The contents of my makeup bag rotate quite regularly whilst trying out new products and colours depending on the season and current favourites. As it’s Summer I thought I’d share with you what’s currently being carted around in my handbag. The bag itself is the perfect size for carrying everything without being too bulky – plus the slogan is rather apt I’m sure you’ll agree! It’d be great to hear if any of you love the same products I do, or whether you’ve got any recommendations based on my current loves. Obviously I’d love to pretend that I am a bare faced natural beauty…..but who am I kidding – here’s what makes up my Summer face…..
Yep, it does all fit in!
Real Techniques Brushes
The Real Techniques brushes are held in high esteem in the blogging world and it’s obvious why. The brushes never shed, they are all expertly shaped, the bristles are super soft and synthetic so you can use both liquid and powder products with all of them. I have the majority of the collection, but I take the Buffing, Expert Face, Blush & Detailer Brushes out in my makeup bag as they’re the ones I find most useful on the go. Luckily they’re really lightweight so they’re easy to cart around!
Virgin Vie Concealer
This little blue pot was given to me by a friend who had a contact at Vie and was given some cosmetics when they closed down. The compact is a really handy size and has a mirror in the lid which is useful for touch ups. There are two shades of concealer in the top layer and there are purple and green colour correcting shades on the bottom layer, so it’s a really useful all rounder. I’m dreading this running out as I won’t be able to replace it, so if anyone knows of anything similar by another brand please let me know……
Avon Ultra Colour Rich Brilliance Lipstick in Vermillion
This lippie is the shade of the Summer for me! It’s a bright, pretty coral hue with a teeny tiny bit of shimmer. The texture is really moisturising so it’s great to wear as an everyday lipstick, and although it doesn’t last all day the formula means you can just reapply, smack your lips together and be on your way – no mirror required! It’s probably the easiest to wear bright shades that I own – and I own a lot! Oh and it’s only about £8 so it’s a real bargain!
MUA Intense Colour Eyeliner – Bright Orange
As it says, this is actually an eyeliner, but you have to be pretty brave to wear orange eyeliner outside of Halloween. Funnily enough though, it is a great match to the Vermillion lippie above so I use it as a lip liner instead! It’s really soft so it goes on without dragging, but it doesn’t last as long as you’d expect from an actual lip liner – but for an everyday, really good value colour, it works perfectly for me.
Bare Minerals Mineral Veil
This is a super soft, super light finishing powder which is great for taking the shine off your finished look. I use it for touch ups to my nose during the day as it doesn’t look at all heavy or clog like setting powders can.
Billion Dollar Brows Brow Duo Pencil
Another multipurpose product, this comes with me as it’s got so many uses! The highlighter end is designed to be used on the brow bone, and I also use it to highlight my cupids bow. The concealer is useful if you want to hide something really quickly – the pencil style tip can be dabbed onto any little blemishes and you just need to very gently pat it in. You can also pop a little in the inside corner of your eyes if you’re starting to look tired, it will pep you up instantly (well it will pep up your look anyway!).
MAC Face & Body Foundation
This is my current favourite base, as the liquid formula is so light its feels really nice to wear in the hot weather. Thankfully my skin is quite good at the moment, but I think if I was struggling with blemishes or particularly bad redness I’d probably want something a little heavier. As it is, it just nicely evens out my skin tone without covering it. One point to note though is that it’s notoriously bad to travel with, as the formula doesn’t react well to heat. I only take it out with me if I’ve got a really long day and know I’ll need to do a bit of intensive correction later on!!
KIKO Glow Touch Lips & Cheek in Spicy Chocolate
You can read the full review on this here, but it’s become a firm favourite for me. Cream formulas are so quick to use and the dewier look is really nice at this time of year. For extra staying power I apply to my cheeks then set with Mineral Veil and then dab an extra little bit over the top. You can use it as a lip balm/gloss too so it’s handy if you’re short on space.
Paul & Joe Beaute Eye Liner & Crayon
You’ve probably worked out that I’m a sucker for a multipurpose product! This pretty pencil stays in my makeup bag for when I need to add some colour to my lids later in the day, or add some definition with the liner. This shade is even more useful as the dusky pink shade can double up on your lips as well. It’s amazing how many products I still carry even when a lot of them are designed to save you space!
Pur Minerals Mineral Glow
I’ve just started using this and I love it! It’s not shimmery and it looks like a really deep brown but it comes out as a warm golden sheen – literally as a glow. Use a large soft brush and sweep over your cheekbones, above the brow bone and on your décolletage. It really makes me look a bit healthier without looking “muddy” like a lot of bronzing products.
MUA Brow Kit
This was bought so long ago that the lettering has completely disappeared from the packaging, but it cost about £2 and is just as good as any of the more expensive brands (ehem *Benefit!).
Rimmel Scandal Eyes Mascara
No matter how many high end mascaras I try, I always come back to this one and Max Factor. They’re really affordable and Scandal Eyes gives really good volume, is jet black and doesn’t drop. I’m not sure what else you can ask for from a mascara to be honest?!
Avene Cold Cream Lip Cream
The full review on this one is here. This is somewhat of an essential as flaky lips are not attractive! Sometimes you can forget that hot weather can be just as drying as the cold, but I don’t leave the house without this now.
Blimey, seems there are an awful lot more products in my makeup bag than I thought! I’m pretty sure if I had to, it could be pared down a bit – but hey why would any of us want to! As I said earlier, I’d love to hear any recommendations and see whether anyone else is as much of a product junkie!
Original article: Contents: My Face!
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