What’s in my makeup bag?

The ten minutes that it takes me to apply my makeup in the morning is often my favourite ten minutes of the day. I love to experiment with new products and new techniques, and create a masterpiece worth screaming about (if I do say so myself). I’ve switched up my makeup bag over the last two months, indulging in a few new products as well as rediscovering some old favourites. Here is a whilstle-stop of my beauty regime:

Base: The first thing that I reach for in my makeup bag is my foundation. This product is a newbie to my collection, but it is an instant winner. I buff L’Oréal Paris’ True Match foundation in the shade ‘Creamy Beige’ into my face with a Real Techniques face brush. I spend a good minute or two doing this as I always find that the longer I spend on my foundation, the better my makeup looks as a whole. I then apply my Maybelline Age Rewind Eraser Eye Concealer in the shade ‘Nude’ under my eyes and around my T-zone. With a bare face, the corners of my nose always light up like a beacon, so I take special care to conceal, conceal, and conceal. I then finish off my base with a dab of L’Oréal Paris Infallible Powder across my face, setting my base for the rest of the day.

Colour: It’s all well and good having even and matte effect skin, but I still look fatigued without a bit of colour to my face. My blusher of choice at the moment is Max Factor’s Creme Puff Blush in the shade ‘Nude Mauve’. For anybody lusting after Hourglass’s range of magnificent blushers, Max Factor’s Creme Puff Blushers are the perfect dupe. The Hourglass shade ‘Mood Exposure’ in specific is fairly representative of the blush that I sweep across my face every day. It gives an uplifted look to my cheeks, without adding too much shimmer that I turn into a walking and talking disco ball. Contouring is not really my thing, and so this is a step that I leave out of my makeup routine. A good highlighter, however, is a necessity, and I have been recently reaching for Rimmel London’s Good To Glow Highlighter in the shade ‘Piccadilly Glow’. It is a liquid highlighter and so a little goes a long way. Added to the top of my cheekbones, it adds that extra bit of shine to my face.

Eyes: I like to keep my eyes nice and simple by only using one product, and it’s a game changer: mascara. Like contour, I’ve never been one for eyeshadow or eyeliner, but a good mascara can change your entire look. My holy grail mascara, without a shadow of a doubt, would have to be Maybelline’s Lash Sensational Last Multiplying Mascara. It magically transforms my lashes from being unseen to can’t be missed, and gives me all the volume that I need.

Lips: Before applying any lipstick, I always make sure to use Burt’s Bees Honey Lip Balm. It takes my dry, winter lips and breathes new life into them. Some days, this is enough to complete my look, but more often than not, you can see me reaching for at least one of two lipsticks. On a nude day, I will apply MAC’s lipstick in ‘Syrup’; the perfect ‘my lips but better’ shade. It has a fairly good lasting power and complements any outfit. If I’m feeling a bit more sassy, however, a red lip is an absolute must. My favourite red in my collection is definitely Maybelline’s Colour Sensational Creamy Matte Lipstick in the shade ‘Siren in Scarlet’. With a matte finish, it simply does not budge! It doesn’t matter how much food and drink passes my lips, that lipstick ain’t going nowhere, sistah. It’s definitely a must-have for anyone who loves to rock a classic red lip.