Given our current life is nomadic, I was looking for makeup that travels well from a size perspective and applies well from a coverage perspective. I found it with Stowaway Cosmetics. This is not a sponsored post. I bought these items myself out of curiosity and necessity, and I am so happy I spent $75 on these 7 pieces. They all fit in a small makeup bag, are versatile and highly pigmented, and I’m thrilled to know I’ll use up every bit of this right-sized makeup. For all you women on the go, listen up!
I first saw Stowaway featured on the Instagram account of one of my favorite Chicago beauty bloggers, @312beauty. The packaging really caught my eye – it’s so simple and chic – so I looked up the brand right away. Here’s what I gathered from their beautiful website. The products are ‘right-sized’, which means they are bigger than a sample but not full-sized. Why would you want that? Because you’ll actually use it all up before it goes bad and because it will fit into your purse without weighing it down. Stowaway also made it very easy for me to try the products by offering an Essentials Kit with one of each item: BB Cream, Creaseless Concealer, Cheek and Lip Rouge, Creme Lipstick, Effortless Eyeliner and Extreme Lash Mascara. What more would a travelling gal need?
I wasn’t sure what colors to choose so I tried their chat feature to ask someone who worked there. Turns out I got Julie, one of the co-founders! She was so helpful and encouraged me to send in a photo of my face (to [email protected]) in the natural light so they could offer a BB Cream and Creaseless Concealer recommendation. She also to a quick look at my pic on my blog and suggested the Peony Cheek and Lip Rouge for everyday wear and the Scarlet Creme Lipstick for the times I want to be bold. Within an hour, I’d heard back from a Stowaway team member telling me to go with the Fair BB Cream but to try a Creaseless Concealer one shade darker in Light, as the two shades were complementary to each other if you wore them this way. Now this was amazing customer service and left me feeling absolutely sure I wanted to spend my money here.
Bonus – I signed up for their newsletter and received a special code for a free Creme Lipstick with my order (I chose the nude Champagne color). Score! This meant I got to try three lip colors and therefore three different looks on my first try.
So, what do I think now that I’ve received them? I’M IN LOVE. The Creaseless Concealer and BB Cream are thick and provide fantastic coverage that is layerable, which is very important to me because I have a lot of dark acne scars in addition to a constant blemish rotation on my chin (thanks hormones!). The coverage is matte, so I make sure to use a damp sponge when I blend them in to make the finish slightly more dewy. They also have a lot of staying power. I was not expecting to like the face makeup actually, so this was a pleasant surprise! Most BB Creams are too sheer for me and not always as buildable as they claim the coverage can be. But this one is.
I really love the Peony Cheek and Lip Rouge, as well because when worn as a blush, it goes with the other two lipsticks I also received. I travel everywhere with this and can re-apply to freshen up my look throughout the day. I pat it on my cheeks with my fingers and blend it in with a sponge. I then add it to my lips to round out the daytime work look. It’s one step fancier than the natural, nude lip look you see above.
I chose a brown Effortless Eyeliner because when I’m travelling or working in the office, deep black eyeliner is too much. For the natural look in these photos where I’m wearing a nude lip, I simply lined my lower lid and blended with a sponge. But I also tried using it as an eyeshadow to fancy-up the look for work. I did this by spreading the liner all over the corner of my lid and then blending it in – check out the red lip photo below to see how that turned out. You could also try lightly blending it into your brows so that they are defined, as well. I haven’t done that here as I used a brow pencil by another brand, but looking back on the shoot, I think I could’ve done that and will try it next. I like the Extreme Lash Mascara (it does not flake), but it is my least favorite product in the mix – not because there is anything wrong with it but because the other products are rocking my world so hard.
Onto the lipcolors, which are highly pigmented and not sheer. The Peony pink lip is great for work and really pops – but in a professional way – as you can see above. The Scarlet Creme Lipstick is amazing and on my skin comes out more tomato (yellow undertone) than cherry (pink/blue undertone) – it’s hard to tell in these photos. The Champagne Creme Lipstick has proven to be great for a casual Saturday look, but I also plan to try it for a night out and paired with a really smoky eye.
Stowaway offers more shades than what you see here. The BB Cream comes in 4 shades, as does the Creaseless Concealer. The Cheek & Lip Rouge has 3 selections, and there are 7 Creme Lipsticks to choose from. The Effortless Eyeliner is black or brown, and the Extreme Lash Mascara has one shade – ‘Extreme’!
Finally, it’s almost impossible not to get something free added onto your order. Since joining the mailing list and liking their Facebook page, I’ve seen a number of promos come through for a free item with purchase of your first Essentials Kit. My point is – don’t hesitate for one minute to try Stowaway. I really support this brand and think they are doing everything right. I hope you will, too!
Belle
