Catch up on your weekly dose of beauty info, all in one post!
Beauty Blogger Coalition Weekly Roundup
Oh Snap! It's Giveaway Time!
Get excited...I've teamed up with some fabulous bloggers...again....to bring to you a fabulous giveaway. 10 different prizes, all listed below, with lots of chances to win. Make sure to take advantage of every way to enter!
My Top 7 Tips for Packing a Cosmetic Bag
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| Modella cosmetic bag |
I’ve
come a long way since my days of over packing for trips. I use to have to check
a large suitcase for a 3 day trip! Now, after a lot of practice, I don’t panic when I have to pack for a few
nights, and I can even get everything in my carry on, in under an hour.
One
tactic that I have used that has streamlined the packing process is always keeping my
makeup and toiletries bag packed. I like to keep a separate travel cosmetic bag
packed with all of my travel friendly sized necessities. The Modella Weekender Cosmetic bag is one I have been using lately.
The Weekender has 3 main zipper pockets (2 on the inside, one on the outside) that can fit all of my cosmetic items and toiletries. I like that one side is a meshed zipper pocket for toothbrushes and makeup brushes, which will help them dry/breathe if you have to put them in damp. The front pocket also contains travel size bottles which you can fill with your face wash, shampoos, etc. With this always packed and ready to go, I only have to worry about my clothes and accessories when packing for a trip.
The Weekender has 3 main zipper pockets (2 on the inside, one on the outside) that can fit all of my cosmetic items and toiletries. I like that one side is a meshed zipper pocket for toothbrushes and makeup brushes, which will help them dry/breathe if you have to put them in damp. The front pocket also contains travel size bottles which you can fill with your face wash, shampoos, etc. With this always packed and ready to go, I only have to worry about my clothes and accessories when packing for a trip.
Here are my top tips for packing (and stocking!) makeup products and toiletries fast and efficiently!
1
- Keep a container of all your travel size items. I put mine in a separate
basket in my linen closet, so when it's time to pack, I know right where they
are at and can easily sort through the ones I need to take.
2
- Call ahead and ask the hotel or your host if they have a hair dryer you can use.
Hair dryers are bulky and if you don't have to pack one, you'll have more room
for shoes :)
3
- Redeem Sephora and Ulta points for travel size items. Free gifts with
purchase are also commonly travel size items. Save these for travel. Don't use
them every day unless you run out of your full size product. Birchbox and
Glossy Box monthly beauty subscriptions are always great for stocking my travel
size collection.
4
- Prescription creams, ointments and liquids do not have to be under 3.4oz and do
not have to fit in a quart size bag, saving you more room for beauty products.
5
- Opt for towel or powder versions of products when traveling. Towel cleansing facial pads,
towel self tanners, powder foundations (instead of liquid), dry powder shampoo, etc.
This will allow you more room for your liquid necessities if you want to carry your luggage on the plane.
This will allow you more room for your liquid necessities if you want to carry your luggage on the plane.
6
- Little vials of perfume aren't just sample size, they are travel size!
Whenever I get a sample I like I immediately add it to my travel makeup case. I
would just recommend putting it in a little Ziploc bag before putting it in
your makeup bag for traveling.
7
– I usually use the shampoo and conditioner provided by the hotel, but if you
require your own, the mini bottles in hotel rooms are perfect for this. Recycle
the mini bottles provided to refill with your own shampoo and conditioner for
your next trip!
Remember, liquids have to be below 3.4 ounces. You'll be seeing more of the '3-1-1' rule through security lines now. Here is what the TSA.gov site says:
What are your travel tips and tricks? Please share! And stay tuned for a cosmetic bag giveaway this week!
Note: This review includes products that I received as samples, provided by the brand company or a PR rep. Please click here for more information regarding my disclaimer.
Yoga + Kettlebells = Cosmic Kettlebells
My kettlebell coach had once told me that Minneapolis has a huge kettlebell following, so when I was there last year, I attended a local kettlebell studio, Southside Kettlebells, and had a blast. So when I was in town last week, I wanted to try out a new studio. I came across Four Gates in my searches and decided to check out a class called Cosmic Kettlebells. Cosmic Kcttlebells is a combination of vinyasa yoga and kettlebells. Here's the description on the site:
"The word “yoga” means “to integrate” or “union”, and this definition is very well exemplified in this one of a kind class. We merge sun salutations, kettlebell lifts, Qi Gong exercises, and full body hooping to create a state of cosmic bliss and universal strength. We recommend that students attend one kettlebell expansion class first."
I was really curious how the class was going to flow. I was pleasantly surprised at the balance between yoga and kettlebells. I got a great cardio workout in while stretching and meditating in the same hour.
I was really sore the next day from all of the stretching and deep squats. I will definitely be taking the class again when I visit Minneapolis again. I highly encourage checking out a new class or gym when traveling for work or pleasure. Every class is different and it's always fun to learn and try something new!
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Get Cozy at a Kimpton Hotel
I
completed a wonderful stay at the Harbor Court Hotel in San Francisco about a
month ago. Harbor Court is a Kimpton Hotel, which are all boutique hotels. I've
always been very impressed with Kimpton hotels' hospitality, loyalty program
and perks.
Few
of the perks....
- I've stayed at 3 different Kimpton Hotels before and all have a complimentary happy hour for guests, including beer, wine and snacks. This is really nice to come back to after a long day of work. They also always have lemon and/or orange flavored water and coffee in the lobby in the AM.
- Once you join their free loyalty program, Kimpton inTouch Loyalty, you automatically get free in room WIFI (it's hard to believe some hotels still charge for this) and $10 worth of goodies from the mini bar. This stay I opted for 2 water bottles, but next time I'm going for the wine.
- At Harbor Court in SF, they have bikes you can check out and use to explore the city. They are also usually pet friendly. I don’t have a pet, but could see this being a huge plus if I was pet owner.
Last
year my husband and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary in Chicago. We made
reservations at the Palomar hotel and of course, I tweeted about it. We were
out and about in the city and when we came back at night we had a lovely
surprise, chocolate cover strawberries and champagne! The hotel staff left a
really sweet note wishing us a happy anniversary.
Kimpton
hotels do a really great job at making you feel ‘at home’ in a big city. They
have locations in several big cities, including Boston, Chicago, SF and Miami. If
they are an option for your next trip, I highly recommend checking them out!
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| Photo from Kimptonhotels.com |
Shop It To Me Threads Louboutins Giveaway
To celebrate their recent launch, Shop It To Me Threads is giving away a pair of Louboutins! Here's how to enter:
1 - Join Shop It To Me Threads
2 - Follow @ShopItToMe on Twitter and tweet the following phrase: "Enter to win #Louboutins c/o your free personal shopping assistant @ShopItToMe Threads! Just visit http://bit.ly/
Good luck!
Beauty Blogger Coalition Weekly Roundup
Sally Hansen Magnetic Nails in Red-y Response
Check out my swatch of Sally Hansen Magnetic nails in Electric Emerald.
And the Winners Are...
The winners of the Clos du Bois Pixi cosmetic set are:
shempgames
dstephan6
sweett36
mleejohnson1967
sully872
Thanks to all who entered! Don't forget to enter my current giveaway for a surprise beauty prize pack!
shempgames
dstephan6
sweett36
mleejohnson1967
sully872
Thanks to all who entered! Don't forget to enter my current giveaway for a surprise beauty prize pack!
Giveaway Break - I Hit 2k Twitter Followers!
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