How to Travel With Only a Carry-On

It's finally here! So I've been planning this post for about 2 weeks now... I have tried to pack my carry-on suitcase so that it can hold as much as possible. Tomorrow, I'm going on a week-long trip to my cottage. We spend the majority (if not all) of our time on the beach, so I want to make sure I have everything I need to spend my whole day at the beach.

To start, this is the carry-on I will be using (20" Heys Portal Smart Luggage in Burgundy).
I bought this at Sears for 55% off, so I'm really happy about that! This suitcase has four wheels, a laptop compartment, and a zipper divider.

The main thing I was looking for when I was searching for a new suitcase was a divider that zippered completely shut so I could separate my clothes from other things! When packing a carry-on, it's really important to make a list of everything you need. That way it's harder to forget things or over-pack. I like to put everything I'm packing on my bed so that I can see everything that needs to go in the suitcase. I started off with one pair of jeans, and three pairs of shorts:



I also added a thin, small beach towel (I already have some at my cottage) just in case. Most people say to roll your clothes, which is true for some things, but not bulky items like jeans and towels. So I lay them flat in the bottom of my suitcase to pad the bottom. I like putting thick, tough clothing on the bottom, and more delicate clothing on the top.

As you can see, I put the jeans and towel in flat on the bottom, and laid my shorts on the top. Next, I have two coverups, 7 shirts, 2 tanks, PJs, and a sweater.

I put the sweater on top of the shorts, then rolled everything else a tight as possible. If you have clothing that are cut in an A-line, make sure to fold the ends in to make your clothing more rectangular before rolling. This makes it easier to roll, and the roll won't be as long and skinny!

Next, I folded a dress and a scarf, and laid them on the top. I then secured the straps.



For the pockets of the divider, I folded my underwear and socks, and placed them in the top zippered pouch. My swim suits went in the bottom pouch.

For the small zippered pouch on the side of the suitcase (shown in the bottom of the picture above), I put my goggles so I can swim some laps along the coast for a bit of exercise.



I put my bras in the laptop compartment because I am not bringing my laptop, and it is a very secure pouch. I balled up some tissue and stuck in under the bras so they don't lose their shape.

For my shoes, I put my black sandals, and my hiking boots in a Lulu Lemon Athletics bag. You can use any plastic bag for your shoes, but I really like these types of bags.

For my toiletries, I put my non-liquids in the toiletry kit I got for $5 at my local grocery store.

I'm bringing a hair brush, a tooth brush, a hair clip, some hair elastics and pins, a travel brow comb, some bandages, a razor (some flights won't allow it, but you can always bring the razor handle and buy cartridges when you arrive at your destination), some Dove soap (I'm only taking this; body wash and facial cleanser take up too much room. Dove works well for both!), my Nivea deodorant and sun lip balm, and my Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me (has SPF 20!). I also added some stud earrings in a small Ziploc bag, and put them in as well.



For liquids, I'm taking some Off bug spray (for the evenings), my waterproof CoverGirl exact eyelights mascara, my CoverGirl liquid concealer, Vichy sun lotion, some Bath & Body Works moisturizer, which I put in an old Proactiv bottle, some travel shampoo and conditioner from Herbal Essences, Crest toothpaste, some Proactiv oil-free face moisturizer (which I put in a travel pot), and my CoverGirl BB cream (also in a travel pot).

I was able to fit it all in a plastic Ziploc bag, so I know it is under the maximum amount. Also, all bottles are under 3.4 ounces, so I'll be fine going through security with this.

Back to my suitcase packing, I put the shoe bag and toiletry kit on top of the laptop pouch (no liquids yet!). I zippered up the divider and was able to close the suitcase no problem! There was even a bit more room left, so I was really impressed.

For my 'personal item', I am putting everything in a beach bag. It's much bigger than a purse, and can easily hold things like my sunhat! Even for non-beach trips, I carry my personal items in a tote. I even put my purse inside it! That way if I buy anything, I have lots of room.

There's my navy/white beach bag! I'm putting in my RayBans (with case), my wallet, my fast flats makeup pouch, a Ziploc full of chargers, my Ziploc of liquids, my Kobo e-reader, my phone, my iPod, my iPad, and a sunhat!

My fast flat makeup pouch will hold a pack of gum (ALWAYS), my Maybelline Baby Lips in Peach Kiss, and a compact mirror. Usually I keep the one I bought in Paris in my makeup pouch, but this one is less delicate, so I won't need to worry about breaking it or sand scratching it.

And it all fits perfectly!

Hope you like my packing tricks! They apply to most types of travelling, and I really can put a weeks worth of stuff in a carry-on. Also, for trips that require more makeup, half of my toiletry kit was still empty when I packed it. I'm not worried!

I'll by doing another packing blog post later in August to show you how I pack for a wedding! I'll probably use the same size suitcase, but I'll most likely check it so I can bring more liquids.

If you have any questions, concerns, comments, or requests, feel free to Tweet me @PennilessBlog or email me at pennilessbeauty@gmail.com

Have a nice day!

Lawtons Drugs and Shoppers Drug Mart Haul (Canadian Drug Stores)

Hi again, we're having very dreary weather here, so I thought this would be the perfect time for another blog post! Today, I went to Lawtons Drugs and Shoppers Drug Mart to look at some products that I had been doing a bit of research on. I'll start with my Shoppers haul:

I only bought 4 things, and the total came to $27.10, which isn't too bad considering the quality of Quo products.

1. Quo Blending Sponge $5.00 (Similar to a Beauty Blender, but cheaper!) Quo is a Canadian company that sells makeup products, makeup brushes and tools, nail tools, and nail polish... Basically everything beauty-oriented.

2. Quo Brow and Lash Definer $4.00 (Great for travel, bought it for my upcoming TRAVEL POST!)

3. Off! Deep Woods insect repellent $5.99 (Also great size for travel, and will be featured in my upcoming TRAVEL POST!)

4. Annabelle Perfect Bronze bronzing pressed powder in Sun Kissed $8.99 (Now, I need to say a few things about this brand because it has REALLY impressed me! Annabelle cosmetics is a Canadian brand - based in Montreal - that makes hypoallergenic, paraben-free, and perfume-free products. Whether or not you live in Canada, I would definitely advise checking out this brand in any Canadian drug store or online. This line of cosmetics is absolutely perfect for sensitive skin!)

Now for my Lawtons Drugs haul! I was extremely impressed by some of their sales, especially their Maybelline mascara sale and their Revlon lip product sale. I always get really good deals at Lawtons.

The total for these 4 products came to $20.18, which is amazing considering the lipsticks and mascara should usually be about $10 each.

1. EOS lip balm in Strawberry Sorbet $3.39 (I actually just put some on while I was writing this, and it smells just like strawberry ice cream... YUM)

2. Maybelline Colossal Cat Eyes mascara in Glam Black $4.49 (It claims to leave no clumps, and give you a cat eye look. The brush has the same shape as the CoverGirl Clump Crusher - which I love - so I figured it's worth a try! Especially for the price... WOW!)

3. Revlon Lip Butter in Creamsicle $4.99 (I LOVE the Revlon Lip Butters! This shade looks really bright, I think it will be a nice summer colour)

4. Revlon Super Lustrous Matte lipstick in Nude Attitude $4.99 (I swatched this nude shade, and I find it goes really well with my skin tone. Can't wait to try it out!)


If you have tried any of these products, let me know if you liked them or not! You can tweet me @PennilessBlog or email me at pennilessbeauty@gmail.com ! Once I've tried all of my new products, I'll post a review. I'm definitely thinking of doing a brand review for Annabelle cosmetics... So many blog post ideas!

ALSO, keep checking this blog for my new TRAVELLING CARRY-ON post! It will be up before this Saturday, and I can't wait! Packing and organizing have always been my thing, and I have some really cool tips and tricks to share with you all!

Until next time,
Penniless Blogger

Walmart Haul

Hello everyone! So today I decided to browse Walmart for some drawer organizers... Instead, I ended leaving with only makeup products. Anyway, I decided to do a haul to show what I bought for ONLY $33.87! I was actually kind of impressed.

So these are the 6 items I purchased. I have heard great things about all of these products, and I have tried them before. I'll do a review once I've tried them all!

1. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Silver City Pink $6.97 (Definitely cheaper than drugstores)

2. NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny $2.97 (Such a good price, really hard to find one that hadn't been opened)

3. Maybelline Define-a-Brow in Dark Brown $7.46 (Hopefully this will be dark enough for my black eyebrows... Why can't my eyebrows be blonde like my hair? Ugh)

4. Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Clear/Transparent $4.96 (I've heard this works great on brows)

5. Wet n' Wild Coloricon trio in Walking on Eggshells $2.97 (Awesome price, and gorgeous nude shades)

6. Wet n' Wild Coloricon eyeshadow collection in Petal Pusher $4.64 (Another awesome price, and has the most beautiful shades of purple... I think I'm going to enjoy this one!)


If you have tried any of these before, let me know what you thought! Tweet me @PennilessBlog or email me at pennilessbeauty@gmail.com . You can also Facebook me at www.facebook.com/PennilessBeauty

Have a lovely day!

The Many Uses of Tea Tree Oil

Tea Tree Oil is a natural disinfectant that can be used not only for cleaning, but also for skincare and health remedies! The bottle I own is from Holista, and it is 100% Pure (very important) Tea Tree Oil. Like it says on the bottle, it's considered a herbal antiseptic.

1. Treats acne
This is the main reason why I started keeping a few bottles of Tea Tree Oil in my house. Because it is a natural disinfectant, it will clean out your pores and make acne disappear. I find the best way to use it is to put a drop on a cotton swab, and press it directly on any pimples you may have. Another option is to add 20 or so drops to you bottle of face wash, though I would only recommend that if your face wash is a mostly natural product. You don't want to risk adding Tea Tree Oil to something that won't react well with it. It could cause irritation and redness.

2. Insect repellent
Add 15 to 20 drops of oil to 1L of water, and place in a spray bottle. Very effective, and this way you're not putting chemicals all over your skin!

3. Antiseptic for cuts, blisters, and burns
We all know that blisters on your heels hurt like crazy and prevent you from wearing your favourite (though uncomfortable) shoes. With Tea Tree Oil, just clean the blister, burn or cut. Then, apply 2 to 3 drops of Tea Tree Oil on the wound, and let it sit for a few minutes before putting on a bandage. This keeps the wound from getting infected, and also speeds up healing!

4. Helps relieve cold and flu symptoms
There are multiple ways of using Tea Tree Oil for relief of cold and flu symptoms. The first, add 2 to 3 drops into a pot of boiling water. Remove the pot from the stove, and breath in the steam once it has started cooling down. This is also good for any kind of chest congestion or asthma. The second, add 10 or so drops with some Epsom salt in a warm bath. This also helps with muscle pains, and any chest congestion. You can also dilute it with another oil (like grapeseed or olive oil, 1 drops per tbsp. of cooking oil), and apply directly on your chest. It acts like VapoRub.

5. Anti-fungal treatment (for Athlete's Foot and Eczema)
For Athlete's Foot, clean your feet, then apply Tea Tree Oil directly on any affected areas. You can dust corn starch on it after to wick any moisture. Do not do this more than twice a month, since Tea Tree Oil is very strong, and should not be used in large quantities.

6. Help with dandruff, dry scalp and head lice
Add 20 to 30 drops of Tea Tree Oil to your daily shampoo. You can also add a drop or 2 to your lip balm to help with dry, chapped lips.


Hope you find this helpful! It's definitely a cheaper, more natural solution to most of these problems. Plus, there are dozens more uses for this natural antiseptic! These are just the ones that I've heard good things about.

P.S. I'll have a post on travelling carry-on up later this week! You can follow me on Twitter @PennilessBlog

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5 CoverGirl Products Worth Buying

Hi everyone! So this is the first post of my new series called Products Worth Buying. I'm starting off with CoverGirl because I truly believe that they make a lot of good quality products that are great for all skin types! For now, here are the 5 that have impressed me the most:

In this picture, we have the CG Smoothers BB cream, the TruBlend foundation, the Instant Cheekbones contouring blush, the Clump Crusher mascara, and the Exact Eyelights waterproof mascara.

1. CG Smoothers BB cream: I have this in fair to light, and I really love it! It blends in well, so it will pair seamlessly with most skin tones. It's also extremely hydrating, and has a very creamy texture. I find most CoverGirl products work really well for sensitive or combination skin, and does not make me break out. I have very dry areas on my face, and this evens out the texture and tone of my skin. However, there isn't a lot of coverage, so it won't completely hide under-eye circles or blemishes. BUT, that's what concealer is for! Overall, this is a great product that I use every day.

2. TruBlend foundation: I have this in ivory, it's much lighter (almost white) in person than in this picture. Like the BB cream, it is great for sensitive or combination skin because it does not cause me to break out or get dry patches. It never looks caky either! The texture is very nice, and it blends really well. This is definitely more coverage than the BB cream, but it's still not a full coverage foundation. TruBlend is perfect for young people with no severe facial problems, and comes in so many different shades!

3. Instant Cheekbones contouring blush: This trio of blushes is perfect for any beginner or for people who need a fast way to do some contouring. The light shade on the far right, is a very light pink highlight with the smallest amount of shimmer. I like to put it at the very tops of my cheekbones. The medium shade in the middle is a very natural-looking pink blush. The dark shade on the far left is a darker pink shade which you put on the line under your cheekbone (the fish-face line), to give your cheekbones a little more definition. Terrific instant contouring!

4. Clump Crusher mascara: The Clump Crusher mascara is AMAZING! It lengthens, volumizes, curls, and stays clump-free for the whole day. Really easy to apply, and the staying-power is really great! I consider it part of the LashBlast line because it is so similar, so I'll give an honourable mention to the LashBlast volumizing mascara. It is super volumizing and has very similar characteristics to the Clump Crusher. The only thing is that I like the wand of the Clump Crusher better because it is curved and really gets every lash (shown below).

5. Exact Eyelights waterproof mascara: As a lifeguard, I tend to spend a lot of my time in the water. This is by far the best waterproof mascara that I have tried! I have this for blue eyes, and the staying-power is remarkable. I've worn this while teaching swimming lessons, and it never causes me to have raccoon eyes or leave any mascara on my face. It actually stays on my lashes underwater! Luckily, it comes off fairly easily with makeup remover. Awesome product!

Fake MAC Brush Review

A while ago, I bought some fake MAC brushes from ebay for around $13. I mostly bought them because they came in a hard cylinder case (like the classic Sigma case), for a really good price. They arrived about a week ago, and here's what they look like:

They were also available in purple and blue. The case was exactly what I expected, but what surprised me was the variety and quality of the brushes! The set also came with 3 brush guards for the powder, blush, and duo fibre brushes. Anyway, let's start the review with the larger brushes shown on the left in the picture above.

From left to right: "MAC" 134, "MAC" 187, "MAC"168, and "MAC" 190.

"MAC" 134: Large powder brush. I find it very soft, though it's not as large as the real MAC 134. The bristles feel really nice on the skin, and it distributes product really well!
"MAC" 187: Duo fibre face brush. Also very soft, but the bristles are not very stiff, so this make applying certain products a little more difficult. I personally haven't found a good use for it yet, so I'll let you know when I do!
"MAC" 168: Large angled contour brush. I love this brush! The bristles are really soft, the angle is just right, and the size is perfect for applying blush and/or bronzer. I wouldn't use it for highlighting, just because I would personally rather use a smaller brush for highlight. I currently use this brush for putting on compact powder blushes, and it works great!
"MAC" 190: Foundation brush. All of these face brushes are very soft! I personally like applying foundation with my fingers, but when I want to really cover everything around my nose, this brush works great to get into those smaller areas.

Next, let's look at the smaller brushes!

 

 

From left to right: "MAC" 209, "MAC" 214, "MAC" 231, "MAC" 219, "MAC" 266, "MAC" 212, "MAC" 275, and "MAC" 316.

 

 

"MAC" 209: Eyeliner brush. I find that this is a bit too big to use as an eyeliner brush, and I have yet to find a better use for it. For now, I don't consider this a great brush.

 

"MAC" 214: Short shader brush. It's a bit bigger than the real MAC 214, but I still like it! The bristles are stiff, and it is perfect for applying shadows to your lid or even your crease. I actually like this better than my Quo eyeshadow brush!

 

"MAC" 231: Small shader brush. I also like this brush, it works really well for applying a light shadow or highlight to the inner corners of your eyes or under your brow line.

 

"MAC" 219: Pencil brush. To me, this doesn't resemble the real MAC 219 at all. It's much bigger, and resembles a blending brush more than anything. I think it works great for blending in the shadow in your crease, and creates a softer look.

 

"MAC" 266: Small angle brush. The angle is nice, but the bristles are way too soft to be good for any precision work. Despite that, it's a really soft brush that works well for highlighting under your brows.

 

"MAC" 212: Flat definer brush. Really nice brush, but I've never had a good use for a flat definer brush. I guess we'll see!

 

"MAC" 275: Medium angled shading brush. Also a really nice brush! I really like it, and it makes me sad that it's just a little too big to be of any use on my small eyelids... I'll have to find another use for this one as well.

 

"MAC" 316: Lip brush. I really like this one! Even though the bristles are stiff (which is great for precision, they are also really soft on the lips! The only bad part is that this brush isn't very nice-looking, but as long as it works well, I'm fine with it!

 

 

If you have any questions on where to find this product, or you want more detail on a certain brush, you can contact me by email at pennilessbeauty@gmail.com , by Facebook at www.facebook.com/PennilessBeauty , or by Twitter @PennilessBlog .

Review: Revlon Lip Butters!

It's review time! I've never been a fan of lipstick (still not), but Revlon Lip Butters feel like a lip balm even though they look like a lipstick! The colour lasts a long time, and so does the hydration. I only re-apply once in a 12-hour day. The best way to wear these is to apply a regular lip balm first to act as a primer and help hydrate your lips. The lip balm (if it has spf) can protect your lips from the sun as well. So, here are my four favourites:

 

 

From left to right, there's Creme Brulee (nude colour), Candy Apple (soft red), Sugar Frosting (light pink), and Tutti Frutti (coral). They all have a shimmery look, but not to the point that it looks really glossy or unnatural.

Revlon Lip Butters are sold in most drug stores and even a lot of grocery stores (Loblaw's, Superstore, Dominion). The price is usually between $8 and $10 per item, so the best thing to do is get them on sale.

How Fast Flats Can Help You Store Your Makeup

Okay, so the title of this post sounds weird. BUT, it's true! When I bought my Dr. Scholl's For Her Fast Flats, they came in a little gold bag (see picture below). Fast Flats are really affordable, and they are super comfortable to wear while studying in the library or rehearsing for a theatre production. Really, they're useful everywhere. However, I hardly ever put them in the little bag they came in.

This small bag is actually the perfect size for basic makeup touch-up products! Plus, the bags always come in really cute colours and patterns. Mine is gold, but there were some in neon pink, zebra print, and polka dots. Anyway, here's what is currently in my Fast Flat makeup bag:

Listing the products shown above the bag from left to right, there is a pocket mirror, a CoverGirl liquid concealer, a Maybelline Baby Lips, a waterproof CoverGirl mascara, a Nivea sun lip balm, an OPI Avojuice skin quencher (hand lotion), and a pack of gum. All of this stuff doesn't even fill the bag! I can also add a powder or blush compact, a single eyeshadow, a few Band-Aids, some safety pins, and some hair elastics without the bag becoming too full. It's also the perfect size for a purse or backpack!

The Wonders of Amazon

Hello again! Whether or not you live in Canada, every large country has their own Amazon website. What's really great about Amazon, is that you can actually get beauty products for really cheap! I bought 2 Revlon Lip Butters for $12, which is $8 less than what I would have spent in a local drug mart. The only trick with Amazon, is that you need to place a large enough order, so that you are able to get free shipping. So, instead of going to Sephora or Wal-Mart every week, try making a wish list on amazon, and after 2 months, order all of the makeup you had wanted to buy during those weeks. It really pays off! Also, there are a lot of products on Amazon that you might not be able to get in your area, which means more options as well. I would definitely recommend it!

Organizing Toiletries Using Things Around Your House

Hi everyone! This is a continuation of my last post, the one on organizing makeup.

So, this is how I organize my face products and some hair stuff:

I used clear bathroom containers that I used to use for storing toothpaste and dental floss, and put cotton swabs in the smaller one (perfect fit), and hair elastics/pins in the larger one. I leave my brush loose, and use the same type of container for all of my face products and deodorant as the one I used for mascara. I leaves just enough room to put my makeup remover sheets beside it.

Tip: For all drawers, I put some drawer liner (it almost feels like foam), so that everything will stay in place. Ask your friends or family, you're bound to know someone who has some, and they're usually willing to give some to you.

Next, I like to keep my other skin and hair products under the sink because these products are mostly in tall bottles.

Again, I used another clear container like the ones I mentioned earlier, except in a larger size. I actually bought these boxes to separate things when I moved, and I find them very convenient! Another perfect alternative for this is a shoe box! Preferably one that used to hold boots because they are bigger. It's a great way to store all tall bottles, so you can see them easily.

That's it for now! There will be more organization videos coming shortly, along with some makeup reviews of affordable beauty essentials.

Organizing Makeup Using Things Around Your House

If you're at all like me, diy crafts are not something you're not very good at. So, instead of making cardboard organizers, I used things found in my house. I had originally looked at tons of articles about this kind of thing, but they mentioned a lot of items (like silver platters and old tea cups) that I just didn't have. So, here's what I came up with!

First I'll start with how I store my makeup brushes, and eye, lip, and brow pencils:

I found this plastic, gold-coloured vase in my mother's basement. I filled it with rice, and was able to easily store all of my brushes and pencils. Any vase, box (even a pretty shoe box), plastic container or candle holder should do the trick!

Next, how I organize all of my most used makeup products. I keep all extra makeup in a shoebox under my sink (it does the trick).

 

In the mason jars, I keep my double-ended brow and lash comb with a pair of tweezers, my three concealers, and the last one holds my lip products. My EOS lip balm currently has no place to go yet, but I don't mind having it loose. On the bottom left of this photo, there's an old case that my iPod nano came in. These clear plastic containers are great! I use this one for my favourite gel liner, glitter liner, and liquid liner. The two organizers on the bottom right are actually organizers that came in a sandwich container. All students can easily use a sandwich container, so buying one with a removable snack organizer can serve for two different purposes! I use these organizers for all of my compact products, and one section to stand up all of my liquid foundations and primers. The plastic container in the back is a plain plastic container with a cover, which I found in my closet full of old receipts. I emptied it to store my eyelash curler, pencil sharpener, and mascara. I tuck samples in beside it. Other things you can use are coffee mugs (great for mascaras), wet wipe containers, and any plastic container (usually electronics come in great boxes).

See my next post for non-makeup organization!

Welcome to Penniless Beauty!

Hi everyone! Like many others, I'm a university student on a budget. I thought it would be interesting to create a blog where I can share and keep track of all of the tips and tricks I have discovered! This blog will mostly focus on beauty, fashion, organization, and other fun stuff about surviving as a student. Hope you enjoy the reading!

Keep checking back for tips, tricks, and ideas!
PennilessBlogger