While this post is sponsored by Target, all ideas and opinions expressed here are my own.

Kids are already out of school (funny how already I pay attention to this now that I am a new mom!) and it’s time to pack and get ready to go on a vacation. Or maybe you decided to stay close or drive a few towns over – road trip! In today’s blog post, I wanted to share some of my travel beauty tips and products to keep your suitcase light and your day-to-day hassle-free.

HAIR

Let’s talk about hair! When I am out and about on a new adventure, especially during the summer, I want to keep my hair up and away, and as low-maintenance as possible. If you didn’t know, I have curly, wavy, thick hair; normally, I would need to bring around a hair dryer and an iron, but those things can get heavy. Normally, I just hope and wish that the hotel we are staying at will have a dryer and I will pack the shampoo and conditioner and some styling goods. I don’t want to risk using the hotel shampoo and having my hair dry out, so I am going to transfer some Hair Food goodness into smaller containers to take with me. I know I can rely on the sweet-smelling product to keep my hair soft and under control because this shampoo really hydrates without parabens, silicone, mineral oils and dyes. It keeps my hair looking and feeling healthy.

Hair tip number one: With damp, clean hair (add styling product if any), I will either braid or twist my hair into mini buns and go to bed. That way, in the morning when I unravel these babies, I have luscious, bouncy hair. If you want more of a wave, you can braid them instead. Also, depending on how tight the hair buns or braids are, the texture you created for your hair will change.

After you have created some texture, here’s an easy way to keep bangs or hair out of your face: Part your hair down the middle. Take a portion of one side. Twist and pin down from the back to hide the pin. (A great style for girls growing out their bangs!)

If the day does get really warm or hot, pull all your hair to the back for a ponytail. I used these hair ties and hair pins.

Another trick: Hide the hair tie for going out at night. There’s something about hair ties showing that suggests a daytime look. What I do is take a portion from the bottom of the ponytail, twist it around the top of the hair tie and pin the remaining hair on the bottom side, hiding the hairpin away.

MAKEUP

Before I begin, I am going to repeat myself in every beauty blog post and video I create: Never forget your sunscreen!! Especially when you are traveling, you want to use something you are familiar with on your skin and face. My new favorite has been the Bare Republic Mineral Face Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30. The smell and soft consistency of this is awesome. It really works well as a base for your makeup, and doesn’t leave your face feeling greasy or oily. It’s an amazing chemical-free active sunscreen that was made in California! You will spot me talking about this in my monthly favorites for sure. P.S. On the back of the bottle it says that this size is TSA-safe and perfect for travel.

Okay, now that sunscreen is taken care of, here are some pointers:

No 1: Bring a quad or a small eye-shadow pallet you like, such as this awesome Sonia Kashuk Eye Shadow Quad in Shimmering Sands. Perfect colors for everyday; use the bigger sparkle for nights out. Use the other golden tones as a base all over your eyelids. The shadows are beautiful and blend wonderfully.

No 2: You have been traveling all day and you have decided to go out to explore the city, but you want to hide that your eyes look tired. Use this Sonia Kashuk® Dramatically Brightening Kajal Gel Eyeliner. White eyes will appear brighter and illuminated with the help of this kohl liner. You can use it on the waterline because it won’t irritate thanks to the rose and mimosa waxes that are in this unique-looking liner. I use mine on the inner corners of my eyes for an instant pick-me-up, or, since the whole kohl stick was out, I rubbed it on the top of my cheekbones!

No 3: : Need impact? Use a color liner! This year’s fashion runways were all about the color liners. I found a great color (very pigmented) from Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen in cobalt. This eye pen is super soft, and the color comes out nicely. I know it can be frightening to use a color, so maybe start off with complementing colors! Opposites attract: For my brown eyes, blue hues like purple, lavender, pink, turquoise or gold/copper are great too. If you have blue eyes, try bronze, oranges or a rusty tone. Green-eyed beauties go with purple, gold, dark turquoise or maybe even hazel. If you are looking for other beautiful eye pencils, check out the range that Pixi has from the Endless Silky Eye Pen line!

Glow Mist from Pixi by Petra is another favorite of mine for every day. Literally every day. Not gonna lie, I went to two different Target stores to get one of these, and they are always sold out. Buy it online at Target.com to save some time and gas money!

Use it before you do your makeup to hydrate, protect and nourish. Use it again after to set your look and create a beautiful, dewy finish. Or just anytime to refresh your makeup, hydrate and add some more glow. The best!