Trilogy Make-Up Be Gone Cleansing Balm

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Trilogy Make-Up Be Gone Cleansing Balm

I'm a bit of a cleansing balm addict. When you find a great one, it really feels like it can do anything: take makeup off, cleanse, treat, double duty as a mask, maybe pay off my taxes? Okay, that last one is reaching just a wee bit but hey, a girl can dream! 

The Trilogy brand from New Zealand is slightly newer to the US skincare market, but every product I've tried so far I've ended up loving and gave the brand a nod in my winter skincare favorites. The Cream Cleanser, Hydrating Mist Toner, and Certified Organic Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+ are all incredibly lovely and constantly rotate their way into my routine. So when I saw they had released a cleansing balm when I was at Whole Foods recently, I had to try it.

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You're Never Too Old For Disneyland

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You're Never Too Old For Disneyland

When I was five, we went to Disneyworld and I barely remember it outside of riding Haunted Mansion the Dumbo ride. Since then, I hadn't set foot in a Disney park for twenty-five years. I'm a bit terrified of roller coasters, and just never had time to go back. Also, Florida is crazy humid and I do poorly in humidity for too long.

And then three years ago I went to Disneyland for the first time ever, and fell in love. It really can be the happiest place on Earth and from the moment I walked onto Main Street with it's quirky, bright small town feel, I was in love. And that was before I had even tried the wonder that is Dole Whip! 

Disneyland makes you feel like a kid again, and really, you're never too old to visit.

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Confessions Of a Part-Time Traveler

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Confessions Of a Part-Time Traveler

There are some amazing bloggers out there who seem to be traveling 27/4, and more power to them because that's pretty adventurous! And then there are the bloggers like me, the part-time travelers, who have one foot on the ground and the other inching towards some new destination. Here's what I've learned so far in my journey as a part-time traveler and blogger. 

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Funs Things To Do: Portland, OR

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Funs Things To Do: Portland, OR

Much like San Francisco, Portland is a city with a strong counter culture vibe, and it's also smack dab in the middle of so much beautiful geography and activity. Roughly two hours from the rugged Oregon Coast, it's very much a city...that also happens to have a large forest in its northwest section and is close by to several waterfalls and parks. 

There really is something for everyone in Portland, whether you're a literature lover, outdoor adventurer, or cocktail connoisseur. Here are some fun things to do the next time you visit.

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Small Update: New Blog Category, Etc.

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I've ended up working about 50 hours this week between day job and picking up some extra hours doing content marketing elsewhere, so apologies for less posts this week. Since I spent last weekend prepping taxes, I didn't get ahead as I try to with writing out post drafts for the week. Basically, this week has been too much adulting and not enough time for blogging.

As for new blog category, I want to explore doing a few Op Ed pieces every now and then, that aren't necessarily travel or beauty, or sometimes are but aren't quite reviews or tips. IE- I've moved my last post into the Op Ed category instead of travel because I felt it fit better there.

I also wanted to ask, what type of content would you like to see more of? More tips and trick, more reviews, inspirational posts? Let me know in the comments!

<3

 

 

Now's The Time To Seize The Day: Or Why I've Chosen to Prioritize Travel

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Now's The Time To Seize The Day: Or Why I've Chosen to Prioritize Travel

This is a bit of a different post today, and I suppose we can thank Facebook for this. You know that quirky feature where it reminds you of a memory from a year or few years ago? For me, the past few days have been Facebook Memories of the trip we took last year to Disneyworld with a large of group friends. It was fun, there were happy memories, but it was also a very bittersweet trip.

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Closet Refresh- Creating a French-inspired Minimal Wardrobe

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Closet Refresh- Creating a French-inspired Minimal Wardrobe

You know when you can barely walk into your closet and you're at the point of critical clothing mass where you just want to set things on fire?

Okay, you probably shouldn't actually do that, but you can wrangle your wardrobe down to something easier and more manageable, using a method the Internet has dubbed as the "French Five Piece Wardrobe."

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Charlotte Tilbury Cosmetics: Worth the Hype?

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Charlotte Tilbury Cosmetics: Worth the Hype?

Last weekend in my last bit of makeup shopping for a good while, I stopped by Nordstrom's because finally, blessedly, there was a Charlotte Tilbury counter. I could finally swatch this highly coveted brand in person, pick up a few things, and see if it's really worth all the hype it's getting by everyone from pro makeup artist to the online beauty community.

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An Amazing Cleansing Oil For Less Than $11? Of Course They Discontinue It

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An Amazing Cleansing Oil For Less Than $11? Of Course They Discontinue It

Nuance by Salma Hayek at CVS is, to me, an underdog brand that doesn't get as much love as it should. Some of that is the weirdly small to non-existent marketing behind it, were I to guess. The color cosmetics line is pretty straight forward, but there's some real gems in the skin and haircare range worth grabbing. 

Today, I'm talking about a pretty awesome cleansing oil that's both drugstore and less than $11. But, like all goods things such as Firefly, it's too good to be true as CVS has apparently discontinued it. You might still be able to find bottles of it, though, and I highly suggest stocking up.

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Bay Area Adventures- A Sunday In Mountain View

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Bay Area Adventures- A Sunday In Mountain View

Between San Jose and San Francisco, the leafy and quaint Mountain Vew lays tucked away just off US-101 and Central Expressway. It's downtown area, served by a main artery in the form of Castro St., is perfect for a leisurely weekend stroll. I like coming on Sunday, when the Farmers Market is in full swing.

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AMEX Membership Reward Offer- 2x Points on Amazon

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And now, a rare credit card post.

Just a quick heads up post- if you have an eligible American Express card, one of the Offers right now through July is 2x points on qualifying Amazon purchases. I got the email about it this morning since I have the Everyday Preferred card, and was pleased as punch about it since I buy a lot of books and travel gear on Amazon.

I have the Everyday Preferred card, so I get 3x points on grocery, 2x gas, 1x on everything else but if I make 30 qualifying transactions within a statement period I get 50% bonus on those points. One Mile At a Time has a pretty good write up about it. It's a pretty great way to build up a bank of Amex Membership Points on everyday spend. Adding in this 2x point promotion is really convenient timing as I'm trying to build up my points this year for 2017 travel. 

For the record, I'm not sponsored by Amex; I actually really like the card and Amex Membership Points because they have a lot of flexible travel use and will transfer into almost every airline I fly, and transferring points is pretty quick too. The transfer ratio for Virgin America is kind of the pits at 2:1 Amex points to Elevate points, but most of the other transfer rates are 1:1

So if you have an eligible card and are looking to build up more points, check your account and apply it to your card.

 

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Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-aging Perfector

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Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-aging Perfector

I picked this up on a whim at CVS, hearing some good about it. Alas, I think this is more suited for those who already have really good skin and don't need much coverage because it's pretty sheer. I make it work right now by using a lot of concealer where I need to color correct and even things out, but I wish it were just a little more packing in the pigments department.

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My Current Favorite Travel Apps

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My Current Favorite Travel Apps

In the digital age with an app dropping every five minutes, there's a lot to choose from in the travel market. Everyone has a few favorites, be in the app that'll pull up a city map, or order a cab and rate it, and the ever important and occasionally handy translation tool.

For a long time I resisted apps, being a bit semi-Luddite about it. I think one can get along perfectly fine in their travels without relying on them, but I have to admit...they are so handy, when you have the data and Wi-Fi to support using them, of course! It's always a good idea to check the Wi-Fi situation of your destination. 

Having now embraced apps more, here are my current favorite ones for travel.

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Minimal Makeup Look

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Minimal Makeup Look

 It was halfway through flipping through Porter magazine the other day that I noticed a common thread in all the editorial makeup, even in the fashion ads- the makeup was neutral and minimal. Features were subtly enhanced in a low key, chic way.

Minimal makeup is back for Spring 2016. Think a fresh, skin-like palette, neutral eyes with slight definition, natural looking brows, soft barely there blush and sun-kissed bronzing, and the my-lips-but-better look or soft colored lip colors. 

Using  few old and new products in my stash, I've created a pretty easy minimal makeup look perfect for everyday wear, school, work, or casually hanging out.

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