All About That Glow

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As spring rolls around, I always find myself wanting to spruce up my make up routine. So, in attempt to find out what to do, I searched around on youtube to gain some knowledge from my all time favorite beauty gurus. After one to many hours on the internet, I concluded that to liven up my make up look it was all about highlighting and bronzing. Now, I would in no way call myself a beauty guru AT ALL. However, what I can say is that I've tried it all. From foundation to eyeliner I have tried every possible product that you could imagine and I have narrowed it down to a decently small (not really) make up collection that I swear by.

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Highlighting    
Now, the trend of highlighting started about 6 months ago and originated from the highly innovative and trendy make up world in Asia. Highlighting is all about adding a product either under your foundation so that it will subtly shine through when the light catches it or adding a different type of product to the high points of your face to enhance and illuminate your complexion. All in all, highlighting helps to add a little sparkle and give your skin that luminescent, dewy look. Now for highlighting I have two products that I use, Burberry's Fresh Glow, Luminous Fluid Base and Benefits High Beam. I use the Burberry product under my foundation, or if I am having a good day and do not need a lot of coverage I use it just as the only product I put on my face. This product provides a nice base for your foundation, gives a little coverage and adds a nice sparkle that will shine through your foundation just a little when it catches the natural light. I LOVE this product. It is an investment but very very very worth it. Now for Benefits High Beam, I use this after I have applied all of my foundation and concealer. I dot this on my cheek bones, cupids bow, down my nose, brow bones and sometimes in the tear duct of my eye to make me look more awake. This product adds a healthy glow to the skin and really enhances my complexion. This product is so easy to use and is something I would never go out the door without putting on! 

Bronzing 

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Now ladies, I am all about looking tan and coming from a very fair skinned girl like myself I can say that self tanning, when done safely and well, can become a girls best friend. I am all about adding a little color to my face, or my whole body for that matter, and when it comes to this I turn to two of my favorite products: Benefits Hoola Bronzer and Stila's Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Illuminating Beauty Balm. The Hoola Bronzer I have been using for years and it is my go to bronzer. It gives a light, natural looking bronze to my face and is never over powering, just the perfect color. I use this with my Bare Escentuals flawless face brush to contour my cheek bones, sides of my nose, forehead and jaw line. I swear by this bronzer and would recommend this for anyone who is looking for that "natural" sun kissed glow. Stila's Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Illuminating Beauty Balm is one of the best face products I have ever used. After I have applied my Burberry illuminator I will mix this Stila product with my foundation and apply it with my beauty blender. I like to explain this product as being liquid bronzer. Now that does not mean that it makes you look like an orange compared to the rest of your body rather it adds a nice and subtle glow to your face, as if you have been sitting by the pool in Mexico for a day or two. It is a great product as it has some coverage, adds some glow and also helps to protect and clear your skin, as it has SPF 30 and active acne healers in it (a win win!). 

Top 5 Bath Essentials

I say with confidence that I am the bubble bath master. Although it took me many years, I have mastered the art of taking the most peaceful, relaxing and rejuvenating baths. I am a strong believer in baths and, although some people are skeptical, I think that they are the best thing anyone can do for themselves after a long day or work, school or just plain old life. I am going to show you my top 5 bath essentials so that you can become a devout follower of the bath like I am.  

1. A good candle  

I am a candle snob. I'll admit it. I inherited it from my mother and, I'm sure she will agree, that a good candle can really set the mood of any event. Right now, I've been loving my Sea Wicks "Beach Girl" candle. All Sea Wicks candles are hand poured and come with their own personal story. My beach girl candle is from the coast of Maine and reminds me of my Maine roots. I love the scent and whenever I smell it it just puts me at ease. I always light a candle when I get into the bath. It makes me feel relaxed and helps me to become calm, blockin out whatever may have happened that day. I rotate through my candles quite frequently and my top two faves have to be my Sea Wicks Beach Girl an my Manolo Blahnil candle in his original scent.  

2. Bubble bath

I know ever girl has that dream of plunging into a deep bath full of bubbles and eating macaroons and chocolate strawberries while sipping on a glass of champagne. Very gossip girl, isn't it? Well I may not have eaten macaroons, chocolate strawberries and champagne while in the bath but I have found the perfect bubble baths! My first every day go to is the Dr. Teal's Therapeutic Solutions in the lavender scent. I love mixing this bubble bath with my Molton Brown Seamoss, Stress Relieving Hydrosoak. These two combined produce the perfect amount of bubbles and relax my muscles and bones after a long day. Now, if you've had a tough day at the gym, a long flight or your muscles are just feeling very tight you MUST try the Biggs and Featherbelle Muscle Soak. I am a huge believer in this and think that it really does what it says on the bottle. It relaxes my tense or pulled muscles and I would suggest this to anyone. 

3. Exfoliating Body Wash  

I have sensitive and dry skin so finding a body wash that doesn't dry me out or irritate my skin while also exfoliating and moisturizing my skin has been a constant struggle. My holy grail body wash is the Dove Gentle Exfoliate body wash (unscented). It is moisturizing and gentle on my skin but also exfoliates just enough. A good body wash is a must have, especially in the bath. 

4. Music/ Book 

music is an ESSENTIAL in the bath. I always have a playlist going while I take a bath, something calming. Right now I have been loving Megan Rienks spotify playlist for November. It's super relaxing and has so many songs on it that it never gets old. I usually rotate my bath playlists about every month or sometimes I have one continuous playlist that I keep adding to. Either way, I always have music on. Also, if your not a music person, a good book can always be nice to read in the bath. This past winter I read Belhrzar and I strongly recommend it to anyone. 

5. Moisturizer  

After I get out of the bath, my skin must be moisturized, especially in the cold seasons. The moisturizer varies depending upon the season but this fall/ winter I have been loving the Lush Lemon scented moisturizer. It is super moisturizing and in and leaves a hint of lemon scent, nothing to over powering. I try to moisturizer every day when I get out of the shower or bath and I strong believe that this is what keeps my skin healthy and soft. My top moisturizers are the Lush brand in the lemon scent, Lilly Pulitzer and anything by Clairins. 

So grab a book, turn on some tunes, brew some tea and run your bath. 

Happy Tuesday :)  

Xoxo, 

Salut- Sophie  

The Beauty Blender

I've always had this constant issue with applying my face makeup; I was never able to find a way to apply my foundation, concealer ect. that would give me the full coverage and natural finish that I wanted. I went through numerous types of products, brushes, techniques and beauty gurus until I found the beauty blender. Whenever I go into a makeup store or clothing story I always ask them what is really hot right now? what is the thing that everyone has been loving? Then I ask them, whats your personal favorite? whats the one thing that you just couldn't live without in this store? Now, I have to say, I got this trick from my mom and, since the majority of these people are passionate about their product, it has brought me to find some of my holy grails, including the beauty blender. This fall, I went into a local make up store in my area and asked the women my two questions. The one thing that was different than usual was that the answers to her two questions were the same, her go to product and the hot product of this season was the beauty blender. She, the owner of the store, said that she had been using the beauty blender for years but never thought of selling it in the store because many people were skeptical. However, once the beauty blender phenomenon started to kick off and people started knocking off the original beauty blender she decided she had to set things straight and sell the original in her store. Now its been about two years since that day and I have not stopped using my beauty blender. It is so simple and easy to use, all you do is wet and drain the sponge then you apply the make up to your face using the damp sponge. It seamlessly blends in all your make up and gives that natural finish that I was looking for. The sponge is a perfect happy medium between using a brush and your fingers. There are no brush strokes on your face, it does not soak up a lot of product and you get a full natural coverage look. I have bought and tried the whole spectrum of foundation brushes out there (from Chanel to the drug store) and, trust me, the beauty blender is the best.   

My Top Eight Carry On Bag Beauty Essentials

When it comes to traveling, I've done a lot of it. I have often found that when I am packing my carry on bag I struggle to bring the right things and usually just end up overpacking and bringing things that I don't need. One of my biggest pet peeves about carry on bags is when they are to heavy. I always ask myself "do you really need this on the plane with you or can it wait until you get to your final destination?" Even when I think I am packing light, once I pick up my shoulder bag it pulls me down and the last thing you want is a 40 pound sack slung over your shoulder as you sprint through the airport to catch your flight- trust me, I've been there. So I have compiled my top eight beauty/plane essentials for you. This is not all that I put in my carry on bag, as I usually bring my computer or iPad and obviously my wallet and passport, but for the most part they make up what I use mostly on the plane.

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First up is my plumb colored Tory Burch make up pouch. I always travel with this make up bag in my carry on because it is the perfect size. It's not too big, so it prevents me from taking my whole entire makeup collection, and the bright plum color stands out in my bag so I can never lose it. Below is the link to a similar make up case by Tory Burch as the color of mine I believe has been discontinued. 

Inside the make up case I keep three main beauty essentials, my Sephora brand mascara, Burt's Bees chapstick and Old Spice Swagger deodorant. I usually never wear make up when I travel as the recycled air inside airplanes is bad enough for your skin already. However, I always keep some mascara in my bag- I mean, you never know who you're going to be sitting next to! I love this Sephora Full Action Extreme Effect Mascara. It is like three mascaras formed into one as it voluminizes, strengthens, separates and colors your lashes. I wear it in brown and think that it is one of the best mascaras for just every day use! Now for lips. I always always always carry Burt's Bees chapstick with me at all times, no matter where I am. It is my holy grail. Just like how I swear by my Hudson Nico Mid Rise Skinnies, I swear by Burt's Bees chapstick. It moisturizes, soothes and nourishes chap lips and also provides a nice almost gloss like appearance. Lastly for beauty products is my Old Spice Swagger deodorant. Now I know you are probably skeptical, as this is typically a mens deodorant. However, I use it religiously. I love the smell that it gives off when I'm wearing it plain and when it is mixed with a little j'adore Dior perfume it smells amazing.

I always carry gum with me no matter where I am because you never know when you are going to have bad breath. Also, on planes, chewing gum helps to relax me during take off and landing as I hate flying. My top two favorite types of gum are mentos, as seen in the photo, and five gum in their mintiest flavors. 

A definite must is a good pair of headphones. I usually bring my Beats solos by Dr. Dre. They are a great investment as they keep all the sound of the outside world blocked out and provides a fantastic wide range of sound and clarity, not to mention they also come in pink! I carry these everywhere with me especially when I travel. 

Obviously you cannot forget your phone! It is essential for traveling and everyday life so that you can stay connected with your family and friends. I love having fun cases on my phone to liven it up and make me smile when I see it. Right now I have on a case from The Every Girl that my mom got for me. My mom and I both follow The Every Girl religiously and it is definitely something you should check out. When I travel, I always make sure that I download and sign into the app for the airline that I am flying so that I can get updates about my next flight if there are any changes.

Lastly, but certainly not least, is a bottle of water. It may seem simple but it is the most important thing to have with you when you travel. Going through the airport is not only mentally draining but it also drains and drys out your skin. The recycled air on airplanes does nothing at all to help your skin and at the end of the day what your skin needs most is hydration. The first thing I buy once I'm through security is the biggest bottle of water that they have. This time, I picked up a bottle of smart water. I really have no preference when it comes to water- anything from Voss to Poland Springs is good for me, just as long as it's cold and big. I try to drink one or two bottles per plane but it really is what saves my skin. It may seem simple but it is really worth doing!