What is in the perfect makeup bag?

What is in the perfect make-up bag?

Well it's not that simple really... 

Nope! No such thing as a perfect make-up bag! -well not one that will cover everyone's needs.

In reality each and every one of us is different, hence why they make thousands of different make-up and skincare products. As we go through life we will automatically find products that suit our skin-type and lifestyle. This is obviously the hardest part as its always trial and error to find the right mascara or foundation or powder etc, etc, the list goes on... and then to find out the brand stop selling it. Doh! Story of my life!

 However as a professional I can offer tips on products i have found to work on most people but also what are the better brands to buy. One thing I will say is- buy good quality products because...

In other words don't buy cheap!! 

There are some bargains to be had out there, but don't scrimp for the sake of your pretty little faces! Good quality foundations and moisturisers are a MUST as you wear them all day and they are your base for everything else.

Less is more! 

Simple products containing hardly any colours or fragrances are obviously kinder to your skin so where possible, opt for those.

Another thing to consider is that skin changes too, even on a monthly basis products will react differently on our skin- something down to hormones or even the weather!

Anyway to help those of you who are clueless as to what I personally think are essentials to a makeup bag here is mine...(plus a few extras out  of my professional kit!)

1. Your tools are everything! Buy good brushes, they will last you for years if you take good care of them and really do make a massive difference in the application of foundation and the blending of shadows. Here are a few of mine- most of them are available from Crown brushes - so affordable and yet very good quality.

2. Primed to perfection! Having a good primer means your foundation will look lovely and dewy but not shiny. That your make-up will last all day without cracking, and finally moisturises and protects from the environment

3. Are those bags? Nope not any more  For tired eyes and dark circles (the most common make-up problemo) having a long lasting concealer is an obvious must! My absolute saviour is YSL Touche Eclait- light but great coverage- it has light reflecting particles to give your under-eye luminous qualities so they sparkle brightly!!

4. Flawless Foundation  if you're going to splurge do it on foundation the most important part of a make-up kit. I love these ones by MAC, ILLAMASQUA and ESTEE LAUDER. They have both the coverage and light feeling yet still totally durable and last all day.

 5. Powder puff!A long lasting powder is definitely needed if you have oily skin. Or you're like me with combination the 'T-zone' part of your face gets shiny towards the end of the day. Favourite is ILLAMASQUA's translucent powder available in both loose and pressed form to suit which ever you prefer. Its better than coloured as it never cakes or gets into creases, just mattifies the areas that need it and feels light on your face.

6. Are you blushing? Yes baby I am! With good reason too, these beauties are the difference between you having a lovely dewy glow and getting what I call the blusher/bronzer stripe. (NOT A GOOD LOOK MAY I ADD!) These blushers by MUA cosmetics, Clarins and MAC are great because they are natural pinks rather than bright ones.


One thing I always teach people is that for everyday make-up - bronzer is there to contour your cheekbones and so should always be placed underneath them, either side of your face. Blush should be put on the apples of your cheeks to give a nice rosy glow!
No stripes allowed!










7. Bronzed beauty I always go for matte over shimmer, personal preference I guess but also for how I use it. These here by Rimmel, MUA cosmetics and MAC are great because they come in matte options.

As as discussed in the blusher section bronzer is placed underneath the cheekbone to shape and contour the face. For added definition put a light dusting on your temples and along your jawline. this works really well for nights out when people are papping away- no double chins here! they are concealed by a trick of the eye- darker the area the less people are drawn to look at it!- Clever huh?

8.Shimmer and shine highlighting is almost the opposite of contouring. It's a way of making certain areas of your face more prominent. most commonly used to shape the face or lift it. Do it well and you can look younger, brighter and even thinner! See my blog post about contouring here...

I always use shimmered products for highlighting as on camera this will reflect the light and make this bit brighter and more luminous. You can usually find highlighting powders in with eyeshadows, so instead of buying a specific highlighting product look for ones that might already be ok to use in your eyeshadow palletes.

 9. Power brow your eyebrows are the key element to shaping not only your eye but your entire face. This eye brow pallet from crown brush is amazing for my kit as there are so many colours to match different people but for your own kit is probably on the large side. There are smaller pallets out there for personal use. Alternatively use a pencil..most of them come with a comb to brush through the colour giving a really natural look.

 10.  All about the eyes...  so finding a good mascara is always tricky however I have found  a very good selection from collection 2000. They come in a variety of colours, brush sizes, waterproof and non-waterproof, thickness etc and are literally like £3! So obviously I have one of each! Another great tip is to apply clear mascara before  to not only protect your lashes, but allows to get every single one covered with mascara and it helps to thicken them. A great alternative to extensions, and cheaper!!

Liner- I have only recently swapped from liquid to gel and I can believe its taken me so long!  Gel lasts longer, looks blacker and slides on so well! The only catch is that its tricky to do at first, but practice makes perfect.   I'm not totally slating liquid- it is easier to do and still works just as well. A great one is this MUA cosmetics the nib on it makes flicks easy peasy! Alternatively use a pencil. I prefer to use pencil on the bottom lashes only but that's personal preference.

See my video on how to get the perfect eye-liner flick here....

11. Hiding in the shadows eye-shadows have the biggest selection you could possibly ask for! Literally thousands of colours and shades are out there so mix and match to what suits you. There's not one particular brand I would recommend as most of them have a great texture, pigment and are blendable. However if I had to pick, a couple my faves would be ones by MAC and Illamasqua.

In terms of picking colour this is what I would say usually makes each different eye colours stand out...

Blue eyes- browns and golds
Brown eyes - bright colours, blues, blacks and purples
Green eyes- purples and browns
Grey eyes - dark colours; blacks, browns and deep plums
But this isn't the rules as such, you can literally wear most colours, these are just ones that are particularly known for making the eye colour pop.

12. Kiss me quick!! before my lipstick comes off! - Not an issue here! So it starts with lip liner, I've found that ones from BarryM, 17, MAC and Illamasqua last the longest and have the biggest array of colours to choose from.





For lipsticks, ones I have found that last all day and don't dry up or flake or fade are ones from Barry M, MAC and Illamasqua. Serious colour but without the worry of nit fading half way through the day!









Finally for those days where your lips are dry and chapped a gloss or lip balm are a necessity. I love vaselines rose balm and this golden toned gloss from models own. Big hits in my kit and my own personal make-up bag!

For more information and products shown here are the links-

Illamasqua  MAC  Estee Lauder  YSL BOOTS MUA cosmetics

Thanks for reading hope you enjoyed it and found it helpful. Please leave your comments below!

Aimee x