Saturday, October 20, 2012

The Beauty Spotlight Team Mystery Post: What's Inside Lola's Secret Beauty Bag?!

It's now time for The Beauty Spotlight Team to wrap up our "What's in her…???" with Lola's Secret Beauty Blog. In this final installment, I have packed my regular makeup bag for a last minute out-of-town trip for a couple of days, and decided to travel light and pack all of my beauty needs into this single bag. Can you guess how I managed to fit all of my skincare and makeup products in here? Scroll down to find out!
While this is my regular makeup bag that I carry in my purse, I really stuffed it with much more than I normally carry. I tried to be efficient in some of my choices...
...but less so in others as you shall soon see!
While I was space conscious when it came to skincare, by bringing samples instead of full-size products, I contradicted my own desire to travel light by carrying far too many lip products!! I simply couldn't decide which lipsticks, lip glosses, and lip balms that I wanted to bring with me-- so I brought everything that tempted me! Click to enlarge!

Here's the breakdown of what's in my bag (the bag itself was from one of the Barneys Love Yourself Bag Events):

1) Brushes: Hakuhodo G503 Blush Brush L Angled (reviewed here), and a very old travel brush set from La Prairie that my mom gave to me years ago. The Hakuhodo G503 Blush Brush L Angled is a phenomenal performer, and a joy to use. It is unbelievably versatile, and it never sheds a hair. The La Prairie travel brush set (for eye makeup) was long ago discontinued, but it is still a wonderful hardworking set. It is a very functional high quality brush set that I always take with me when I travel. My mom has always told me to never get rid of it, and I never would. See mom, sometimes I actually do listen!

2) Shannon's Soap's Cocoa Butter Love Lotion (reviewed here): Yummy smelling and super moisturizing-- what's not to love.

3) Le Métier de Beauté- Uma Paro (reviewed here): G O R G E O U S unmitigated vampiness! Perfect on top of your lipstick, but also utter perfection for lip gloss lovers who fear highly saturated vampy lipsticks.

4) Le Métier de Beauté- Purple Haze (reviewed here): Purple perfection for anyone afraid to rock purple lips. This isn't a scary color- instead it is positively stunning.

5) Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait De Gloss Pure Shine Intense Colour Long Wear Lip Gloss in Troublant (LE): Such a gorgeous rosy mauve brown with subtle multi-color shimmer that falls somewhere in the MLBB range. Rouge Allure Extrait De Gloss is one of my favorite Chanel gloss formulas-- it's simply divine to wear, it has the perfect amount of cushion, boasts good wear time, and it's not in the least bit sticky. This color is just divine.

6) Susan Thompson Cosmetics- Evelyn's Journey Pout Poppers (reviewed here): This is a stunning vampy lip plumper, but if you have sensitive lips this plumper will probably be too potent and active for you. I reach for this sparkling gem all of the time! It is a must have for those who love a good vampy lip plumper!

7) Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Antigone (LE) (reviewed here): Such a gorgeous and wearable raspberry red with subtle golden shimmer. I love the Rouge Coco Shines for their fantastic moisturizing formula.

8) Chantecaille Brilliant Gloss- Love (reviewed here): Never was a lip gloss more aptly named! It's the perfect pale pink. While it is sheer, and the shade itself is quite dupable-- it's really the fabulous formula that seals the deal!

9) Intelligent Nutrients Hand Sanitizer (reviewed here): This is a handy sanitizer in a spray bottle-- so no goopy gel mess, or over-dispensing! I love this stuff, and will use it to get through this flu season!

10) Chanel Ultra Correction Lift Total Eye Lift sample: I haven't used the sample long enough to know whether I love it, but I didn't get milia the few times that I have used it.

11) 3Lab WW Eye Cream sample: Nice eye cream. I think that I might have to use it for a longer stretch of time to really see what I think about it. I have liked the few 3Lab products that I have sampled so far.

12) Sponge Skincare samples: Underneath the skincare packets I have included a small ziplock plastic bag so that once opened they won't leak everywhere. As you are surely aware, Sponge is one of my greatest new skincare obsessions. I have purchased many of their products, and they rank among my very favorite daily picks. I now find that I am almost exclusively using their moisturizers, rotate their Ladi Avokanto Oil (reviewed here) with Rodin's Olio Lusso (reviewed here), and I have never been more impressed by a cleanser than I am by their Gel Katharistiko (reviewed here). The two cream samples in the picture are Krema Triantafillo (review forthcoming) and their Krema Niktas (review forthcoming), and both creams are of outstanding quality- so much so that I bought both of them! This is nothing short of an extraordinary line, and it has really gotten my attention!

13) Malin+Goetz Sage Styling Cream sample: Very nice styling cream, and just enough in the packet to get through a short trip.

14) Rodin Olio Lusso Luxury Face Oil sample (reviewed here): This is the luxury face oil to end all luxury face oils. This is pure heaven to use, and it offers the most amazing tactile and sensory experience imaginable. This is also the only face oil that eliminated two little dry patches on my face (one on my nose and one on my chin), and that is something that no other product has been able to address. This is a magical golden elixir that is peerless, period. There is a reason why it was selected by Allure Magazine's Best of Beauty Top Splurges!!

15) Tatcha Skincare samples: Everything that I have ever tried from Tatcha is of the very highest quality, and with uncompromising efficacy. The more I try, the more I want! I am particularly partial to their Classic Rice Enzyme Powder and their One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil-- they are fantastic performers that are delightful to use. Both reviews are forthcoming, but I can tell you now- they have both earned an A+!

16) MAC Lip Pencil in Nightmoth (reviewed here): It looks scary, but it really can be sheered out. It's perfect for any vampy lip lover.

17) Sue Devitt Defining Eyeliner in Oslo: This is a very nice twist up eyeliner pencil in a very pretty and wearable brown. I've always been an eyeliner kind of girl, and this is definitely a nice one. I received this in my last Barneys Love Yourself Gift Bag, and I'm really glad that they included it!!

18) Rouge Bunny Rouge Original Skin Blush in Gracilis (reviewed here): This is the perfect subtle, yet buildable medium rose blush with just a hint of mauve. The formula is silky smooth, and beautifully pigmented, and it never settles into pores or fine lines. 

19) Jack Black Lip Balm in Natural Mint (reviewed here): I love this stuff- it is so refreshing and moisturizing, and it includes an SPF 25 for extra protection.

20) Rouge Bunny Rouge Sip of Pink Shimmering Luxe Balm (review forthcoming): Simply luscious!! I need to review it before I finish it!!! I will definitely buy this again!

21) Korres Lip Butter in Jasmine (review forthcoming): This is a staple in my beauty arsenal, and I have no idea why I haven't reviewed it yet. Jasmine has a buttery smooth texture with the perfect amount of cushion, and it is very moisturizing! I will definitely be replacing this! 

22) Rodin Olio Lusso Lip Balm (reviewed here): Honestly, I could wax poetic ad infinitum about everything that Linda Rodin creates, and trust me when I say that I will. I don't think that I have ever been quite so fascinated by a stylist turned skincare guru as I am by her. Everything this lovely woman creates is extraordinary, as is this lip balm!

23) Le Métier de Beauté- Ken Downing Vintage Ken Moisture Stain in I'm Worn This Way (reviewed here): This is a remarkably beautiful vampy shade, but LMdB Bali is a really good dupe, if you missed out.

24) Susan Thompson Cosmetics Creamy Lipstick in Cleo (reviewed here): this is hands down my very favorite on trend, yet timeless, vampy shade ever. If you haven't tried a Susan Thompson Cosmetics Creamy Lipstick, then you really must. Her formula is so comfortable and moisturizing, and the color saturation is spectacular. It can be sheered out, built up, or layered. You could also just sit and gaze at it lovingly- because it's that gorgeous!

25) Rouge Bunny Rouge Tinted Moisturizer in Adansonia (reviewed here): This is a fabulous sheer to medium buildable coverage tinted moisturizer. I only wish that RBR offered more shades so that far more people could enjoy this fabulous product.

26) Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion Makeup sample (review forthcoming). I bought a full-sized bottle in shade 5, and I have mixed feelings about this foundation (or anti-foundation). There are many things that I really love about it, but there are numerous aspects that I'm on the fence about. I need more time to mull it over- then I will elaborate in a more detailed review.

27) Susan Thompson Cosmetics Coat of Arms Compact Double Mirror (reviewed here): I never leave home without it!! It's gorgeous, high quality, and absolutely indispensable! 

28) Trish McEvoy Palette filled with Rouge Bunny Rouge and MAC eye shadows: While Trish McEvoy eye shadows have generally been hit or miss with me, I do really like this magnetic palette for traveling. It easily fits 12 MAC or RBR refill shadow pans, and the profile is slim and easy to stow away.

What would you pack for a two day out-of-town trip?

20 comments:

  1. Oh I just LOVE that Tatcha Rice Enzyme Powder, too. It's by far my favorite of all the similar powdered exfoliants I've tried (Dermalogica, bareMinerals, Amore Pacific, etc.). Also really curious to hear what you think of the Maestro foundation. I'll hopefully have time to go pick up my bottle tomorrow and I'm really excited but worried it won't work out well for my oily, acne-prone skin.

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    1. Hi Becca, Me too!! I can't believe just how much I love the Tatcha Rice Enzyme Powder-- It really is nothing short of amazing! I haven't tried any of the three that you mentioned-- though I did look at the one by bareMinerals, but wasn't in the market - so I didn't get it. Their Camellia Cleansing Oil is also amazing!

      I have mixed feelings about the Maestro Foundation. As one who prefers TMs to foundations- I am amazed by the texture and how easily it blends and doesn't give the impression that you are wearing foundation. That said, it has far more silicone than it has natural oils, and I would have preferred it the other way around. I'm not a fan of piling lots of silicone on my face, and sometimes large amounts actually irritate my skin. I also find that if you have any dryness-- any dry patches-- it accentuates them rather than concealing them. I did have two little dry patched that Rodin's Olio Lusso cured- so we'll see if i notice any other quirks that occur between my skin and Maestro. I love your Maestro Eraser reviews, and will leave a comment as soon as I have 10 minutes free. Why don't you get some samples rather than a bottle to see if it works for your oily, acne prone skin before spending so much on the bottle!! I tried several vials of the samples before buying it. xoxox

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  2. Great packing job! Lip products always get me to. I can never narrow it down! I must get the RBR Sip of Pink. I have had it on my list FOREVER!

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    1. Thanks!! Lip products make me semi irrational-- I just have so much trouble deciding. What's worse, even when I pack piles of them I seldom use all of them. I'm like a kid in a candy store-- I just throw reason to the wind!! You will LOVE LOVE LOVE Sip of Pink-- it doesn't impart much in the way of color, but it is extraordinary!!!! I highly recommend it!

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  3. SO many lippies - love it! I can't wait for your review of the Maestro foundation. I love it but am having great difficulty settling on a color! I am quite fair (I don't understand the MAC NC/NW thing so I don't know what I am!), but everything turns orangey on me. A combo of 3 and 5 seems to work the best, but I don't want to have to purchase 2 bottles! Have a great trip and would love to hear your thoughts!

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    1. Hi Nina, I know- I'm pretty much a lippie lunatic!! There is a great deal that I like about the Maestro foundation, but there are a few things I am less enthusiastic about. I love the texture and the way that it generally blends flawlessly. That said, I wish that it had far fewer silicones in it and far more natural oils. I feel like it accentuates, rather than conceals any dryness. I need to use it a little longer to get a better sense. Having it oxidize and turn orangey on you doesn't sound ideal! I don't blame you for not wanting to buy 2 bottles-- one is expensive enough. I thought that it is supposed to color correct. I wonder if #4 might be a compromise? I would ask for them to make you samples of each, and enough to last 1-2 weeks so that you can really get a better sense. I would use each one individually for several days, and then start mixing them, if need be. <3

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  4. I love how addicted you are to lip products. We'd make a good team - I'd bring all the eyeshadows and you'd bring all the lips. Although you didn't quite skimp on eyes there did you?
    Great bag and you really loaded it up.

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    1. Hi Marcia, I definitely need some sort of lip intervention!! That would be awesome-- if you brought all of the eyeshadows- I could chuck all of mine and pack more lipped-- that way we's be covered!! You do have a point-- I did pack a palette of 12 shadows, but it got far less attention than the lippies did!!

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  5. What a lovely range of items, you do love your lip products don't you ;)
    I realy like that korres Jasmine one as well, I tend to use it a lot if I want to put something on in the morning before I get to work that won't leave lipstick marks on my little boys cheeks ;) xx

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    1. Thank you, Replica!! I do seem to have an issue with narrowing down the selection of lip products!!! The Korres Jasmine is really a lovely product, indeed. Perfect for kissing your little one!! Have a lovely weekend!! xx

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  6. Wow, how big is that bag? I can't believe how much fits in there :)
    I had to smile at all of the lip glosses, you should see my center console in my Jeep! Tons and tons of lipglosses :)

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    1. Hi Victoria! The bag is a touch bigger than the average makeup bag, but not by much. I really did cram it so full that it was bulging a bit!! Ahhhhhh, so you are like me when it comes to lip products!!! It really is ridiculous how much I carry around regularly-- let alone for that weekend trip! Have a lovely weekend!!!! THanks for stopping by! :-)

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  7. I have been loving Korres Lip Butter in Wild Rose. As you said, it has just the right amount of cushion, and of course the color is to die for. I really didn't know that it came in so many juicy colors! I think I may be ordering some more!

    Thanks for posting this, Lola! BTW, I just found your blog and love it ;) ^^

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    1. Hi Isis04,

      Thanks for taking the time to stop by and leave a comment! I'm glad that you found m blog, and love it! :-)

      Wild Rose is gorgeous!!! I really love Korres Lip Butters a great deal, but I am particularly crazy about Jasmine!! I have a couple others, but always seem to reach for Jasmine first.

      Have a wonderful weekend! ;)


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  8. I'd take much the same but add eyelash curler, mascara & eyebrow filling equipment. My eyes disappear without them.

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    1. Hi Jean, Those would definitely be great additions. I didn't bring my eyelash curler because I barely had any space left, and I also didn't bother with mascara!! I could definitely have been more efficient had I not packed a million lippies!!! Enjoy the rest of your weekend! Thanks for stopping by! :-)

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  9. You were able to fit so much into your bag! Great selection of products!!! :)

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    1. Thanks, Pammy!! I really did shove a great deal into that bag!! Enjoy the rest of your weekend! :-)

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  10. You've got some really great stuff (and I agree, I didn't think that the bag could hold so much!). Do you use brow gel? I started using that a couple of months ago and am really loving it.

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    1. Thanks, Naomi! I didn't think that there was any way that I could cram that much stuff into this bag-- it's amazing how much it carries!! Funny that you should ask, I was just looking at my MUFE brow gel this morning. I do really like it, but quite often just forget that I have it. You have inspired me to pull it out and put it in rotation! xx

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