33 Reasons Why Fall Is The Best Season

There’s just something about when Fall comes around that makes my mood a little lighter and smile a little brighter. It could be the beautiful scenery that always captivates me when I look outside my window and see the leaves turn from green to a beautiful sunkissed orange. Maybe it’s the fact that I can breakout my cozy knit sweaters and layer to my heart’s content. In reality, there’s a combination of things that make me feel this way and so I decided to round up all of the reasons why Fall is the best season.

1. Looking at the autumn leaves while walking through Central Park.
2. Family gatherings.
3. The kickoff of cider season.
4. The smell of scented pinecones.
5. Burning candles.
6. The beginning of the holiday season.
7. Zara and ASOS (Fall clothes are the best. Let’s be real).
8. Vampy beauty looks.
9. An excuse to dye your hair a cinnamon color.
10. Warm chai tea.
11. Cozy knit socks.
12. Faux fur vests.
13. Bryant Park’s Winter Village.
14. Festive holiday nails.
15. The Hallmark channel’s countdown to Christmas special.
16. Stacks upon stacks of pumpkin pie.
17. Driving through neighborhoods to see people’s holiday lights.
18. Watching the first snowfall of the season from your window while sipping hot tea.
19. Breaking out the suede over the knee boots.
20. Trying out cozy comfort food recipes.
21. Flannel sheets.
22. Endless layering combinations.
23. The warm feeling you get when you drink a hot beverage that contrasts with the cold temperature.
24. Your favorite shows come back on (Hello #TGIT squad)!
25. Drizzling caramel on everything.
26. Daylight saving time ends (That extra hour can make all the difference).
27. Black Friday sales.
28. Cheaper vacations (Not during the holiday season, of course).
29. No more frizzy hair (Bye-bye humidity).
30. Pumpkin spiced beauty products.
31. Olivia Pope-style camel coats.
32. Burning wood in the fireplace.
33. Ice skating with a group of friends.

Let me know why Fall is your favorite season.

How to Cut Down Your Makeup Clutter

I’m a stickler for organization when it comes to my beauty products. Especially when I’m dealing with makeup and skincare that I use on a daily basis. I try to make sure that most of my items have a home, so that I don’t end up spending more time looking for my products than actually applying them. Check out how I cut down my makeup clutter no matter where I am!

At Home

I’m very into acrylic containers for makeup storage. It makes it so much easier to see what makeup that I do have and organize my collection of lipsticks accordingly. It’s also great to have aesthetic-wise for my dresser. I felt like my four makeup bags were taking up too much space on my dresser and was forgetting what makeup I even had in the first place since they were all just jumbled up together.

I’m so glad that I invested in these cosmetic organizers and it didn’t even break the bank either. The whole set, which included the lipstick organizer and drawers costs $20 at Bed, Bath & Beyond! You can also find these for a major steal at HomeGoods as well.

On the Go

I’m a major bag lady and will take things that I don’t even need with me when I'm running errands because in my head anything can happen. I mean you never know if your train will end up being delayed for two hours and you’ll be so happy that you brought those five magazines with you to pass the time. However, I only carry a few makeup items with me when I’m going out for the day which are pressed powder, lipstick and lip liner for reapplication. I love this little makeup bag that I got from Clinique as a free gift. You can actually stick more in there if you get a little creative. It’s just the right size for my tote and I won’t have to worry about shuffling through my bag to find them!

Vacation

I remember when I went on a family vacation as a child to Florida and my sister brought some of her favorite perfumes along with her for the trip. After we checked into the hotel and went to our room, my sister opened her suitcase and it smelled overwhelmingly like floral and citrus scents. She then realized all of her perfumes broke and left an overpowering smell on her clothes. This is why I make sure that all of my liquid products are protected and are in plastic. I love these Glossier pouches! They’re lined with bubble wrap, which makes it virtually impossible for any of your liquid products to spill or break. Also, you can’t go wrong with Ziploc bags either. They’re the best for any getaway. I just make sure that I place the bag with my products in them in between clothes to add a little cushion to them. This makes it less likely for any spillage to happen inside the bag.

How To Glow Like A Celebrity This Summer

Summertime season is upon us and we’re all yearning to achieve that celebrity sun-kissed glow. It seems like models and celebrities like Gigi Hadid, Chanel and Dascha Polanco have it down packed and I found a way to get a similar effect for us girls at home whether you’re wearing makeup or not.

I’ve been curious about the Estée Edit for a while now, so when I was shopping in Sephora the other day and came across the Flash Illuminators my interest peaked. I’ve been really interested in brands who have been creating formulas that looks great in pictures with social media sites like Instagram in mind (I’ll be exploring this topic later in a future post) and picked it up in Night Light.  This is a moisturizing formula that has hyaluronic acid in it that you can use one of two ways for this look: a strober or a primer. I decided to go for the latter to see it’s full effect, which worked really well under foundation.

How To Get The Look:

1. Apply a thin layer of the Flash Illuminator onto your skin (They come in four shades and I would use one that is closest to your skin tone if you’re using it as a primer).
2. Dab your liquid foundation over the illuminator with a damp beauty blender and set lightly with a powder.

I managed to get my hands on the Glossier Haloscope in Topaz a few days after it’s launch last week. As in I saw the announcement on Twitter, fell in love and ordered it immediately. What’s great about it is that it has sweet almond oil, coconut oil and castor seed oil, which makes this highlighter glide on smoothly and gives you a hydrated dewy finish. If you’re makeup is more on the minimal side (ie. light foundation, bb creams, tinted moisturizer) or you’re not wearing makeup at all then this one is for you.

How To Get The Look:

1. Glide the stick onto your cheekbones to the brow bone and making a half halo shape. Then glide it down your t-zone and onto the middle of your chin.
2. Gently rub it in.

I think we’ve known for a while now that coconut oil is the key to all of your life’s problems. Your hair is dry? Make a coconut oil mask. You need to take off your makeup? Coconut oil can get it off stat. You want whiter teeth? Mix it with baking soda for a DIY toothpaste. Well I’m here to tell you that coconut oil can also be used as a way to get that dewy glow without even applying any makeup to your skin!

How To Get the Look

1. Put a tablespoon of coconut oil into a bowl.
2. Lightly dab the tip of your finger into the oil.
3. Rub it in onto your t-zone area, your cheekbones and the middle of your chin (Be sure to not use too much oil and really work it in to your skin to avoid a greasy look).

There you have it! What are some of your beauty tips on getting that glow this summer?

7 No-Fuss Beauty Products To Pack On Your Next Vacation

Packing for trips hasn’t always been my strong suit. I can pretty much pack anyone else’s bag to a tee, but mine can be a whole different story. I try so hard to make sure that I pack lightly when I’m going on vacation, yet I end up with one large makeup bag filled with skincare products along with another two massive makeup bags filled with the rest of my cosmetics plus a Ziploc bag for my liquid makeup. To be honest, more than 85% of the time I don’t even use close to half of those products, but I like to be prepared for any scenario I may come across during my trip. I mean you wouldn’t leave your Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit at home if you randomly scored tickets to a Jennifer Lopez concert while waiting on your layover in Vegas, would you?

I realized that part of my problem was that I wasn’t packing more practical items in my makeup bags. I was bringing makeup that was too bulky and too many liquid products that were eventually going to make a mess. Also, I want to bring products that minimizes the time I spend putting on my makeup while maximizing the time I spend exploring. These seven no-fuss beauty products will be sure to cut down your beauty routine (and your suitcase weight) on your next vacation.

Self-Sharpening Tools
No need to worry about searching for a sharpener when your eyeliner or brow pencil gets too low. Lorac’s Front of Line PRO Eyepencil and Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz are self-sharpening and super easy to use. This smudgeproof eye pencil glides on smoothly while the eyebrow pencil is great for draw in tiny strokes. Plus, this brow pencil has a spoolie brush on the other side, which is perfect for grooming those hairs into place.

Makeup Sticks
Makeup sticks are having a major moment right now in beauty and for a great reason. They’re extremely easy to use and you’re less likely to make a mess during makeup application. This Smashbox Color Correcting Stick’s creamy consistency makes it so easy to cancel out those dark spots and this Maybelline Eye Studio ColorTattoo Concentrated Crayon will quickly play up those gorgeous eyes and has the pigment that will really get them to shine.

Eyeliner Pen
Eyeliner pens are probably one of the easier liners to use and you don’t even need to worry about any product spillage. I love L’Oreal The Infalliable Liquid Eyeliner pen because you can easily control how thick or thin you want your liner to be making creating a cat eye a little more easier.

Cushion Compact

Liquid foundation can get messy, especially if you’re pressed for time and can only apply it during your commute. This L’Oreal Paris True Match Lumi Cushion Foundation comes with a cute round sponge and a foundation cushion where all you have to do is press the sponge into the cushion and customize it to your desired coverage level making a cakey finish a non-issue.

Small Eyeshadow Palette
If your eyeshadow palettes are like mine, you probably have many eyeshadow colors that you’ve barely touched and then there are those few shadows that you’re scraping the bottom of the pan for. I like to opt for this MAC Eyeshadow X 9 palette filled with colors that I know that I could wear with any outfit I pack. If you prefer to choose your own colors, you can make your own customizable palette and choose individual colors that best suits you.

Navigating The Summer Skin Melt

Despite the great temperatures and sunny days, I sometimes loathe the summer since it always has been such a major problem season for my oily skin. The mixture of sweat and excess oil turns my face and my makeup into a complete mess. I’ve been struggling for years to find out the best way to take care of my summer skin woes and I think I finally found the right combination of products that took care of them instantly.

Clay Masks/Cleansers

I like to use a quarter-sized amount of Fresh Umbrian Clay Mattifying Mask as a face wash three times per week and as a mask treatment if I really need the oil to soak up. Unfortunately, it seems like it’s being discontinued since I can only find it on one site, but Fresh has launched an identical version of it called the Fresh Umbrian Purifying Mask that has the most of the same ingredients in the same order. Mainly it has the four ingredients that were found in the original which is umbrian clay to purify and clarify the skin; sandalwood oil to calm the skin; chamomile flower and lavender water to sooth the skin; and live leaf extract to restore suppleness and protect the skin against free radicals.

Gel Moisturizers

The Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel is my go-to moisturizer for the summer months. It's super lightweight and has hyaluronic acid in it, which is beneficial to the skin since it really locks in that moisture after applying. What’s great about this product is that it instantly absorbs into the skin rather than just sits on top and find my skin to be extremely soft especially after putting it on right after a steamy shower.

Mattifying Setting Spray with SPF

Supergoop Defense Refresh Setting Mist With Rosemary gives you the best of both worlds. It gives me a super natural mattifying finish and provides sun protection. If you’re big on suncare like I am, you know that you have to reapply sunscreen every two hours, which can be annoying if you’re wearing makeup. This setting spray is great for when you need another application and comes in travel friendly sizes that you can stash in your purse.

Oil-Free Sunscreen

I went through a lot of trial and error to find a sunscreen that wouldn’t break me out and kept me shine free all day long. Many sunscreens that claimed they were oil-free just didn’t work for me. Right now, I’m using the Supergoop Everyday Sunscreen With Cellular Response Technology that's extremely lightweight and doesn’t leave a white cast on my face. It’s not greasy and instantly sinks into my skin when I apply it, which is an added bonus if you’re waring makeup over it.

Your Rainy Day Music Festival Beauty Guide and Tool Kit

Yesterday I went to the Hot 97 Summer Jam music festival, which was the most exciting yet exhausting experience I’ve had in a long time. Long story short, my friends and I were stranded at a bus station because the concert was pushed back to start two hours later from its’ original time and cancelled the festival performance that we were on line for because of the bad weather. I knew that it was going to rain while I was at the concert, which is why I planned accordingly to make sure that my look was weatherproof before I left my house.

Primer
I refused to let my makeup budge yesterday considering it was definitely one my favorite looks by far. I used primer on my face and eyes to keep it all in place because the last thing I needed was my makeup sliding around.

Creams Over Powder

I went for a cream eyeshadow instead of powder eyeshadow for a lasting look; although, I did use a powder to smoke it out to add a bit of drama to my eyes. Powder shadows could eventually fade throughout the event, but I knew that using a the darker shadow would have a harder time going away. If you really want to make sure your eye makeup doesn’t budge, lightly dust translucent powder on top of the shadow.

Waterproof Everything

Racoon eyes was definitely a look I wasn’t going for and made sure that I used waterproof makeup to keep it in place all night long.

The Half Top Knot

I adore the messy half top knot trend and couldn’t have thought of a better time to rock this look than yesterday.  I made a part from ear to ear across the center of my head and brushed my hair up making sure I didn’t leave out any flyaways. I made sure I didn’t forget to use holding spray to keep the those flyaways in check! I then twisted the top section and wrapped it around securing the look with bobby pins.

Setting Spray

A setting spray is something that I like to spray on for a little bit of extra precaution to keep my makeup in place especially for an event like this.

Fill In Your Lips With A Lip Liner

I honestly don’t want to be concerned with reapplying lipstick while I’m at a concert, so I made sure that I filled in my lips with a lip liner that was similar color to my lipstick color to make it last without too many touch ups in between sets.

Beauty On The Go Tool Kit

Sometimes Mother Nature is unpredictable, so it’s important to be extra prepared if your makeup or hairstyle unravels from the humidity and rain. These items are small enough to fit in your purse and will help you with any predicament in case your look doesn’t hold up.

Small Comb/Brush

For touching up and keeping your hair from being a tangled mess.

Q-Tips

To clean up any spillage from your lipstick or eyeliner.

Foundation In Sample Pots

In case your makeup gets destroyed from the weather.

**These sample pots, like the ones from Sephora, will be able to hold enough foundation for an emergency application.

Makeup Sponge

For touching up your foundation.

Compact

To powder your T-Zone when your skin gets too oily.

3 Beauty Fixes Your Skin Will Thank Your Face Mist For

I’m a lover of a great face spray. It’s my go to for days like today when the sun is sweltering hot and I’m in need of a spritz of a cool mist. They’re not just overpriced water like I originally thought at one point. I mean why would I need it if I still had my Disney spray bottle with a fan attachment that I bought 10 years ago (which still worked like a charm I might add)? It gave me best of both worlds. A spritz of cool water and a fan that can cool me down for hours. But, what makes face mists great is that they have a range of essential oils and extracts that tones, balances and hydrates the skin inside out. They’re also proven to be a remedy for beauty issues that I’ve encountered since using them. Check out how I use face mists to get rid of some of my most annoying skin concerns.

For when you put on too much powder…

Sometimes we can go a little overboard on the powder, especially when you’re trying to tone down the excess oil your skin produces from the blistering heat. When my face is looking a little cakey, I like to spritz some of my Caudalie Beauty Elixir mist onto my face and it instantly diffuses some of the powder and gives me more of a dewy look.

For when you can see your skin peel through your makeup…

During seasonal transitions, my face becomes more sensitive to the temperature and environmental changes which leads it to peel. Add in a prescription retinol cream and you’re definitely in for infinite flakiness. No matter how much I exfoliate and moisturize before putting on my makeup, sometimes my skin just won’t cooperate. If you already have your makeup on and you’re having this issue, spritz a rose water face mist like the Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist about 12 inches away from your face. When it dries, you’ll see those pesky flakes go away instantly.

For when your face starts sweating puddles…

There’s nothing worse than going into a building in 90 degree weather that doesn’t have an AC or a fan. My skin goes crazy and sweats instantly and my pores feel blocked from the excess oil that my skin produces. Since these sprays are super travel-friendly and can fit them into my purse, they come in handy when I need an instant cool down when I can’t get a breath of cool fresh air.