Travel Bag: Skincare

I’m on my way to Disney World this weekend to celebrate my 30th birthday! No, you are never too old for Disney World, but you are just old enough that you have to travel with all your skincare products!  I thought this would be the perfect time to share what I carry in my travel bag when it comes to skincare. Traveling is the best time to use product samples and travel size products. That being said, these are just my travel essentials and not necessarily the stuff I use daily. They’re also in no particular order. The order of my skincare regimen is a whole other post! You can click the links below to shop for each product. Here we go!

First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser

To be honest, I mostly use this face cleanser when I travel because I’ve had a sample size for the longest time. I do love First Aid Beauty and this cleanser lathers just enough. It’s not gel-like, but more soapy and works really well.

Tula Skincare’s Glow & Get It Cooling & Brightening Eye Balm

This eye balm brightens up your under eyes and even makes them tingle. The balm feels cool to the touch and leaves your skin glowing. The downside to this product is that it is a little pricey, but it’s a good size and you will take forever to finish it so it’s worth the investment. They also have it in rose gold now, but I have yet to try that one.

Tula Skincare Face Filter Blurring & Moisturizing Primer

I have a love/hate relationship with this primer. As a primer, it does its job and evens out my skin tone a little. I have oily skin, and I’ve noticed it helps keep a shiny T-zone under control. However, this primer is also pricey and for the size of it, I just don’t think it’s worth it. Save your money!

Glossier Super Glow Serum

I’m at the age now where I have to use Vitamin C serums, and to be honest, I love it. Vitamin C serums help with brightening your skin. I haven’t been using this particular Glossier one long enough to garner a good review, but so far, so good.

Glossier Balm Dotcom in Cherry 

This!!! I love this lip balm! First of all, it smells so good — exactly like cherries. Secondly, I love lip balms that leave a little tint on your lips. My natural lip color is very pale, so I love balms with some color and this one is perfect. Glossier has a handful of other flavors that are just as fun if you’re not into the cherry scent. Be warned – it’s strong.

SuperGoop Unseen Sunscreeen

If I’ve learned anything regarding skincare these past couple of years, it’s that SPF is king of the skincare world. No matter if you don’t put anything else on your face, wear SPF! I love this Supergoop! primer and sunscreen with SPF 40 because it’s so light on my skin. It’s scentless and clear and it helps your makeup stick. There’s no oiliness like other SPF lotions.

 Bliss Makeup Melt Makeup Remover

I can’t rave enough about this product. It is by far my favorite eye makeup remover and I’ve been stuck on it for a couple of years now. The gel is refreshing and easily takes off all your eye makeup so you’re not struggling with oils or rubbing your eyelashes off like you’re mad at them. To top it off, it’s so cheap! The only problem is you usually have to order it online or find it at an Ulta store because I’ve had trouble finding it other places.

Versed Dew Point Moisturizing Gel Cream

“Versed” is Target’s skincare line. It’s affordable, but not super cheap. I’ve been using this moisturizer for a few months now and I love it. Like I mentioned before, I have oily skin so I’m really careful about which kinds of moisturizers I put on my face. Gel-like ones work best for me, and this is a really light one that doesn’t clog my pores.

So there you have it! These are the products I cannot travel without. If you’re on the fence about any of them, most of them have sample sizes you can try out first but rest assured, I’ve put them to the test.

My Top 3 Makeup Foundations: Everyday, Going Out, & Full Glam

I’m no expert, but I do love make-up and have experimented with a lot of it! Currently, I have three go-tos for different occasions that I absolutely love.

Before going into it, every skin type is different. Obviously, what works for me may not work for everyone else. But just to set the backdrop, I have oily skin. Because of my oily skin, I have to stay away from water-based makeup foundation. I didn’t even know this was a thing, but after purchasing one particular brand, it seemed that by the end of the day my foundation was practically streaking off my face. Whenever I’m experimenting with new foundation, I just make sure to ask the expert at the makeup counter whether or not it is water based. Secondly, no matter if I’m using any type of makeup foundation or even just powder (or even not wearing any makeup at all), I have to use primer and finishing powder. It’s a must. Otherwise my makeup won’t stay put without a primer and it will get oily quick without finishing powder. I’ve used Neutrogena Shine Control Primer and Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Pressed Powder Microfinishing Pressed Powder in translucent for several years now, and they’ve become staples for my face that I don’t change.

Okay, now for the foundations I use!

My Everyday Foundation – Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream in Shade 120 Medium Sheer Tint

Technically, I know this isn’t full on foundation, but I treat it as such. BB Cream is so light, but totally gets the job done on evening out my skin tone and covering up my redness. Plus, it has built in SPF! Win/win. Although I have read that you should apply separate SPF because the SPF in your BB Cream or other makeup is not enough. But still, the more SPF, the better! I apply the BB Cream with a makeup sponge and just add on a little more if I need a bit more coverage. I love this for work or just having a chill day because it isn’t heavy and thick on my face.

My Going Out Foundation – Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder in Shade 3 Fair

I’ve only been using this foundation for a few months, but I love it! First of all, I love how the little bottle is built to apply the foundation directly to your face. I just squeeze out a few lines onto my face and use a makeup sponge to apply it. This foundation is also fairly light, but provides more and longer coverage for a full day and a night out. It also provides build-able coverage, so you can just add more if you like. The finished look is dewy and glow-y.

My Full Glam Foundation – Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r in Shade 180

I LOVE this foundation! I can put it on in the morning and it will look just as fresh and provide full coverage well into the evening. However, this one is a little tricky. I talked to a make-up specialist at Sephora when I was trying out this foundation. If you’re not fully comfortable applying foundation, this one isn’t the easiest to start with. You have to apply it in sections and move fast because it dries quickly. From my experience, people either love it or hate it. You know which end of the spectrum I land on. The coverage is heavy, but its well worth it for those long workdays and glam nights out.

5 Summer Wardrobe Essentials Under $25

Summer is here! If I’m being totally honest, I have a serious dislike for the Summer season. Texas heat is no joke, and I seem to have a permanent sweat ‘stache throughout the Summer months. It’s not sexy. But, even during this horrid sweat fest, I still attempt to look cute – sweat mustache and all.

I don’t know about you, but I’m almost constantly economically challenged. Thus, I’ve narrowed down the search for some Summer basics at affordable prices. Check out the links below to shop!

White Sandals

I like white sandals because you can wear them with any color of clothing you put on. You don’t have to worry about mixing black and brown shades so you don’t have to necessarily buy both colors. White goes with everything! I love this pair from Target. They were only $20 and they’ve lasted me almost a year but look brand new! Seriously, I just took this picture of them. I also wore them on my trip to Havana, Cuba almost a year ago and they were comfy and durable. And I walked A LOT down those Havana streets. There’s also an option on Amazon if you can’t find your size here.

Jean Shorts 

These are a given! What’s not a given is that you should opt to buy statement or printed shorts. Again, I like white shorts because it brightens up any outfit. The striped shorts are from Marshall’s and they were only $15. Target has plenty of patterns and colors also under $20 which you can shop here. Both of these styles are stretchyyyy, which is my favorite. Nobody is trying to deal with tight, rough fabric on top of the sweat session.

Summer Dresses 

I found dresses made of the softest, lightest material for $10 at Marshall’s! So I stocked up. Forever 21 also has dresses like these for $10. I have some of these Forever 21 dresses that I bought years ago (circa 2015) and they’re still going strong. I don’t know what this magic fabric is, but it’s the comfiest. And the less amount of clothes to sweat in, the better. Oh, and this one has POCKETS!

Sunnies

I love to buy cheap, quirky sunglasses for the Summertime. Mostly because I end up losing them all at the beach or the pool. It’s also better to buy cheap pairs that are bound to end up scratched up by the sand, scratched up from throwing them into your purse all the time, or lost in a lake. Plus, these are the perfect months to wear silly styles you wouldn’t otherwise wear. There’s a carefree vibe that comes with the Summer, so your accessories can reflect that, too. Shop fun sunnies here.

A Statement Purse

A cute purse freshens up any outfit you have on. These straw rattan crossbody bags are super trendy right now. I had a hard time finding one under $25. Most of them are pretty pricey due to the intricate weaving. But my search paid off! I found this one for exactly $25 at Marshall’s and other options on Amazon, like this one. These are pretty small, so be wary that maybe just a small wallet and your phone, keys, and your lip gloss will fit in here. But they’re just so cute that I’ll find a way to make it work.

 

The Dry Shampoo I Cannot Live Without

I have a stupid amount of hair. I know people always think that they have a ton of hair, but really – I have an abnormal head of hair. Growing up, my mom was the typical Mexican mother that did not let me cut or color my hair and so help her God, so long as I was living under her roof, I could not dream of touching it.

My hair has almost always been long. Way down past my waist long. I cut it all off two years ago while I was studying for my bar exam. I like to joke that I was having a mental breakdown and decided to chop it off on impulse. The truth is I had been planning on cutting it for about a year. I desperately needed a change.

However, even though my hair is drastically shorter and different, the fact that I have a stupid amount of hair has not changed. I like to think of myself as somewhat of an expert when it comes to the dry shampoo area since I have tried about fifteen different brands over the past several years and I wash my hair once a week.

That’s right. I wash my hair once a week. Despite the fact that I work out and it gets sweaty. Despite the fact that it starts looking greasy as hell.

That’s where my dry shampoo comes in.

The dry shampoo brands that I swear by are Drybar Detox Dry Shampoo and Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo.

Since I was about twenty-two years old, I have been using dry shampoo to style my hair. I wish I could remember which dry shampoo brand I was using before I started using Drybar and Amika. What I do remember is that those brands were good for about one day, and then I couldn’t hide my greasy hair any longer. These days, if my scalp gets sweaty (it usually does since I do hot yoga twice a week and cardio two other days), I run water through the roots when I’m in the shower. Then I blow dry it when I’m out and spray dry shampoo away. 

However, there is a process to getting your hair to act like its clean. It takes training. That’s right. For the (normal) people who wash their hair on a daily basis, they cannot go six days solely using dry shampoo (as I like to do). This is because their scalp is used to developing oils more frequently. Look it up. There are methods to go on longer periods of time without washing your hair and it cannot happen from one day to the next. 

There is also the matter of me having naturally thick hair. Because I am full blown Mexican, it means that my hair is dark and thick. Thick hair naturally hides “grease” or “oily strands” a lot more than thin hair does.

Keeping in mind these two exceptions that allow me to go for such a long time without washing my hair, Drybar and Amika dry shampoos are still the brands I swear by. I spray it onto my roots, shake out my hair, run my fingers through it, and voila! That’s one more day I can continue on without the extra two hours it takes to wash, dry, and style my hair.

 

Flor-rolls

For one quick second I thought about not posting this picture because of my lonjitas, de cariño (little rolls, out of love) but I’ll be damned if everyone doesn’t have a roll or two, especially when they sit down. I love my thunder thighs in white pants and it took me a long, LONG time to learn to love them so I’m proud of this picture. Anyway, it’s how I look all the time so que le hago?

Top: Anthroplogie

Jeans: Lucky Brand

Belt: Gucci

Bracelets: David Yurman

Watch: Omega

Rings: Crystal Works Austin

Date Night

 

Top: Petite Confidante

Jeans: Lucky Brand

Shoes: Marc Fisher vía Nordstrom

Earrings: La Casa Frida

I have a tendency to shop local & I especially love to buy products from fierce mujeres I’m friends or acquainted with or that I just admire because they’re doing their business thing & killing it. This first post is a few weeks old (note the longer & darker hair) but it was the first outfit I loved enough to make a blog post out of. I am absolutely obsessed with this “Papillon Top” from my friend Zayda’s beautifully curated online boutique, Petite Confidante. It is so comfy & cute & sits just right. My tassel earrings are from La Casa Frida in San Antonio. I haven’t had a chance to visit the location, but I do want every single thing on their website. If I’m not wearing hoops for a night out, these are the only appropriate substitute.