My Magazine Haul! How Shopping and Reading Magazines Goes Hand in Hand for Me!

I get A LOT of magazines every month and it drives the hubby crazy. One of the ways I get rid of them quickly is by flipping through them and tearing out all of the articles and ads that interest me so that I can focus on those and throw the bulk of the magazine away. I then construct a wishlist from the torn out ads, and sometimes I actually end up buying some of the stuff! Recently, I've acquired quite a few things from my torn out ads and I thought I'd share my haul with you!

My Top 10 Lip Balms!

I have a problem... a slight obsession. Some may even call it an addiction...to lip balm! I love them, collect them, stash them, hoard them. Here is a selection of some of my favorites, but I'm always on the look out for more to try and add to my collection!

Peyton's March Favorites

My fashionista daughter :)

I talk a lot about my youngest daughters {probably because they are at home with me ALL DAY!}, but I also have a 12 {going on 13 very soon} year old daughter named Peyton. She's beautiful, smart, thoughtful, and oh so creative! She loves to read, music, beauty, and fashion - so she may not look a bit like me, but in a lot of ways, she really is a "mini" me {I put mini in quotes because at this point she's actually taller than me}! I thought it would be fun to let her be more involved with the blog {in hopes that will quench her desire to be active on social media outlets that I think she is SOOOO not ready for} by doing book and product reviews when appropriate and sharing her monthly favorites.

Another Day, Another Face! AKA: FOTD

I've been really hesitant about plastering my face on this blog, but seeing as this is a beauty blog and all, and I do fairly often discuss makeup, it's probably not fair to not at least show you what it looks like on me *sometimes*. So here goes (don't judge me)...

So yeah, that's me. I'm not so good at the self portraiture, but I'm hoping if I do it more, I'll get better. My hair is in two strand twists that I just pulled up and back (it actually looks really cool, but I can't figure out how to get a good picture of it). My bracelet is from BaubleBar (I'm obsessed with them lately) and the watch is from Send The Trend (love them too!). But on to the important stuff-the makeup!

Beauty on the Go

Beauty Must Haves For Travel by mamafashionist1 featuring a thick eyeliner

This weekend I had the opportunity to test drive and experiment with my ever growing makeup stash in order to fine tune not only a simple go to look (similar to my Basic Face), but also looks that would last all day (in the Georgia heat), be easy to touch up if necessary, and help me look put together but not overly made up. The arsenal above proved to be exactly what I needed and they will definitely be in my travel beauty bag from now on! 

The only items not pictured that I utilized this weekend are my all time favorite highlight (and HG product) MAC's Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Superb, Benefit's  The POREfessional primer  and one of my favorite palettes, Smashbox's Click You're It Holiday 2011 Palette (which I also feature here). Here's a breakdown of everything else I used (as pictured above):

After washing my face, Maijan's Argan Oil was my moisturizer of choice. It was perfect for prepping my skin for makeup, but more importantly it left my skin smooth and glowing. Because my skin was in decent shape, I did not need a full face of liquid foundation. I simply smoothed on the Benefit primer, used Smashbox High Definition Concealer in Medium/Dark under my eyes (to brighten and highlight) and on a few blemishes, and apply a light layer of Josie Maran Argan Matchmaker Powder Foundation with SPF 20 in Medium/Dark to even out my complexion and eliminate unwanted shine (and the gorgeous rose gold compact the foundation comes in is some of the prettiest packaging I have ever come across). I contoured with NYC New York Color SUN'n'Bronze Bronzing Powder in Montauk Bronze, added MAC Powder Blush in Fleet Fast from the Hey! Sailor Collection to my cheeks, and Superb Skinfinish for the perfect glow and dimension.

Everyday for the eyes, I started with MAC Bamboom Paint as a base. On Friday, I simply used the Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in Black to make an intense cat eye and Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Pencil in Perversion to tightline. On my waterline, in the inner corner of the eye, and on my brow bone, I applied NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk. I finished my eyes by curling my lashes and applying a few coats of Bobbi Brown Intensifying Long Wear Mascara in Black to the top and lower lashes (and the applicator in this mascara is perfect for grabbing every single lash, especially in the inner corners and lower lashes, and making the most of them). On Saturday, I went more delicate with the liner on my upper lash, added a bit of #6 from the Smashbox palette, and kept everything else the same. On Sunday, I did my traditional cat eye, used Maybelline EyeStudio Color Tattoo 24/7 Eyeshadow in Edgy Emerald in the inner third of the lid and along the inner half of the lower lashline, applied #14 from the Smashbox palette in the crease and outer v, and #10 in the center of the lid, and #4 to highlight under my brow bone.

For lips, I kept it simple. Each day I started with my favorite (another HG) eos lipbalm in sweet mint, and used MAC Lipglass in Rebel (on Friday and Saturday when my eye look was simple) and a beautiful sheer, nude cream lipstick from Giorgio Armani on Sunday. 

The best thing about each of the looks was that, with the exception of reapplying balm, lipstick, and/or gloss, the only kind of touch up I needed throughout the long hot days was a bit of Mally Beauty Evercolor Poreless Face Defender to keep shine at bay. Another must that stayed in my purse all weekend long, was Sally Hansen's Gem Crush nail polish. I had Bling-Tastic on my toes and Showgirl Chic on my fingers. I love how adding these sparkle-licious colors to just one finger on each hand and one toe on each foot is enough to add a little extra something to your look! Plus if you chip the polish on any of your other nails, just covering the chip up with a bit of the Gem Crush polish adds a bit of unexpected flair that is really unique.

So that's that. After this weekend, I literally cleaned out my makeup bag and refilled it with these goodies (well, at least the ones that will fit into it). For the most part, I felt polished and put together this weekend, despite the crowds, heat, and my kiddies, and that was due in large part to the products. What's in your makeup bag? What products do you have to have with you where ever you go? My inquiring mind wants to know! Leave a comment below and let me know what you think. Until next time...

Ciao, XxO

Q

PS-Some of the products mentioned above were provided to me by PR. I was not paid for this post and all opinions stated are 100% honest and my own. This post does contain affiliate links-if you click on a text link AND make a purchase, I will receive a small commission :)