Samantha Rodriguez Columns

4/14/2015 Comments

10 Purse Essentials

Don’t you ever wish you could pack your whole restroom in your purse? Well, it just got easier. Buy these ten essentials, and I guarantee you won’t be screaming to go back home to freshen up before the next important event.

1. L’Occitaine Hand Bag Beauty Essentials, $15

L’Occitaine’s hand cream is both light and magical. It cured my dry skin within two days, and doesn’t leave any greasy feeling. Paired with the hand cream duo is the moisturizing lip balm. This lip balm is long lasting even after you’ve finished it! Shea Butter will help restore dry lips from winter damage.

2. Not Your Mother’s Travel Size Dry Shampoo, $2.99

Don’t have time to wash your hair? No worries! Get voluminous hair instantly!

3. Boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens, $10

Great for all skin types, these linens help remove any excess oil without disturbing your makeup. Green Tea will help protect your skin and reduce any redness.

4. Crest 3D White Whitestrips Vivid, $34.99

Get whiter teeth in just 30 minutes. Enamel-safe whitening agents make whiter teeth in just 12 days. Results can last up to 6 months!

5. Travalo Refillable Perfume Spray, $10

No need to spend $20, $30 even $40 on a perfume pen. This new little gadget allows you to refill from any standard perfume bottle. It really is as easy as 1,2,3. (My personal favorite)

6. Tide To Go Pen, $3

Let’s be honest, stains don’t discriminate. Eliminate life’s messes with the number one stain remover.

7. bareMinerals BB Primer-Cream, $26

Avoid those unwanted sunburns and hydrate your face all in one step. bareMinerals BB Primer-Cream primes, evens, moisturizes and protects.

8. St. Tropez Tanning Essentials, $18

Don’t have time to tan? Don’t believe in tanning beds? No problem. St. Tropez’s Self Tan Bronze Mousse is lightweight and easy to apply. It’s streak-free and dries in little as 60 seconds.

9. Benefit They’re Real! Push-Up Liner, $24

Go from day to night with your makeup by applying this lash-hugging gel liner that lasts up to 24 hours. It’s waterproof too. Double win!

10. Clif Organic Energy Food, $18 for 6 pouches

We’ve all experienced those hectic days where we forget to eat until we hear our stomach grumble. You don’t have time to cook, and fast food just doesn’t seem to be fast enough when you’re waiting in line for 30 minutes. Looking good is only half of the part, feeling good is where it starts. The solution is Clif. These organic food pouches provide energy and satisfy hunger from real food ingredients.

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3/12/2015 Comments

Beauty Is Pain, but Fashion Doesn’t Have to Be

(& it All Starts at Your Feet)

I’m going to be honest, half of my wardrobe still has tags, and I’m currently waiting for the “right” time to wear my Nasty Gal, white mesh, collared crop-top.

That right there is what I have to tell myself to make me feel less guilty of hoarding clothes in my closet, but the real reason is because I hate heels. YES, I hate heels. Love the way they look, despise the way they kill my feet. It's hard to find footwear that is both comfortable, stylish and transitions from day to night.

I have tried to do everything to be able to wear them from weekly pedicures, massages, gel inserts, medicine and recently, a trip to the podiatrist which included a very long, very thin needle inserted on the bottom of my foot.

Now, I refuse to continue keeping my cute clothes hostage, so I’ve came up with a brilliant plan that has done wonders on my feet for the past two weeks. Don’t worry, I’ll let you in on the secret.

First, your feet should never be bare. From the moment you get out of bed to the second before you step back in it.

Before we proceed, let me tell you now how easy it is to continue shopping at your favorite stores, and still leave with a happy wallet. You just need to be smart.

Think of everything you buy as an investment.

With that being said, going to Nordstrom and paying $100 for UGG slippers is not the way to go. There is no support, and with the summer coming up there is no reason for your feet to be suffocated with wool. Instead, try the Nike ‘Benassi Solarsoft 2’ Slide Sandal for women. It is a third of the cost, and still located at the same department store. They are perfect for running errands, walking around the house and can also get wet (which is very convenient for any college student getting ready for Spring Break).

Second, tennis shoes can be dressed up. From pant suites to dresses, New Balance is now your best friend. I started with one pair and have progressed to three within a two-month span.

Third, don’t spend hundreds of dollars at a spa. Go to your nearest drug store, and grab Earth Therapeutics “Reflexology Foot Massage”. The lotion is infused with tea tree oil that helps speed up the healing process, wild mint that cools and stimulates and it even has lavender that soothes and relaxes. I rub some on my feet right before I go to bed. It’s perfect to unwind and even easier when you have a boyfriend to do it for you.

Fourth, if you have no choice but to wear heels try, try and try again. Believe it or not, having a higher platform can alleviate pain. Make sure you are heading to more than one place to find the perfect pair.

Lastly, medicine does help, but it should always be the last resort. If you can’t bear the pain any longer, make sure you are taking Ibuprofen instead of Tylenol. Ibuprofen will help with inflammation, which is the side effect of achy feet.

Again, I know beauty can be pain, but looking fashionable can be very difficult if you have a frown plastered on your face.

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2/23/2015 Comments

The Super Bowl of Fashion

View image | gettyimages.com

It was Oscar Sunday everyone, and all of the ladies can attest, our main attractions were the men of the night.

Let’s get serious; men aren't always the best at dressing themselves, but when you are invited to go to the most glamorous night of the year, there isn't any room for error on the red carpet.

So let’s get started...

Adam Levine, in Armani, might have made every woman second-guess their dating situation. I just think we should all get together and start a petition to make Adam the muse for the Oscar award. Yes? Yes.

View image | gettyimages.com

Couple of the night, John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, rocked the red carpet. The Mrs. wore a light blue Zuhair Murad gown with soft waves and a dark burgundy lipstick with John giving some stiff competition in a black Gucci suit.

View image | gettyimages.com

Jimmy Kimmel

Yes, he deserves his own sentence.

Much like last year, he arrived on the carpet wearing a blue woven button up, a rain coat and blue jeans. Perfect for a Sunday stroll downtown? Of course. Good for The Oscars? Not so much. What can we say? It’s Jimmy Kimmel, so no error there.

Musician and actor, Common changed it up a bit for us with a white bow tie and black Prada suit. We can’t give him any shade though. Common stated “It felt very me.”

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Favorite of the night goes to Eddie Redmayne. Two colors that will never clash, the navy blue and black Alexander McQueen tuxedo was fit to perfection and gave his wife a run for her money.

View image | gettyimages.com