I’ve been in Panama City, Florida for the last week and I’ve been getting some much needed sun and relaxation. Here’s a few shots from our vacation!
My Vacation In Pictures: Panama City, Florida
Category Archives: Miscellaneous
Fitness Friday: Staying Active on Vacation
I’m at the tail end of a week long stay in Panama City Beach, Florida, where I’ve been partaking in plenty of eating and drinking, loads of sunbathing, sticking my toes in the ocean and overall just sitting around on my duff a lot. It’s been fabulous, and I’m sure I’m overdoing it on my caloric intake, but I am doing my best to at least stay somewhat active.
Over the last year, I’ve made it a point to find a race to do while on vacation so that I could take part in a fun event, stay active and (more than likely) see a new area that I wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to. Running is phenomenal for this! While not everyone is gungho on racing, running is still one of the easiest activities there is to do. All you need is some running shoes and (if you’re female) a sportsbra and you’re good to go. I wasn’t able to lockdown a race while in Panama City, but I did make it a point to head out for two separate runs.
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5k run along Thomas Drive in Panama City, Florida
My first run out was rather bracing. Having come from a “just above freezing” Toronto to a 21C degree early morning temperature with 100% humidity Florida… well… my lungs were dying. I had intended to do 8k or so, but could barely manage 5. But hey, it’s a start right?
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11k loop around the lagoon, Panama City, Florida
My next run was far more ambitious. Thursday morning I woke up determined to do a full loop around the lagoon – an 11k jaunt, once again in 100% humidity. Since I was out of my element, I kept my pace incredibly slow. I also brought along cash so I could buy some water at a gas station at the halfway point and that really helped me out. So while my pace was nothing to write home about, I still managed to crank out 11k and see some vistas that I otherwise wouldn’t have explored. And I sure did look like a tomato by the end of it!
I have managed to go to the gym at the resort as well, but aside from doing a few dumbbell exercises, I really haven’t gone over the top. It’s mostly just been nice to keep up with some minimal lifting while away so that I don’t feel like I’m going back to square one once I get back.
So what am I getting at? Well, number one is that running is a fantastic way to stay active and explore new areas on vacation. Number two, that it requires very little in terms of equipment and can be done in almost any weather conditions outside. Maybe consider bringing your running shoes the next time you leave for vacation!
Travel Makeup Bag – Panama City, Florida
I’m heading down to Panama City, Florida for spring break today and despite this being a week-long beach vacation, I still feel the need to pack some makeup. While I definitely won’t be wearing makeup on the beach (cuz, ew gross), I’m sure there will be plenty of opportunities to check out some bars or go shopping and I’ll definitely want to play around with my face then!
I’ve packed everything into my usual makeup bag from MAC. This was a limited edition bag that came out with the Give Me Liberty of London collection in 2010. Because the outside of the bag is a plastic-type substance, this thing really never gets dirty (although inside is a completely different story). The bag’s not enormous, but it’ll fit enough products to satisfy me for a week.
Despite loving the Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar palette to pieces (even moreso than the original), I never get the chance to use it as much as I would like to because I feel like I’m eternally reaching for something either more vibrant, or something to use up, or something new that I just bought. The good thing with a vacation is that if you commit to bringing one palette, you are definitely not going to have the choice to try something different out. And really, I love this thing!
This is so overkill. Who needs three blushes for an eight day vacation?
But I mean… how could I not bring two ombre blushes with me? MAC‘s Ripe Peach is the colour of eternal summer to me, essence‘s Pinky Flow ombre will more than likely actually be the most flattering shade on my face and I still felt the need to bring along Revlon‘s Coral Reef cream blush just to have some extra variety. I’m sure that, in the end, I’ll maybe use ONE of these. But… options man, options.
They’re all different! I swear!
First up is Catrice‘s Feeling Feline which is a lovely coral shade with a balm-like texture. I’ll likely end up wearing this one the most since it’s an easy one to wear on the go. MAC‘s Barbecue is for some added variety since it’s more orange-toned. And MAC‘s Relentlessly Red is because I refuse to be separated from “MY SHADE”. I am also bringing MAC‘s Prep + Prime for lips, but I completely forgot to photograph it.
Benefit Watts Up is actually my favourite highlighter, but I only ever think to use it when I go on vacation because of the small sample size I have. This product gives me the most incredible sheen (and, if you read Vibrant, Vivacious, Veracious Beauty Blog, I almost always gasp in awe when Jen uses this on her cheeks).
The bronzer is a deep dive into my darker bronzers for the season. Since I’ll be (hopefully) getting some sun through all the sunscreen I’ll be applying, I pulled out Hard Candy‘s Hula Hula bronzer because it’s one of my darker, more reflective bronzers. It’s shot through with gold shimmer, so in my eyes that makes it perfect for the beach.
The usual suspects here. The Catrice liner because it’s pen style and matte black (although not waterproof), two primers (Urban Decay, NARS) because my eyelids are creasy little fuckers, a black pencil liner for the waterline/tightlining, my now beloved Make Up For Ever Smoky Stretch mascara and finally, the Anastasia Brow Whiz. I opted for the Brow Whiz instead of my usual Dipbrow because I don’t want to fuss with a pot on vacation and I figured less strong brows would probably suit me a bit more in the sun.
Things I decided to skip:
- Foundation. I have no idea how much sun I’ll get so colour matching would be a nightmare. And really… I just don’t need it. It’s fun to play with, but it’s a step that I don’t feel is totally required.
- False lashes. Primarily because I ran out of lash glue…
Posts will continue throughout the week I’m gone as I have them pre-written and post-dated so I hope you enjoy those! If you’re curious to see vacation photos while I’m gone, feel free to take a gander at me over on Instagram (@mu_your_mind)
March 2015 Favourites
March was a total blur. I had fun celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, ran a pretty decent 5K race, attended a blogger event and hung out with some awesome people. It was a whirlwind month, but a lot of fun!
It’s funny how a month can pass in which you totally forgot what you did or wore. I completely forgot I used this palette so much in the early half of the month until I checked my notes (which I have to keep for favourites posts, or I won’t remember anything) and realized that I had used this palette constantly. Urban Decay‘s Naked 3 is one of those items where I really don’t know why I bought it. I’m not a pink person, I don’t salivate over rose-gold everything and yet… I bought it anyway. I probably got caught up in the hype of it when it first launched. But in reality, this is such an easy palette to wear that really doesn’t require outside help – even moreso than the original Naked (which doesn’t have a matte or satin highlight shade) or the Naked 2 (which has shades that blend together into the same shade), this palette offers you the opportunity to stick with pinks and taupes, but without demanding that you WEAR PINK.
And those pink-tinged mattes? Do a wonder of good for the crease and blending out shades.
Well this one isn’t any secret – I love this sucker. Make Up For Ever‘s Smoky Stretch mascara came out of left field when I was gifted it at a blogger event this past month and slapped me right across the face. Despite having purchased my beloved Clump Crusher this past month, I’ve barely touched it because I keep opting for the MUFE one. This mascara is incredible – volume, length, true black… and the wand pulls through my lashes in the most satisfying way. You can see my full review on the Smoky Stretch mascara here.
I feel like makeup lovers go through this eternal cycle of wanting to try new products, then they go back to old products they loved, and wonder why they ever stopped using them. (And yet, you know the next time something shiny and new comes along, you’ll drop that beloved product again!) Such is the case with the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serumfoundations I own. I added these foundations to my Use Up 2015 pile because I’ve had them for about two years and it was time to cycle them out… but since I’ve started to use them again, I’m wondering why I ever stopped. Healthy Mix Serum is a lightweight medium coverage foundation that smells incredible (seriously, like fruit). I picked mine up at Boots in Ireland a few years ago, but you can buy the brand at Shoppers Drug Mart here in Canada.
My favourite look from the month of March
And to finish up the month, my favourite look was this one that I created for Prairie Beauty Love. It may be outside of most peoples’ comfort zone, but I love how well this turned out. I don’t normally get the opportunity to get this creative with my makeup, but I decided to just go balls out for this post and was super proud on how well this translated onto my eyes.
Onward into April we go!
Come Check Me Out On Prairie Beauty Love
I’m guest posting over on Prairie Beauty Love today and I created something rather dramatic and oh so fun! Come take a peek!