Chicago Travel Makeup Bag

I just got back from a trip to Chicago with my family (minus my husband because he had to work (sad face)), and I thought I'd show you what I took in my makeup bag.  If I showed you my skincare, this post would take forever to read.  Besides, I like looking at travel makeup bags more than travel skincare stuff.

MDSolarSciences Mineral Crème Broad Spectrum SPF-50 UVA-UVB Sunscreen Review

I have actually been meaning to write this review since last summer, but writing/reading a review of sunscreen during the winter may remind us how important it is to use year-round.  That's what I'm telling myself, anyway.

Late Summer Favorites

Happy (?) last day of summer!  I thought I'd celebrate (???) the day with a favorites post.  And, because I didn't write a July favorites post, and I'm slightly late with August favorites, I figured I'd just call this a "late summer favorites" list.

NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer -- This tinted moisturizer has a wonderfully light texture, has a light citrus scent, and leaves the skin slightly dewy.  It has decent coverage for a tinted moisturizer, and it protects the skin with an SPF of 30.  I have been wearing the shade Alaska because I've been using a self-tanner, but I think I'm going to need to switch to Finland for the winter.

MDSolarSciences Mineral Creme Broad Spectrum SPF 50 UVA-UVB Sunscreen -- This stuff has an interesting texture.  It's very silicone-laden, and kind of thick.  I love that it has a really high SPF, but my favorite thing about it is how well it works as a makeup primer.  I need to try to write a full review of this sunscreen.

Benefit They're Real! Mascara -- Whenever I use this mascara, I remember how good it is. However, I did manage to poke my eye rather seriously with the wand recently, and it really hurt.

Prada Candy -- Wearing this perfume puts me in a good mood.  It's kind of a sweet, but spicy
floral-y scent that has completely different top and bottom notes, so it smells totally different after a few hours of wear.  You really need to try it for yourself.

Sleek Garden of Eden Eyeshadow Palette -- I have really been enjoying this palette.  My favorite shades in this palette are Eve's Kiss, Evergreen, and Fauna.  Tons of possibilities with this.

from left: Eve's Kiss, Evergreen, Fauna

I sometimes find writing favorite things lists kind of tough, because the staple items (like foundation/tinted moisturizer, mascara, powder, etc.) remain pretty much the same each month, and I use so many different other things (like eyeshadows, palettes, blushes, lip colors -- I usually mix those up everyday) that it is hard to choose favorites.  Does anyone else have this problem?  How do you choose what favorites to write about?

Thanks for checking out my recent favorites!