Anniversary Weekend Away : The Makeup Bag

I have to say, this may just be the proudest I've ever been of my weekend away packing efforts! If we take a look back to the ridiculousness that was 2011 in Rye, a family trip in 2012 and the pink craze that happened mid-June 2014, I think it's safe to say I've toned down my packing and am happy to report that I used almost every piece that came into the city with me for my wedding anniversary! I brought the foundation/base basics, some easy to wear eye colours, my current favourite highlighter, a good selection of lip shades and the most impressive part? Only one blush!

We were out and about for the 4 days we were away and I wore neutral eye shades the whole time, sometimes topped with a glitter or a duochrome to add a bit of pizazz to make me feel dressed up. I felt it worked well because I didn't have to think too hard about what lip colours I wore with everything, I had some pinks to layer, nudes to throw on and the 'showstopper' shade in the form of Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Frambourjoise for our anniversary dinner on Saturday night.

The staple blush I brought along was also the only shade to come on our honeymoon last year, the gorgeous and very wearable Chanel Joues Contraste Blush in Jersey! I brought along the Colourpop Highlighter in Wisp primarily for our special dinner, it never fails to make me feel just that bit more glam than I otherwise would!

If you have any questions about the contents of my makeup bag or would to know specific shade names/how I feel about a certain product, feel free to ask in the comments as I'd love to chat makeup with you!

How do you think I went with packing this time around?
-Emma

Weekend Makeup Bag

This weekend I’m up in Rye on the Mornington Peninsula, celebrating my sixth anniversary with Mister Bovary. I’m pretty excited that this is the last ‘dating’ anniversary before we get married, and we’ve planned to try some new restaurants and head down to Portsea to walk through the Point Nepean National Park. I’m hoping that it doesn’t rain too much during the day so that we can take Charlie for a nice long walk through the hills too, but we’ll have to play that one by ear.

I tried to stay relatively minimal with my beauty considering we’re only away for two nights, but nice breakfast dates and heading out to dinners gave me excuse enough to bring along some of my beloved pink lip products. I bargained with myself, allowing one blush and one eyeshadow palette along in order to make up for the craziness that is my lip stash. I tried to cut down on heavy items too (even though we’re heading up in the car) so I brought some perfume samples and my new YSL mascara sample to play around with. Some of my skincare is mini sized too but I didn’t snap a picture of that bag. I think I'm just gearing up really early for a honeymoon full of mini-sized products - I'm getting so ahead of myself with lots of wedding things still to plan!

I forgot to include my Rimmel matte BB cream in the photos but I popped it in the skincare bag along with the new La Roche-Posay sunscreen I’m trialling (will be important for our walks!) I thought long and hard about which eyeshadow palette to bring with me and ended up with my Too Faced Natural Eye palette, I haven’t used this one very much at all so this will be a nice way to push myself into it (I definitely won’t be using that horrible glittery shade though! Really glad they reshuffled this palette and took out the dud shade, but sad that I already own the old version…)

Hop on over to Instagram if you want to see snaps of my weekend – I hope you have a wonderful weekend whatever you get up to!

Emma x

What's In My Makeup Bag - Weekend Edition

Heading away for a top notch weekend with family and friends, and decided to share what I’m taking along with me! Bioderma Crealine H2O* is a no brainer, and this travel sized bottle is perfect for packing away for times like this. I’ll be ‘freshening up’ before the evening events kick off on Friday and Saturday, so having this to give myself a clean canvas to work with is a must. Maybelline’s Dream Matte powder (not pictured, is in my handbag) will be on me at all times, to keep shine at bay and ensure any photos don’t see me appearing as shiny as a new dollar. The new Kiehls Aromatics range in Orange Flower & Lychee is coming with me (lotion & body cleanser*) as I love trying out new scents while staying somewhere new. I have a thing for sheer reds and lip crayons, so naturally a few from each category snuck their way into the makeup bag as well.

 

The usual skincare suspects are coming along for the weekend, as well as some Laura Mercier loves that I can’t stop using. My Clinique Superbalanced bronzer* is a definite favourite to make me look awake when I’m feeling less than perky (planning on some ciders over the weekend, obviously!) and so will my YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat*. I’ve planned my outfits pretty thoroughly and know what lipsticks will suit the looks, so bright pinks and oranges are a must! I didn’t have enough time to really try on all the shades with the looks, so threw a heap from each category in there to choose from on the day. Serial overpacker, but we’re going up on a big bus with lots of room for luggage so I don’t mind!

 

 

 

If you spot any products you’d like a review of or have any makeup look ideas you want me to try, please drop a comment below and let me know!

Do you have any tips on packing? Do you overpack, underpack, or hit it out of the park every time?

 

 

*Marked items were provided for consideration, which wasn’t a factor in them being thrown into my makeup bag. Honesty, always.

clear blue skies in Corfu

Sometimes I just fall in love with a polish because it is glossy and gorgeous- which happened with Corfu!

B Collection by Bloom are forever tempting me with their stunning polishes- from a non-polish lover, that is saying something!

This is Corfu, and I bought it from Target for $14.95 AUD.

I just can't leave my accent nail alone, it seems!

I threw Ulta3's Confetti over the top of my accent nail, to jazz it up a little. Loved the effect, and ended up repainting this crappy mani later in the week with Confetti on every nail.

This just reminds me of sunshines and sparkles, sigh. Can you tell I'm getting hyped up for my upcoming tropical holiday?



image source here

Corfu City Hall, that bright bubblegum blue sky could have been the inspiration for this shade, no problem.

This photo was taken years ago when Chris and I were away in Rye- I rocked that shade the whole long weekend, and it still reminds of the sunshine and fun we had. That is one of the great things about polishes- they can transport you to somewhere else entirely.

What polish do you rely on when on holiday?

Do you have any great polish memories?

What's In My Travel Makeup Bag?

I mentioned in my sad sack post last week that I was spending the weekend away with my family, and thought I'd take advantage with a 'what's in my bag' post! My parents have a tradition where they hire a big ol' bus and around 20 couples hop on and head away on a weekend full of adventure. This was the third time Chris and I went along, and we had heaps of fun relaxing and I even won a few cheeky bets at the TAB. Here is what I took away with me for the two night vacay!

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I took it all in this large structured purple makeup case which my Dad bought me for Christmas last year (from Avon). Though it doesn't keep everything extremely neat, it fits a whole lot and it nice and sturdy so I don't have to stress about things breaking. I kept my toiletries (toothpaste, deodorant etc) in a separate Clinique bag so they wouldn't ruin the good stuff if anything were to happen;) As I said to Chris the other day, take/ruin anything but leave the makeup!
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I brought along my Inglot palettes as they have the perfect mixture of colours that I regularly use. One is filled with neutrals with a peach and a navy, and the other is my bright palette to mix in with it. I have a detailed post coming up on these two, I'm in love with them. I also brought along my MAC paintpot in Painterly (use it every single day under every shadow!) and my two favourite stand alone shadows- MAC Mink & Sable and a champagne shade from Sportsgirl.
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My base products were kept simple with my Dove Tinted Moisturiser for everyday, and Bourjois Healthymix Serum for night when I want a little more coverage. I set both of these with my Maybelline Dream Matte Powder, which goes everywhere with me nowadays.
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I took along a selection of brushes that I use everyday, a mixture of brands from Beautylicious (airplane bought) Napoleon Perdis and Royal and Langnickel. There are some eye brushes, a blush brush, an eyebrow brush, stippling brush, powder brush and a concealer one that I actually use to apply my highlighter.
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My favourite part of any makeup bag-the blushes! I was such a good girl and only took 3 (technically 4 I suppose) and 1 highlighter. I chose my #1 NYX Peach blush, my Kit Cosmetics Cream Blush duo in Pretty Cheeky and The Face Shop me:ex blush in PK103. The highlighter was my beloved Models Prefer Highlighter in Glitz & Glamour!
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For fragrance I decided to take along some samples to use up as well as my Travalo filled with Lancome Tresor in Love. The samples were Empress by Sean John (which I could barely smell) and Lancome Tresor Midnight Rose which I received in my latest Lust Have It sample box. These were enough to keep me smelling sweet all weekend and were great to take along in my handbag as well.
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I knew I wouldn't be bothered with intense cleansing or masks after late nights out so kept it simple by taking my shu uemura cleansing oil and some face wipes. I like to throw the cleansing oil on my face before I hop in the shower and emulsify and rinse it there, it makes my skin feel incredibly clean. For eyes I had Clinique High Impact for daytime, Bloom Lash Out mascara for night, with my Face of Australia liquid liner for the Saturday night event.
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 For hair I took this Kerastase sample which I didn't end up using, but thought I might do if I got the frizzies. I recently bought this little eyebrow kit from a Japanese store ($2.80) and pair it with my Ardell brow set. I need to get my brows tinted again at Benefit, I can really tell the difference now it's faded.
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Why I took a nail polish I will never know, I barely had time to brush my hair not to mention paint my nails! But this Sportsgirl All Nighter-Fighter undereye brightener came in handy as both Chris and I woke on Sunday with huge dark circles! 
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I always like to have a range of lip goodies on hand wherever I go, and the weekend away was no exception! I'm really into glosses at the moment, especially my MAC Dazzleglasses, so the first thing I popped into my bag was Baby Sparks. My Australis Show Stopper gloss stick in Fairy Floss was something fun to change it up, and Clinique's Citrus Rose was thrown in just in case I wanted to rock a red lip. The Essence lip stain is something I'm reviewing on the blog soon, and I love to wear it under a gloss for a long lasting look. Jack Black's Vanilla and Lavender balm is a no brainer, and the fuzz covered Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick is a new shade from them called Coral Pop! I can't leave my Nars glosses behind so it's perfect that they are pint sized- these shades are Babe and Turkish Delight. Last but not least is my MAC lipstick of the moment in Plumful, which I got for a steal at the Estee Lauder staff shop. The other lip product I took but was AWOL when these pictures were taken was Nars Pure Matte Lipstick in Carthage. Plenty of choice, as you can see!
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I changed up my makeup quite a bit over the course of the weekend when we would go from shopping along the main street to lunch at a nice restaurant to the Saturday night function where I rocked Nars Carthage and a slick of liquid liner. The best thing about interstate travel by car/bus is that you can pack as much as you like without guilt!
What did you think of my makeup bag?
Did I take anything you like the look of?

IMATS tag!

Saw this awesome tag here, and couldn't stop myself! IMATS here I come!

 Image taken from IMATS site and is of Sydney IMATS 2010

1. Which IMATS are you attending?
IMATS Sydney 2011, and I am beyond excited for it! I'm going as part of the Australian Beauty Bloggers Weekend, where I will spend time with other beauty bloggers and shop up a storm at IMATS.

2. Have you ever been to IMATS before?
No, it's my first time at a trade show and my first visit to Sydney!

3. How are you getting there? 

Flying up there, which I am nervous about as I don't like flying. I've travelled quite a bit, but never could get used to the feeling of losing control.

4. Are you bringing anyone along?
Chris and I were originally planning a weekend away for the event, but now I am leaving him on his lonesome at home and heading there with Melissa, and am meeting the other blogger ladies there.

5. Is there anything else in the IMATS host city that you want to see?
Anything and everything! First time there and I'll hopefully have Friday to explore, so feel free to throw any suggestions at me!

6. What days will you be in the city that IMATS is in? 

 I will be there from early Friday to late Sunday, if flights go as planned.

7. Who do you want to meet?
I can't wait to meet inspiring artists, and learn new techniques to play around with. I'm also looking forward to spending time with Melissa, and soaking up the awesomeness that is Australian beauty bloggers!

8. What companies exhibits are you most excited to see?
Ben Nye looks to be great, and quite different to anything I've ever seen before. 

9. What products are you looking for?
I'm yet to write a formal shopping list (gasp!) but I know that I want to peruse MUFA, MAC, Inglot and pick up some Royal and Langnickel brushes. I know I will just end up picking up things that catch my eye though, but that is just how it goes.

10. How much do you plan to spend?
Hopefully not too much, but I have put away a few hundred to spend there. I have a feeling I'll be lugging a tonne of brushes back with me...and Inglot
palettes.

11. What do you want to get out of IMATS?
I'm going to change this question to "What do you want to get out of ABBW"
I want to lose some of the shyness that holds me back in life, and converse with the blogging ladies I admire.  I want to soak up every minute of beauty natter whether it be from the professionals or the bloggers, and not feel strange about comparing lipgloss attributes in detail. It's completely normal folks! And, of course, I want to enjoy the access to brands I wouldn't otherwise, and take home some goodies to keep the holiday fun going.
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Will I see you at IMATS? Tell me now and I'll have worked up the courage to say hi by September!
Or, if overseas, tell me what IMATS was like for you!?
I tag all of my lovely readers!
emmabovary xx