What’s in my makeup bag!

I know, generic post, and I’m late to the bandwagon, so here’s what’s in my makeup bag!

And it’s actually way less than I thought it was going to be, honestly. This is legitimately the entire contents of my makeup bag. I haven’t edited this at all apart from organising it nicely for the photo. I thought I had so much more stuff than this but apparently I don’t. The actual bag was a freebie from when my mum bought some Clarins products, and as you can see I am a fan of the Real Techniques ‘flat egg’, as I call it, beauty blender sponge. It’s so versatile.

I also have numerous brushes for eyeshadows and blusher and the like, but they don’t live in my makeup bag so technically I can’t include them in this post.

So, what is actually in this bag? Let’s break it down, starting with primer, concealer and foundation:

That’s Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch primer, because I have fine lines and visible pores and this fills them in beautifully, MAC Studio Fix foundation because it’s the only one that doesn’t turn my skin into horrific dry fish scale flakes, and Benefit Boing! concealer, because I have pock marks and dark marks from medication-induced acne. It’s the best concealer I’ve found for my face, and it’s heavy duty so it really does cover everything. I’ve mentioned before I have dry skin, and these products don’t exacerbate the problem while still providing me with the coverage I need. I don’t use a powder over this, because those DO dry me out. Powder and dry skin doesn’t really go.

Blusher now:

Old, faithful and well-used (and the only powder that touches my face because, well, it’s not actually touching my skin), this is the best blusher on the planet. It’s MAC Sheertone Shimmer Blush in Trace Gold. This is about my third palette of this now. It’s literally the only blush that suits me and doesn’t make me look like I’ve been got by the sun or am perpetually embarrassed. Dear MAC, never, ever, EVER stop making this. I do have one in storage ready to go when this one runs out but I live in fear of one day never finding it again. Maybe I should buy another one or two for storage, just in case.

Contour kit now, something I’m still attempting to learn properly:

Barry M make the best contour kits. That’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it! I do suck royally at contouring, so the fact this was under £10 made me feel better about buying it. I should practice more, really…

Next, eye primer and dark circles concealer:

Benefit Fake Up concealer is my choice for my dark circles. It’s nice and light and it moisturises a bit as well as covering up my lovely dark eye bags. As for eyelid primer, I’m in a transitional period between the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion and the Too Faced Shadow Insurance. I much prefer the Too Faced one for texture, and I find it makes my eyeshadow last longer. I’m really just eking out the Urban Decay tube – I should have finished it off before I started on the Too Faced one but we’re all guilty of starting new products before the old ones are finished, aren’t we?

Brow products, eyeliner and mascara now:

The brow products are another ‘transitional’ set – I’m slowly moving from the Rimmel Brow This Way brow kit to the Benefit Goof Proof pencil. I much prefer the pencil, as it gives me more control over what’s going on with my eyebrows, and it’s a little more subtle. The Brow This Way set is still used on a night out, when I want a little more definition, but it’s not my daily brow product now. I’m also lazy and the pencil is far, far less hassle than the kit.

The Rimmel Scandaleyes mascara in black was bought as a panic buy when my regular Bobbi Brown mascara ran out and I was nowhere near a Bobbi Brown counter, but it’s quickly become a go-to for me. I actually prefer it to my old mascara – it’s a nicer formulation and it makes my eyes look really big. It just goes to show that sometimes being forced to buy outside your comfort zone can result in finding really great products! The Rimmel Exaggerate waterproof eyeliner in black is an old favourite. It’s the only eyeliner that doesn’t fall off my waterline and I will keep using this until they stop making it (please don’t stop making it, I don’t want to find another one, it took me long enough to find this one).

So, on to eyeshadow:

I like palettes, as you can see. The big palette at the top is from Cargo Cosmetics and it’s their ‘Let’s Meet in Paris’ palette. The lighting in this photo is a bit shonky (actually it’s really bad, now I look at it properly – apologies, readers) but let me assure you, the colours are perfection. I adore Cargo, and it’s annoying that it’s so hard to get hold of in the UK. They make the best eyeshadows I have ever used, and quite honestly my trip to Canada in 1999 ruined me by introducing me to this brand because I’ve been obsessed with it ever since. This palette isn’t from 1999, it’s only a couple of years old and I don’t use it nearly as much as I ought to because I’m trying not to run it out! If anyone in the UK knows where I can get Cargo products (Debenhams don’t carry it anymore) please let me know!

The MAC palette with the horrible light glare on it (seriously what the hay, that’s terrible photo editing) is ‘Amber Times Nine’ and it’s my daily palette. Nice neutrals with a tiny bit of shimmer if I feel so inclined.

Then I have my little Max Factor single shadow in Feral Brown. I’ve not actually used it yet, even thought I’ve had it a while. I should, it’s a lovely shade. And then my Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Shadow Stick in Golden Bronze, which is another daily shade when I want something a bit different. It makes my eyes look really, really blue, which considering they’re more a grey-blue, is an achievement. I love it, and it’s almost run out so I will have to get another one.

Lipstick next:

I honestly don’t wear lipstick much, so these barely get used except on nights out. We have Bobbi Brown Art Stick in Brown Berry, MAC satin finish in Retro and MAC lip pencil in Mahogany. That’s all I can say about these. I’m not one for lipstick, and I think it’s because I play the clarinet and learned a long time ago that lipstick on your reed is just asking for trouble.

And finally, to keep the whole lot in place, setting spray:

Good old Urban Decay Allnighter. My makeup doesn’t budge if I spritz my face with this stuff after I’ve done my makeup routine. It’s the best setting spray I’ve found – I know some disagree, but different stuff works for different people. I tend to take ages to find something I like and then stick to it. It doesn’t make my skin dry and doesn’t smell weird, which some of the other setting sprays do.

So, that’s what’s in my makeup bag! What’s in yours?

(Please note I was not paid to review any of the products in this post. All opinions are my own.)