Long air-flights, taxi’s, public transport and hotels are all usually a sign that you are traveling for more than a weekend get away. These turn of events can make you feel and look pretty shocking! We can’t all take our whole beauty collections with us when traveling so here are a few tips so you still look fresh faced.

I usually pack my products in  my *Tender Love + Carry Topiary folding pouch  because it fits in my suitcase well and holds a lot for the size. It contains two zip sections that are plastic and waterproof which means I can keep my skincare + makeup separate and leaking isn’t a serious problem. The products I take are beside the essential body wash, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, etc are:

Skin/body: Nude Skincare Perfect Cleansing Oil, *Argania Hair Oil, Origins Gin Zing eye cream, U Little Beauty Night Cream, Bioderma Crealine H20, Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse,  Nude Skincare Progenius oil, *Urban Rituelle Cotton Candy Perfume and Lanolips Golden Ointment (not pictured)

Makeup: Urban Decay Naked Palette, NARS Smudge Proof Pro Prime, Benefit Hoola Bronzer & High Beam, MAC Lipstick in Honey Love, Smashbox Photofinish Oil Free Primer & Hyperlash Mascara, *Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream, Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer, Too Faced Three Way lining lash tool. Nail Polish remover pads, Revlon box o files, Sally Hansen Quick Colour Pen (better than a bottle of nail polish as they are less prone to leaking) and Urban Decay Brow Box (not pictured)

Sample size:

Ask your local beauty counter for some samples or buy travel size items.  “Try it” kit’s from a brand like Benefit, Too Faced or Smashbox; these come in sample size and are much more convenient for traveling than lugging along your full size product. Otherwise buy some travel containers (or bead jars) and fill them up with your product. For perfumes and oils I prefer to take pre-packaged travel sizes as they are often prone to leaking. I recommend you leave your loose powders at home and take pressed powders instead (bonus points if they are packaged in cardboard which absorbs shock, meaning no broken products!) Should any powders  break you can use this method to fix them.  I also like to take products that can double up like lipstick as cream blush, bronzer as eyeshadow, etc. 

Chlorine:

If you aren’t the proud owner of a swimming pool or hot tub/spa bath/jacuzzi and are staying at a hotel that has one chances are that you’ll probably go for a dip or two. These are overly chlorinated to kill all the germs and can take a negative toll on your skin and hair so make sure to take a quick shower after your swim and wash all that chlorine out of your hair + pop in a hydrating mask and slather on your body lotion.

Climate:

Wherever you’re traveling off to will probably have a different climate than you (and your skin!) are used to, if it’s a tropical destination make sure to pack the highest SPF you own and don’t bring your most super charged extra hydrating products, a chilly climate? The heating can dry out your skin so make sure to pack a little something extra to give it that bit of hydration it needs.

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I’m not a lip-gloss fan. Yes you read me right, I don’t like lip-glosses. Give me a gorgeous lipstick, lip stain or tinted lip balm any day over a shiny gloss. I dislike the look most of them give, the fact that they lack pigmentation but mainly that they feel uncomfortable on the lips. When I do stumble across a lip-gloss I don’t hate it is pretty shocking.

The packaging is much like your standard lip-gloss but of course with that gorgeous Dior edge that makes you feel like a million bucks when you use it or pull it out in public. (The packaging kind of makes me think of the 1965 Sitcom I Dream of Jeannie) I generally prefer lip-glosses in squeeze tubes as they are more hygienic but I can deal with that minor flaw.

Dior Addict Gloss from left to right: 643 Diablotine, 433 Dèlice,
553 Princess and 343 Spring Ball.

Dior claims these lip-glosses contain crystalline particles which means that the microbeads in the lip-glosses line up to give the lip-glosses ultimate reflection and make the lips “shine like a mirror” giving them a strong, bold shine. I don’t necessarily think these lip-glosses make my lips shinier than any other lip-gloss. They also claim the lip-glosses contain hyaluronic acid to plump and hydrate the lips. I did notice these hydrated my very sensitive and dry lips really well unlike most lip-glosses which usually leave my lips dry, peeling and irritated. I don’t know about plumping but my lips did look a little larger but that’s probably because of the light reflecting properties.

The recently reformulated lip-glosses now come in 24 shades with three different finishes; sparkling, pearly and pure. Glitter, shimmer and frosty finishes are just a few of the things I don’t like in my lip products. Cream, satin and matte are my preferred option or you can end up looking a little ’80s. The shades that I was sent are from the “Be Iconic” collection they are sparkling finishes and I found them way too glittery for my liking. If glitters not your thing, give the four shades a miss.

Dior Addict Gloss Lip Swatches from left to right: 643 Diablotine (Sparkling Melon Pink) 433 Dèlice (Sparkling Peach) 553 Princess (Sparkling Carnation Pink) and 343 Spring Ball (Sparkling Peachy Pink)

Pigmentation wise, they aren’t going to give you intense colour pay off, in fact they’ll give you barely any colour pay off at all. Most of the shades look identical on the lips so I don’t think there is a need to buy all four. Diablotine has some pigment and colour to it but the rest apply very sheer, which is somewhat disappointing but then again if I wanted a strong pigment I’d go for a lipstick, not a gloss.

The formula is spot on. Not sticky just smooth, creamy and hydrating aka what I look for in a gloss. It doesn’t settle into lip lines or cling onto dry patches (which I have many of) and applies super smooth and evenly. It can be worn alone or over lipstick (if the later you will want to clean the brush after application or it will change the colour of the product)

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In case you haven’t seen already, check out the blog! Makeup Tips has had a makeover. I hope you all love the new theme (a huge thanks to Megan for creating it for me!)

I’ve also added a new page (called pages) that lists all the reviews and how to guides that this blog contains.

I’m Judge Makeup Tips and I’m about to bust you for believing one of the biggest beauty myth’s out; now you have the right to buy a clear mascara.

“Every night I rub a little Vaseline on my eyelashes, it makes them sooo much longer!” she said. Vaseline = Petroleum Jelly = Petrol by product. Today we shall be addressing the case of Petroleum Jelly on the eyelashes to “Help promote growth and make the lashes longer and thicker” aka a huge myth. Many people seem to be under the impression that Vaseline makes their eyelashes longer and thicker which isn’t true. Whilst Vaseline does appear to make the lashes appear longer and thicker (simply because it coats the lashes making them look glossy and reflect light, and sort of goops them together) it doesn’t make them grow. In fact in some cases it does the exact opposite - stunt growth. It often causes eye irritation and in some severe cases blindness. Instead use a gentle eye makeup remover (I like Bioderma Crealine) and apply a tiny amount of olive oil onto your lashes with a clean mascara wand/spoolie. If you love the glossy look Vaseline gives get yourself a clear mascara.

BEAUTY MYTH: BUSTED! Vaseline won’t make your eyelashes grow, case dismissed.

Picture this: You’re rushing to get out the door and use your favourite powder, only to accidentally knock it off your vanity, with it shattering into a million pieces. Sound all too similar? You don’t have to rush out and purchase a new one ASAP or cry in tears because it was limited edition, there is a way to fix it.

For fixing broken powder products we use a similar method to pressing a pigment except there are a few minor differences. This method can be used for just about any pressed powder formulation, such as bronzers, powder foundations/setting powders, blushes, highlighters, eye shadows, etc. However; this won’t work for multicolored products like Physicians Formula Happy Booster Blush. It will work for products which are one colour and have an embossed print but it will have a smooth surface instead.

You will need: Your broken product (in this case it is a Essence Silky Touch Blush that I purposely threw on the floor so I could write this how to guide), a small bowl, a knife or metal spatula, rubbing alcohol (can be bought from pharmacies/drugstores) paper towel and a small brush.

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Benefit is renowned for their concealers (think Erase Paste and Boi-ing, neither of which I have tried) almost as much as they are for their tints. When I started to see hype building up around the product from the US I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it, so when I was invited to the Benefit Fake Up Launch back in February I got a wee bit excited.

I am super fussy with my concealers so I couldn’t wait to see whether this one would “wow” me. Out of the 50 odd billion concealers I’ve tried I’ve only ever liked three; Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer, Maybelline Fit Me and L’Oreal True Match Stick concealer have been the only ones I have loved.

Benefit makes some pretty big claims with this new baby! They claim it hydrates, feels comfortable, is silky, long lasting, lightweight, crease-proof and that it conceals dark circles. To me that instantly makes me think “Perfect Concealer Alert!” but is it? Let’s uncover the mystery….

Coverage wise, it is a little sheerer than I would like my concealer to be. I like to be able to put it on, tap with my finger tips and be done with it. To fully cover my dark circles with the Fake Up I usually need to apply around 6 layers which is an awful lot, but as it doesn’t turn cakey after so many layers and the end result still looks natural I can live with it.

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Tightlining is one of my favourite eye-lining techniques. It gives great definition but still looks subtle and natural, plus it also makes your lashes look thicker. It is great for all eye shapes especially those with hooded eyelids because it doesn’t take up any lid space. Not to mention it doesn’t require a precision application unlike winged eyeliner. It is also a great technique to use before applying false lashes as you won’t end up with a gap in between the band of the false lashes and the base of your natural lashes.

Tightlining is done by applying your eyeliner in between your eyelashes instead of above them.

You will need: Either a flat eyeliner brush with gel eyeliner (I like Essence Gel Eyeliner) or a three dot liner like Too Faced Three Way Lining Lash Tool (a budget friendly version is ELF Essential Triple Tip Waterproof Eyeliner Pen but try and wear the tip down a bit on the back of your hand first otherwise it will be too firm and hurt your eyes!) To finish off the look use a mascara. I’m using Maybelline The Rocket Mascara (I find the formula a touch clumpy but it still gives great length & volume. My other favourites are: Benefit They’re Real, Smashbox Hyperlash and Covergirl Lash Blast Clump Crusher)

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