My Daily Essentials

my daily essentialspress sample, affiliate links

It’s funny to me how during different seasons of my life, what I need as a “daily essential” will change. On a daily basis, I stay home with my two girls so what I need is usually right at my fingertips, but we do a lot of activities together that involve leaving the house, so I do have a few must have items that I use/consume/wear on a daily basis. I’m not a morning person at all but I make the best use out of the 10-15 minutes I have to get ready in the morning to put my face on. 

Skincare: Whether I am going to be putting makeup on or not, I always use my skincare. I start the day off by rinsing my face off with warm water and then I start on my skincare regimen. I always use a serum, eye cream, and an SPF moisturizer at the bare minimum. Now that it’s getting sunny out, I am also trying to make a point of wearing SPF on my body as well. Incidental sun exposure is no good! 

Makeup: On a good day, I have between 10-15 minutes to do my makeup. I usually don’t take that long though! I like to apply CC cream or foundation first. Some days, I have to be done at that step, but if I get to continue, I will move on to mascara, then eyebrows, then blush. If I still have time, I will do highlighter and wear eyeshadow and lipstick. That’s kind of my hierarchy of what’s important in order to me in the morning. I also like to take a little brightening concealer and bounce it on my beauty blender under my eyes and around my nose after my makeup is done. If I ever make it to this step in the morning, I must have gotten up early or something! 

Hair: I like to wear my hair back in a headband right now. My hair is highlighted pretty light and while I am waiting for a touchup, it’s nice to be able to break up my root area with a fun headband. I think I’m going to finally get to be closer to my natural color with my next visit. I was lightening super dark hair so I could go back to medium brown eventually.

Clothes: I recently went through my closet and chucked everything in the Goodwill pile that doesn’t currently fit or that I don’t love. It was so refreshing. Every single thing in my closet fits me now and I like it! I can just grab and go in the morning now, rather than taking time to page through each outfit and how it doesn’t fit me right. I also discovered a lot of cute tops I didn’t remember I had. I’ve been wearing jeans or capris every day and a solid tshirt. Predictable, I know. But it’s what I like and I can dress it up with accessories.

My Whole Self: I never start my day off without a cup of coffee. Ever. Sometimes I drive through Starbucks (Flat White, baby!) but most of the time I brew my own. I am also trying to turn over a new leaf with my health, so I’m making a huge point of eating breakfast at the beginning of my day. I’m loving the combination of plain greek yogurt and granola from Trader Joe’s. It gives me a lot of energy and fills me up and I feel like making good food choices for the remainder of the day. 

daily essential eye paletteThis is how I start my day off right! I can’t help but wonder how other women around the world, or even women that I know start off their day. I am nosey, and one of my favorite parts of looking for a home to buy last summer was checking out what was in everyone’s bathroom. What perfume do they wear? What kind of shampoo are people using? What kind of skincare do people leave out on the counter? These types of things intrigue me. So many factors can determine what you will use for makeup- age, income, career path, etc. Every woman can use a good eye neutral shadow palette though!

Cargo’s Essential Eye Palette is similar to many of the neutral palettes that are so popular and such a staple item in most makeup bags. It’s inspired by the Concrete Jungle, New York City, and there are neutral tones of beige, brown, grey and black reflecting the earth colored stone and metal landmarks that are found in NYC. I have found myself able to create varying looks with the 12 shades here. There are a good mix of mattes and shimmers, and Brownstone is a perfect matte brown crease shade (it’s frustrating how many palettes don’t come with a matte brown for my crease! Need it!) It also comes with a double ended brush and an eyeliner that is absolutely perfect for creating a smokey eye- perfectly smudgy yet it sets after a few moments once you’ve had a chance to get it just right.

cargo essential eye paletteIf you own any Cargo makeup, they are currently running an Instagram giveaway. They want you to show them where you wear your Cargo, since the brand has products fit for everyone on the go. Show them your favorite Cargo makeup in your city or on a trip, tag them using @cargocosmetics (you can tag them in the photo too if you want) and use #MYCITYMYCARGO. 5 lucky winners with the most creative photos will win a new Summer in the City palette. The contest runs April 13-26th (until midnight).

#mycitymycargo instagram contestI am wearing the Essential Eye Palette in the photo above. I really like the shades and think it’s comparable to a lot of the neutral palettes on the market right now, although for a mere $34 and the inclusion of a makeup brush and a liner, it’s a lot better of a deal than most high end palettes! You can pick this up at Ulta.com and Kohl’s among other retailers!

If you are looking for an awesome product to take snaps of for the contest, check out some of my ideas below! I love Cargo! 

 

 

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2 comments

  1. 4.22.15

    You look gorgeous!!!!

  2. 4.22.15
    Jessica T said:

    Very pretty!

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