Winter Travel Essentials....The Beauty Edition

It's #TravelTuesday and I'm back at sharing what I know are the essentials in traveling. No matter where you're off to or for how long, these are some of the key beauty products I simply can't survive without.... and neither you should you! So, let's share the goodies!

Featured clockwise.

Long flights, layovers, and horrible hotel beds (though I swear I could stay at the Westin or The W forever more and be one happy traveling chica!) are culprits and creating dark circles and bags. So not cute. No one wants to walk around looking sleep deprived and 10 years older simply because we're enjoying life in the friendly skies and in foreign land. Eye creams are essential. Like drinking water. Our eyes need moisture and care. Shiseido's eye correcting eye cream from their sensational and award-winning IBUKI collection. I've been swearing by this pretty little bottle for 3 months now and love how rejuved I look after any amount of traveling. It's relived me of looking like a mean mugging chick. Thanks for that! It's made for us on-the-go types. Genius science development behind it. I need mas.

This bag is everything. So everything I had to get three black, two navy and one large purple. Because you know, no professional traveler packs without a multifunctional bag that organizes everything. I found this at Target last year during the holidays and take it everywhere. Even when I'm in DC. Just experience it for yourself and eliminate the madness of looking for hand wipes. Pockets galore. Sonia Kashuk got this so right. I love her for it. Them.

Keep your pretty hands moisturized with Curel's hand and cuticle therapy. No ones likes looking at, let  alone shaking ashy, cracking hands. Plus, you know your age is very giving by the health of our hands. Keep those face palms super smooth :)

If you color your hair and are traveling for an extended period of time... like an unexpected jaunt to Morocco while visiting friends in Spain... and need to touch up your color, grab these colour glosses by John Frieda. It instantly boosts faded colors. Don't look drabby. Keeping our hair done is enough of a job. This is wash and go.

We must wash our faces daily in order to keep the junk away. Biore's daily one minute charcoal mask is perfect for maintaining an at-home regiment while in the hotel. It's not intrusive and doesn't take forever. One minute. We all have one minute.

Artistry Beauty's lighted lip gloss is my most favorite makeup product ever. Ever. I'm not lying. I'm not paid to tell you that, either. I wish. But, in my most serious, puckered lip face I could give you, it's seriously the best lip gloss ever invented. It has set the bar for everything in the gloss category. Pigmentation isn't  what'd you'd get in most major dep't store brands, but the sheer light and mirror makes this the one thing I need to keep in inventory the rest of my life. You should too. Do not ever leave home without this oh-so-genius stick.

Chapped lips are never sexy and traveling, especially now during winter, makes them a little more unattractive. Keep your kissers moisturized with Clinique's intensive lip repair. It heals, not just leaves them smooth and soft.

An eye palette makes the most sense. All in one color for fancying your look. If you've figured out how to use the little brushes that come with the palettes, even better. Less to pack. But, you'll go so far with a neutral colored palette like Lancome's Color Design Eye Brightening All in One 5 Shadow in 'Dancing Rose.' It'll match any wardrobe you pack.

My second favorite ever makeup is L'Oreal's True Match Color Crayon concealer. I can't tell you the times I've been stopped anywhere and everywhere to ask about my under eye concealer. I actually use it any where I have blemishes... so if I happen to forget my foundation or loose powder, this will still do the trick. It's smooth like butter and perfectly matched. A real must.

Winter has no mercy on our skin or hair. The damage from dryness is brutal. For your hair, keep the fly-aways and curls tamed with this anti-frizz serum. It's light, smells, good, smoothens out the wild and crazy stands. Wonderfully small enough to carry on not require check-in if you're traveling light.

Don't ever leave home without mascara. It's just sinful. It's an essential for existing. But for travel, find one that doesn't smudge, like Bobbi Brown's no smudge. Touch trips to the bathroom before landing won't be as necessary with messy proof prods.

And finally, if you love BB creams, you'll love Smashbox's under eye coverage. Their camera ready formula seems to possibly be bold enough to work on raccoon like dark circles. This is great after you've rested overnight with Shiseido's correction cream. Double yay.

Certainly, there are more essentials every girl should travel with. But if in a bind and you have to edit your toiletry bag, these are it. Check out my other travel guides! Next one in the series is for the tech savvy travelista.

Chic Essentials for Winter Travel
Holiday Travel
Chic Essentials for Travel in 24 hours!

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{Beauty Bloom} Clinique's Moisture Surge CC Cream is my new IT "foundation"

My traveling must-haves for quick press trips

I'm having hormonal issues over here. Lots of factors to consider, but mostly the stress of moving back to DC, although it's been a year, today! Little seems to be working in my favor to create balance... Something's gotta give, tho. Seriously. It's not fun when I'm forced to wear a hat because my hair is doing funky things or my skin is attracting attention for the wrong reasons. I'm wearing this "mask" of sorts more often than I want, but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.

For the days I simply don't want to wear makeup and go as bare as possible, a cream or SPF with some color has to be the option. Something that evens my skin, offers some decent coverage, but still allows me to feel comfortable enough to take a few selfies... or bump into someone kind of important at the store! That happens to me all time and all it's taught me is to never leave the house completely naked. I mean, my goodness.

After all the BB creams, most which I love and work well for me, I tried Clinique's newly launched Moisture Surge CC Creme Color Corrector last month.  Let's sing "ahhhhhh" together! I was on a press trip to Richmond and still decided to overpack with my essentials and other goodies. I knew it was going to be hot down there and I was going to avoid wearing foundation, etc... I really just wanted something light that would carry me through 11 hours of foraging throughout the city; and still keep my skin fresh, glistening, and hydrated. Heat will suck you dry... no matter how oily you are.

This was it. The color was almost custom perfect... and cocktailed with my under-eye concealer, my Artistry time defiance day SPF (doubling cremes works for me in magical ways), and my light powder, it was just right. The color correction system actually works. If you're a bit red and blotchy, it neutralizes it; and if you're a bit dull and ashy, it revives it giving your piel a nice glow. No one wants to feel moisturized from sweat but this light creme hooks up any hydration deficit without feeling heavy. I most fell in love with its lightness. As much as I love my foundation and need to wear it for big event days, the CC creme is the fix to allowing my skin to breath and recover from so much makeup.

If you're on the move constantly and foundation just isn't the best option, I'm all for suggesting this kind -of-perfect tinted cream. I've been a fan of Clinique since I was about 8 or so when my mom used to buy it by the bulk in Miami. The old soap containers and now-vintage bottles were so colorful and apparently worked for my mom. It's great to see a brand grow and develop new beauty technology I can benefit from. Good, good stuff.

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* I received a few bottles of the CC creme in order to write this product review, but all opi's, experiences, and thoughts are honest and my own. ;) 

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Traveling Routines... My Hotel Bathroom

(All pictures © Bren Herrera)

If still in St. Croix attending the amazing Food and Wine Experience which spans the entire week, topped off by a super sexy Taste event at Divi Bay Carina Resort last night. And can I tell you... you must make your way here! It's my 2nd time here for the same event and it simply does not fail. The weather is perfect, the people are extremely nice, and the culture is a fantastic break from the high speed race I live in and usually am comfortable with, a la DC and New York. Plus it's just sexy.

My days have been extended with some lush sights and glutunnous eating (because if I go too long w/out food, I kind of get irritable!) and require me to pack a bag with everything I'll need for 12 hours of trekking. But since my itinerary is so diverse, ranging from fancy dinners and coastal farm visits to ATVing it up in the "rain forest, " my attire, accessories and overall look has to switch up. And that means I have to do the bag switcharoo every night.

My mornings start in the bathroom where I asses my look for the day. I thought I'd be able to easily sift through what I thought was minimal jewelry and makeup... I didn't fare so well this trip, but a great improvement from my last hops. I couldn't really make it without these. No matter how chill the trip. 3 nail polishes for a week? Clearly, a bit too much, but fun to have just in case. The bronzer from Estée's new line. Love. Love. Some under eye makeup since I'm not sleeping enough... loving the creamy one by CoverGirl.  And Bobbi Brown's longwear cream shadow stick in Bark is the best thing I could apply for a natural look all day. It gave me some color in my eye without looking like I had dolled up to  walk the island.

Since I over-did it again, I decided to make use the huge bathroom space and hang jewelry on wall mirrors, use the wine glasses to hold the 20 rings or so (because who really needs 20 rings for 9 days and stick my brushes in the tumblers. If you think about it, it's totally practical to make use of the your entire hotel room especially if you're staying for 6 nights.

This is one example of a light day's goodies that I carry. A mish-mosh of lipsticks and gloss, my favorite mascara, earpiece (because I'm still working), and jewelry I ended up sliding off.

The only way I've justified bringing all this stuff, probably more than necessary, is that it keeps me connected to my own space and place. It's lovely being on the road, seeing the world, but nothing like holding on to your comfy spot. Silly, but my things that help keep my routine somewhat normal, make an extended stay that much better!

What are your must-haves when traveling, short or long stays?

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Evergreen Clinique Makeup

1/3 of my used pressed powder collection! http://instagr.am/p/LiLjqOsxpn/ 

Bronzer, stay-matte makeup, even better clinical corrector

It's all my mother used growing up. I remember splashing toner, or something refreshing on my face while she showered. All of the colorful plastic bottles seemed more like building and educational toys, emitting pretty smells, rather than containers holding beauty rectifiers. I've been a solid customer since I was finally allowed to wear makeup. The bottles of lotions, toners, creams, SPFs, etc... were just the beginning. For me, it all started with the pressed powder back in 1999. It's the one compact I've stayed faithful to. I deviate and use CoverGirl for quick, everyday use, but my Clinique Stay Matte pressed powder has proven to be a good, good thing for my funny skin! Sometimes it glows a la JLo, other veces, (mostly around that monthly visit), you may question my identity!

I'm not the darkest chica, and fortunately not so light either. That poses a problem, though -- brown spots after every period. I can't shake it! I've tried everything! Todo! Tout les products! My attempt with the pricey Estée Lauder "Idealist" which Oprah's fan club sent me, purports to illuminate and even out the skin, but didn't work though I really, really wanted to.

I stood next to Clinique's Even Better serum at the Nordstrom counter and thought it may not work, either. For $80, I was hopeful it'd rid my face of every single little unoriginal speckle. My friends at Clinique sent me sample bottle to try and I proclaim progress and very visible improvement!!! Only, I'm not daring enough to show you ;) I've been applying it twice a day, once in the morning after I wash my face and at night before I rest. It's been 3 weeks now and I've seen a nicer, more even tone. Claims of seeing a difference in 4weeks must be for those that have barely visible marks to begin with. At this rate, it's going to take another 4 weeks to really clear up. But then my period will be back and the process will start over. The test will be if it scares off any potential spots from forming! Now, that's the real secret!

Either way, I'm loving it so far. Maybe coupled with Estée Lauder's Idealist, I'd be in the money! But, that's wishful thinking. 

Beyond the Even Better, I'm loving the light Stay-Matte Oil Free Makeup as a foundation before applying the powder. It's much lighter than what I use every day and absorbs oils,  so it might take over so I can reserve the heavier one for TV and photo shoots -- you know, those things require much more coverage. I top off a great summer look with a bronzer, something I've never really used until recently. I like natural kisses offered up by the sun, but since I'm no where near a beach to get a good tan, I'll let this glittery stuff work its magic!  If you're looking for contouring effects (a technique I'd love to learn how to do myself), than this is might be your new best friend this summer! Check them out at your local counter this month  and let me know what you think, girls!

(By the way, I'm now up to 25 used pressed powders! Don't you think Clinique should implement some reward program!? I'm sayin', at $22 a pop, with a decent mirror, they should! Mascara, lipstick, something! :)

* Even Better, Oil free matte liquid makeup and Bronzer c/o of Clinique in order to write this review. However, I was not compensated and all opinions expressed are my own! 

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