Beauty Staples // Recent Faves

Happy Saturday friends! I am currently on my way to Nags Head, NC for a little vacay so I thought now would be the perfect time to share my current beauty & life favorites. For me, packing for trips is so stressful because I am horrible at narrowing down "the necessities"-at least when it comes to clothing and shoes. Within the past two years, I have gotten a lot better at narrowing down the beauty and skincare items I take with me on trips. I used to want to buy all the new products that brands would come out with, which meant I was always bringing stuff with me out of town to "test out". Now I am more a creature of habit when it comes to makeup... If I find something I love, I stick with it. How did I not realize it would make life so much easier?! Long story short, here is the current beauty and lifestyle round up!



Batiste Dry Shampoo: The one I have in particular right now is the Cherry scent. The formulation of this stuff is probably one of my favorites when it comes to dry shampoos. This is my first time buying the cherry scent (because that is what was available in the travel size) and I can't say I noticed a huge difference in how the product performs from scent to scent. I literally despise washing my hair because A) it's annoying and I feel like it is just so time consuming (maybe I am being a diva) and B) I am still having issues with hair loss so it's like an emotional rollercoaster to wash my hair and see hair fall out (see hair loss story here). Basically, your girl loves dry shampoo and is known to have 2 or 3 on rotation but I always come back to this brand. I have tried the one for brunette hair too and I was a fan! Find it here. Luckily, someone from Reviews.com reached out to me with a guide (yes. a guide with reviews and all!) of the best dry shampoos. Where was this when I needed it? Find the guide here!

Dr. Jart + Dermaclear Micro Milk Peel: This is a daily "peel" that lightly exfoliates and moisturizes your skin. It comes with cotton pads that are double sides-one side for sensitive skin and the other with a little more texture to provide more exfoliation. It contains lactic acid and salicylic acid for keeping the skin soft, coconut milk, panthenol, and squalene to hydrate and calm the skin and glutathione to tone and brighten (per Sephora's website-I can't take credit for knowing all this). You shake the bottle to mix the acids together, apply to cotton pad, apply to face, wait 1 minute (or more, I do about 2-3, such a risk taker) and then wash it off. When I use it daily, I do notice my skin seems softer, more supple, and just overall "better". Find it here.

Daisy by Marc Jacobs Perfume: Since I elaborate too much on everything, I am just going to say this scent is amazing and I find myself reaching for it all the time. Perfect for summer! Find it here.

Mario Badescu Skincare Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater: This is a perfect product for summer... I use it to prep my skin before lotion, as a setting spray, and as a pick me up if it is super hot and I feel like my face is melting off. If you aren't a fan of rose scents, you might not love the way this smells, but the scent does not linger for long. Find it here.

MyChelle Sun Protection Sun Shield Liquid Tint SPF 50: This one deserves its own post... I will definitely be doing a review on it. I stumbled across this at Whole Foods when I was perusing the beauty aisle for all the things I don't need, bought it on a whim, and then fell in love. The best love is unexpected love, amiright? Anyway, this is a tinted sunscreen that gives a sheer coverage. You could probably build up the coverage on this a bit, but for work or just laying out by the pool, it is fantastic. The best part is that it doesn't become a hot mess on my t zone like every other sunscreen, foundation, and powder. My skin loves this stuff. So much in fact that I have mixed my Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer to create more coverage and wear it on nights out. Holy grail status! Find it here.

Kevyn Aucoin The Eyelash Curler: Yes, this is THE eyelash curler. $21 for an eyelash curler? Sure, if it performs like this bad boy. It creates the best curl and it seems to make the curl last longer than any other eyelash curler I have used. Also, how many times can I say curler? Find it here.

It Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Blush: I received this blush along with a few other products from It Cosmetics, and it has easily became my most reached for blush for summer. The shade I received is "Je Ne Sais Quoi" and is perfect for a little pink flush. The shade is matte, which I usually prefer for blushes. It has good staying power and can be built up in intensity if necessary. Find it here.

Faux plants: Like any faux plant, because then I can forget about it and it wont die. Currently loving succulents.

Hemp Seeds: On everything, in everything. No, you will not get high. Yes they are legal. No they do not taste weird. The literally taste like heaven and are perfect for adding texture to yogurt, salad, cottage cheese, etc. They kind of taste like a creamy sunflower seed which sounds weird but is delicious. Trust me on this, you should buy them! I buy them without the shell (which means they are actually hemp hearts) but eating them shell in all provides protein and essential nutrients. These are the ones I buy.

The Republic of Tea HiCaf Cinnamon Toast Black Tea: This tea has 116 mg of caffeine which is about 16 mg more than coffee so that's a yes in my book. It smells amazing and tastes like it is supposed to. Sometimes I drink it without anything in it, and other times I add almond milk or cream with sugar. The besssttt. Find it here.

Ebates: For those who are unfamiliar with Ebates, it is a cash back site that allows you to earn a percentage back on what you spend at your favorites stores. It's that easy. You just choose the store you want from the Ebates site, click on it, and it takes you through their site to the store you chose. Then all you have to do is shop! It is not a scam-you earn money back and are sent a check or credited to your Paypal account. If you are already buying stuff anyway, why not earn $$ back? I used Ebates for my holiday shopping last year and earned sooo much money back. The best part is they are beginning to offer cash back in-store for a couple different stores, if you link your credit card to you account. If you're interested, sign up via my link and you will be credited $10 to your account as well (I also receive a $5 credit if you sign up and use Ebates at least once). You can also book hotels through booking sites, which I did for my current vacation, so it's great for those that travel often! My link is here!

Please leave any suggestions for peels, dry shampoo, and teas- I would love to hear what you're loving!

Thanks for reading!
XO, Kelsey



Connect with me: twitter here // instagram here// pinterest here //