By essentials, I mean THE only things I had. Literally. And guess what? I survived.

Of all things to forget, I forgot my makeup kit when I left for Taipei. What an elephant problem–and any girl can relate to this, I’m sure! I only had a few items but heck, these were the greatest lifesavers. Thank goodness that for some reason, these were in random places in my bag.

1. Neutrogena’s Ultra Sheer Complete UV Water Light Lotion (SPF 50+, PA+++)  – I use this on my face. It provides more than enough sun protection in a lightweight and non-greasy formula, perfect for all the sightseeing! 

2. VMV’s Skintangible – This is my trusted skin-refining, barely there, and natural-looking cream. Read more about why I love this here.

3. Happy Skin’s Shut Up and Kiss Me Lipstick in the shade Crushing on You – This subtle, neutral color ads a natural finish to my lips and also keeps them nice and moisturized (a must for cold and windy weather).

That’s it. No eyebrow pencil. No eyeliner. No mascara. I really only had these three items all throughout the trip. Can you imagine that? I thought I’d go crazy or end up shopping for makeup, but I didn’t. Instead, I realized how reliable these three products are. I was also able to cut the prep time for my face to just a minute (or even less)! So easy and so fast, a.k.a. more snoozing time, too. It didn’t turn out to be a bad experience. I think I was just lucky this time around. How else did these three products appear in random pockets in my bag?

Lesson learned; I will make sure I don’t leave my fate to luck during the next trip!

So girls, don’t make the same mistake I did. Double check always!

<3, Micki