Beauty, Daily

Travel Essentials

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There are tons of blog posts featuring travel essentials from hair products, to makeup, to what to pack. Speaking of what to pack, my friend Jessica has a new website called Pack For Where? which could be pretty helpful for a lot of people.

Today I’m talking about my travel essentials I want to bring with me to my trip home to Newfoundland. Not counting makeup, electronics, or clothing. It’s the other stuff…you know, deodorant, dry shampoo. That sort of deal. Hope you’re interested! ;)

Zuca-PradaI am loving clear travel cases. This one above is from the brand Zuca (I received it in a swag bag). The black prada bag is reserved for makeup. I have a few different brands of travel cases now, that I have used on multiple weekend getaways, and I often keep one or two of them in my purse at all times to contain the little things I always seem to need to carry with me (epi pen, hand sanitizer, gum, band-aids etc).

So, what’s inside?Travel-Essentials

1. drybar Money Maker* // 2. Two travel-sized facial cleansing towlettes // 3. Floss
4. Travel-sized drybar Lemon Drop* // 5. drybar dry shampoo*
6. Antipodes gentle cream cleanser* // 7. Two Real Techniques makeup brushes
8. Drybar clip for wet hair or washing face // 9. Muji travel-sized toothbrush // 10. Principessa dry shampoo
11. Small Dior kabuki brush for blending or applying makeup // 12. Mitchum deodorant
13. Band-aid friction block // 14. Hair elastics + bobbi pins // 15. Züca travel case

I bring two types of dry shampoo and facial cleansers because I’m a little high maintenance like that. Let me explain.

Dry shampoo: The same day I wash + blow dry my hair I also apply drybar detox dry shampoo (spray) in it to give it texture and volume, or I skip that step and apply the spray in my roots before I go to bed so I don’t wake up with a greasy head of hair. The powdered dry shampoo is for when you can see my scalp (I have two crowns at the back of my head and my hair separates, making me look BALD), so I used the powdered/coloured dry shampoo for that reason. It doesn’t come in that cute container, I funnelled it into a squeeze tube I bought from Daiso.

Facial cleansers: I primarily use facial cleansing towlettes when I’m lazy and don’t want to take my makeup off at the sink. I usually bring my purity by philosophy cleanser but I thought since I had been using that for 3+ years nonstop, it was due time to try something else. So I’ll be bringing the antipodes grace cleanser with me this time.

What are some of your must haves while on the go, or travelling? 

Disclaimer: Items marked with an “*” were sent for review purposes.

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Beauty, Reviews

Keep the glow during the cooler months

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Highlighted-cheeksYou guys know I love a dewy look. I achieve said look by applying my favourite moisturizer and a dewy, natural looking foundation.

But sometimes that’s not enough to keep the glowy look on my skin during the cooler months. My skin needs more moisture and attention, so I step up the moisturization game into something more hydrating and thick when my skin is looking thirsty and tired.

This is why I’m so glad highlighters were invented. However it’s easy to go overboard on the highlighting trend these days. Trust me when I say a little goes a long way, because I don’t want to be too bronzed, and too highlighted. I mean, I’m supposed to know what I’m doing here. Hello, weekly beauty features on spiffykerms, am I right? Honestly, I learned it all in the ways of wonderful YouTube.

We’re getting a little off topic. Let’s get back on.

Mary-Lou-Manizer

theBalm-maryloumanizerI’m used to cream highlighters, just like all of the other cream products that I like applying on my face. But I’ve easily switched over to a powdered highlighter from thebalm Cosmetics.

Applying-MaryLouManizerFirst time I applied Mary-Lou Manizer (fun name, right?) I couldn’t see it much because I applied it in my yellow-lighting bathroom. Came out and looked at my reflection in daylight, and got a bit of a fright. Please apply this lightly, and in daylight especially! thebalm-cosmetics-loumanize Hooboy I’m telling you this product is going to last me a lifetime. I feel like I say this a lot when I use a little amount of a product, but you guys know it’s true. Imagine this applied on your eyelids as a pop of shimmer to your overall look. I might not apply both this as an eyeshadow and a highlighter, but you do you girl. Whatever floats that boat, right?

Loumanizer-TheBalm

And there you have it. A faux glow if you will, for fall and winter. Keep lookin’ healthy folks (wait… and BE healthy too). Got it? :)

By the way, you can buy thebalm products here.

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Beauty, Hair, Reviews

Tangle Teezer vs. Drybar Lemon Drop

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TangleTeezer-v-DryBarI’m overdue for a comparison post regarding the two (of three) hair brushes I own.

When I comb through my hair with a regular brush, my hair gets flat at the top, and fluffy/triangle shaped at the bottom. After the Tangle Teezer first came out, I sat back and watched the reviews come in, before I made my decision. I ended up buying one about 2 years ago at Sallys Beauty Supply in Canada. I don’t know whether it was on sale, or the price tag was incorrect but I only ended up paying $8 for it, when it usually retails for $20 or so. I was pretty happy with the discount!

DryBar-v-TangleTeezerI was also a bit stumped as to how to hold the brush, and does it feel comfortable in the lefties hand? A bit of a strange feeling when you’re not used to it. But considering I’ve had mine for a couple of years, I am used to it.

DB-vs-TTNotice the Tangle Teezer’s various height sizes of the bristles?

No exaggeration, my hair is a rats nest when I get out of the shower and Tangle Teezer (TT) is the only brush I will use to get the knots out. The Drybar Lemon Drop (DB) is a brush you can use on wet hair but it’s not as amazing for getting tangles out as the Tangle Teezer. Although once I use TT on my freshly washed hair, I’ll swap it out for DB for blow drying and styling, along with my round brush.

Jeeze, I sound high maintenance! 3 hair brushes?

When I go to Newfoundland, I am only going to be bringing one hair brush with me. I cannot get my hair to blow dry with volume using the TT, so I will be bringing a travel sized Drybar Lemon Drop with me. I will just have to be a bit more cautious with brushing my hair when it’s wet.

This comparison post is difficult for me to pick one or the other being the ‘better’ brush to buy. My only qualm with the Tangle Teezer is that it’s thick and doesn’t have a handle. It’s easy to clean too since it’s all plastic.

Which one would I suggest you buy if it came down to two of them? As much as I want to say the Drybar Lemon Drop, I’m going tohave to opt for the TangleTeezer. Mainly because you can brush from root to ends without issue with the TT, and usually that’s a no-no! I just wish it looked nice (like the Drybar) or had a handle. That’s not to say the Drybar isn’t amazing. It totally is. It is perfect for everything else (it just pulls a little when you brush root to ends) and that is why it took second place. Ooooh :(

Have you used either the TangleTeezer or Drybar Lemon Drop? 

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