Beauty Switch-Up: New & Classics.

Back when I was traveling, my "go to" beauty trick was Tom Ford lipstick. And I still love it. It was easy to look a little more put-together by throwing on a few swipes of Wild Ginger or True Coral, while not wearing anything else but sunscreen.

Now that I am back in the real world, make-up still isn't a huge part of my weekend routine. But it is of my weekday look for being in the office. And I wear it all... Foundation, blush, highlighter, bronzer, eyeliner, eye shadow, mascara, and nail polish.

Oh, and lipstick. (Duh.)

But I recently started to shift some of the brands I had been using, mostly to mix it up. (Though I will NEVER wear anything other than Tom Ford lipstick. If I'm ever in the position where I can't afford it, I just won't wear any... Till I save up my pennies for one tube. Then I will ration it by applying it with a lipstick brush. Because that shiz iz amazing. But I digress...)

When it came to the nail polish, I (like many women) get giddy over little bottles of Chanel, Essie and OPI. The colors. The names. I even had a few bottles of Tom Ford's nail lacquer. 

The problem is, though, that I am a klutz with my hands. My nails are thin. And I am always digging in dirt, banging away at keyboards, or unpacking boxes... And it wears on my nails. So taking the time to color them once a weeks is hard to justify. Additionally, I am impatient and always end up smudging one nail.

I've tried gel manicures. Love them. But the cost is brutal. And the exposure to the UV lights was making my fingers start to freckle. But then I discovered these little babies...

Insta-Dri by Sally Hansen. Have you tried them??? 

AMAZING!

They really do dry instantly. I swipe the color on one set of fingers... Then switch to the other side, and they're all dry in less than two minutes! I now have about 10 different colors... And I have begin changing my color daily in the past few weeks. I apply when I get into my car... And then I drive to work. How insane!

The other thing I have switched to in my beauty routine is my foundation. I was wearing YSL's foundation. It's gorgeous on the skin. But now that we're heading into the Summer months, I've decided I want an extra layer of SPF on my skin. So I've switched back to tinted moisturizer.

I researched which was the best one on a few different sites. I used to wear Laura Mercier's brand a few years ago. Then switched back to foundation. But it is easy to glide on, as it is light... And the illuminating one is excellent for bringing an ethereal quality to the skin.

The other thing I have switched back to in my beauty routine is my mascara... 

I used They're Real! for a few years, by Benefit. But then I heard a lot of buzz about Diorshow's Blackout mascara, and how everyone was gaga over it.

Well, I think Diorshow is crap.

Sorry. I've tried to be on the boat with it for over a year now... And it is awful. Clumpy. I hate the brush.

I switched back to - and never should have left - They're Real!.

The brush is perfect for my naturally thick ashes. It helps separate each feathery lash after I've curled it... And it makes my lashes long. Super feminine!

I decided, since I was switching back, that I would give Benefit's They're Real" Push-Up Liner a try too. After watching the videos on the Sephora website, and trying it out in the store, I procured a pen... Hoping it would not bleed like the NARS one I had been using on my upper lid.

This is me after 8 hours of traveling and pitching on Friday this past week.

The eyeliner is still in it's perfect line. The mascara is still coated on my lashes.

Yep. I'll be sticking with these two babies for a very long time.