My Current Go-To Lipstick

I'm a pale person. Despite living in Florida, I have embraced my fair skin and have decided to protect it as much as possible from the sun's harmful effects. The downside is, without certain makeup items, I can look too pale...and people will make sure to let me know that. "Are you sick?" "You look different today." "What happened?" I am definitely not someone that can go without SOME sort of makeup. Usually, lipstick is the first item I will reach for.

It's no secret I love VS Beauty. Their blushes, bronzers and lip glosses are some of the best I have ever used and the prices are affordable. Lately, their Color Drama Lipstick in "Wish" has been my go-to color.

I'm willing to call this color the "Perfect Pink." Sometimes, pink lipsticks make your teeth look yellow and aren't flattering at all. This pink, thanks to the slight warm tone, brightens up my complexion without giving me Barbie lips. The texture is smooth and creamy with a nice sheen and slightly sheer pigmentation. As you can see in the image above, there is also a slight shimmer to the product. I assure you, all it does is give your lips the illusion of fullness--there is no "sparkle" visible once applied. This will definitely be a lipstick I repurchase.

Have you tried the VS Beauty lipsticks yet?

Travelling Light: How I Stuck to My Carry-On

I had never seen an apple tree before! I was so excited. Kalamazoo, Michigan 2013.

I think it's safe to say that flying has lost a lot of its magic. I'm not even referring to the days of Pan Am (I miss that show), I'm talking about flying pre-TSA takeover.

The 3-1-1 Rule has caused a lot of grief for travelers. Mothers with infants have had issues traveling with formula and those with illnesses , such as diabetes, that require a lot of care have also been held back in airport lines or had their items confiscated.

For those of us that like to travel with a makeup arsenal, though the inconvenience isn't as severe as those listed above, the 3-1-1 rule is our worst enemy. So many beauty products come in liquid form and often in sizes much larger than the allotted 3 oz.--especially fragrance.

As far as my packing style? I am notorious for over packing. People tell me every joke in the book: "Do you have a dead body in there?" "Are you moving away?" "It's only a few days!" I've had to pay for luggage that passes the weight limit and, at times, I've had to store some of my things in another person's luggage.

So, I promised myself that I would use only a carry-on on a recent trip to Michigan--and somehow I did! I used two makeup bags for this trip, one for liquids/creams and the other for powders/solids. The powder bag I tossed into my carry-on while I kept the liquids bag in my backpack for easy inspection.

"Powder/Solids" Bag

• Travel-size deodorant 
• Blush (VS Makeup Luminous Mineral Blush Duo...I LOVE these!)
• Pressed Powder (I did not bring loose powder. I used pressed  L'Oreal True Match powder to set and touch up.)
• Eyeshadow Quad ( Shu Uemura...an old favorite LE palette.)
• Toothbrush
• Makeup Brushes (Blush, Foundation, Shadow, Blending, Kabuki, Eyebrow/Angle Brush)
• Dry Shampoo (My favorite, Pronto Dry Shampoo by Oscar Blandi)
• Baby Wipes (These do not have to go in your "liquids" bag. I use them to remove makeup.)
• Lip Balm (Green Apple Chapstick) **There is some controversy as to whether lip balm and lipstick count as solids or not. I left my lipbalm in my backpack and I had no problems. However, I played it safe and put lipstick in the other bag.

"Creams/Liquids" Bag

I used the 3D Clear Organizer by Tom Bihn. It's very sturdy and easy to clean; plus, it won't burst open like a plastic baggie will and I will be able to reuse it for a very long time. While I decanted most of my skincare into smaller bottles, next time I will use empty contact lens cases for all. Each well holds enough product for a 3-4 day trip and it saves a LOT of space! Inside the bag went:

• YSL Manifesto Rollerball
• Toothpaste
• Face Wash/Body Wash (Olay Ultra Moisturizing Body Wash)
• Shampoo/Conditioner (Aveda Color Conserve)
• Moisturizer w/ SPF (The Body Shop Aloe Soothing Moisturizer)
• Primer (Givenchy Mister Mat Primer)
• Foundation (MAC Face & Body)
• Concealer (MAC Pro Longwear. I mixed this with Face & Body to create a long-wearing, fuller coverage foundation.)
• Liquid Eye Liner (Kat Von D Tattoo Liner)
• Mascara (Maybelline Full & Soft Waterproof)
• Lipstick ( Julie Hewett in "Lulu")
• Lipliner (MAC Cream O' Spice)

And yes, all of that fit!

I have to say I am very excited to pack for another trip. I really want to streamline my technique and be a packing pro.