Rummaging Through My Travel Bag

At the crack of 4 am tomorrow I will be dragging my ass out of bed to head for the airport. The ungodly 4 am wake up call is bearable, only because my flight will take me to my beloved state of California where I will remain for the next 10 days. 

In the spirit of traveling and blogging, I'd thought I'd share the contents of my travel bag with y'all. It's something beauty bloggers do, right?? 

Bag: Madden Girl by Steve Madden

Let's start with my tech gadgets: My Mac Book Pro was a combined Birthday/Christmas/Graduation gift from my parents and I can't part with it, especially on vacation. This baby comes with me everywhere- from trips to my grandparent's to a mother-daughter trip to Chicago this winter. Especially since more and more flights have wi-fi, leaving my computer at home was not an appealing option to me. Obviously the wall plug-in and my phone charger have a place in my bag as well. 

Next to be packed is an odd collection of literature. For this particular adventure I've opted to bring The Playing Games for Fun and Profit by Len Miller, The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff (both from my deceased grandmother's personal library) and a book of Sudoku puzzles my mom picked up for me. I like reading so I'm all up to learn how to gamble for profit (i think???) and maybe find a little spiritual enlightenment as well. 

Also accompanying me on my trip is a nifty little iPhone case/wrist wallet my sister gave me for Christmas. (I think it's from Charlotte Russe) And in it I have my IDs, (driver's license AND student) a Starbucks gift card and a $20 dollar bill in case of emergencies. The back is touch screen friendly plastic and I can use my phone without taking it out, which I find incredibly useful and a genius idea.

Hiding in the background there is a pair of yellow fuzzy socks with a cute little bird face on the ankle. (which you can't see, but take my word for it- they're cute) I have a circulation disorder and get cold incredibly easily so these are a must. The more body heat I can conserve, especially on a 7 hour flight, the better!

An explanation shouldn't be needed for these three.

1. While watching this helpful travel tips video featuring Louise Pentland and Hannah Hart, Louise suggested getting a see through make-up bag so you could avoid security rummaging through your bag for bombs. Conveniently, mine came with my backpack and is just big enough to fit the most basic of makeup essentials for the plane ride.
2. Up & Up Tapered Powder Brush. I needed new powder brush and just threw this in my cart at Target. It was literally the cheapest brush I could find at $1.99. I'm generally not too fussy with brushes, but this is an incredibly low sweep for me. I'm looking forward to all of the synthetic hair fall out on my face.
3. Mac's Studio Fix Powder. A recent purchase that I couldn't be more happy with. It's pressed powder which has more coverage and looks beautiful on my skin.
4. Sephora Blotting Papers. A freebie from my contour brush set and it seemed like a good idea to have in my bag in case an oily face arrises as the plane descends. I have yet to try them out, but they claim to smell of mint.
5. Benefit Creaseless Cream Eye Shadow. Another freebie, and while I don't think it's as creaseless as it claims to be, I figured why not carry it around in case I feel the need for a little bit of color on my eyelids. The shade is No Pressure! and is a nice shade of taupe.
6. Benefit Stay Don't Stray Concealer/Eyeshadow Primer. Yet another travel sized freebie! :) I think this works better as a concealer than a primer. It's tinted and lasts long. One dab of this little guy, and I don't feel like an actual concealer over top is necessary. As an eye primer, I'm in a committed relationship with Urban Decay's Primer Potion. 
7. L'Oreal Paris Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara. I did a first impression review of this mascara here. Today I curled my lashes and didn't wait between coats and it did yield much better results.
8. Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm. The absolute best. Incredibly hydrating and organic. I can't function without it.
9. Badger Headache Soother. I bought this at Ulta and love it so much. It's an USDA organic salve and works like a dream. All you do is rub it in wherever there's tension (also works on arthritic symptoms). It has peppermint and lavender oil and smells soooo incredible good. 

Hope you guys enjoying picking through my bag today!

x Clair

A Review of L'Oreal's Miss Manga Mascara and Confession of My Love for Barbara Palvin

I'm picky when it comes to makeup. I have sensitive skin and my eyes get irritated very easily so I like to use the higher end foundations, powders and eyeshadows. The pigment and staying power is completely worth the price tag in my opinion.
That being said, high end mascaras disappoint me. I've been using Too Face's Better Than Sex mascara and as much as I hate to admit it I've been noticing some fall out when I wear it. I just can't justify spending $23 for mascara that makes me look like a panda by the end of the day.
Recently I saw an ad for L'Oreal Paris Voluminous Miss Manga mascara featuring Barbara Palvin sporting the most gorgeously long lashes ever. I'm a Barbara Palvin fan, I just think she is beyond beautiful and with lashes as long as the ad promised I decided to give the mascara a try.
I found it at Target for 6.99 and was immediately won over by the cuteness of the packaging. (and maybe a bit since Barbara's face was plastered all over the L'Oreal aisle)

Adorable little pandas with eye lashes? Sign me up please! I threw it in my cart giddy to try it. Today I broke open the cute packaging (but not before snapping this photo in my mom's garden) ready to look like my current favorite Angel.

Right off the bat the wand kind of scared me. The bristles are really short which means you will have a greater chance of clumps. Keeping that in mind, I applied one coat carefully, managing to get it clump free.

One coat of Miss Manga vs my bare lashes

I wasn't incredibly impressed. I mean, yeah, it got the job done but not in an overly dramatic way. In L'Oreal's defense, I didn't curl my lashes or maybe if I tried using the brush vertically I could've had better results. I just have to accept the fact Barbara was most likely wearing lash inserts (even though I scanned the page looking for that disclaimer)

My finished eye look (2-3 coats)

Ultimately, on the topic of drugstore makeup, mascara is the only product I really trust. This is the first L'Oreal mascara I've tried and despite featuring Barbara Palvin, it wasn't impressive enough to tear me away from my collection of various Mabelline mascaras.

x Clair

(This is not a sponsored post, just a teenage girl trying new things and sharing her thoughts on the Internet ;) )

My First Post

Hi, and thanks for stumbling onto my blog. There's really not much to it right now, but as you can see by the title of this, this is my first ever post on my first ever blog. To break the imaginary ice, here are a couple facts about me to provide a teeny bit of insight since that seems like the next logical step to beginning a blog:

1. My name is Clairisse Rickert, and yes I have seen Silence of the Lambs and I've had it quoted to me more times than I can remember. 
2. Sometimes I go by Clair, (because people tend to pronounce my name as "Clarisa" and even most people I've known for years absolutely butcher the spelling) but I don't really prefer one name over the other.
3. I am 18 and I live in Michigan.
4. I have recently graduated high school and will be attending Eastern Michigan University in the fall.
5. I am very passionate about making films, which is why my intended major is Electronic Media and Film Studies.
6. I  film, edit and upload my own videos to my YouTube channel, which is averageClair. 

I would describe my channel style as comedic and rarely serious, which is why I never sit down and talk to the camera in a personal way. That's why I decided to give blogging a try and to conquer my fear because I could sit and talk to a camera all day, but having my thoughts typed out for the internet to read is a scary concept for me.

I don't really have a solid plan for this blog. I'm more of a "go with the flow" and "if it happens it happens" sort of person. I'm not good with planning but I do like experiences. Since I'm living on campus and I'm ready to go into debt to get a major that I may or may not need, (the jury is still out on that one) this may be a lifestyle and beauty blog on a budget or DIYs. Or it could just be me rambling to a small group of people on the internet. I don't know. But hopefully, you might click back on this blog again and if not, thanks for at least reading my first post. :)

x Clair