Happy Thursday everyone! And also happy Fourth of July weekend to you all Americans! I will be spending this Independence Day at Wisconsin Dells, which is like America's biggest water park industry, with a couple of good friends and family. With that being said, there's gonna be a lot less makeup being put on so, here's a really simple and less dramatic makeup look for when you don't necessarily want to apply a huge amount of makeup while you're on vacation. 

On trips anyway, I don't normally pack a ton of makeup; just the essentials like foundation, powder, some lip gloss... I only really use makeup on trips if I am going out to eat or when I know I can touch up later. Since it is summer, I tend to lose the liquid foundations and all the shiny stuff that I don't really need to use this time of year. 

It comes with four, neutral, matte shades (from left to right): Call My Buff, Thanks A Latte, Gilt-y Pleasure, and Kiss Me I'm Tipsy. It also comes with a mini Stay Don't Stray eye shadow primer and a mini They're Real mascara. So really, all you need is your face stuff, this kit, and some lip gloss and you're good to go! Btw, I love the primer and the mascara so dearly. I bought the full sizes of each and I can't stop using them both. The primer makes the shadow stay in place ALL DAY. The mascara makes my lashes really voluminous, too. 

Before I tackle my whole face situation, I always try to use primer. I never used it in the past, I didn't really know what it was, until I just started seeing a difference in my makeup after I tried it for the first time! The Laura Geller Spackle Under Makeup Primer is great when you need your face to not "move around" throughout the day of vacationing and what not. I also prefer to use primers that have SPF in them, especially during the summer but, this one does a great job at mattifying your face for a long time. 

Like I said before, I'm not all about that liquid foundation life at all in the summer. On vacation, I need something that will fix my shine and keep me matte and pore-less for a few hours and that's that! I'll dab on a little Stila Stay All Day Concealer under my eyes to really brighten them up (you know because you might be jet lagged or just really tired all the time like me) and pat on some Laura Geller Balance N Brighten Powder to mattify my shiny face! 

I feel like active-wear nowadays has stepped up to a whole new level. There are now more stores than ever dedicated to just simply all things active wear: Lululemon, Lucy, Athleta, Fabletics, and you know stores that have been around forever like Nike and Adidas. I'll walk into some of these stores and find like the cutest workout clothes and cringe at the price tag. However, I am all about buying workout clothes and shoes that are earth-friendly. Especially when they're made from old yoga mats!

I found these Sanuk Yoga Slinged Up Flip Flops at my local Nordstrom and fell completely in love with them. During the summer, all I wear are flip flops and sandals. I'll go through so many pairs and get them gross and beat up. I think that sandals are a great investment because you can pretty much wear them with anything and anywhere!

Sometimes flip flops, like the really cheap ones, can hurt your feet after a while or break and that's why these are the best and most comfortable/durable ones I have owned. They are incredibly cushiony and the awesome yoga sling strap makes a really cute and unique touch. It comes with a little card that shows different ways to tie the straps and I think that's a really nice detail. 

I have worn these to yoga and they're so easy to just untie and slip off and get right back on after practice. My mom was worried that the straps wouldn't really hold my feet in but, I have had no trouble walking in them (or running in them if you're curious). There's no imprint of your feet like some flip flops leave and I haven't received any blisters or cuts from the straps, either. They have a pretty nice tread on the bottoms so you won't like slip everywhere, too! 

I read online that the sponge like soles are not good near water. I would be careful at the pool or the beach, even in the rain. Rarely have I worn these on rainy days but, I have worn them to the pool and just took them off when I knew I was going to swim. I think they would just suck in a ton of water and probably mold and smell. I am also not sure about how much arch support they offer. They're super soft and comfy but, wouldn't be that great if you have severe foot issues. 

Besides those couple things, these are really great sandals. They'll last you a really long time if the right care is given and are amazingly comfy. It literally feels like I'm on my yoga mat all day! I take yoga with me everywhere I go with these shoes. I hope you guys enjoyed this mini review! I am always scouting out for great sandals, and these are really great and cute for summer. 

Do you have a favorite pair of sandals that you can't seem to stop wearing?

Xoxo, Nat

Okay, you know when you have like a ton of makeup that you really want to bring with you, but you just can't seem to either 1) fit it all in your small, compact makeup bag or 2) decide on which makeup item to even bring? Like mascara? I have so many mascaras and they're pretty big and bulky to just bring along sometimes.  Mascara has to be one of my favorite makeup items; I can't leave the house without a couple swipes on my upper lashes. With that being said, here are some of my top recommended mascaras that you can try out if you are looking for a new, holy grail mascara, or just need one for travel! 

Benefit Roller Lash- It really came down to deciding which Benefit mascara I liked the most, and to be honest, I love the Roller Lash just as much as I love They're Real. I would say that the Roller Lash does a really great job curling the lashes more than They're Real does. If you can't fit a lash curler into your travel bag, this is the one for you!

Benefit They're Real- This is a classic for many, and I love how much length this one gives compared to the Roller Lash. It does a great job spreading out my lashes, giving it a pretty butterfly effect. 

Makeup Forever Smokey Extravagant- I also fell in love with the Makeup Forever Smokey Extravagant mascara because of the tear-dropped shaped applicator. It really helps get every single lash, especially since it's mini size! This one also does a great job with executing the perfect butterfly lashes!  

MAC False Lashes- I'd like to say that this one gives the illusion of false lashes, and I think it rather enhances and lengthens your lashes instead of giving you a huge, dramatic, faux-looking lash. It's really great when you need extra volume to your lashes, though.  

I decided to write this little, quick post because I was trying to start thinking of packing for a trip that I will be going on in the next week or so and didn't want to load my makeup bag with a ton of crap. I don't normally have three posts a week and I wasn't really planning on posting this, but I thought you guys might be interested in my go-to, mini mascaras. I mean, all of these are pretty amazing mascaras. There wasn't one that I didn't like! I hope you guys try these out if you are looking for new mascaras to try or need a new travel-size one to take on vacation! 

Is there a mascara I should try next? Share Below!

Xoxo, Nat