my latest travel essentials

I've been traveling a lot lately... not super exciting blogging trips or vacations or anything... just mostly toting around in the car all over Texas for various things like weddings and family visits.  Now, I love traveling but at the same time I am a total OCD person that hates to be away from home!  Home is where I have all of my stuff and everything is just right, you know?

At home you have everything you need and everything you're used to and you know right where it is.  And if you run out of something, chances are you know exactly where that something is on your local store's shelf and it's a quick fix.  But what about traveling?  How do you stay comfortable and how do you fit everything you need without overpacking and taking everything you own?

In my world the answer is simple... Travel size products.  Ok, I am well aware that travel size items are extremely small amounts of product for jacked up prices... Yes, I get it.  But there's also a huge convenience factor here and to me, it's worth it.  I like to have my small products on hand, packed and ready to go for any trip.  I've linked my favorite products below from my most recent road trip! 

 Kleenex Travel Packs // Tide to go mini // Listerine // Thirty-One flat iron cover (new prints) //

Mary Kay Facial Cleansing Cloths // Mary Kay Satin Lips Lip Balm // 

Mary Kay Satin Hands Fragrance-Free Hand Cream // Wet Brush Squirt //

Dove Intensive Repair Shampoo & Conditioner // Johnson's Baby Powder //

Downy Wrinkle Releaser // Ban Total Refresh Cooling Body Cloths // 

Scotch Lint Roller Mini // Huggies Baby Wipes

All of these items were purchased in the Travel Size Product sections of Target and Walmart (except the flat iron cover and the Mary Kay products).  Most of them are pretty self-explanatory as to what I used them for but a couple of things may not be.  

The baby powder and Ban Cooling Wipes are for Texas weather.  Yep, it gets hot and we sweat here... A LOT... even in October.  It's nice to have the baby powder for your body and underarms, but it's also nice to have to sprinkle on your feet before putting on heels or any shoes really.  It will help keep your feet cool and dry, and if you're anything like me, your feet determine your whole body's temperature.  

I have to say that the Ban Wipes were a very pleasant surprise and they worked really well!!  I happened to see them when I was grabbing the other travel items and thought, well I'm going to Houston, cooling wipes are probably a good investment!  And they were!  They worked really well and actually I found the best use of them to be on my recent camping trip.  There's nothing like a cool, soothing clean cloth when you've been sweating outside for a few days!  My one complaint would be that the individual cloths are pretty small, but the cooling sensation was great!

The other item you may question is the baby wipes.  No, I do not have children (just a husband & that's close enough right now! BAM hahaha JK Love you Hubby!!) but I ALWAYS have baby wipes.  They are so useful!  I use them all the time for simply wiping off my hands or giving myself a quick "bath" and reapplying deodorant.  They can also be used for removing your makeup (especially eye makeup) when you don't have any other means.  And they can be used for wiping away those pesky deodorant marks from your clothing!

What are your must-have products for traveling?  Any big travel plans coming up?  I'd love to hear about your trips and packing tips!!

Tip Tuesday: Long-lasting Lipstick + my favorite PINK!

 

 MUAH!! Happy Tuesday loves! How is your week going so far?  Today I just wanted to take a moment to pay tribute to my favorite PINK LIPSTICK shade recently... Pink Chérie!

{photo from MaryKay.com}

This is the perfect pink in my book... not too light and not too bright!  Take a closer look at this shade and
even try it on virtually HERE!  Want to learn more about Mary Kay's True Dimensions formula?  Check
out this video!

This lipstick really is the silkiest, smoothest lipstick you will ever put on!  It's so moisturizing and luxurious!  And did you see all those shades?  This past season saw a lot of new additions and ladies are loving them!  What color is your favorite?

No matter what shade of lipstick you prefer, I'm sure you'd love to know how to make it last longer!  One of the most common questions I receive as a Beauty Consultant is how to make lipstick last.  So here you go... here are my tips and tricks!

Ladies, if you're searching for a magical lipstick that will stay on all day no matter what you eat, drink or do, I'm very sorry to disappoint you... this does not exist!  Seriously y'all.  It doesn't.  You will always have to reapply lipstick after meals, etc.  It's life.  BUT, I promise I can help minimize the number of times you have to do it!

Here are some of my favorite products from Mary Kay that I use on myself, I recommend to my customers and I use on all of my professional makeup jobs.  There are other brands that make these types of products... if you love another brand, go for it.  My tips are general application tips that can be applied by anyone with any brand products.  If you are interested in the specific Mary Kay products I mention, there is purchasing information at the bottom of this post, as well as a coupon code to use on your first purchase!

{Please note: As I always say, I personally only use Mary Kay and those are the products I talk about because I believe in the concept of being able to TRY your products and switch them out if they are not correct for you.  I don't know another company that guarantees every single product 100%.  So when I recommend these products, it is not for my gain but for yours... really, honestly.  I believe you should be able to return a product instead of getting stuck with a drawer full of beauty products you'll never use.  I believe you should be able to try lipstick shades to your heart's desire until you find just the right one.  I am able to provide this service to my customers through Mary Kay and their satisfaction guarantee} 

1. Exfoliate your lips.  The skin on your lips is the only skin on your entire body that does not naturally exfoliate.  This is why we all have so many issues with dry lips, peeling and cracking.  Using a lip mask to scruff off the dead skin cells will help you apply lipstick easier, and it will help the color last long and look better.  I recommend Mary Kay's Satin Lips Set.

2. Neutralize your lip color with your foundation or concealer.  This may sound strange but this will help your lipstick look more true-to-color as you see it in the tube, as well as add another layer to help the lipstick, well... stick! My favorite Mary Kay foundations are the TimeWise Liquids but you could also use your skin shade of Concealer.

3. Prime your lips with a Lip Primer.  Just like painting a wall, color will go on better and last longer when you prime first.  I love Mary Kay's anti-aging Lip Primer!

4. Line your lips with a Lip Liner.  No, don't draw an outline on your lips with a dark color and then leave it!  This horrible trend has scared ladies away from lip liner for way too long!  The key to lip liner is using it all over.  Outline your lips, then completely fill in your entire lips with the color.  Again, this layer will give the lipstick something else to stick to.  Light layers of multiple products is the key!  Don't want to use a colored lip liner?  No problem!  Mary Kay makes a clear lip liner so you can get the benefits of a liner without additional color!  Booya!

5. Apply your lipstick!

As I mentioned above, you kind find these types of products in most stores but if you don't want to get stuck with something you don't love, how about trying some Mary Kay?  If you don't already have a consultant, I'd love to be yours!  No matter where you are in the U.S. I can help!  I ship products and stay in touch with customers in multiple states and I'd love to help you too.

Please take a moment to register on my website so I can keep in contact with you!  If you're interested in purchasing the products I've mentioned today (at no risk to you because of our guarantee) please click the links above an order through my Mary Kay website!  (You can also contact me if you have additional questions)

**SPECIAL DEAL** Use coupon code "NEW15" to receive 15% OFF your first order with me! (enter this in the "customer comments" portion during checkout)

Smooches y'all!  Hope my tips have helped!

Winter Weather Skincare

Most of us around the country have been experiencing some crazy winter weather lately.  True to form, Texas can't decide whether it's done with winter or not, so we've been swinging drastically back and forth between gorgeous temperatures in the 70s to brutal winds and temps in the 20s.  If you're not in Texas, you've probably just been experiencing cold nonstop!  No matter where you are, I guarantee your skin has not been loving this weather!

I have oily skin, so you'd think I wouldn't have huge problems with drying out during the winter, but this season has taken it's toll on my skin!  I've experienced a few really dry patches on my face, thanks to my allergies and constantly blowing my nose.  Moisturizing is one thing, but you need to remember how important exfoliating your skin in the dry months can be!

I recommend having gentle daily exfoliation in your routine, as well as a more abrasive exfoliating product that you use less often.  The easiest way to exfoliate daily is to use a face wash that contains exfoliation beads.  I recommend Mary Kay's TimeWise 3-in-1 cleanser.  Not only does this cleanser have gentle exfoliation beads, it also will take care of 3 steps in 1: cleansing, exfoliating, AND toning!  Plus, it comes in two different formulas, one for dry/normal skin and one for combo/oily skin.  Adding in a cleansing brush can also bump up your exfoliation and help clean your skin more thoroughly.

On top of gentle exfoliation on a daily basis, you can add more exfoliation, as long as you're not over-doing it.  Your skin naturally exfoliates, but not evenly.  This is the reason you end up with dry patches here and more oily patches there.  Enter microdermabrasion and other spa and dermatologist-recommended treatments.  The problems with these treatments are numerous: who has the time and money to have microderm done professionally every few months? AND why strip your skin SO harshly a few times a year when you can do a more gentle version at home in just a few minutes? Yes, it's lovely going to a spa and being pampered.  But it's also really nice taking control of your skin and pampering yourself in the comfort of your own home, at a fraction of the cost.  I use Mary Kay's Microdermabrasion Set for just that reason.  It's the same grade Aluminum-Oxide Crystals that are used in spas and dermatologists' offices, but slightly more gentle so you can do it 2-3 times a week and you can also apply makeup immediately afterwards!

Have you ever exfoliated your lips? Guess what? It's the only skin on your body that doesn't naturally exfoliate!  This is why dry, chapped lips are such a problem!  Using Mary Kay's Satin Lips Mask and Balm can conquer this and give you smooth, moisturized lips all through winter!

Check out my other favorite products below!  Winter weather is all about exfoliating and moisturizing.  Work these products into your routine and I bet you'll set a dramatic difference!  Don't forget that your beauty routine needs to change with the seasons, just like your wardrobe!

Winter Weather Skincare by texassass featuring an exfoliating face wash

SHOP THESE PRODUCTS:

1. Mary Kay TimeWise 3-in-1 Cleanser & Skinvigorate Cleansing Brush by Mary Kay

2. Mary Kay TimeWise Microdermabrasion Set

3. Mary Kay Oil-Free Hydrating Gel

4. Mary Kay Satin Lips Set

5. Mary Kay Satin Hands Set

Do you have winter skin problems?  What is your biggest issue?  What are your favorite products?