What's In Your Makeup Bag - Christy

It's Week One of What's In Your Makeup Bag -- starring the idea's originator, Christy of Christy Cropper Photography and La Belle Dame Sans Regrets. Christy is a talent, with a mind that is both very creative and scientific. She is very handy to have around, lots of fun and has blue eyes that stop traffic. Take it away, Christy!

I love makeup! But, I'm a simple girl to the core, thus my makeup collection is very simple. My entire skincare regime is very simple.

1. Arbonne Exfoliating Scrub - I use this a couple of times a week in the shower.

2. Arbonne Purifying Cleanser + Toner - I'm allergic to A LOT of face washes (and moisturizers and eye shadows) but this is heavenly. Doesn't irritate, cleans well and doesn't leave me totally dried out.

3. Arbonne Moisturizer - I love how NOT greasy this makes my skin. I love the feel and the smell (or lack thereof), plus it's got spf20.

4. Rimmel Eye Makeup Remover - Can't live without it. Only $5ish at Target and it's oil free.

5. Arbonne Makeup Primer - Feels weird at first but it helps foundation go on so smoothly. It's faux air-brushing.

6. Arbonne Liquid Foundation - LOVE! This matches my skin tone perfectly and covers amazingly well without looking caked on and it's got spf15. Again, LOVE!

7. Mac Eyeshadows - I love the ability to customize my own pallet. Mac has so, so many colors that I love and they wear well all day.

8. Mary Kay Eye Primer - I've been using this for 10 years and I refuse to wear eye shadow without it. It eliminates any creasing and my shadow stays on all day long. All. Day.

9. Eye Lash Curler - My lashes and natural curl have never coexisted. Curling completely opens up my eyes.

10. Rimmel Extra Super Lash Mascara - $2.88 at Wal-Mart and it's the best mascara I've ever used. Love.

11. Brushes - 1 Sephora blush brush. 3 Clinique eyeshadow brushes. I would DIE without the thin angled brush as I use shadow in lieu of pencil eye liner.

12. Cover Girl Eye Liner - Sometimes I line my inner lid for that extreme smokey eye look. It's fun.

13. Q-Tips - Totally necessary for cleaning up mascara that I accidentally get on my face (happens every time).

14. Sephora Blush - Love the color. Not too expensive.

15. Makeup Sponges - I can't put on foundation without them.

*16. Sephora Brush Soap - I forgot to include this in the picture but I can't live without it. I've had the same brushes for years and they are still in perfect condition due to frequent cleaning.

And that's all I got!

Send in your photo of your makeup bag and tell us what you love about it. You could win a great prize!!!!! Thanks Christy for the great photo and details on your Makeup Bag! Next Friday we'll have another contest winner and contributor to What's In Your Makeup Bag! Have a great weekend!

Fast Fall Fashion Flare Week - Day Four

Another Fast Fall Fashion Flare tip - Day Four:

Take some time to spot treat and deep soak your light colors when needed. Despite our best efforts to pre-treat stains sometimes they still come through the washing machine. Check through your lighter colored clothing and especially whites and spot treat those little stains with some more intensive treatment. This week I found 4 of the Little Bug's white shirts had fairly tragic stains on them: orange juice and who knows what all the rest of that was.

There are a lot of great stain remover products out there. The one I have found most versatile is OxiClean. A little OxiClean powder mixed into a paste with water put right on the spots with plenty of water got out most of the stains within an hour or so. The orange juice took a few hours longer but all four shirts look good as new now.

My next task is going to be to deep soak all my white cotton blouses in the tub with OxiClean and water overnight. I have a feeling they will look as shiny and new as the day I bought them. They don't look like that right now. 

Yet again, a few minutes of extra care can lengthen the life of your clothing and in this case give it a good as new shine.