1: Even the mightiest makeup warriors among us must battle shine at times.  The best weapon in my arsenal for this issue are Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets.  These are cheap and as far as I’m concerned, they perform better than all of the high end versions. Snag them at drugstores or via drugstore.com.

2: Brows are important on any given day but during Fashion Week, they’re essential to a polished look.  While I do leave my unruly Italian brows to the professionals (I heart Ramy and Damone Roberts), I also feel more secure with a trusty pair of tweezers in my bag.  A stylish option are the new special edition Tweezerman, featuring Agatha Ruiz De La Prada designs. They’re whimsical and fun but most importantly, they get the job done (hey, that rhymes!)

3: Pucker up, New York Fashion Week involves lots of kisses – hello and of course, goodbye.  A gorgeous colored balm will keep your lips happy AND pretty.  Try tucking a wee tub of Korres Lip Butter in your Balenciaga.  These lippies deliver a nice dose of shine, color and moisture, with no mirror necessary for application!

4: Horror of horrors, Fashion Week involves many of these unusual gatherings called PARTIES.  They frequently end in the wee hours and yes, champagne is served.  For those early morning backstage appointments (call times are frequently at 7:00 am for 9:00 am shows!), snag a bottle of Rohto Eye Drops. These cooling drops alleviate redness and soothe eyes, a worthy expense.

5: Last but not least, concealer is always an essential. My recent love is tarte’s Dark Circle Defense. It blends easily and provides fab coverage.

I hope it goes without saying that regardless of whether you’ll be joining me in the Tents, the picks above are great choices to keep in your car, your desk or your purse for quick touch ups.

Tell me, what are your makeup bag essentials?

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These natural, paraben and sulfate-free balms have a lovely, creamy texture and add a nice, effortless pop of color. My two favorites are Pomegranate, a sheer coral (so on trend for summer!) and of course, Quince (shown left), a sheer poppy pink.  All smell lovely and come in generous sized pots for just $9.

To shop for Korres Lip Butters, check out www.sephora.com.

Do you have a favorite lip butter or balm? Tell me about it in the comments…I’m always looking for a new one to try!

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What they say:

A light-textured lemon-scented anti-shine gel that instantly refreshes and mattifies oily skin on contact. Ideal for acne-prone skin types, this refreshing gel can be used in place of moisturizer when skin is especially oily.

I’ve been applying the anti-shine gel as part of a step by step process in my facial routine, which have made my skincare issues turn around 360 degrees. I have been exclusively been using only Korres skin care products on my face and the results have been amazing (you can see a review of the Wild Rose Mask here and Brightening Serum here).

The anti-shine gel is a product you apply before your moisturizer. I have been using the gel after I apply the Brightening Serum and then applying the Pomegranate Balancing Moisturizer. You have to allow 2 minutes for the gel to dry and absorb into your skin before you can apply your moisturizer.

I hardly notice the lemon scent, in fact I didn’t even notice it at all. Possibly because you need very little product to cover your problem areas. I did notice a mattifying effect on my skin right away and my skin also appeared to be taunt. It controlled the shine for a few hours.

Since the instructions say to only apply it under your moisturizer, I did not attempt to reapply the gel over my makeup once the shine began to return. I love that this is a clear product and coming in a gel means it applies easily. It did work great for several hours, but not much longer than 4 hours.

While I do like this product, I will continue to hunt down that perfect anti-shine product that will last all day without compromising on the quality of mattifying my skin.

If you have used this product, what did you think of it?

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So I was sent Korres Jasmine Eye Makeup Remover and told it was oil-free. I didn’t have high hopes for it if I am being honest, but willing to to give it a shot.

How Korres describes this product:

A herbal lotion that removes makeup and waterproof mascara without irritating the delicate eye area. Wheat proteins and Provitamin B5 moisturize the skin and consitutes an excellent eyelash strengthener. Jasmine, Cucumber and Calendula offer combined soothing and refreshing action.

First impression when I received this product? “Holy smokes this is a huge bottle!” It is bigger than any other makeup remover I have seen lately. The Jasmine Eye Makeup Remover is 6.76 fl.oz. I can tell that it will last a good long time. It also has a plastic covering with a small hole to prevent spilling and over doing it when putting it on your cotton pad. That’s a huge plus for a clumsy person like myself.

There really isn’t a scent to this makeup remover, maybe just slighty in the bottle, but when applying it I didn’t notice it. You don’t need very much to remove your makeup and it came right off without any effort.

The best part? The most exciting thing of all? There was no oily residue AT ALL. I couldn’t believe it. I decided to not only use it on my eyes, but to remove the makeup on my face, as well. Again, my face dried quickly and there was no slickness or any type of residue left behind. I was sold.

I’m so excited to finally use a makeup remover that not only says it is oil-free, but makes my skin feel that way as well.

Have you used Korres Jasmine Eye Makeup Remover? What did you think?

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