New Beauty Buys & Finds for the Summer

Growing up and enamored with the beauty section of each and every magazine, I found myself taking a stroll to my local CVS quite frequently. And I knew; as soon as my dad heard my key unlock the front door, he would glance up from his man-chair, quickly eye my plastic bag full of lippies, mascaras, and eye palettes in various shades of blue. This would, without fail, lead to him placing his fingers at his temples to soothe his oncoming headaches. Dads. They’ll never understand the power of makeup. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

To this day, I still pop into my local CVS and cruise the beauty aisle. Sometimes I leave with nothing, sometimes I leave with the entire color selection of a new matte lipstick (these are obviously the better days out of the two). So when I heard CVS was revamping all their stores to include more professional cosmetics, amongst other things, I had to do a bit more lurking.

Seek and you shall be rewarded, my friends.

TIGI Cosmetics is arriving at select CVS stores. (Psst… you can also find their full collection online at tigi-cosmetics.com and CVS.com).

TIGI Cosmetics has been on the professional circuit since the early 90s and are known for their rich, pigmented colors and professional quality. I was lucky enough to receive a few must-haves to play and create with. Off the bat, I’m obsessed with their colorful lip gloss and felt it should be the focal point of this quick and easy daytime look. Also known as, when you have 10 minutes or less to look put together.

Read on to see how I got this look.

To create a flawless base, I powdered my face all the way down to my neck with their Powder Foundation. The powder is buildable without that cakey feeling which is key for the summer season. It also helps control oil which is always good news for those of us with naturally dewy skin.

For daytime looks, I usually stick to one neutral eye shadow color and build it out like so:

• First, dust on the color (I’m using their High Density Eyeshadow in True Natural) over the entire lid

• Layer on the shadow from below the crease and to the lash line

• You can also use this formula wet if you’re aiming for a dramatic look

I love making my eyes pop as much as possible and TIGI’s Precision Black Eyeliner Pen’s long felt tip made it easy to achieve a cat eye. It took a while for me to get liquid eyeliner down (shaky hands anyone?) but this hack is the way to go:

• Press down and leave a marking (kind of like a placeholder) with the eyeliner

• Use the markings as guidance as you swipe the liner across your lidThis formula is water-resistant and quick drying so smudging is nearly non-existent

• This formula is water-resistant and quick drying so smudging is nearly non-existent

Afterwards, I coat my lashes with mascara and move onto my lips.

The pigmented, high-shine formula of their Luxe Lipgloss (Glamour shown) left my lips moisturized throughout the day. I wanted the color to really pop so I applied two coats with a heavy hand.

The end result looked fresh-faced and ready for the day. Not to mention I left the New York City Subways with my face still intact after this shoot.

Overall, the textures and colors will be fun for anyone that happens to get lost in CVS’ beauty aisle (voluntarily or involuntarily). I know their collection will come in super handy once Fashion Week hits.

They’re officially rolling out at select CVS locations nationwide but you can always view their full inventory of goodies on tigi-cosmetics.com.

Photos by Lauren Listor.

Today's post has been sponsored by TIGI Cosmetics. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible!

The Fourth Wall

In a few weeks, I'll be heading to Norway but today I'm going through my emotions wondering, why me and why on repeat. OR, is it me putting myself in the middle of avoidable situations. It's really been a big month for self-reflection lost in a layer of confusion.

So instead of dwelling in my misery, which can be so easy to do right now, I can accept my current place on the path and ride the wave out. 

Easier said than done, my friends.

But, it is possible. Similar to this post, I've been trying my best to stay cool, calm and collective in the moments that are completely and utterly mine. Those moments range from my early mornings spent sipping on lemon water, setting an intention and sometimes tweeting them out into the universe, and lately meditating with the Headspace app. 

Actually, I've really been loving the Headspace app since it has these bite-sized sessions that make it super easy to meditate on my commute to work. (For those days, when every minute really does matter.)

In the end, it's all about staying positive and breaking patterns with awareness and action.

Have y'all try mediation or setting intentions at the start of your day? How do you like it?

Photo by Lydia Hudgens.

Cute Travel Outfits for the Plane, Solved

After my breakup last year, I remember stating loudly and proudly how committed I was to exploring New York City and beyond. With my savings stacked high, I started to plan out my dream destinations per month. 

First up, was a long weekend to Nashville, Tennessee with a close friend. We remained under budget and had the time of our life eating anything and everything fried and 'cued. 

From there, Tulum, Mexico came up randomly and sporadically so away we went. Tacos, tequilas, and day trips filled our weeklong trip. And again, I somehow stayed under budget until...

The ATV accident.

And with that my travel plans for the year came to a screeching halt but picked right back up for this year. (The power of positivity and determination helped turn this into a reality.) So far, I've visited Philly, Cuba, Boston, Upstate New York and have Norway, Germany and Czech Republic, and Salem coming up. Not sure if I should include my Iceland stopovers but went there too! With all those travel plans I needed to ensure I stayed within budget, so it's always a good idea to check out different airfare deals and rates. Sometimes using flight reservation specialists can be very beneficial as they can do all of the research to find you a good deal on your plane tickets. You can also look online yourself and check out different comparison sites. It is always essential to check out prices first to help you come up with your budget and then stick to it. 

Finding myself in a car, bus, train, and plane I've reverted to my tried and true outfits that are resistant to wrinkles + creases, look polished and most importantly make me feel comfortable in tight spaces. 

Here are my go-to looks, I reach for over and over again:

See the original posts for these looks here: 
- Striped Red Shirt and Vans, click here
- Tweed Jacket and Pink Tote, click here
- Navy Culottes and Grey Turtleneck, click here
- Floral Pants and Green Jacket, click here
- Slip Dress, Jean Jacket and Reebok Sneakers, click here