I got to the airport a bit earlier than expected (well, I was ready earlier than expected–courtesy of minimal makeup), and unfortunately, I missed the earlier flight by 5-10 minutes.  Granted, it would have cost me another $30ish, which is the equivalent of two MAC glosses… But it all worked out, because there is FREE WiFi at the airport. Total score!

Yesterday, I went to the Palazzo, and I checked out Barneys, and it was quite an experience! Not only because of the [obvious] sticker shock, but because I was helped by some very knowledgeable people. I also managed to spend an hour or so looking at the tiger cubs at the Mirage (so cute!). Oh! And I saw lionesses at MGM Grand, as well. While I will fully report on my trip to Barneys later today or tomorrow (gotta upload a crap-ton of photos and crop them), here are some short and sweet lessons I’ve learned in Vegas (not all beauty related!).

Bring comfortable shoes. Okay, so I didn’t actually need to learn this lesson, since I did bring comfortable shoes (two pairs of heels–didn’t wear them–a pair of flip flops and some flats). But note to self: flat shoes, not necessarily so great when walking all day. Must invest in some shoes with padding, soles, and arch support!

Plan out your makeup beforehand. This is usually what I try to do when I pack makeup for any trip, because this way I can avoid bringing twice as much as I’ll actually use. I don’t mean down to the very detail, but say, “I want to do smokey eyes, a green eye, and a gold eye.” Just a general drift! For instance, in the past, when I’d go to see my boyfriend over the weekend, I knew I wouldn’t do more than a neutral eye, if that, so I’d just bring a quad with neutrals.

Get some dry shampoo. Ojon sent me their dry shampoo a week or so ago, and I really wish I brought it along on this trip. I considered it, but I hate checking bags, and it was too big to fit into my carry-on liquids’ bag. Why do you need to do this? Because Vegas is a smokestack, and everything you bring will smell like smoke. ESPECIALLY your hair. I wash my hair every other day, but at least on the days that I can’t, the dry shampoo will not only give me some added time to wash (which, in Vegas, I do not need), and it SMELLS good. What I like about it is that it isn’t a hairspray or anything that smells good – it’s a product that dry cleans your hair so it doesn’t make it feel gunky, hard, etc. I was so desperate for it that I went to Sephora and used their tester, LOL.

Make sure you bring a quart-sized bag! Don’t be like me, who doesn’t have any quart sized bags in her home. I was forced to fit what I wanted to bring, liquid-wise, into a SANDWICH bag. Luckily, at the airport, they had free quart sized bags, so I snagged a few for future trips. But those bags are twice the size of my measly sandwich bag. Don’t lose out on potential room!!

Lose weight before you come to Vegas! Buffets, foods, drinks… it’s all here. I suppose a lot of my generation spends time dancing the night away, which will definitely compensate for some of the overindulgence bound to occur during a visit. Unfortunately for me, I’m about as coordinated as two left feet. I can’t drink (I don’t process alcohol at all), so I saved some calories there, but oh, the buffets. I don’t want to eat food for another week.

Save gambling money and go shopping! If you aren’t a big gambler, think about checking out some of the shops around the strip (or even the outlets further out, if you have a car). I only spent maybe $80 or so on gambling, so it wasn’t much, which meant I didn’t feel bad when I made actual purchases. My boyfriend called me a sucker for playing slots (but I already knew you don’t play to win), but I did enjoy myself–well, at least when my money lasted longer than 10 minutes. It’s no fun when the machine just sucks it down straight away! But I am really glad I didn’t go gung-ho into gambling, because I had money leftover for shopping. Much more fun! You always get something for your money

I’ll share more with you over the next few days! For now, I’m going to spend a little time answering some comments before they call for boarding! Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!