There's such a cult following around different mascaras (looking at you, Better Than Sex), but I'm still a sucker for the drugstore formula that won me over at 16: L'Oreal Paris Voluminous Original Mascara, $7.99. I have baby blues and light features, so I tend to stick with the black/brown shade so I'm not too overpowered. And the curved brush is key, thanks to the deep-set shape of my eyes. On month three of my travels, I ran out of my mascara and tried another brand recommended by a fellow member of our community, but I just couldn't get behind the shade. Since it's difficult to find some products abroad, I eventually had my friend mule me over three of my beloved mascaras when she visited me in Lisbon.
After spending 100 days in Europe, my group headed for our Asian experience in early November. Going from hefty pours of Portuguese wine to the polite, yet neon-ripe streets of Tokyo was quite the contrast. It's tough to beat Japan's beauty scene, though: One of my dearest friends on the trip is a fellow beauty-obsessed gal who used to work in advertising in the makeup industry and when we spent four days together in Tokyo...well, we went a little ham. Here, you can really find everything: women wearing red eyeshadow, every sort of sheet mask and some truly crazy-weird items for sale.
One not-so-out-there product I discovered that I loved? This amazing blush: Etude House Dreaming Swan Eyes & Cheek, $12.99 (it's a South Korean brand, but it's very popular in Japan too). It fits a plush brush perfectly and you only need a little bit to go a long way. I've been using it since early November...and I still have at least another month of product to go.
Six years ago, I decided to finally bite the bullet and try Accutane. After battling really intense, terrible acne since I was 12, I couldn't take one more terrible breakout before an interview or a first date and went through the process to clear my skin. It worked — but not without thoroughly drying out my skin. Since I'm approaching 30 (whoop!), I need to be extra vigilant to keep my skin hydrated — both for my health and to keep the fine lines at bay. That's why I started using Olay Complete Lightweight 3-in-1 Moisturizer Day Fluid SPF 15 Sensitive, $16.72, many moons ago. I like that it's lightweight, goes on smoothly and keeps my pores healthy. When I ran out of it during my travels, I dabbled with other options, but nothing quite did the trick — so I was relieved to find it at an "American" shop in Kuala Lumpur during month five of my trip.
Or really, anything and everything is fun in Thailand. From the endless amount of incredible Thai food on every corner to the ability to volunteer with elephants and take a tuk-tuk anywhere you'd like to go, of all the places I called "home" over the past year, Chiang Mai was in my top three. A cultural experience I adored was seeing a Ladyboy performance... and then running into her in the bathroom on New Year's Eve. She helped me fix my makeup and applied her own lipstick as a touch-up. While I couldn't find the exact brand she used thanks to my champagne brain, I did manage to find another lip crayon, Baby Bright Fresh Aloe Cushion Lip in Charisma, $28.89, of which I ended up buying three. The small shape makes it super fast to apply without having to touch up and the cushion at the end helps to rub in excess.
Because I'm still recovering from acne scars (yeah, eating random foods for a year didn't exactly do wonders for my skin), I'm pretty loyal to my face makeup. Or more to the point: I don't dare to dabble when it could cause a breakout. Of all the products I lugged along on 40+ flights (yep, you read that right), I made sure to bring my favorites from Dermablend and It Cosmetics. In fact, I even asked my bestie to bring more IT when he visited me in Kyoto (on a very, very long flight — thanks James!). It might seem a bit strange to use DermaBlend Leg & Body Makeup, $34, on my face, but I love it because I don't have to wear very much. I mix it with my moisturizer and only need a dab. In fact, I've only needed a single container for a whole year. When it comes to the dark circles that happen after a 40-hour travel day, nothing compares. And on the days when I was working by the beach in Croatia or a pool in Bali, I only used a bit of It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Airbrush Perfecting Powder Illumination with SPF 50+, $35, full-coverage compact, which always did a great job of hiding the fact I was #exhausted.
