I’ve just about spent up my vacation time this summer having already traveled to Montreal in May and then to the Poconos over July 4th. But for those of you who have a vacation coming up, I thought I’d help you put together your beauty kit. Seeing as airlines have not let up on the liquid restrictions, here are some great options for all you ladies on the go this season.

Philip B. Nordic Wood Travel Size One Step Hair and Body Shampoo is great if you don’t want to mess with multiple products. The scent is clean and invigorating and unisex so that you can share with your mate as well. Retails for $8.

Can a product work harder than DuWop’s Revolotion Face which is a tinted moisturizer and sunscreen in one? I think not. Retails for $29.

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips & Cheeks is a great two-in-one to give you a healthy glow without trying hard. Retails for $22.

You couldn’t ask for a lovelier fragrance than this Marc Jacobs scent which features gardenia, wild muguet, cedar and ginger. Plus, it comes as a solid compact to prevent against spills and mess. Retails for $55.

This Go Smile Jet Set Kit contains an AM Toothpaste, PM Toothpaste and a travel toothbrush. It all comes packed in a TSA-approved clear travel case. This is nice because you can keep it in your purse to freshen up mid-flight if need be. Retails for $12.

Keep yourself neat and groomed with this handy little Pop-Up Travel Brush by Sephora. One click of a button and the bristles pop out so you can brush away! Retails for $8.

Korres Guava Body Butter To Go is a rich, tropical-scented cream that will take you away to paradise whether you’re actually in paradise or wishing you were (I’m talking to all you business travelers). Try dabbing a bit on the ends of your hair if you’re experiencing flyaways and forgot the hair products at home. Retails for $8.50.

Check out this bad boy - the Japonesque ‘Go Curl Pocket Eyelash Curler. It curls your lashes and comes in such a cute, compact size. Retails for $10.50.

Leave a comment and tell me what you have in your travel beauty kit!

This past weekend I was talking to my friend, Sue, who said to me, “You’re not the kind of girl who wears much makeup, are you?”

In my head I’m thinking, “Are you kidding me? Do you know how much effort it takes to look this good?”

Haha. Just kidding. Sort of.

Another friend of mine once described me as the kind of girl who is high maintenance in order to look low maintenance. Meaning, I’m the kind of girl who wants people to believe that I just threw myself together last minute when in fact, I spent the previous night thinking and plotting to achieve that effortless yet becoming look.

And yes, I admit that is the kind of girl I am. But tell me some of you aren’t like that, too?

So to get that no-makeup makeup look (which I am pictured sporting here), here is what I use, and my step-by-step guide:

1. Bobbi Brown Blemish Cover Stick - You can read my previous review here, but I always start with clean, as-flawless-as-possible skin. I use this product to conceal and heal blemishes at the same time, thanks to ingredients like oil-absorbing kaolin clay and special plant derivatives that reduce redness.

Depending on your skin type, you might also want to use a tinted moisturizer, but the key is to keep the look natural and not to hide your skin under layers of foundation and makeup.

2. Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat (Radiant Touch) - I purchased this for my wedding and it’s become a beloved staple in my collection. I use it to conceal undereye circles. As another trick for brightening my face, I dab a bit on the corners of my nose by the nostrils and also around the corners of my mouth.

Also, did anyone see this product in this month’s Allure magazine in the article about iconic products? It joins rank with Estee Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair and Clinique’s Almost Lipstick in Black Honey (one of my favorites as well).

3. Stila Eyeshadow in Kitten - I sweep this shimmery, champagne-colored eyeshadow on my lids to warm up my skin and wake up my eyes with the light-reflecting pigments. Subtle, yet effective. One of their top sellers, and I can see why.

4. Sonia Kashuk Deluxe Travel Brush Set from Target - I use the largest size eyeshadow brush available in the kit to sweep on the Stila eyeshadow. In general, this brush set is a great value at $19.99, and I highly recommend you get yourself a set.

5. Tarte Rest Assured Brightening Wand - I use the pencil end of this to draw a line along my lower lash line. The nude-pink color adds a bit of brightness to the eyes, opens them up and makes you look more awake and fresh.

6. Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler - I remember buying this six years ago as a poor college student, one summer while working in Chicago as an advertising intern. It was a lot of money for me at the time ($18), but boy was it worth it. It’s one of Shu Uemura’s best sellers, and gives my lashes the most perfect curl.

7. Dior DiorShow Mascara - This was a freebie from Sephora that I picked up a month or so ago. I finally started using it after I ran out of my beloved Lancome Definicils, and I must say that I am starting to love it more and more.

The wand is oversized, and I found this difficult to navigate at first, but now I love how it gives me full, long lashes without clumping. It’s a great overall mascara for both length and volume.

8. Tarte Cheekstain in Flush - By now, you all know how much I love this stuff, so I will spare you the soliloquies. Anyway, a dab of this stuff on both cheeks and you have instantly achieved a natural, healthy looking glow.

9. Lancome Juicy Tubes in Berry Bold - My friend, Hannah, introduced this product to me, and it’s fabulous. You think that with a sheer lip gloss it doesn’t matter which shade you buy, but it really does. This shade provides a hint of reddish-pink for a subtle touch of color.

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Voila! With that, you have achieved a fresh, beautiful, breezed-right-out-the-door look. And for you busy women out there (myself included), this is an easy look that takes five minutes to put together, if that.