Here I will be sharing with you all what is in my makeup bag and my everyday makeup routine essentials, as of September 2022.
I used to be obsessed with makeup when I was younger and would spend up to £60 on the newest eyeshadow palettes and makeup, but as I have gotten older my makeup collection has seemed to have shrunk down to only the essentials. The makeup I do use currently, I have been using for the past two/three years religiously and really do wear by. Although I don't really wear makeup on a regular basis, when I go out I do like to go all out with my makeup, so I would like to think I have perfected my routine by now.
Let's have a look!
Makeup Bag
The Flat Lay Co - Drawstring Bag - Pink Leopard / £19.99
My makeup bag I am actually obsessed with, and actually just got it about 2 months ago for my birthday from a friend. I had seen these flat-lay makeup bags before but never realised how much I actually needed one/1 I have been raving about this makeup bag to absolutely everyone that brings up the subject of makeup. You absolutely need this!! It has a drawstring opening and opens up to lie flat- more like a mat for your makeup so you can see all of your makeup lying flat, and then is super easy to tidy up. Both ASOS and Look Fantastic have a range of colours for these bags, I can't recommend them more!
Primer
Nivea Hand And Body Cream / £2
Elf Power Grip Primer / £10
Mac Strobe Cream - Peachlite / £28
For my primer/skin prep I use a combination of three products- which really does seem like a lot but I love the three of them so much I can't bring myself to choose just one! I start with the trusty, well-known Nivea hand and body cream- which is only about £2 from the likes of B&M and Home Bargains, but I find it is the most moisturising cream ever for under makeup. I then use the Elf Power Grip primer, which I have just recently discovered and am in love with. The formula of this primer is super sticky which is perfect to grip onto the foundation and help it to stay all day, this is super affordable also! My secret weapon that I then bring out is my Mac Strobe Cream in the shade Peachlite. This is the holy grail of liquid highlighters and I have gone through bottles and bottles of this stuff- it is just amazing! I rub it all over my face, under my foundation and it gives my skin the most healthy natural glow, I even sometimes wear this on no makeup days just to make my skin glow a bit more.
Foundation
NARS Light Reflecting Foundation - Strombolli / £37.50
One thing I don't mind investing in and spending a little bit more on in terms of my makeup routine is foundation. I have tried several different drugstore ones, and they all just seem to miss the mark in one way or another. I have been using this NARS foundation for the past few months now since it got brought out and I absolutely love it. The formula of this is very thin and runny, and it gives the skin the most beautiful healthy glow. A little bit o this goes such a long way therefore the bottle lasts for so long and you definitely get your money's worth. I use the shade Stromboli which is perfect for when I have a tan, if I am wearing it without tan on then I just go heavier on the concealer to lighten it up and it always looks flawless.
Concealer
Maybelline Fit Me! - Ivory / £5.99
For concealer I have always used the Maybelline Fit Me in the shade Ivory for as long as I can remember, it definitely is a cult classic and essential in my makeup routine. The formula of this concealer is super thick and a little goes a long way. This is the perfect shade for me also as I like my undereye concealer to be nice and bright to brighten up my eyes. I definitely recommend this concealer and wouldn't bother splurging out on any others.
Blush
Makeup Revolution - Disney's The Lion King Revolution Heart Of A Lioness Highlighter / £6
Link: Disney's The Lion King Revolution Heart Of A Lioness Highlighter | Revolution Beauty Official Site
ICONIC Illuminator - Blush / £32
The blush step in my makeup routine is one I feel I have absolutely excelled at, and get questions all the time from people asking what blush I have on. I have put absolutely all of my friends and family on to this Makeup Revolution Lion King blush and they all love it as much as I do, it is 100% a hidden gem. Don't let the price deceive you, this blush is amazing- it is super glowy and leaves your cheeks a lovely peachy pink shade. Before I apply the powder blush, I like to dab some of the ICONIC's blush illuminator onto my beauty blender and dab it into my cheeks, just to give me a bit of an extra glow. I love this illuminator particularly also on holiday to give me a sunkissed look with a little bronzer on top. It is very much on the pricey side, but it will last a lifetime and is totally worth it for the amazing glowy cheeks you will have!
Bronzer
Milani Silky Matte Bronzer - Sunkissed / £21
Physicians Formula Murumuru Butter Bronzer Bronzer - Medium / £14.99
For my face bronzer, I again use a combination of two different brands and shades. I like to start with the Physicians Formula bronzer in Medium as it is a more cool tone, I kind of use this to contour with a linear brush and buff it out into my cheeks to create the illusion of cheekbones. I then go in with the Milani bronzer to bronze up my face- I love the formula of this bronzer and the shade is also great for bronzing. I got this bronzer in Florida whilst on holiday for around $7 and unfortunately can't seem to find it online here in the UK, except from Amazon which has it listed for £21. If you are ever in the USA anytime soon, give this a go!
Eyebrows
NYX Professional Makeup Brow Glue / £7.50
Link: NYX Professional Makeup Brow Glue 5g - LOOKFANTASTIC NYX Professional Makeup Lift And Snatch Brow Tint Pen - Ash Brown / £11
For my brows I like to go for the very popular 'Soap Brow' trend and to achieve this I use the NYX brow glue. I absolutely swear by this stuff as when you put it on your brows it leaves them in place all day. The formula is not overly sticky which I find is an issue with several other brow types of glue, and it doesn't leave a weird sticky border around your brows either. After using the NYX brow glue to keep them in place, I go in with the NYX brow pen to fill in any little gaps. This pen has a very fine tip, which is perfect for creating little brow strokes that look very natural and as though they are part of my brows themself. I swear by this combination!
Eye shadow
HUDA BEAUTY - The New Nude Palette / £56
Beauty Bay - Identity Palette / £23
I generally don't usually wear eyeshadow or class myself as a bold eyeshadow person, most of the time I just dust a little brown bronzer on my eyelids and call it a day. However, for the rare time that I do decide to do a bit of a bold eye or eyeshadow look, these are my two go-to palettes. The Huda palette I have had for a good few years and got it for a birthday gift a good while back. The quality of the eyeshadows is insane and does really blend phenomenally, I like the range of shades in this palette as well as the gorgeous glitter shadows which I occasionally use. The Beauty Bay palette I also got as a gift and absolutely love. This has everything you need to create a bronze eye look that if you are like me, is my go-to style (mainly because bold colours look so silly on me!)
Mascara
Maybelline Colossal Curl Bounce Mascara / £10.99
A mascara I have recently discovered and really like is the Maybelline Colossal bounce mascara. In my opinion, you can't really go wrong with Maybelline mascara and I have always used them since a teenager, but this one really is the next level. I love the fact the brush is more of a wire brush rather than plastic, and the consistency is perfect and doesn't clump up your lashes. This is a fabulous mascara and I definitely recommend it to anyone wanting to try something new.
Lip Liner/ Lip Gloss/ Lipstick
Mac Lipstick - Honeylove / £20
Barry M Lip Liner - Toast / £2.99
Peaches & Cream Gloss - Bambi / £6.95
My go-to lip combo of all time is these three products. I am 100% a nude girl and will always wear a nude lip, never have I ever been one for bold lip looks such as reds or pinks. This lip liner is genuinely the most perfect nude ever, and at the price of £2.99 you really can't go wrong. I love this Mac Honeylove lipstick too, it is a creamy matte which perfectly matches the Peaches and Cream gloss- the ultimate lip combo!!!
