essentials

lately, i've been playing around with different brands, and figuring out where they fit into my normal routine. since said routine often involves not washing my hair, wearing no makeup, and needing constant attention on my lips, i've wrangled up some real beauties recently.

smashbox limitless eyeliner  ||  liquid eyeliner?? girl you cray! i know. i know that's what you're thinking. i - the girl who can't figure out what kind of mascara to buy when entering a drug store - purchased a liquid liner, on the advice of a drug store person. and i gotta tell you. i'm hooked.
smith's rosebud salve  ||  founded in 1895, this company sticks to what it knows. and this salve nails it. i use it for everything - so it's amazing to travel with. i use it for lip balm - of course - but i also use it for a base for my eye liner/shadow, as a brow tamer, and as a subtle sheen for cheeks. the odd time i'll use it for dry skin, and sometimes even to law the smackdown on frizz or static in my hair (fine haired ladies? you out there?). i've written about the strawberry salve before... and this one is sort of a more multi use, and classic version of that one.
kevin murphy 'fresh hair'  ||  i was turned onto dry shampoo with the turn of the short hairdo. aka. my justin bieber hair cut of 2012. kevin murphy is a brand i love - they are paraben and sulfate free, and they smell amazing. and THIS little ditty - this dry shampoo - allows me to extend my washing of hairs for an extra day... sometimes two (if we're being honest with one another). which is amazing. because i hate washing my hair. and i have bangs - so all my bang-ed sisters out there feel me.
deborah lippman nail polish  ||  i was only recently hooked on deborah lippman, though the connection was a long time coming. DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY SPARKLE NAILPOLISHES SHE MAKES?! a lot. it's sort of her thing. so needless to say, when i was at a salon event recently, and they were offering a discount on these teensy tiny combo packs of DL polish... in a SPARKLY CHANGE PURSE.... i was sold. and it's amazing. biotin and green tea extract, and none of the terribly four. so not only is it not bad for my nails - it's actually helping them grow. swoon. and - of course - i love any nail polish in tiny bottles. they are perfect for travelling, and because i get bored so easily.

can i call myself a woman now? please?

my travel essentials

while planning to spend a week in the car, it's vital to plan minimalistically. think - things that you can grab in one bag, and take into whatever home you have for that evening. think, small versions of everything, and only the most vital. think, staying in touch with family and friends so mom knows i'm still alive, and cousins know when i'll arrive to scam a night's stay off of them. think, things that make a week (and 2 days) in a car much more bearable. think.... sometimes a girl just needs to her most important jewelry to keep her feeling safe.
so, i share with you some of the things i kept closest to me throughout my trip. a few things in my purse, and in my carry-in (that's like a carry-on, but that you carry into people's homes when you are leaching on them for a night's stay).

clockwise from top left: opi nail envy  //  burt's bees herbal blemish stick  //  aveda hand relief  //  paper airplane necklace  //  rosebud salve strawberry lip balm  //  bronze ring

OPI nail envy  //  when i get ultimately stressed, i pick and chew my nails. it's a disgusting habit, and one i can't kick. so, i need to constantly have something on my nails. normally, that would be nail polish, or more recently shellac. but, when on the road... that's not possible. so, instead, i bring with me OPI nail envy. it's a good base coat, it's a bit shiny, and it helps keep my nails from splitting and snagging (ahem.... from being bitten). 

burt's bees herbal blemish stick  //  road trips = stress = breakouts. seriously. there are a million photos of landscape from this trip, and barely any of me. my face reacts horrendously to stress. so, add up packing everything you own, and then spending a (unintentionally) stressful chunk of time in a car. breakout central. burt's is incredible. a more natural option. and since i lost the cap from my tea tree oil, this roll on stick was ideal for my purse. 

aveda hand relief // anyone who has not used this handcream - go. now. buy some. it's worth it. i also have the large version in hand and foot. it's thick, but not greasy, and it smells like every other aveda product - un. believe. able. spending so much time in the car, and driving through so many climates through canada (and snow storms galore) my hands were a disaster - think, the desert mixed with the surface of the moon. thank goodness for a hand cream you can depend on. 

paper airplane necklace  //  this is one of my staple necklaces... simple. mixed metal, so able to swing working with anything. and, what it meant. from one of my favourite small stores in vancouver, it was only appropriate that i wear it across the country. paper airplanes, to travel to a place i've wanted to live for so long? was an easy choice for something to wear all week. love it. 

rosebud strawberry lip balm  //  i am in constant possession of at least 13 lipbalms at all times. however, i'm also the queen of losing lipbalms. so i ALWAYS have a tin of lipbalm with me at all times. for some reason, i am much better at losing tube lip balm than tins. so, tins rule on road trips. rosebud lip salve is to die for. it's not sticky, smells like heaven, totally moisturizes forever and ever, and it lasts just as long. and, i'll admit it, i've used it many times for cracked knuckles and cuticles (probably against all lip balm rules, but, whatever. it works). you can buy it from sephora, both in store and online here as well. 

bronze ring  //  this is my daily ring. a re:claim ring - part of a stock of vintage rings i gathered - i kept one for myself, before selling the rest. i'm on the hunt for more, as they are my absolute fave thing in the world to sell (even though i didn't make them myself).

clockwise from top left: a killside krafts pouch which was a gift from a friend  //  my trusty blackberry  //  a sandqvist iPad case (with iPad)  //  burgundy re:claim wallet  //  sunglasses  //  small disc activated heating pad  //  pens with 

striped pouch  //  a friend of mine gave me the gift of this striped pouch, and the iPad case just before my departure. the pouch was a fantastic friend for cord management. since every day came with a need to charge every electronic device i have, it was nice to know exactly where those cords were. though i must say - i can't wait to use this pouch for something FUN now that i don't need it to store cords.
blackberry  //  what can i say? we have a love hate relationship. it keeps me in touch, but provides me with endless sources of frustration. oh well.... worked for this trip.
sandqvist pouch and iPad  //  my constant companion. this case was a gift before i left, and it is perfection... totally my style. it was so nice to have a case that was light, but didn't look like a iPad case.  love it. and of course, my iPad. unspeakable. love it.
burgundy reclaimed leather wallet  //  this was my first foray into leather goods - the first thing i made. i intended on making pendants for necklaces with some reclaimed leather i gathered, but ended up with this little goodie. and i've never looked back. it holds all my cards and cash. and ensures i don't carry too much. i love it.
sunglasses  //  not much exceptional about these, except that they're tortoise shell outside, and pink inside. which i like. i lose sunglasses so often, my shades are constantly changing. these will likely be gone in a week or two.
heating pad  //  with a back injury, the first thing people say is 'do not spend excess amounts of time sitting'. tee hee. so, 2 heating pads came with me on the trip - a plug in one, and this marvellous splendid wonder of science. it's a heating disc that uses sodium acetate to react with a small metallic disc in the pouch. it heats up for about an hour, then, you boil it to reset. it's PERFECT for a car, when you can't plug something in. i survived by this little scientific miracle for the 9 days.
stylus pens (pen with stylus tip on end)  //  i picked them up on clearance at chapters a little while ago, with the intent of using them for handwriting on my iPad. would you believe they are also the best pens i own? having a pen is vital when roadtripping (and, turns out, when buying a new car). so glad to have these little puppies. i also brought with me a 7 year pen that was a gift from a friend, for my 'every day memory book'. all necessary items.

and that's what a roadtrip with me looks like. what are your daily items?

(lots of people have asked me about where to get the airplane necklace, and the burgundy wallet. the necklace is from walrus in vancouver - you can check out their online store here, and you can check out their website, and go visit them too. they are wonderful! the wallet is one i made from reclaimed leather. once i'm established with an apartment here in vancouver, i will be posting some of my reclaimed leather goods in my shop)