The Beauty Spotlight Team: Weekend Reads

If an innovative, light-perfecting primer, that blurs imperfections and leaves your skin luminous, sounds like something you would covet, then Lola's Secret Beauty Blog highly recommends HOURGLASS Ambient Lighting Correcting Primer in Mood Light! It radically increases the wear-time of your foundation, and gives skin a perfect glow!

Curious about the new Urban Decay Stackable Pro Artistry Palettes? Courtney from Phyrra has everything you need to know about them, plus a demo!

Prime Beauty loves coconut and has discovered Skinny and Co. Coconut Oil, a fabulous resource for pure and natural coconut oil beauty products!

Washing your hair can be a time gobbling pain. The Beauty Info Zone team has found ways to make your time fly by without damaging your hair. We think the Aquis hair towel and turban are holy grail items.

Beauty Bloggers switch up their products frequently. However, want to find out about two awesome skincare items that are almost always in Pammy Blogs Beauty's daily routine? Find out more about how she loves these two favorites from Belli Skincare!

15 Minute Beauty has started a new series, Teen Makeup! This week she shared her thoughts on product application order and must have makeup brushes.

Even gals with dry skin need a lightweight moisturizer in the heat of the summer. Allison from Never Say Die Beauty was surprised that Tatcha Balanced Pore Perfecting Water Gel Moisturizer developed specifically for oily skin is perfect for her dry skin this summer under sunscreen or foundation. If you have oily or combo skin, you should definitely check it out!

It's the most wonderful time of the year for Blushing Noir - the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!

The long awaited Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow Palette is here. Christa from Perilously Pale shares her review and pics on this palette that will bring some much needed sparkle into your life.

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The Beauty Spotlight Team: 4th of July Beauty Reads

If you have normal, combination or oily skin, then TATCHA BALANCED Pore Perfecting Water Gel Moisturizer is an amazing lightweight moisturizer that you will covet. Lola's Secret Beauty Blog loves that this 23k gold infused gem gives skin an ethereal glow, reduces the appearance of pores and balances skin all day long.

When she wants to have that glowy, dewy effect that lasts all day Blushing Noir is putting the "Spotlight" on the new Marc Jacobs Beauty Glow Stick Glistening Illuminator.

Phyrra has the scoop on the new Urban Decay Pro Makeup Brushes! See her review and comparisons.

Afraid to go nude? Prime Beauty tells you about the new bareMinerals GEN NUDE collection--there's a nude shade for everyone! Dare to go nude!

Allison from Never Say Die Beauty couldn’t believe her luck when she discovered that Paula’s Choice has just launched a brand new 10% Niacinamide Booster. Now she can add her favorite skincare ingredient for even skintone & reduced pores to everything! Check it out and the Refer-A-Friend program to get $10 off your first Paula’s Choice purchase.

Care for a little vino with your beauty? Beauty Info Zone wants you to win some deVine Lip Shimmers and Balm in their international giveaway.

Christa from Perilously Pale reviews the entire new Benefit Brow Collection. See which products are her faves and discover her perfect shade match.

15 Minute Beauty likes to lighten things up for the summer and switch to a tinted moisturizing product. She shared her favorite BB and CC creams. Do you have a favorite?

Justina's Gems got her hands on the Popsugar Must Have Box for June. Find out what was inside!

Hear the scoop about Neutrogena's Long Live Skin Event with actress Jamie King on Pammy Blogs Beauty and enter to WIN a Neutrogena Sunscreen!

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The Beauty Spotlight Team: Marcia's Organized Disorganization

Marcia from Beauty Info Zone has a million and one storage ideas! Which ones are your favorite?

Go Check them Out

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Inside My Beauty Closet: The Backup Beauty Products Behind the Blog

Today for The Beauty Spotlight Team, it's my turn to share how I organize my beauty stuff! I've previously shown my (not always perfect) organization in my bathroom, as well as on my bathroom vanity. Note that I was keeping it real, and yes, I don't alphabetize things and they're in bins and not always sterilized perfection. I'm a normal (and very busy) person. I'm not an organizing expert.

New beauty cabinet from Restoration Hardware! OMG I loooove it!

A photo posted by Christine (@15minbeauty) on Apr 9, 2015 at 9:20am PDT

In an effort to get the mess in my office under more control, last year I bought a big cabinet (it's the Restoration Hardware French Casement Tall Bath Cabinet). When I shared it on Instagram last year, it was empty as I was awaiting bins and such. And even 13 months later people still ask me about that cabinet.

I thought this was the perfect time to share with you what the inside looks like.

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The Beauty Spotlight Team: Allison's Cosmetic Storage

Allison from Never Say Die Beauty has been making up her storage solution plan for her growing cosmetics collection as she goes along. She’s sharing her current set of affordable and hopefully attractive storage solutions with her readers and with the Beauty Spotlight Team.

Hop over to her blog and take a look at her cosmetic storage ideas.

Feel free to leave her some storage suggestions of your own in the comments!

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My Biggest Beauty Indulgence: My One True Beauty

Product Sent for Review Bought It Myself



Everyone has their own internal view of themselves. What their best feature is, what they look like, how they feel most comfortable in their own skin. For me, my view of myself is very dependent upon my hair! I have always had long hair, and a lot of it. A few years ago I did suddenly chop my hair, and as cute as it looked (and I got a lot of compliments), it just wasn't me. At all. I only trimmed it back into a bob once before I started growing it back out again.

Do you remember in Little Women when Jo cuts her hair? Amy says, "Jo, how could you, your one beauty!" I've always felt like I'm Jo. I'm defined by my hair, and it's very important to me!


You can see by my stash of just hair products, that I have a lot of products. There are serums, mousses, sprays and gels. And this is after a recent purge! My favorite brands are Living Proof, Kérastase, Redken and Oribe. I'll also buy occasional drugstore products, TRESémme, Suave, L'Oreal, Aussie and Garnier have all been favorites. I've purchased about 95% of these products, and the ones that were sent by PR have likely already been repurchased. That's a lot of product.


I recently wrote some posts over on eBay about my favorite products (this is what's in that cabinet!) Go and check them out!

The Best Hair Sprays for Loose Waves and Curls
The Best Volumizing Mousses

Product Sent for Review Bought It Myself

3

What's In My Purse? Too Many Lippies And A Breast Pump

Bought It Myself Affiliate Links



For Beauty Spotlight Team this year we're highlighting what beauty products we carry around in our purses. This is something that I've shown you before (in my purse in December 2013, Top 10 Beauty Items in my Purse in September 2013, and what's in my desk drawer in August 2012). So, it should probably come as absolutely no surprise that my purse looked like this yesterday.


So, yeah. A bunch of lippies. Look at that! Shocker.

Also, I just broke out this purse the other day and it is the same one as in my last purse post. Clearly I should have kept out my other purse. That's a Gucci Sukey Original GG Canvas Tote, though I bought it about 2 years ago and mine is bigger than the size currently available. I also have the Tory Burch Small Patent Cosmetics Case, mine is navy which I don't currently see online. I bought it last spring I think.


Here's a quick rundown of what currently is being toted around. Though, I did go home after taking these pics (I took them in my office at work) and put some of them back onto my vanity.

1. Tory Burch Ramble on Rose

2. Too Faced Honey Bunny and Pink Slip

3. Clean and Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets: My face has been drier after having baby girl #2 this fall, so these never get used.

4. L'Oreal 210 Ginger Candy

5. Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair Hand, which you may have seen on my Instagram. Loving this, I need to buy more so I can have it in my car always, in my white coat pocket, etc.

6. Dior Addict Lip Maximizer and Dior Addict Lip Glow Color Reviver Balm

7. Chanel Coco Rouge Shine in Boy

8. Way too many YSL Lippies, all with codes and not names on the bottom so I have no idea what they are. Pretty sure they're Rouge Volupté Lipstick in Nude Beige, Lingerie Pink... and other stuff! The tall one is the Yves Saint Laurent Volupté Tint-In-Oil in I Rose You

9. L'Oreal 819 Caramel Comfort

10. Malin + Goetz Lip Moisturizer

11. It Cosmetics CC+ Lipgloss in Snow Bunny


One thing you probably weren't expecting to see in my purse is a breast pump. Yes, it fits! (That's why I swapped out purses the other day, this is my biggest purse.) The reason that it fits is I ordered a smaller custom breast pump bag for my Medela Pump in Style Advanced Breast Pump. It is only velcroed into the original bag, so I ordered a smaller, more compact bag from Ella Alana on Etsy. There are all sorts of options, and I worked directly with Amy to create this smaller bag so it can fit in a few of my work totes. I also ordered a matching cooler bag, though when it came a few weeks later I was already pumping so much at work that I had swapped over to bigger bottles, so I'm using a boring cooler bag instead. She also makes a huge array of custom bags, even with room for your laptop! Don't feel like you're stuck with the bag that Medela sells with the pump. I'm pretty impressed with how well the bag is made, I highly recommend Ella Alana!

Bought It Myself Affiliate Links

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My Favorite Under Eye Concealers

I Bought It Myself Affiliate Links Product Sent for Review



It's my turn to share a beauty collection with the rest of The Beauty Spotlight Team, and today in honor of my lack of sleep, I'm selecting my concealers. It is a bit scary how many concealers I own, I really didn't realize the true number (pretty close to 30) until putting together this post!

So, after much debate, here are my 10 favorites. Mostly super highly pigmented, because that's how I roll. (And you would too if you were 7 months pregnant, had a 3 year old and also got phone calls all night long from work.)




1. Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil: Check out my review. This is really pigmented, creamy and you just need to draw it on and blend. It covers anything you would ever need covered.

2. IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye: Check out my review. Also very pigmented, but this concealer is a bit thick, so I usually mix it into other products or dilute it with a bit of eye cream. It won't crease after using it all day long and covers up everything!

3. Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer: Check out my review. Super easy to blend and it comes in a ton of shades, I liked this one so much that it delayed finishing my concealer review series a few years ago! I just wanted to use Full Cover every day.

4. Smashbox High Definition Concealer: I haven't reviewed this one yet, I bought it about 2 months ago and I've found it to be very similar to the MUFE Full Cover, but slightly more pigmented.

5. Laura Mercier High Coverage Concealer: Check out my review. Also very pigmented, lots of different depth and tone options, it blends really easily as well.

6. Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream Eyes: Another concealer that I bought a few months ago and still need to review, this one is a bit lighter in coverage (I'd consider it a 6 or 7 on a scale up to 10), but it is so hydrating that it is also like an eye cream. It is really great on days that I haven't gotten much sleep and have bigger bags under my eyes, it will not sink into any little areas.

7. Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer: I keep mentioning this concealer but I don't have a full post devoted to it! I've bought it 4 times now, and yes, it really is worth that high price tag. I think it is a little less pigmented than the IT Cosmetics, but easier to blend in seamlessly.

8. CoverGirl TruBlend Fixstick Concealer: I know I have a review around here somewhere, I just can't find it! This is pretty similar to the Urban Decay concealer stick, but a little less pigmented. It blends in flawlessly with just a few pats of your finger, which I love! It is great for using to contour.

9. Dermablend Quick Fix Concealer: Really easy to use, this stick is very pigmented and won't budge.

10. NYX Dark Circle Concealer: This has a little bit of a peach leaning, so it helps color correct under eye circles while covering them up!


What are your favorite concealers? I'm always looking for a new one!

I Bought It Myself Affiliate Links Product Sent for Review

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15 Random Questions

For a few months now The Beauty Spotlight Team has been highlighting our members with bi-weekly posts answering questions. Today it's finally my turn! I have some blogging questions, some beauty questions and few questions that have nothing to do with anything else.


1.) When you shop for makeup, skincare and perfume, do you do it with the blog in mind first and foremost-- or with your own use in mind?
I do a mix of both. I never buy products that I'm not interested in for myself and my personal use, but the blog and what I need personally definitely influence each other. After I had my daughter, I had a big concealer review series. Why? I was a new mommy, I wanted to look awake! New beauty trends emerge and I'll buy products to highlight it on the blog, but I purchase what I want to use myself.


2.) Last book you read?
I just finished the Iron Druid series by Kevin Hearne. They had a great mix of paranormal and mythology and I loved all of his pop culture references! Oberon is one of the best side kicks I think I've ever read in a book!

Right now I'm reading a new book by one of my best friends from high school, Sara Fiorenzo. She'll be self publishing it soon!


3.) Do you have a special talent?
No. My husband might say it is spending money. He's probably right.


4.) Do you have a guilty pleasure?
Buying cheap jewelry! I have a big collection of necklaces and bracelets. I love stores like Forever 21, H&M and Charming Charlie for items. Recently I've gotten some great deals from Facebook, my favorite stores on there are Accessory Concierge and Everyday Icing. And of course, J. Crew, Ann Taylor, Loft and other stores at the mall all have great finds as well.


5.) What time do you wake up in the morning?
I'm not a morning person. On a "normal" day I'm usually up around 7:30, on a work day a little after 6.


6.) When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I always wanted to be a pediatrician when I was a kid, just like my dad. When I was in high school I secretly wanted to be a magazine beauty editor. Now I'm kind of both!


7.) Are you a cat person or a dog person?
I grew up with both cats and dogs, but I'm more of a dog person.


8.) What was your first real job?
When I turned 13 my neighbors asked if I could come work in their candy store in the summers, which I did until I went away to college. It was named Candyland, and I spent many a night making fresh lemonade and cutting up fudge! The store moved and renamed itself, it is now Sweet Temptations in Grand Haven, Michigan. The Tiger Butter fudge is my favorite if you go to the store!


9.) If you were given a shopping spree at one store, what store would you like it to be?
Probably Nordstrom.


10.) Finish this sentence: Don't start a beauty blog if…
You only want to make money or get free stuff. I get a ton of emails asking me how to get free stuff. Really, a blog is a lot of work (20+ hours a week for me) and there are a lot of them out there! You need to make yourself unique, create a following, and then the PR reps will come to you, and I wasn't making much money doing this until the last 6 months or so (and really, I only make money at it because of the writing for Babble thing). You won't get rich, this is never going to replace my "real" job. Start a blog only if you feel passionate about something and really need a creative outlet.


11.) Do you consider your blog a hobby or is it part of a larger career objective?
It's a side job for me really, I don't have a long term career objective with it. Instead, it's something that I enjoy doing, I need something fun and creative to do.


12.) Is there a category of products you like (or dislike) blogging about in particular?
I have a really hard time writing about fragrances. I love perfume, and I can describe when I smell and what happens with the scent when I wear it, but there are the perfume snobs out there that freak out if you don't use some exact term that only they have heard of. So, I find the reviews intimidating (that's why I haven't written one in over a year).


13.) What's your favorite beauty splurge?
Getting my eye brows done! I have full eye brows, and I think they're a good fit for my face. Since we all lose our brows as we get older, it is definitely aging to have brows that are too skinny! But, I can't keep them in check on my own. So, I head to the salon near my house every 3 weeks or so to have them done professionally.


14.) What's your favorite beauty bargain?
I'm a sucker for makeup at the drugstore/grocery store! I have a really hard time leaving without a new lippie from L'Oreal or Maybelline's newest mascara. I'm also a huge fan of CoverGirl.


15.) Lipstick or lipgloss?
I'm more of a gloss or tinted balm girl.

9

Weekend Beauty Reads from The Beauty Spotlight Team

If you love vampy lips, and you love twist-up lip crayons- then say hi to the new kid in town! Lola's Secret Beauty Blog is smitten with Surratt Automatique Lip Crayon in Mahogany- it's a stunning oxblood shade and a wonderful formula!

Marcia of Beauty Info Zone is thrilled that the Eddie Funkhouser cosmetic line is finally available for sale. She finally got a chance to review and a chance to go shopping for more. Learn all about Eddie F's new line.

The 2013 Holiday collections are arriving, and Prime Beauty has the scoop on one of the holiday offerings from bareMinerals, The Perfect 10.

Innovation always comes with a risk. How did Estee Lauder's new Instant Intense EyeShadow formula turn out? Mostly Sunny looked into the blue trio, Arctic Zinc!

Check out polish insomniac's review of the China Glaze Happy HoliGlaze collection, and don't forget to enter her giveaway - she's giving away not one but 5 sets!

Love Top Ten Lists? Pammy Blogs Beauty shares her Top 10 Moisturizing Products for Winter!!!

Kate's still tilted on her axis, orbiting the Japanese 45º diagonal makeup technique. Head over to drivel about frivol with protractor in hand to check out the latest spin.

Brace Yourself. Winter is coming! The Pink Sith gives you her Top 10 list of cold weather skin care items she adores.

Carrie at eyeliner on a cat asks for your help in spreading the word about a fab eBay charity auction that's currently underway that benefits Friends to the Forlorn Pit Bull Rescue in Georgia. There are several beauty goodies to be had!

Clarins is saving us the cost and stress of limited edition holiday releases by instead featuring holiday looks using existing and permanent products. Perilously Pale shows us these Festive and Glamour Holiday Looks.

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed has a crush - a colour crush that is on The Body Shop Colour Crush Lipsticks! Check out her swatches and fall in love yourself!

Carrying on with the quest for the perfect under eye concealer, Visionary Beauty reviews the Tom Ford Illuminating Highlight Pen



I'm an eBay influencer! Please follow me if you have an account!
(it turns out I could win a big bonus if enough people follow me!)

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The Best Blue Nail Polishes

Once Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed starts writing (bad) poetry, you know it's time to put an end to our favourites lists - so please tolerate this last one from her and at least know that you have our next Beauty Spotlight series to look forward to where you will learn all the deep, dark and disturbing (yes, we're talking about Pink Sith) secrets from all the Beauty Spotlight ladies!

The Best Blue Nail Polishes

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Top Ways to Add Volume to Your Hair

Nothing to Disclose

Prime Beauty's is wrapping up our "My Top" series with 8 hair styling products to pump up the volume in your hair. See what she chose to get BIG hair!

Top 8 Hair Volumizers

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9 Best Intensive Hair Masks

Product Sent for Review Affiliate Links I Bought It


Now that all of the Beauty Spotlight Team members have visited the desert island (which may, or may not, have been very deserted for me, the post cheater), we've decided to start sharing top lists of our favorite products! And... once again I'm a cheater. I think these were meant to be top 10, but I only came up with 9 hair conditioners. Oops!

Regular readers of my blog will know that last summer I went a bit too crazy with my curling iron, and fried the top layers of my hair. Really and truly fried, the entire length of the very top layers of my hair felt like a brillo pad and it looked horrible!

I have tried so many hair masks since that time that I should either join CA (Conditioners Anonymous) or start my own hair mask store. Truly. I counted, at one point I had 15 (!!) in my shower. I don't think my husband realized that.

Of all of the hair masks that I tried, these are the ones that I would recommend to someone else.

1. L'Oreal Power Moisture (from Target or Amazon)

2. DermOrganic Intensive Hair Repair Masque (get it at ULTA or Amazon)

3. Brocato Cloud 9 (at Amazon)

4. Kiehl's Superbly Smoothing Argan Hair Pak (from Kiehl's or Nordstrom)

5. Pantene Advanced Keratin Repair (from Amazon)

6. Aussie 3 Minute Miracle (at Amazon)

7. Redken Extreme Strength Builder (get it from ULTA)

8. L'Oreal Total Repair 5 (available at Amazon and ULTA)

9. Joico K-Pak (at ULTA)


Product Sent for Review Affiliate Links I Bought It

11

The Beauty Spotlight Team: Lisa Visits a Fantasy Island

Beauty Info Zone's Lisa has way more fun than a blogger should picking her 12 items for a fantasy desert island experience.

See who what else she brought with her

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My Desert Island: Not So Deserted After All?

So, if you've been paying attention to my weekend Beauty Spotlight Team posts, you'll have noticed that we've been taking turns sharing what items we'd bring with us to a desert island. Granted, the "rules" we set were a bit different. We're assuming an unlimited supply of basics like sunscreen and lip balm. You get 12 items.

But, I gotta be honest here. If I'm alone on some island, I'd just be using those basics and not worrying about eye shadow. Give me sunscreen (broad spectrum, water resistant and SPF 50+ preferred), lip balm and a hair tie. Done. I'm definitely not going to be messing with eye liner.

Sooo.... that's a pretty boring desert island beauty post. I pick a yoga tie. Can't have a pony tail crease when all alone on the island, right?

So, I'm totally cheating and changing location. I'm not an outdoorsy girl (I can hear my husband laughing now) I'm actually the exact opposite of outdoorsy. I am the girl that must have a hotel reservation at a hotel with many stars. I need large marble bathrooms and multiple pillows. Even better if there is a large breakfast buffet. So, that beach pictured at the top (that's the Four Seasons at Hualalai. I love it.) is much more my speed. The rocky and deserted beach? Pretty, but makes for a boring beauty blog post.

So, I'll stick to 12 items, but we'll say that I'm heading back to Hualalai (ooooh, I'm coming for you chocolatey deserts!), for a quiet vacation with my hubby. I still get my basic skin care, sunscreen, shampoo/conditioner and hair removal products (aka- razor and shave gel are in copious supplies). But, I only get 12 items to style my hair (hmmm, bring a blow dryer or use the one supplied by the hotel?) and do my makeup. Assume that once I step out the shower, I must count anything I use as an item. (It's a good thing I put moisturizer on in the shower! Totally not going to count that!) For a week that includes fun at the pool, dinner with my husband and heading out on boating excursions. Basically, I wanted to show the fun stuff. Makeup and hair styling.

1. Urban Decay Naked2 Palette: As great as the recent Naked Basics Palette is, I've been using the Naked2 Palette for pretty much any look imaginable. I can create a basic every day look, something fun and flirty and a smoky eye for a romantic dinner out. There's even an included shade (Blackout) that can double as a liner and a double ended shadow brush. Oh, and that black shadow is important because I gave up liner in favor of a 3rd lippie. **Priorities**

2. Stila Convertible Color in Lillium: This is a perfect flush, and when applied with fingers it creates such a pretty glow. It also lasts all day.

3. CoverGirl TruBlend Foundation: You might have noticed on Instagram that I repurchased this foundation a few days ago. With my new hair color I'm suddenly much paler and more porcelain than I was before. Or, it's much more noticeable. (Note, I also started treatment for Rosacea with a topical antibiotic a few months ago and my skin is gradually getting more and more porcelain. I guess I had redness that I didn't realize was there? It's definitely related to the Clinda.) I spent a long time wandering around putting swatches of foundation on my face at ULTA, and this long time favorite was the only product with a good match. It has medium-ish coverage, but can easily build if needed, blends with just my fingers and doesn't disappear by the end of the day. I'm #410.

4. Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer: Obviously, you need to look awake.

5. Tweezerman Lash Curler: It would be a waste to bring mascara without a curler. They must go together.

6. CoverGirl Clump Crusher Mascara: I love this mascara! It can build and build and build without any clumps. While 30 coats aren't needed, with 3-4 coats (yes, I really do that sometimes) my lashes are amazing.


1. NARS Lipstick in Dolce Vita: This is a great neutral that isn't quite neutral, but is kind of my own lip color but somehow darker... you get the idea. It's a great in between everything color. I had lost it for a while, but found it again in a purse a few weeks ago. Now I'm guarding it with my life, I need to buy a second!

2. L'Oreal Colour Caresse Wet Shine Stain in Eternally Nude and 3. Infinite Fuchsia: This is a gloss that also works as a stain, feels moisturizing and the colors are amazing! Eternally Nude is a great light nude shade that doesn't make me look washed out and Infinite Fuchsia is a bright fuchsia that is *almost* a red, but is more fun instead.

4. Goody Quik Style Brush: This brush makes drying your hair so much faster with results that are softer, straighter and healthier looking. Which means I can use the hotel blow dryer and don't need a flat iron.

5. DermOrganic Leave-In Treatment: This is another hair oil with Argan Oil, but it seems to have a much wider margin of error than most. It's all I need for soft and shiny hair.

6. Elie Saab Perfume: My hubby loves this floral scent, it's pretty and light without being boring.




Photo Credit: James Wheeler via Flickr

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Beauty Spotlight Team: What's in my Office Desk Drawer?

It's time for Beauty Spotlight Team. Previously I've shared posts with you from my friends in which they shared their beauty collections. This week it is my turn, and I decided to share my work beauty drawer with you. Why? I have no idea, especially since this seems to be a catch-all for random products.

First, for those of you that don't usually read my site, you should know that I am an ICU doctor, and sometimes get called back in to work at random times of the night. Sometimes, this can be for a really long time. I have a chair in my office that folds out into a bed. For real. My employer bought it.

To go with said (uncomfortable) bed, I have a drawer designated for products. I was once much more organized about my on call bag (check out that post from when I was still in training and taking fairly regular every 4 night in house call. That's a 30 hour shift people!) With my current job, I get to go home, sleep in my bed (though I get a lot of calls), and I go in much less frequently. Though, when I do go in I want to have some stuff to freshen up with!

So, what was in that mess of products? Most of this is from 1 drawer in my desk, though I pulled stuff out of white doctor coat pockets as well (most of the lippies, a hand cream and my ProActiv shine wipes were in my coats).

Clearly, there are a few defining themes here. I seem to be very worried about dry skin, fresh breath and pretty hair. As always, I want to have many lippie options (my purse currently has easily 30 lipsticks or glosses in it), and of course a few ways to mattify my face. I previously had more color cosmetics in my overnight call bag including shadow, liner and mascara. I no longer keep those around, as long as I don't look super blotchy having been at work for a long time I don't really seem to care if my lashes are curled and have mascara on.

So, I'm obviously most worried about moisture in my skin given the huge number of products I have here. And I didn't put out a couple more simply because I thought you'd all think I'm a freak!

The air in the hospital is pretty dry, I swear I can feel a difference in my moisture level after a regular day's work in the hospital. I try to always keep a hand cream in my pocket and I have them all over my office. That pump lives next to my computer, I used up the free one Kiehl's sent me and repurchased it about 2 months ago.

Yeah.... so if you came into work at 2 am and didn't leave for 12 hours, you'd really want to brush your teeth too! I have a travel brush, Scope (new bottle, not even opened yet!) and toothpaste ready to go. I bought those Colgate ready to use brushes about 2 months ago and haven't opened them yet. I was thinking maybe I should use a travel brush 2x a year and still have it around? Is that weird or gross? I wasn't sure. I saw these and grabbed them, hopefully they're good.

Decent(ish) hair is also a priority, though I obviously need to bring in some dry shampoo! The shine serum is great for using just a few drops on the ends of my hair to smooth down frizzies, and ponytails are a must for a bad hair day.

Most of this came from coat pockets, but I think this is pretty self explanatory. The drops are rewetting drops, which were really important back when I wore contacts (I'm mostly a glasses girl since having my daughter 18 months ago, contacts just aren't comfy any more). They're definitely a must for the dry hospital environment!

The ProActiv Oil Blotter Sheets are amazing. The packet has a ton of sheets and it even comes with a refill. They suck up oil like no one's business and don't leave any powdery stuff behind.

Finally, I obviously need to have deodorant around. It's amazing how applying deodorant (even when you're not smelly and aren't able to change clothes) makes me feel more put together. Strange, I know!

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream tends to go on extra dry skin areas, my cuticles, my lips, etc. I use the Anti-Bac Gels when my hands are particularly dry. The hospital's foam wash likes to mess with my skin, and the Bath & Body Works gels are better for me, but it is annoying to have to keep it in my pocket. So, I swap back and forth.


So, yeah. A lot of stuff in my desk drawer. I obviously should re-assess the products, and I need a few other basics in there. Like a mirror. And makeup cleansing cloths (they were in a different drawer that I forgot to search. Oops! They're also from ProActiv).

What do you keep in your desk drawer at work?

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London MakeUp Girl's Skincare Corner

It's London MakeUp Girl's turn to do What's In My... and she's taking us to her special skincare corner. What are the skincare products that find a place in the corner of her bathroom, rather than sitting in a cupboard? These are the items she reaches for daily or weekly. Click on the link/picture to find out what they are!


London MakeUp Girl's Skincare Corner

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