I’m excited to finally share my makeup bag essentials. I’ve been meaning to do the what’s in my makeup bag tag for a while now. I’d done a what’s in my bag tag on my old blog a long time ago and looking back at those photos has me chuckling! Aesthetics were really not a thing back then were they? Thank God for better quality cameras on our phones and photo editing apps at our convenience! But I digress, this isn’t a #FlashbackFriday post, but rather my present-day makeup bag must haves. I like to keep it to essentials only . . . but that doesn’t mean a handful of items. Sigh. This girly girl life! So here are the items that are never missing in my go to, to-go stash.
Face
I don’t powder my face much. However, I can’t help but always feeling like I might need to. Hence I always carry my MAC Mineralise Skin Finish powder in the shade Dark. I love it because it’s got a radiant finish to it when I do use it. This works better for my dry skin as it makes me look less powdery than a normal matte compact powder would. I’ve talked about how much I love the Pauline Cosmetics blending brush here so that’s what I use with the powder when I do apply it. It’s big but it’s necessary.
I also make sure to have a blusher about my person. You never know when you might need that flush of colour. I used to carry the Sleek Cosmetics ones in the shades Flushed or Sunrise. But BelleLucille Beauty recently hooked me up with one of my all time faves: Milani’s baked blush in Red Vino, and I had to switch to that! It’s such a rich deep berry shade with some gold that shows up beautifully even on deep complexions. And it’s got the loveliest shimmer to it which means I don’t need a highlighter. A little goes a really long way and it just looks so gorgeous on the skin. It offers a quick elevation to any look: natural or glam.
Eyes
I love a basic eye look for the day and a little shimmer for the night. My custom MAC duo palette that I spoke of here is perfect for this. The brown matte shade (Embark) delivers the matte “barely there” canvas I like during the day. The gold shimmer shade (Amber Lights) adds pizzaz for any Oshinity after dark moments. I really don’t need a brush for this but I do pack a BH Cosmetics fluffy brush in case I need a cleaner application than my fingers can provide.
If you know me, you know I am attached to my eyeliner. Here is an old post on why it’s so special. So whether I’m wearing it or not, I like to have liner with me as some kind of security blanket. I’m currently back to using the Sleek Cosmetics twist-up liners as they’re creamy and don’t need a sharpener. Convenience is key. I don’t wear mascara every day but again, I like to carry one just in case. I pack my mini YSL Beauty mascara in Shocking but I forgot to photograph it for this post. Oops!
Lips
Even when I don’t have my makeup bag, I always have a lip product handy. I just must! And I’ve been addicted to my Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask in berry that I got from Sugar Punch Beauty a few months ago. It’s a holy grail product for me now and I refuse to live without it! It’s been a blessing for my dry lips. It’s a sleeping mask so obviously, it’s recommended for overnight use but I wear it all day. Works as a great lip balm and keeps me hydrated, protected and nourished always. You NEED this in your life if you have dry lips or wear mattes a lot. Thank me later.
My other addiction has been the Fenty Beauty Universal Gloss Bomb in Fenty Glow. I’ve not been able to put it down since I got it from BelleLucille Beauty! It’s the perfect gloss to wear by itself or on top of other lippies. Such a perfect nude shade, easy to wear formula and oh so gorgeous! Plus it’s HUGE! This will last a long time. Value for money.
My favorite lipstick shades to wear day in and day out are nudes and red. So I always make sure to have one of each in my makeup bag. I’ve been loving the Colour Pop Lux Lipstick in the shade Third Eye because it’s a flattering light nude that goes so well with the Fenty Glow lipgloss and has a really comfortable matte finish. Not at all drying. I got this from Asmini Beauty.
The red lipstick I have in my every day selection right now is the Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paint in the shade Uncensored. My God what a vibrant red it is! A real stunner. Hard to miss, easy to remember. It makes a bold statement and that’s really all you need from a red lippie. I paid it with the Huda Beauty Lip Contour pencil in the shade Heartbreaker that I got from Sephora to add some dimension to it. A perfect pair.
Hands
Hand creams are those things we all need but few carry. I never leave home without one form or another because hand soaps in loos can really dry up my hands and I hate that feeling. My beloved Nivea Creme is a staple in my life. I have several lying about my house and always one in my bag. Get yourself a Nivea Creme if you don’t already have one and thank me later. It’s so simple and luxe! A ride or die! I love love love the dinky Burt’s Bees hand salves too. So small and easy to carry even when you don’t have enough room and work well to moisturize hands with their botanical oils. They have a very light Vaseline feel that I like.
Hand sanitizers are essential. At least to me. I make sure to have one in my bag at all times because there is no shortage of germ transfer in daily contact with things and people. I prefer to use the Dettol ones because they have a subtle scent that doesn’t linger, but what I currently use is this Bath & Body Works one in Hey Thanks, Berry Grateful. I got it from Turquoise at Capital Center who have a huge selection of Bath & Body Works products. The smell is yummy but it’s strong and lingers which I don’t like as it interferes with my perfume. 
I also have pocket tissues and wet tissues on there because, again, these are always needed in daily life situations. I quite like the Aryuv brand because they have the individual wet tissues so they don’t dry up like the ones that are packed together.
Scents
Speaking of perfume, I can’t live without them. Sample sizes ones and roller ball options are great to carry around for a top up during the day. I have my special oud roller ball one and a sample at any one time. This sample sized one is La Nuit Tresor which isn’t my usual style of scent but not so far off that I can’t wear it.
Other
Other miscellaneous but necessary items in my makeup bag include painkillers, antihistamines, earrings and a comb. Necessities. When it’s that time of the month, I stash some pads in there as well. The bag itself is a Lancôme one I got at Madora in a goodie bag. It’s easy to clean, cute and not too big as to bulk up my handbag, but not too small as to restrict my packing.
So that’s what I have in my makeup bag. Simple, but maybe a lot. What do you carry in your makeup bag?
xo
