Since I spent the majority of my May in Italy (literally just got off the plane yesterday), these are my favorite travel beauty and fashion products that I either purchased abroad or brought along with me. At the end of this post is a compilation of video and outfits I took and wore throughout my trip! But first, my favorites of this past month...
Lezzgo.
Beauty
01. Naked Basics Palette- I purchased this palette at some point last summer and I was initially drawn to it because of its matte shades and its size which is perfect for traveling. On my recent trip to Italy, I brought this palette as well as my Mac Palette, and I have to say that most mornings I really reached for this one instead of my Mac neutral shades (which I wear everyday at home anyway). This was perfect for transitioning my day eye makeup to night eye makeup, where I would spend the majority of my day wearing W.O.S on my lid and Naked 2 in my crease, and then darken it up with Faint and Crave in my outer corner. I would also opt for Foxy as my highlight on my brow bone and inner corner most of the time. These matte looks also suit my Bobbi Brown Gel Liner Wings I do almost everyday, which I love!
02. Kiko Milano Eye Shadow in No.04- Part of my shopping time in Italy was.... you guessed it, spent in Italian brand makeup stores! Kiko, which is based in Milan, (although they had stores not only in Milan, but in other places I visited as well- Florence, Salerno, and Rome) is kind of an in between drugstore and medium tier makeup brand. The makeup was extremely reasonable (at drug store prices) and they had their own stores, so I was immediately drawn in. One of the shadows I bought when I first visited their store in Milan, No. 04, was a shade I reached for throughout the rest of my trip. This gorgeous goldy champagne is reminiscent of Mac's MSF in Soft+ Gentle and Stila's Kitten, so it can be used not only as a shadow, but also as a highlight. What I love about this product (and the few other Kiko brand shadows I bought) is that for a drug store price, (they were about 2.90 euro each so as of now thats about $4.06 in the States) the pigmentation and duration of the shadow is out of this world! When I first swatched this shadow, it not only was extremely pigmented, but it lasted on my hand all day. Definitely worth every euro (penny?), and a makeup product to search for if visiting Italy. Check out Kiko's site HERE!
03. Anastasia Brow Wiz- This amazing pencil made it into my favorites last month, and it continues to be in my favorites this month as well! This was a perfect pencil to bring on a trip, because it took care of my eyebrows in an all-in-one fashion, with a spoolie on one end and a crayon-like pencil on the other. If you can't already tell, I really dig the filled in brows look- (since my brows are dark already so I may as well indulge lol), so this is a product that I basically reach for every day! Super compact, user friendly, and overall really amazing concept and pencil.
04. Mac's Retro Matte Dangerous- I am in love with the orangey red lip again this summer because of this shade! (I sported it a lot during last summer with Mac's Sail La Vie). This shade is reminiscent of Sail La Vie, but what I like about it is that it's incredibly more matte and has more pow. It also comes off a bit magenta in some lights (kinda like above) which I also dig. I reached for this lipstick a whole lot on my trip to brighten up makeup looks I wore during the day and at night.
05. Makeup Forever Mist + Fix- A lifesaver for all my fellow travelling makeup fiends! This baby (less than 3oz for the plane) mist and fix saved my life on my flights, many train rides, and generally during the day throughout my trip! It's a makeup fix (so the same concept as Mac's Fix+ and UD's All Nighter and DeSlick) so it keeps your makeup from slipping off your face (which trust me, I needed in that hot Italian sun) and also just generally refreshes you and wakes you up (because that's what usually happens when you spray a cold water-like substance on your face..ha). This one has a nice scent, was extremely compact, and basically didn't leave my side! My favorites still are Fix+ and DeSlick, but for traveling and convenience, this one was perfect!
06. Bioderma Cleanse Off Solution- After a few years of hearing amazing reviews on this product via Youtube and blogs and about 5 Italian drugstores later (this is not sold in stores in the States!), I finally got my hands on a bottle of Bioderma! (Which come to think of it, I probably could have ordered it online, so whoops...) But anyway, this is a paraben-free, hypoallergenic, cleanse off solution that basically can be used as a makeup remover or cleanser. This one in particular is for sensitive skin, and it's super gentle, incredibly refreshing, and a really thorough solution that I've been using every night since I purchased it! It is literally the best, hands down, bottled makeup remover I've ever used. So, if you're a fan of makeup remover solutions or cleanse offs, I'd definitely suggest you check out Bioderma's site HERE! I believe I actually got this (the biggest bottle) for around 15 euro, so that's equivalent to $21.00 here in the states as of now, but I've mostly found it online for about $30 unfortunately. However, I'm going to keep searching because at the rate I'm using it, I'll probably need another bottle soonnn ! ahh
07. St. Ives Oatmeal and Shea Butter Body Wash- This was my travel body wash that I brought with me and let me just say, it is absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS! This stuff smells incredible and makes your skin soo incredibly soft. I loved this travel size so much that I am literally going to go to CVS ASAP to pick up a full size bottle because I literally am obsessed.
08. Hawaiian Tropic After-Sun Moisturizer in Coconut + Papaya- This was one of my favorite lotions last summer so I decided to bring it along during this trip cause I knew I'd be getting a lot of sun in Italy. I like to apply this after a shower on my legs and shoulders, and I love that it helps maintain your tan while giving your skin a little shimmer. It also smells amazing, so I'd definitely recommend it for your beach bag this season!
09. Sophia Charlotte Ring Swaggg- I stumbled upon this adorable store in Rome called Sophia Charlotte, which sold Brandy Melville-esque accessories and clothing. The clothes were adorable, a bit too young for my age I would say, but I liked their graphic tees and jewelry a whole lot. I picked up these two midi rings, one a gold skull and the other gold teeth and I really love their look and fit!
And finally, drum roll please, my MAY LOOKBOOK IS LIVE!
"Journeys end in lover's meeting"
[Twelfth Night 2.3]
Cheers, x
How long have you had your Anastasia Brow Wiz? I love the pencil too, but mine ran out after only 3 weeks and for the cost being $21, I don't think it's worth it to replace especially on my broke budget. I actually wrote a negative review about it despite how much I love the way it works!
ReplyDeletethanks for your comment!
Deletethat's actually interesting because I purchased it toward the end of April (right before I posted my April Favorites)+ I began using it immediately, and liked it so much that I actually included it in my April Favorites. I purchased it because I wanted a compact pencil since I went away to Europe from May 19-June 6th, and I used it during the beginning of May, all throughout my trip, and am still using it!
I have pretty dark brows to begin with, so I may be using lighter strokes of the pencil and maybe that's why it's lasted longer ? I'm not totally sure but I know I've definitely been using it and loving it since the end of April!
Maybe give it another try and see how it works?! Gimme Brows by Benefit is also a great option if you like gel, and I also dig Anastasia's Brow Powder which I purchased like Winter of last year and I still haven't hit pan yet.
Hope that helps!!
cheers! x