Cotopaxi Questival Must Haves

Hi guys!

So I am desperately in need of a vacation! From a weekend getaway, a seven day break on a sandy beach, or a simple two hour long road trip to a nearby bed and breakfast, we've considered everything. After doing a little digging around the internet, I came across this really cool event called Questival thrown by a company called Cotopaxi.  Cotopaxi is an awesome company that sells adventure gear and donates a portion of it's profits to different charities around the world. Personally, I'm a fan of their travel backpacks that come in tons of eye-popping colors.

It's a 24 hour event with an Amazing Race kind of vibe in several cities across the country. Before the event kicks off, a list of challenges are released to the participants via their really cool app. Though none of this year's Questivals are located close to us, we definitely have a few must have items we'd have to pack in our Taboche 55L Pack if we were in it to win it!

    Check out the video on the site and let me know in the comments what your Questival must-haves would be!

How I Take Care of My Skin Before & After I Workout!

Raise your hand if you need to go to the gym but don't want to.

Honestly, for me, the hardest part of going to the gym is actually getting there. I've tried signing up for "fun" classes, buying new outfits, but it always feels like a process getting ready/un-ready to go. Whenever I do actually make it, one thing I've learned is to never skimp on the skincare. I've found that taking the extra steps before and after a workout make a world of difference.

Here is my step-by-step regimen to keep my skin healthy during and glowing after a sweat session.

Before:

First, I use a make-up remover wipe (baby wipes are an effective and cheap dupe!) to remove the majority of my make-up, and follow with a quick lather using Philosophy's Purity facial wash.

Next, I use vaseline to get rid of any remaining eye makeup. Just glob it on, do a quick swipe or two with a cotton ball and any left over traces of mascara/liner will be gone!

Last, I use my Coconut Balm DotCom and a good moisturizer from Glossier for any dry patches. If my workout is outside, I definitely apply some SPF to any exposed areas, including my face!


After:

After mopping off the gallons of sweat, I turn to my Clarisonic for 60 seconds of some serious TLC with more Purity face wash. I then load on the moisturizer and a little bit of eye cream to calm down any redness or dryness that came from that (sometimes) rare sweat session.

How do you guys take care of your skin when it comes to the gym?

What I Would Tell The 16 Year Old Katie Moore

For the long weekend, we drove down to visit my mom for her 60th birthday. My bedroom in my childhood home is essentially a tomb, with everything in exactly the same place that I left it. The only noticeable difference is the faint smell of Pledge in the air - my teenage self barely lifted a polish chipped finger nail to fold clothes, let alone dust!

While taking a trip down memory lane, I got a bit by the nostalgia bug and dug out a few of my old yearbooks.

Flipping through school pictures featuring oversized Starter jackets,Tommy Hilfiger overalls, and daisy prints, I realized how many things I wish I knew then that I know now. Such as...

Frosty, pastel makeup is not "one size fits all".

Matching your makeup to your clothes is making somewhat of a comeback but frost overload and insane amounts of sparkle in every corner and crevice does nothing for no one. If anything, I should have stuck with a light, perfecting moisturizer like the one from Glossier, to conquer the desert that was my cheeks, a good mascara that could hold up through a Dawson's Creek marathon, and a Baby Spice inspired pink lip tint like this one.


 No one looked like the girls in the Delia's catalog except for the girls in the Delia's catalog.

In high school, I wasn't much of a runner. But you bet your bottom dollar when I saw the corner of that month's Delia's catalog peeking out from our red mailbox, I sprinted down our driveway like I was in the trials for the Olympics. I ooh-ed and ahh-ed over pages of floral prints, bucket pants, and drawstring flared jeans. Bended page ears and Sharpie stars covered that catalog from front to back during Christmas season. The only problem is, I probably owned maybe 3 or 4 barely worn items from there and those had a semi-permanent home in the bottom of my closet. The jeans would bunch in the wrong pages, halter ties refused stay safely tied in an upright position, and my beloved bucket hats made me look more like Walter Matheau's buddy in Grumpier Old Men than the hip, carefree models in the pictures. But each month, I continued to circle away and pretend that velvet camis were a right, not a privilege. 

What are some things you would tell your 16 year old self? Leave your one piece of advice in the comments below!

My "Live With You, Not On You" Favorites

Anyone who knows me knows that whenever I love something, I love hard. Those Steve Madden suede ankle booties from last fall? Had to pick up all three colors in a size seven. My holy grail Rebecca Minkoff Mini M.A.C? I have one for every day of the week.

Now when it comes to my daily beauty routine, I have my set list of products I will never let out of my Essie "Bikini So Teeny" manicured grasp. I'm an "enhance what I have" kind of girl, not the "cover every freckle, scar, sun spot" type. I came across this fun "Live With You, Not On You" beauty favorites blog campaign by a crazy cool skin care products company called Glossier and wanted to share what items I use to brighten, highlight, and glow without covering up what I was born with.

Let me know in comments below what products you use to let your fabulous shine through! 

Mario Badescu Skin Care face care
saksfifthavenue.com

Glossier Skin Tint
glossier.com

Bare Escentuals matte foundation
macys.com

Clarins coral lipstick
macys.com

Maybelline hypoallergenic mascara
target.com

My Top MicroAdventure Essentials!

As the summer comes to an end, I have been tirelessly trying to cram the last few adventures from our bucket list into the next few weekends. While penciling in a trail ride, a hike in the mountains, or a fishing trip, I've noticed that I consistently pack the same items every time. Here are a few of my can't live without essentials!!

1) MagLite ML300LX 3- Cell D LED Flashlight

This monster of a flashlight is perfect for any outdoor enthusiast! It's drop resistant, water resistant, and has a crazy long battery life! It's a little hefty but it's a quality flashlight that can double as a weapon if need be (but hopefully not!)!


2) Cotopaxi Luzon DayPack

 

This ultralight daypack is perfect for on the trails and off. Cotopaxi is a company that specializes in "gear for good", such as awesome fleece jackets and fun colored travel backpacks. Each Cotopaxi product that is purchased results in a percentage of the cost being donated to an amazing charity! This is made of light nylon and weighs less than a pound on its own. Perfect for anyone on the go!

3) KIND Nut Bars

Whether I am in my kitchen or on the go, these KIND nut bars are one of my all time favorite snacks! They have tons of flavors, they are light, easy to pack, and extremely good for you! Made with whole nuts, fruits, and whole grains, it's a way to get your daily dose of fiber and protein without having to take giant vitamins or a powdered drink!

What are some of your MicroAdventure Essentials? Share below in the comments!

Moore Hacks: Packing for a Camping Trip!

I think we can all agree that the worst part of going camping is the packing and unpacking. I came across a cool blog post by Cotopaxi, an adventure gear company who gives back to great causes, on how to ensure you're bringing only the essentials in your travel backpack. Here are a few hacks I found on how to make packing for your next camping trip a breeze!

•  Make use of pockets: Stick in smaller items to pockets of hoodies/pants you are packing. ie: Rolled underwear, undershirts, sock bundles, etc.

• Don't duplicate items: Only bring one long sleeve, one jacket, one pair of shorts, etc. Packing numerous items in the same category only leads to clutter.

• Everything can be multipurpose: Use your shampoo as laundry detergent or dish soap, use a coffee mug as a water cup - cut down on packing by doubling the uses!

•  Sharing is caring: Bring one tube of toothpaste for the group, share cook gear, and buy one medical kit for the group.

What are some packing hacks that you've picked up over the years?

NYFW is Coming!

As my fellow fashion lovers know, NYFW is quickly approaching and I couldn't be more excited! I look forward to the shows every year, and pretty much stalk everything I can to see if I can get my hands on any insider info. My creepy habits have paid off this year - I found out that about this awesome collaboration that happened back in February between Spring and Uber where they offered FREE gift bags during fashion week! There are some regulations, but in a nutshell all you had to do was download both the Spring and Uber apps, schedule a pick up from Uber and use the promo code: UnlockNYFW. The gift bags were worth up to $400 and are filled with names like Rebecca Minkoff and Philip Lim. (Swoooon!) I cannot wait to see what they come up with for September!

After I heard the news, I decided to take a closer look into the Spring app, since I wasn't familiar with it, and I'm so happy I did! This app is definitely my new go to for all things fashion. I've used some other shopping apps before, but I've never seen one that offers so many huge brands or is so easy to use. Plus, it looks really pretty which appeals to a material girl like me!

If you don't have Spring yet, I would definitely suggest checking it out. I promise it will change your life!