canada for the first time this month and we had an amazing trip. I did a lot of research (as I do) before booking everything, but there were still some things that I wish I’d have known before traveling. I’ll be doing a full Travel Diary post soon, but until then, I hope this post helps you prepare if you’re visiting Canada for the first time.
It can be super exciting to start thinking about taking a fun trip for spring break or a summer vacation, but there are a lot of little details and planning that go into a successful vacation. To prevent yourself from becoming overwhelmed, here are the steps I take, and some basic tips I do every time I’m planning for a vacation:
If you’re planning a trip to Disneyland and trying to figure out what to bring, here’s a look at what I brought on our recent trip to Disneyland.
It’s finally here — my Hawaii travel diary! We recently went on a trip to Hawaii and we had the best time. I posted some pictures on instagram along the way, but here’s a recap of our entire Hawaii experience:
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
We visited Lou’s Sushi in Sacramento for some vegetarian/vegan sushi and it was great. I never thought about vegan sushi before but I’m so glad to have found a cool place.
We recently went to Carmel for my birthday and we had the best time. I wanted to do a Travel Diary about our trip and our experience! ❤
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
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10 Spring Break Beauty Tips
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
It’s still snowing in some parts of the US, but in just a few days it will officially be spring! Which means that, for some of you, Spring Break is here or is just around the corner!
As you dig your bikinis and flip flops out of storage, it’s important to remember these Spring Break Beauty Tips whether you’re going to Cancun or hanging out with your family by the beach!
1. Drink plenty of water. Water is your best friend. It’s important to stay hydrated especially when out in the sun for extended periods of time. But also, if you’ll be traveling for your break, nothing will help your body acclimate faster than staying nice and hydrated.
2. Give your skin a break + let it breathe a little during your vacation. Try out some “no make up” looks if you choose to wear makeup. Otherwise, go for a natural sunscreen + chapstick only dewy look.
3. Try a fresh and fruity cleanser. Clean & Clear has this oil free pink grapefruit foaming scrub. I love the way this cleanser smells; so clean and fruity! It’s awesome and has these gentle exfoliating beads that help smooth away rough spots. It also contains salicylic acid which helps clear my skin up!
4. Use Sunscreen. Lots of it. Everyone wants to come back from spring break with a nice healthy glow, but be mindful about how long you’re in the sun. Sunburns are serious so apply a UVA/UVB sunscreen often and wear a hat or stay in a partially shaded area. Make sure to use it on your face and body.
5. Try some no-heat hair styles. If you’ll be in the sun but out of the water, opt for some fun braided, no-heat hairstyles. Braids are a soft, feminine way to keep your hair out of your face while giving you a nice, put-together but beachy look.
6. Try some new hair ties! Hold your braids together with cute, fun hair ribbons. If you haven’t used these ribbon hair ties before, definitely give them a try. They prevent breakage and come in a variety of colors. Check out some of the different varieties: here, here, and here.
7. Lock in the moisture in your hair. The sun + chlorinated or salty water can dry out your hair. If you’ll be in and out of water, try first to wet your hair and coat the ends with conditioner to lock in moisture.
8. Exfoliate. Pre, during, and post Spring Break. Exfoliating is the best way to keep your skin super soft and vacation ready. Before you embark on your journey, exfoliating will help you apply sunless tanning lotion evenly and prevent streaking. During your excursion, exfoliating will keep your skin from peeling or flaking from being out in the sun. And once you’re back home, it will help keep you looking glowy and fresh! I like to use the brown sugar and oatmeal body scrub from the San Francisco Bath Salt Company.
9. Get a Mani/Pedi. Nothing says Spring Break more than fun bright nail color! I like neon and bright pink nail polishes. Bright nail color can help you look extra tan. I really like Collide by Ilamasqua.
10. Hydrate your skin with an After Sun Lotion. I really like this lotion from Hawaiian Tropic it has aloe and feels nice and cooling on your skin after a long day in the sun. Your skin will thank you.
What are your plans for Spring Break? Share your Beauty Tips in the comments!
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
Many of you may be traveling for the upcoming holidays. It’s always fun to go somewhere new or see friends & family, but it can be difficult deciding what to pack or just carrying everything you want.
I always try to pack just the “essentials” so my bags aren’t loaded down and I’ll have room in case I get a few souvenirs. You really need to ask yourself what you want; try to only bring products that have multiple uses. For example: with makeup, see if you can find a blush you like that can double as an eyeshadow. Or a dark eyeshadow that you can also use to fill in your brows. With beauty items, it can be a little more tricky. You don’t want to neglect your skin while you are on holiday, but you don’t want to carry your full sized bottles either.
This is where those sample sizes from Sephora or little mini bottles of products come in handy. I always save the samples for traveling because they hardly take up any room and you can just discard them when you are done. If you don’t have the sample sizes of the product you want to bring with you, there are always those mini travel bottles you can buy at the drugstore.
Here’s my travel makeup bag:
This bag is actually a clutch from the Marc Jacobs collaboration with Target last year; it’s a shiny metallic pouch that’s fairly large and fits all you see here ^ very nicely.
- A few of my makeup brushes
- Marc Jacobs Genius Gel (Bisque Light) (see my review HERE)
- Urban Decay – Naked 2 Palette
- Lancome – Effacernes (Porcelaine)
- Fresh – Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment
- Urban Decay – Eye Shadow Primer Potion mini
- Laura Mercier – Secret Brightening Powder
- Benefit – The POREfessional mini
- Benefit – Watt’s Up! mini
- Tarte – Amazonian Clay Blush (Dazzled)
- Maybelline – Eyestudio Gel Eyeliner (Blackest Black)
- Lancome – Hypnose Star mascara mini
- Benefit – They’re Real mascara mini
- Viktor & Rolf – Flowerbomb mini (Sephora 250 point perk)
- Smashbox – Layer Lash Primer
- Revlon – eyelash curler
Here’s my skincare and toiletries bag:
This bag was a gift with purchase at Victoria’s Secret a few years ago. It’s metallic gold, but has vertical pink stripes inside and it’s pretty large.
What’s inside?
- Pursonic
- Lush – Grease Lightening
- Philosophy – Miracle Worker eye cream
- Josie Maran – 100% Pure Argan Oil (see some of the many uses HERE)
- Clarisonic Mia
- Philosophy – Purity Made Simple
- Colgate Total travel size
- L’occitane – Hand Cream mini
- Lancome – Genefique mini
- Lancome – Vissionaire mini
- Dr. Dennis Gross – Alpha Beta Peel sample
- Living Proof – Prime Style Extender sample
- Lancome – Absolue Night Premium mini
- Lancome – Absolue Premium mini
- Altoids Smalls – Peppermint
- Origins – GinZing eye cream sample
- Bumble and Bumble Thickening Shampoo sample
- Bumble and Bumble Thickening Conditioner sample
- Purell – Hand Sanitizer mini
- Blistex – Medicated Lip Balm
- Neutrogena – Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen mini
- Lancome – Energie De Vie sample
- Bumble and Bumble – Grooming Cream sample
Let me know if you have any holiday travel plans coming up and what your must-have beauty travel essentials are! ❤
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
With the holidays right around the corner, many people will be traveling to visit friends and family, or just going on a vacation. Whatever your reason, air travel may be in your near future.
Whenever I fly anywhere, I purpose to pack as lightly as possible. No one wants to lug three suitcases and two totes through the airport; trust me. So, unless you’re going to be away for more than two weeks, try to fit everything into one duffle/suitcase and one larger “carry-on”/purse. Winter time can be more difficult, since many of our sweaters and jackets are bulky, but if you wear or carry some of the larger items, you’ll be fine.
I actually carry on all of my luggage, rather than checking a bag. No one wants to stand around the luggage carrousel after a long flight, waiting to find her bag with the pink ribbon (Tip: always give your bag some kind of distinguishing characteristic if you are checking luggage to help you identify your bag quickly and easily!)
Once you’re on the plane, you’re ready to sit back and enjoy the flight! Here are my travel essentials for your trip:
Large Tote — Think “Weekender Bag”
This will be your go-to bag for all things travel. Big enough to hold all of your essentials, but small enough to slide underneath the seat. I like this handbag by Michael Kors.
Water
Fill your own water bottle once you are through airport security, or just buy a bottle from one of the many stores past the security gates.
It’s important to stay hydrated on the plane since the air can be very dry. Yes, the flight attendants will bring you a beverage and maybe a snack, but those cups are small and the attendants aren’t there to keep refilling your glass. So come prepared with your own water…
Snacks
…and your own snacks. Plane food isn’t the best especially if you are on a short flight. You won’t be served a meal and if you get a snack, it’ll be a little packet of trail mix or something of the like. That’s fine in a pinch, but I’m all about being prepared and eating more than 5 mini pretzels, so I like to bring fruit bars. The “this strawberry walks into a bar” kind from trader joes are my favorite.
Hand Sanitizer
Don’t want to eat with dirty hands, of course. But you also want to protect yourself from all the germs on the plane. Anytime you touch your face, eyes or mouth, you want your hands to be clean.
Neosporin
This may sound gross, but it’s a travel pro tip — put a little neosporin on your pinky finger and line the inside of your nose with it. It’s your own personal barrier against breathing in those germs!
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
- Oliver
I love this movie and not just because I like musicals. This 1968 adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist is fun while touching on serious issues. If you haven’t seen the movie or read the book, I definitely recommend it. This used to be on Netflix, but they’ve taken it down since 🙁
- Philip Glass
Earlier this month, we saw Philip Glass play at the Days and Nights Festival in Big Sur, California. It was a beautiful day and the festival was so much fun. If you aren’t familiar with Philip Glass, check out some of his solo piano HERE and HERE.
- Josie Maran – Whipped Argan Oil
You already know how amazing this has been for me! Of course I had to make it one of my October favorites 🙂
- Josie Maran – 100% Pure Argan Oil
So excited about this. Review HERE, but you can use this organic oil for so many things! It’s amazing and it is perfect for all skin types! 🙂 🙂 🙂 Historically, Argan oil has been used to treat acne, stretch marks and skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis!
- Benefit – The POREfessional
I first got a sample of this with one of my Sephora purchases and I loved it. I recently picked up the full sized version, and I got a great deal! I use this on top of moisturizer but underneath foundation. It give a smooth canvas to apply your makeup and it reduced the appearance of pores — it’s gives an airbrushed effect.
- Sephora by OPI – French Manicure Gel Nails
I love the classic look of a French manicure; it looks great with everything. This kit from Sephora is a great value with 2 full sized gel polishes, a detailing brush, and nail decals for just $29. I’ve only had this on my nails for 3 days, but the gel formula is amazing and will last up to two weeks. Super easy to apply and several colors to choose from in-store and online.
- Pretty Little Liars
This show makes me think of fall. I had a Netflix marathon last year in October and tried to keep up on the most recent season online. With the most recent Halloween special, I’m excited all over again to solve more of the mystery! Are you watching? Do you think Ezra is A?
- GLAMGLOW SUPERMUD mask
I got this mask in a set in my last Sephora haul. I have used it twice and there is a full review HERE, but so far I really like it.
- California Plant Burger | The Plant Cafe Organic
This organic, vegetarian “burger” was awesome. With avocado and white cheddar, the lentils, mushrooms, beets, cashews & bulgar wheat pattie was delicious. It was served with a side of mixed greens, roasted potatoes, and pickles. Yum!
- Watt’s Up – Benefit
This is my go-to highlighter for that gorgeous winter glow. I like the way the product glides on and it blends very easily with your fingers. The highlight is natural looking, but you can definitely see it. Perfect for holiday party time or year round.
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here.
We enjoyed such a beautiful day at Pier 39. The weather was perfect and there were some extra attractions to celebrate the Pier’s 35th anniversary.