Traveling in Style: A Look from Monica's Closet

This is Yours Truly checking in from Albuquerque, New Mexico aptly named the Land of Enchantment! I flew here with my fiancé to visit family: a lovely way to spend the first few days of 2016.

However, while I love traveling, it presents difficulties in the packing arena. What to bring? What can I leave behind without missing it desperately? 

Less luggage means quicker, easier travel.  Yours Truly's packing goals usually involved bringing the minimum. Though it may not feel like it initially, packing only the basics is exceptionally freeing. I've learned a lot about packing over my years of traveling to far away lands (China, Guatemala, Italy to name a few) or around my own beautiful country. Here are my tips on packing for my curvy, pear-shaped ladies! 

Just a quick definition of a curvy pear before we get started: A curvy pear is a woman whose bottom half (butt and thighs) are wider than her shoulders and chest; however, unlike a 'traditional' pear, her arms and bra size are generously proportioned. For reference, Yours Truly is a size 6 on top and a 6/8 on the bottom. My arms and shoulders are often too big to fit into tops that otherwise fit just fine -- talk about first world problems. I fit into small, medium and large-sized clothing -- discerning which of those to pick depends on the cut and brand. 

Packing tip #1: Use black. As you can see from this look, I chose black as my neutral color. The coat from Forever21 and cowgirl boots set the tone for my travel wardrobe. Black is great for curvy girls because it has a lovely slimming effect, plus it's easily dressed up, giving the casual items you pack the ability to go from day to night. 

Packing tip #2: Bring accessories to liven up your travel wardrobe. The other colors I brought with me were red and blue, as denoted by the scarf; the scarf served as the pulling-together element for all the looks I packed. Packing scarves, jewelry, hats, gloves, etc in different colors will boost your looks and keep you from getting bored of what you packed. 

On a side note, I love the removable faux fur collar on this coat. It adds a great pop of texture that enriches every ensemble it's paired with. 

Packing tip #3: Pack comfortable shoes. My old cowgirl boots from Ariat are now out to pasture because I wore the heel out from April 2015 to November 2015. I loved those boots but I did not like the hollow plastic heel; this time around, my new replacements from Justin brand have a solid, rubber heel which I hope won't wear down as fast. 

Boots are my favorite accessory and shoe, period. I must own at least seven pairs and I cannot recommend packing cozy boots for a winter trip enough, especially if you foresee a lot of walking. 

Even if cowgirl boots aren't your style, any form of black boots is trusty travel companion. They are flexible in the day-to-night sphere so they're useful in paring down your travel wardrobe to a minimum. 

Packing tip #3: Yours Truly recommends packing tunics. They're flattering for a curvy figure, comfortable to sit in if you're flying or driving long distances, and hide bloating associated with staying in a pressurized cabin for hours on end. (Ugh.) Yours Truly packed this tunic by Color Me Red because I'm obsessed with it. 

Yours Truly is unashamed to admit she wore it three times in one week! It's a stretchy blend of lyrica and spandex with fabulous wide sleeves for a 70s-inspired look. The simple black is brought to whole new level by the retro silhouette. I found that the big sleeves drew the eye away from problem areas -- plus this tunic highlights the chest and leaves the love handles un-highlighted. Perfect. 

Packing tip #4: Last but not least, bring skinny jeans. You will not regret it. They dress up and they dress down, are comfortable, fashionable and a dark wash matches anything. Literally. Skinny jeans make your life so much easier while on the road! These particular skinny jeans from American Eagle Outfitters Yours Truly featured on an earlier post, How to Dress as a Curvy Pear: Winter Chic Edition. They are amazing. 

Where Yours Truly Found the Look

// Oversized moto jacket {Forever21, 50% off, $35, similar here on sale} // Freshwater pearl earrings {Christmas gift from my fiancé} // Scarf {also a gift, from my wonderful Secret Santa -- shout out to Julia! Thanks hun!} // Tunic {Thrifted for $10 at The Buffalo Exchange in ABQ, online store here} // Cowgirl boots {Justin's, on sale for $90, here} // 

What are your travel favorites? Let me know in the comments. Is there an item you never leave the house without? Feel free to share your wisdom and adventure tales to us all! 

If you want more tips on how to dress as a curvy pear, check out this curve-huggin' dress from Lauren Conrad! My closet is not just full of drapey tunics; sometimes Yours Truly loves to show off some figure. ;) Thanks as always for reading, commenting, re-sharing, liking on Google+ and just being beautiful! Until next time:

Yours Truly,

Monica :) 

P.S. Feel free to check out my Instagram account here. Yours Truly posts preview pictures for upcoming blog articles, plus lots of extra photos of behind-the-scenes in a blogger's life. ;) 

The Good, The Bad & The Empties: 2015 Makeup in Review

Yours Truly used to be that girl who didn't wear makeup, or if she did, it was barely-there-can't-tell-mascara and maybe some concealer. I was afraid of smoky eyes, any kind of lipstick and wary of blush. I didn't know how to apply anything and was basically an all-round makeup dummy. 

 Now I'm an avid beauty addict who's experimenting with go-to looks and constantly discovering new amazing products. Here's Yours Truly's makeup picks on the (mostly) affordable end!

If you're still looking for the best cosmetics out there for the best price, keep reading. Here's what Yours Truly's learned about makeup in 2015. 

Behold the A-list trio of this makeup round-up!  Yours Truly's holy trinity for my go-to makeup routine includes Rimmel London's Stay Matte foundation, Rimmel London's Scandal Eyes mascara in Black, and Benefit Cosmetic's Rockateur blush. 

I'm as pale as they come thanks to those Irish genes so it's the lightest color they've got, Light Ivory, for Yours Truly. This foundation is smooth, rich, moisturizing, with medium coverage. It's perfect for evening your complexion and covering a few blemishes. And it's so affordable, under $5 in fact, found at Walmart, Target and other similar stores. All links are down below.

This delectable peach blush is just the most reliable, loved beauty product I've ever spent money on. Benefit Cosmetic's Rockateur is just that: a vivacious, flirtatious color that still bespeaks of 1950s flair. 

As you can see, I've reached the pan and continue to use it every day. I love a bit of glow and glimmer on the cheeks. It comes with its own brush which I've found to be effective!

London Rimmel's Scandal Eyes mascara is a long-term drugstore favorite of mine. I've used it for years: it's non-clumpy, waterproof, and definitely lengthens your lashes at least 50% as promised in advertising. I will admit that after a few hours in especially warm or damp conditions it often smudges the bottom of your eyes rather dramatically. But for less than $6 it's a steal. 

I bought this Sephora blush to supply a non-glitter counterpart to my favorite Rockateur, but to be honest it was a waste of money. This color is lovely but I just didn't need it after all since I used the Benefit blush so much. 

Drew Barrymore's line of cosmetics called Flower is both affordable and full of vivid, gorgeous hues. I picked up this nail polish and totally love it. It's a bright, metallic scarlet called Budding Romance. My first encounter with the famous actresses' beauty products was favorable so I'll be going back to try more! Stay tuned for more reviews. ;) 

This L'Oreal True Match illuminator is, in theory, something I'm in love with. I bought the warm-toned "rose" one. It's a lovely light, shimmery liquid which feels breathable on the skin. However the rose didn't work well with my skin tone so I haven't used it much. It'll probably have to go since it's just cluttering up my makeup bag. I might try it in the cool-toned "ice" but I didn't like how it went on (sorta streaky and un-blend-able) so I might just look for another product by a different brand. 

Naked2 by Urban Decay is a really amazing starter package for those discovering the joys and frustrations of the day-to-night smokey eye -- or just eyeshadow in general. It is by far the most expensive beauty item I've bought but it was so worth it. Over 2015 I used it at least four times a week; I still haven't reached the pan on any of them, but I just chalk that up to generous portions Urban Decay puts into their palettes. 

I love the mix of cool- and warm-toned eyeshadows here. It really makes it possible to create a variety of looks: nude, smokey, glittery, golden, etc. I love products that allow experimentation and this is definitely a winner!

Burt's Bees glittery lip balm in Rhubarb is, well, the bomb! I love this color because it gives the effect of a bright, dark-red-that's-almost-pink lip but it moisturizes as well. LOVE.

Where Yours Truly found these products
// London Rimmel's Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation {$4.97 at Walmart, here} // Benefit Cosmetic's Rockateur Box o' Powder {$28 at Ulta, here; $29 at Sephora, here} // London Rimmel's Scandal Eyes Waterproof Mascara {$5.47 at Walmart, here} // Flower "Budding Romance" Nail Lacquer {$4.98 at Walmart, here} // Urban Decay's Naked2 Eyeshadow Palette {$54 at Sephora, here} // Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in Rhubarb {$4.74 at Walmart, here}

Coming up next are my new additions to the makeup bag for 2016! May it be a beautiful new year.
What are your favorite beauty products? I'd love to hear in the comments! If you still want more of Yours Truly's makeup reviews, read up on CoverGirl nail polish (a lacquer you can really call faithful even through the worst that a girl's life can throw at it) or L'Oreal's deluxe Smell the Roses, a great neutral-tone pink nail polish. Thank you as always for reading, re-sharing, recommending on Google+ and commenting.

Yours Truly,
Monica :)