Hong Kong Essentials

Now, I know many of you may not be traveling to Hong Kong in the near future, but I wanted to show you the staples of my makeup bag while I was there. Hong Kong's weather is very much like the southern United States in the summer---hot and very humid (think 85 degrees F and up, and up to 90% humidity daily). In fact, the weather is like any tropical region as well-- including Hawaii, so if you are hitting up a humid spot this summer, this just might come in handy!

Above are the very bare bones of what I brought ( I brought more, but these were the workhorses) mixed in with some of my kitschy finds!

1. It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Plus Keratin ($18): I received this free with an Ulta order (you can pretty much get this free at Ulta all the time) and a few spritzes made my hair look awesome, even with the crappy hotel blow dryer and the crazy humidity.

2. Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in Apricot ($4.99): This perfect peachy color and thin tube meant I could stick this in a pocket and I never looked overdone during the daytime of crazy touristy things!

3. Benefit Gimme Brown in Light/Medium ($22): A no fuss tinted brow gel that kept me polished for nice dinners out but never smudged or ran, even when I was 'glistening'.

4. bareMinerals Ready blush in The French Kiss ($22): Great staying power and a universally flattering color!

5. Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream ($35): A larger review of this will be up soon, but this kept me looking gorgeous (and people complimented my skin) even when it started pouring with monsoon-status rains.

6. NYX Collection Noir Liquid Black Liner ($5.99): Has officially made holy grail status as a black liner for me, especially since it withstood extreme humidity for up to 15 hours straight.

7. Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm in Grapefruit ($7.50): With SPF 25 and a cheery scent, it wasn't so hard to perk up from the jet lag with this.

8. NYX Matte Blotting Paper ($3.99): Blotting papers are a must in weather like Hong Kong's, and these are my favorite!

What are your favorite hot and humid weather products?
Oh, and more photos!

Above is my favorite pastel-colored building, the Stanley beach, and the entire city at night from the tallest point!

My Favorite Lip Balms!

I am the self-proclaimed lip balm queen/hoarder, and I am here to share my wealth of knowledge on the subject. Ha

 

For me, lip balms are a necessity. They go along with food and water and I usually have no less than 5 (I am sadly not kidding) on my person at all times. My lips have gotten so used to me pampering them and spoiling them that they cannot live without some form of balm. Here are a collection of my favorites!

 

Babylips are probably my all time favorite lip balm. Since they were released by Maybelline,  I have been hoarding these things like a crazy squirrel. Seriously. I love the clear ones the best, but am growing to love the color ones more and more. They provide excellent moisture and an SPF 20.

 

L to R Colors: Quenched (Clear), Cherry Me (Red), Peppermint (Clear), Yummy Plummy (New Release Plum), Twinkle (New Release Light Peach), Pink Wink (New Release Light Pink), and Peach Kiss (True Peach).

 

 

Here are just a few of my EOS balms. I find them yummy smelling and tasting, not as moisturizing as most, but easy to apply without getting a build up on the lips. They also keep well in purses because of the screw top. And you can dig in your bag and always find it because of the shape!

 

 

Here are some of my miscellaneous balms. The top one is a small sized Julep balm in the Strawberry Mint Flavor. I use this when my lips needs something with an exfoliator, as this has a slightly gritty texture. I smush it together and the little particles burst a bit and my lips feel nice!

 

The tried and true Lip Smacker in Dr. Pepper is a cult classic. It has an amazing smell, gives lips a just bitten look, and moisturizes well.

 

I also love Nivea a kiss of Milk and Honey because the warm scent is so calming on my lips and it has ample hydration.

 

 

Here are some of my intense lip treatments good for night time!

 

I love Nivea Lip Butter in Caramel Cream Kiss because it is so emollient and smells so yummy.

 

And I have just discovered the joys of baby Vaseline tubs! I slather this on for a great lip treatment. Can be mixed with sugar for an impromptu scrub as well.

 

My other treatment is Overnight Renewal Therapy 70% White Petrolatum Jelly. It does smell a bit odd because it is refined Petrolatum but does a wonder as an overnight treatment. I love it!

 

 

And last but not least, my new favorite love of Jack Black Lip Balms. I use these daily when I wake up to give my lips a nice start. They have a Vaseline like texture and I like feeling that my lips are protected with SPF 25.

 

L to R: Acai Berry, Shea Butter, Grapefruit, and Natural Mint

 

and the bottom is my almost finished tube of Natural Mint. Sad!

 

I hope you enjoyed learning about my slightly crazy lip balm obsession. What are your faves?

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Favorite Lip Balms!

I am the self-proclaimed lip balm queen/hoarder, and I am here to share my wealth of knowledge on the subject. Ha

 

For me, lip balms are a necessity. They go along with food and water and I usually have no less than 5 (I am sadly not kidding) on my person at all times. My lips have gotten so used to me pampering them and spoiling them that they cannot live without some form of balm. Here are a collection of my favorites!

 

Babylips are probably my all time favorite lip balm. Since they were released by Maybelline,  I have been hoarding these things like a crazy squirrel. Seriously. I love the clear ones the best, but am growing to love the color ones more and more. They provide excellent moisture and an SPF 20.

 

L to R Colors: Quenched (Clear), Cherry Me (Red), Peppermint (Clear), Yummy Plummy (New Release Plum), Twinkle (New Release Light Peach), Pink Wink (New Release Light Pink), and Peach Kiss (True Peach).

 

 

Here are just a few of my EOS balms. I find them yummy smelling and tasting, not as moisturizing as most, but easy to apply without getting a build up on the lips. They also keep well in purses because of the screw top. And you can dig in your bag and always find it because of the shape!

 

 

Here are some of my miscellaneous balms. The top one is a small sized Julep balm in the Strawberry Mint Flavor. I use this when my lips needs something with an exfoliator, as this has a slightly gritty texture. I smush it together and the little particles burst a bit and my lips feel nice!

 

The tried and true Lip Smacker in Dr. Pepper is a cult classic. It has an amazing smell, gives lips a just bitten look, and moisturizes well.

 

I also love Nivea a kiss of Milk and Honey because the warm scent is so calming on my lips and it has ample hydration.

 

 

Here are some of my intense lip treatments good for night time!

 

I love Nivea Lip Butter in Caramel Cream Kiss because it is so emollient and smells so yummy.

 

And I have just discovered the joys of baby Vaseline tubs! I slather this on for a great lip treatment. Can be mixed with sugar for an impromptu scrub as well.

 

My other treatment is Overnight Renewal Therapy 70% White Petrolatum Jelly. It does smell a bit odd because it is refined Petrolatum but does a wonder as an overnight treatment. I love it!

 

 

And last but not least, my new favorite love of Jack Black Lip Balms. I use these daily when I wake up to give my lips a nice start. They have a Vaseline like texture and I like feeling that my lips are protected with SPF 25.

 

L to R: Acai Berry, Shea Butter, Grapefruit, and Natural Mint

 

and the bottom is my almost finished tube of Natural Mint. Sad!

 

I hope you enjoyed learning about my slightly crazy lip balm obsession. What are your faves?

 

 

 

 

 

 

New HG Lip Balm? Jack Black

I won't bore you with the repetition that I am a lip balm junkie...but I am, there you go. So far, Babylips are my HG (Holy Grail) balms. But recently, I shelled out $7 (yikes!) for the Jack Black Intense Therapy lip Balm in Natural Mint.

 

This has a SPF 25 which is awesome and feels cooling on the lips, as well as has a strong mint scent that other people can smell and will keep you feeling fresh. It is more glossy on the lips than Babylips, and is in a squeeze tube. It moisturizes my dry lips very well and the feeling is addicting.

 

Everyone has always raved about these, and they do live up to the hype. However, $7 is expensive for me to spend when I am already almost done with the tube (in about a week and a half). Yes, I regularly balm my lips up, but that is still scary.

 

Overall, Jack Black is in the running for my HG lip balm. But my mom laughs and says "Isn't that for guys?" well yeah...mom, I need industrial strength stuff! Haha

 

Are you a Jack Black fan?

New HG Lip Balm? Jack Black

I won't bore you with the repetition that I am a lip balm junkie...but I am, there you go. So far, Babylips are my HG (Holy Grail) balms. But recently, I shelled out $7 (yikes!) for the Jack Black Intense Therapy lip Balm in Natural Mint.

 

This has a SPF 25 which is awesome and feels cooling on the lips, as well as has a strong mint scent that other people can smell and will keep you feeling fresh. It is more glossy on the lips than Babylips, and is in a squeeze tube. It moisturizes my dry lips very well and the feeling is addicting.

 

Everyone has always raved about these, and they do live up to the hype. However, $7 is expensive for me to spend when I am already almost done with the tube (in about a week and a half). Yes, I regularly balm my lips up, but that is still scary.

 

Overall, Jack Black is in the running for my HG lip balm. But my mom laughs and says "Isn't that for guys?" well yeah...mom, I need industrial strength stuff! Haha

 

Are you a Jack Black fan?