What's in My Winter Beauty Bag.

With the change of the seasons comes the change of the items in my handbag. Just as I am changing out the colors in my makeup and switching up a few things in my skincare routine, I always make a point to go into the beauty bag that I carry in my handbag and switch out products too. I keep my beauty bag stocked with just the necessities that I might need to get me through the day. These are the few vital products I am keeping in my beauty bag this winter.

Beauty Bag Must Haves

A concealer for touching up is a must! I've sung the praises of COVERGIRL Ready Set Gorgeous Concealer in the past and I think I've had it in my beauty bag ever since. This concealer is perfect for touch-ups and layering over makeup. It's super lightweight and blends easily.

Beauty Bag Must: a great concealer like COVERGIRL Ready Set Gorgeous Concealer for quick touch-ups


I rarely touch up my mascara, but because it is party season and I've been doing a lot of running around lately, I recently added a mascara to my beauty bag. Thinking of any possible eye look, I have the Makeup Academy Amp-Up Adjustable Mascara tucked into my bag. You see, not only does this mascara feature a buildable volumizing formula, it has a really innovative adjustable bush head. That means that I can create a lash look that is natural, full of volume or length or both โ€” it's up to me and how I use the wand.

MUA Professional Amp Up Adjustable Impact Mascara

For face touch-ups, I have a L'Orรฉal Paris True Match Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator in Golden in my winter beauty bag. This is a blush and highlight product in one. It adds the perfect golden bronze glow to my cheeks and it seems to blend well over any makeup look I am wearing.

L'Oreal Paris Illuminator

Of course I have lippies in my beauty bag; it wouldn't be complete without it. I could fill up an entire bag with lipstick and lipgloss but I've learned that I only need a few good basics, so I keep it pared down.  I don't wear lipgloss as often in the winter as I do in the summer, so I've kept it to just three lipstick products for winter. Right now I have COVERGIRL Lipperfection Jumbo Gloss Balm in Coco Twist, COVERGIRL Outlast Longwear Lipstick in Phantom Pink (this is super moisturizing) and L'Orรฉal Paris Colour Rich Balm in Nourishing Nude. 

Beauty Bag Must Have: great neutral lipsticks!

The perfect accessory to my lipstick is white teeth, of course. I mentioned how I was working on my party perfect smile a few weeks ago, and I've been touching that up on-the-go as well. That's why my beauty bag also includes the Whitening Pen from the CVS Healthโ„ข Toothbrush & Whitening Pen On-the-Go Treatment. This Whitening Pen is a really quick and easy way to whiten my smile. I apply the gel formula (it has a refreshing mint flavor) to freshly brushed teeth and let it dry for about 30 seconds. I'm careful not to eat or drink for 30 minutes after applying and just let the clinically proven advanced formula do the work.

I use the CVS Healthโ„ข Whitening Pen when I know I am going to be out and about driving, running errands, shopping or right before a hair or nail appointment. It's one of those effortless little things that I can do that has a big payoff. I have noticed whiter teeth after only a few days of using.

CVS Health Toothbrush & Whitening Pen On-the-Go Treatment
CVS Health Whitening Pen
CVS Health Whitening Pen and Toothbrush

The last item in my winter beauty bag is a hand cream. This year I discovered Excipial Rapid Repair Hand Cream and my skin just drinks in the concentrated formula. I've been applying it every night before bed, but I also keep a tube in my beauty bag to use it on-the-go. Cold weather and a lot of hand washing means I need extra moisturization throughout the day too.

Beauty Bag Must Have: a great hand cream like Excipial Intensive Healing Cream

The products in my winter beauty bag can all be found at CVS/pharmacy, where you can find me shopping often. I like shopping at CVS for a few reasons. First, it's so convenient for me with two CVS stores in my town. I love that both stores (all CVS stores, in fact) have a HUGE selection of beauty products and innovative new items like the CVS Healthโ„ข Toothbrush & Whitening Pen On-the-Go Treatment. Second, CVS always has great deals and special perks. The perks are courtesy of the Beauty Club. Members of the CVS Beauty Club get things like $5 ExtraBucksยฎ Rewards for every $50 spent on qualifying beauty products plus $3 ExtraBucksยฎ Rewards on your birthday. Sign up if you haven't yet; you'll get a 10% off beauty shopping pass when you first sign up.

Do you carry anything different in your beauty bag in the winter months?

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in collaboration with CVS/pharmacy. All opinions are 100% my own.

MAC Mariah Carey All I Want Lipstick.

When I first got news of the MAC X Mariah Carey lipstick collaboration back in September, I could not wait! Just one glance at All I Want Lipstick and I knew that this shimmery champagne frosted lipstick had to be mine. I was immediately sold on this limited edition holiday release.

MAC Mariah Carey All I Want Lipstick

All we want this holiday is MยทAยทC Mariah Carey, featuring All I Want Lipstick in shimmering champagne. One luminous swipe makes lips as fierce and timeless as the icon herself.

All I Want Lipstick is beautiful, especially if you like shimmer! It is perfect for this time of year. It is like a sheer golden champagne shimmer. It is called a frost, but not like one of those 80's frosted (you know the type of frosts I'm talking about!) lipsticks. This is more of a shimmer that reflects off the light.

MAC Mariah Carey All I Want Lipstick

This lipstick honestly looks different with all different makeup looks and in different light. I never take makeup pictures, but I did just to show you how different this looks in a swatch vs. on the lips (one reason I never swatch).

MAC Mariah Carey All I Want Lipstick Swatch

All I Want Lipstick sells for $17.00 and it's available right now at maccosmetics.com. It's an online exclusive so that's the only place you're going to find it.

MAC Dita Von Teese Lipstick.

If there was ever a perfect red lipstick AND a perfect person to launch one, this is it! MAC has teamed up with the one and only Dita Von Teese to launch a GORGEOUS vivid tomato red lipstick in MAC Dita Von Teese.

MAC Dita Von Teese

This lipstick is inspired by Dita's new book Your Beauty Mark and it is also Dita's signature shade. It is said to bring out your "seductive spirit".

This matte red shade is beautiful. It is a true bright red - I think the tomato describes it best. It is highly pigmented and lasts a good five to six hours before fading. Dita is obviously wearing a gloss over it in the photo and I would guess a dark liner.

MAC Dita Von Teese Lipstick
MAC Dita Von Teese Lipstick swatch

I love the limited edition tube and printed box.

MAC Dita Von Teese Lipstick

MAC Dita Von Teese will be available beginning December 9th at all MAC locations such as Macy's and Nordstrom and maccosmetics.com for $18.00.