I’ve been traveling quite a bit this summer so paring down the amount of makeup I take with me has been a must. One that is great just for travel is this PHYSICIANS FORMULA Mineral Wear 3-in-1 Setting Powder ($15.99 @ physiciansformula.com, walgreens.com).

As the name states, it’s a 3-in-1 of the face’s necessities:

Set (translucent setting powder).

Bright (the pink shade) will brighten up under the eyes and give your skin a glow.

Bake (the yellow powder) for helping concealer to set under the eyes and not crawl into wrinkles.

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I wish every single brand would come out with minis of all their products! It’s just so much easier to try out a smaller size of something before committing to the regular version. So thank you FENTY BEAUTY for creating these travel-size deluxe sizes of some of your most popular products.

And remember, because it’s a smaller size, it won’t cost you as much!

Check out da minis @ sephora.com, fentybeauty.com and Sephora stores:

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Remember when the BEAUTY BLENDER brand was just about that teardrop shape of sponge? Well they’ve expanded the offerings over the last few years into makeup brushes, cleansers and even a highlighter.

Good prep products are needed when it’s hot out, like a primer and setting spray. Lately, I’ve been using their 'Selfie Shield' Broad Spectrum SPF 38 Dry Oil Primer ($32/1oz @ beautyblender.com). This is the second primer oil I’ve tried and I think I’m in. It’s clear, lightweight, quick-absorbing and helps protect the skin as well as get it ready for anything you put on top of it. It also contains vitamin C and E, so you’re doing some attack on lines and wrinkles at the same time.

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How often do you apply body lotion? I try to do a full application after each shower but sometimes I just not in the mood for all the work. I mean, it is work! And, I’d never apply body cream/lotion without cleansing first.

Something that motivates me is scent. It’s probably why I have such a huge collection of perfumes on my dressing table.

One lotion I’ve been loving applying because of the scent is the Greek brand, KORRES and their Crystallized Lavender Blossom Body Butter Spray ($36/8.45oz @ hsn.com). Now I’m not much of a lavender fan since starting this blog (it’s in everything and I got tired of it) but this one has more of a milky lavender smell, or a powdery/woodylavender; very different from straight up lavender, IMO.

And they layer it like a fragrance:

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DRUNK ELEPHANT D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops ($36/30ml @ drunkelephant.com, sephora.com) may not look like a skin serum but it is.

What It Is: Like sunshine’s bronzy color, delivered without the damage. A chronopeptide that mimics the antioxidant benefits of vitamin D, omega-rich virgin marula and black currant seed oils, along with vitamin F (fatty acids), immediately replenish the delicate balance that supports a healthy barrier function of skin, while a concentrated mix of protective antioxidants boosts skin’s defenses against pollution and environmental stressors… all delivered with a bronzy finish. 

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Is PIXI BEAUTY turning into the MAC of skincare in that they are just coming out with releases left and right? I just received their latest Vitamin C Collection and was going to write it up and just noticed they have a new retinol collection. Now I’m a huge fan of retinol and just recently went back on it after getting my brows bladed again. It’s really the only thing that has evened out my skin tone and kept acne away. This one on amazon is called the French Retinol and has received a lot of praise.

Anyway, let’s take a look at this latest collection from Pixi. First, why is vitamin C (also known in ingredient lists as L-ascorbic acid) in skin care and why should I care? It has been proven to help your skin produce collagen and it contains a lot of antioxidant properties so it will fight free radicals in the environment and damage from UV rays. It also works on reducing fine lines and scars as well as overall dullness. If you have sensitive skin or Roseacea, you may want to do a patch test of any vitamin C product or consult your derm.

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Nothing I love more than a liquid lipstick but these new ones from MAYBELLINE are not like the ones you may be used to at least they were not for me. They are the SuperStay Ink Crayons and here are the details:.

What It Is: SuperStay Ink Crayon ($9.49 @ maybelline.com, ulta.com, target.com) is a longwear lipstick crayon available in a range of 12 vibrant matte shades that last up to 8 hours. Our first lipstick crayon with Lashing Ink technology glides a rich layer of matte color across the lips with effortless control that lasts for up to eight hours of wear. Keep the tip ultra-precise with the built-in sharpener, so you can easily apply your lipstick no matter where your day takes you.

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It really surprising how much face and eye primers have become part of our makeup application routine. I mean, I always wear them and when I forget, I almost feel like starting over my face to include them.

Two I’ve been using the past month or so are from Indy brand, RUDE COSMETICS. They are both oils so I was up to the challenge of testing them out.

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I’m really excited to talk about this next new-to-me brand. It’s called SOUTH OF FRANCE. For two decades, the two founders, who happen to be sisters, have manufactured their products in the USA and paid attention to a lot of the important factors out there that people value:

• vegan
• non-GMO bar soaps
• Leaping Bunny certified
• free of sulfates
• free of phthalates
• free of parabens
• free of EDTA,
• free of animal-by-products
• gluten-free
• BPA-free plastic bottles

and many more. Click here to see all the traits.

When it comes to the soap, they make it using the traditional Marseille triple-milled recipe, which I love (read more about French soap here).

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Leave it to It Cosmetics to come out with my staple foundation. IT COSMETICS Confidence In A Foundation ($32/1oz @ itcosmetics.com, sephora.com, ) keeps the confidence going and they claim up to 24-hours. 24 hours? I’m not sure how they test that trait out. I mean, do they actually have test subjects wear the foundation for up to 24-hours to see how it wears? And when do they consider the time is up on wear-time? All things that make you go hmmmm…

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