What's in my makeup bag? | August 2014


From top left clockwise - Ben Nye Luxury Powder | Real Techniques Powder Brush | Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner | MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation | Sleek Makeup Face Form | Sleek Makeup Brow Kit | Travel Atomiser | MAC Viva Glam Lipstick | Real Techniues Mini Trio | Le Volume De Chanel | Travel Makeup Tin | Rimmel London Brow This Way

I've been meaning to do one of these posts for some time as I always get asked what products my daily makeup routine includes. I rarely change what I use unless it's lipstick or blusher so these products are some of my favourites. I often use easy and convenient products that are small enough to carry around in my makeup bag day after day.


Powder - Ben Nye Luxury Powder in Banana (£7.50)
I've been using this powder for a long time and originally reviewed this product here. I love this powder for setting my foundation and colour works perfectly for my skintone. Carrying around the whole bottle can lead to powder getting everywhere so I usually depot a small amount of this product into an empty pot with a sifter.

Brushes - Real Techniques Mini Brush Trio (£9.99) & Powder Brush (£9.99)
I've become quite a hoarder when it comes to Real Techniques Brushes, so much so that I can't fit most of my favourites into my everyday makeup bag. I picked up the Mini Brush Trio a couple of weeks ago so I could fit more brushes into my makeup bag. It includes a mini foundation brush, shader brush for eyeshadow and a blush brush. I also have a Real Techniques Powder Brush to set my face with powder.

Liner - Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in Black (£12)
This liner is essentially a felt tip pen and I love it. I don't reach for this often but I have it in my makeup bag as it makes flirty flicks fast and easy.


Foundation - MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation in NC42 (£25)
I've been wearing this foundation almost solidly since I first discovered MAC in 2009. In terms of finish nothing beats this foundation for me as it looks so natural with maximum coverage. The only downside is that this foundation doesn't last on my oily combination skin as long as other MAC foundations like the Studio Fix Fluid and Studio Fix Powder with Foundation. As with my powder, I depot my foundation so I don't have to carry around the whole tube on a daily basis. I use an empty 10ml travel tin (pictured) which I got from eBay allowing me to free up space in my makeup bag.

Contour Kit - Sleek Makeup Face Form in Light (£9.99)
I've been using the face form for a couple of years and the light shade of this compact contains a blusher (instead of a bronzer like the medium version) which unfortunately doesn't show up very well on my skintone. The palette remains a staple in my makeup bag however as the mirror is a great size for on-the-go touch ups and the contouring and highlighting powders can take my makeup look to the next level.

Mascara - Le Volume De Chanel Mascara in Noir (sample)
I'm not a massive fan of mascara generally and currently I get really itchy eyes from hayfever which makes wearing mascara awkward from day to day. As a result I rarely buy mascara anymore and slip sample size mascaras into my makeup bag for whenever I feel like using one. This Chanel sample has a big enough brush to evenly coat and lengthen my lashes after just a couple of swipes.

Brow Kit - Sleek Makeup Brow Kit in Extra Dark (£8.49) & Rimmel London Brow This Way in Dark Brown (£3.99)
I've been repeatedly purchasing the Sleek Makeup Brow Kit for a couple of years now as this duo of gel and powder works perfectly at filling in my virtually non-existent eyebrows. The Rimmel Brow This Way is a relatively new purchase replacing my Benefit Gimme Brow which I reluctantly threw away recently as I've had it for some time. I was going to buy another Gimme Brow until I found out about the release of Rimmel's Brow This Way which retails at just £3.99. The size of the wand (which is much bigger than Gimme Brow) makes application clumsy at times but I love it for giving my eyebrows a more groomed appearance.


Lipstick - MAC Viva Glam V Lipstick (£15.50)
I've already gabbed about my love for this lipstick in my review here so I won't say much more other than this is the perfect all rounder to finish off most of my daily makeup looks. 

Fragrance - Travel Atomiser 4ml (£9.99)
My boyfriend bought me this travel atomiser after he bought himself one. It works with most fragrances allowing me to carry around my favourite scents easily.

What's in your daily makeup bag?

Lesley x