Inside My Sister's Makeup Bag

The snooping continues! I finally persuaded my Sister to share the contents of her makeup bag. As she has a far more eloquent way with words than I do, I will leave her to explain the contents!

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So as makeup bags go, even I can see that this is a pretty boring one to take a peak at. Classic, neutral, plain and safe are all words you could use to describe the contents of my bag.

From day to evening my look doesn't alter much - I regularly commit the ultimate beauty faux pas of just putting more on when it comes to the evening. Although I might lack adventure, I do like to buy high quality, decent products and if I love a product then I'm very loyal. 

Below are my favourites and the ones I just wouldn't be without.

Bare Minerals Original Foundation - This is my makeup bag staple and the best foundation I've found. Gives long-lasting, flawless coverage and no need for powder! 

Garnier BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector - In summer I like to try and stay away from foundation when I've got a bit of colour and I find this does the job well. Ive not found a better BB cream for the price and I'm yet to check out whether CC creams do trump the BB.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural - My summer skin essential. Use alone or on top of the BB cream. Subtle, sheer colour for a healthy summer glow.

Laura Mercer Secret Camouflage - Pretty industrial concealer with a base to help it last all day. I'm not so much a fan of the application method, although this maybe just because Ive not bothered to purchase a brush for it. Lasts forever so worth the investment if you are prone to breakouts. 

NARS Blush Bronzer Duo in Sin and Casino - Another year round staple. Modern but classic shades of bronzer and blusher perfect for day and evening.

Chanel Eyeshadow Duo in Taupe - Delicat - A new addition to my makeup bag. Neutral colours that work well for the day and evening. Stays put too - If we still lived together, this would most definitely find its way into my room!

Revlon Grow Luscious Plumping Mascara - As mascaras go, this isn't bad. But I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it again. Generally I find Revlon to be pretty good for mascaras but I've yet to find one killer mascara.

Rimmel Glam'Eyes Liquid Liner - I wouldn't be without this and despite trying numerous expensive alternatives such as Chanel and YSL, you cant beat this Rimmel option for colour and application. A snip at around a fiver and it lasts forever.

Milani Liquid Eye - In theory a great pencil eyeliner which performs like its a liquid. However sharpening it is almost impossible and after a few weeks of trying and just ending up with black eyeliner everywhere but my eyes, I think I will revert to a standard pencil in future.

MAC Eyeshadow in Naked Lunch - Is it sad that I'm impressed by how much of this she has used?!

Elziabeth Arden 8 Hour Lip Protectant Stick - Pricey as far as lip balms go but its a great all year round product that gives a nice subtle sheen as well as moisturising and protecting.

MAC Tinted Lipglass in Viva Glam V and Big Baby - Another classic of mine. I'm not a great lipstick wearer - it seems to last 2 seconds on me, so a nudeish lip gloss is one of my essentials to upgrade my day look to night - I don't think I have ever seen my Mum or my Sister wearing a red lip, maybe one day I will convert them!

MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner in Petting Pink - My hybrid between the Elizabeth Arden and the MAC lip gloss, really conditioning with a touch of colour.

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers - The classic eyelash curlers. I can't go without them and I hate how mascara looks sans curl. I'm pretty rubbish at replacing the pad though.

Bare Escentuals Flawless Face Brush

And there you have it, big thank to my Sis. You can check out my other makeup bag snoopings below:

My Nan's Makeup Bag

My Mum's Makeup Bag

Chef and Chloe's Makeup Bags

Concealers

Concealer, where would I be without you. When I'm PMS'ing pretty bad who else is there to cover up my spotty chin. When I've stayed up far too late watching YouTube videos and episodes of Buffy, I know I can rely on you to cover those dark circles under my eyes and when I'm going out and want to channel my inner Kim Kardashian who else will help me highlight the centre of my face?!

Here are some of my favourite, tried and tested concealers and what I use them for.

Concealing Spots/Blemishes/Redness

My favourite concealer for this is my very well loved, Laura Mercer Secret Camouflage. This is one of those cult beauty products that I always spot makeup artists using or raving about. You get 2 different shades in this compact so you can mix them together to create your perfect colour. This is a thick, creamy concealer which can cover just about anything and last all day. At £26.00 this is by no means a cheap option but this has lasted me well over a year.

A cheaper option is the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. This is slightly lighter in coverage but has very good lasting power and for £4.19 you cant go wrong.

Concealing dark circles

My 2 favourite under eye concealers are both from Maybelline, I'm telling you when it comes to concealer Maybelline do it best!

Their Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer is my go to, every day for brightening up under the eyes. I like that it brightens but still has a good amount of coverage. It seems like every brand has released these highlighter pen concealers and trust me for £6.99 this performs so much better than others I've tried.

The Eraser Eye is my newest purchase and I think I actually prefer it to my Dream Lumi touch, although its quite early on to make such sweeping statements! I just love the sponge tip applicator, it deposits the perfect amount of product. Its a pound more but still a bargain at £7.99

Highlighting

If I'm going out, out or my face just needs a bit of brightening up I like to use a lighter concealer to highlight. I will put this under my eyes, down the centre of my nose and the middle of my forehead.

MAC's Prep and Prime Highlighter in Light Boost is one of my absolute favourites. Its yellow toned rather than pink toned so really perks your skin up if you are looking a bit sallow. This will set you back £18.00 so it is a pricier option but there are no real yellow toned concealers on the high street to compare it to.

The Hourglass Hidden Corrective Concealer is another good one for highlighting. It comes in a stick format but is very creamy and blendable. At £23.00 this is definitely a more luxurious option.

Face of the Day with Charlotte Tilbury The Vintage Vamp Colour Coded Eye Shadow Palette

World renowned make up artist, Charlotte Tilbury launched her very own makeup line this year to much acclaim. Charlotte was also responsible for helping create Tom Fords makeup line and I can definitely see some similarities between the two.

I knew I wanted to try one of her Colour Coded Eye Shadow Palettes but the problem was which one! In the end I opted for "Vintage Vamp" which was rather a spontaneous decision but sometimes my spontaneous decisions are my best!

The packaging as you would except is glamorous and sleek, I do love the modern twist though, with the little star etched on the mirror.

The colours aren't individually named but there are instructions on the back if you are the kind of person that likes to follow instructions. I really don't, so I just dipped my brush in and played around!

I have really enjoyed using this palette, the beautiful burnished plum colours create a really sultry eye look. I used the lightest colour all over my lid and in my inner corner, this is a really light and slightly metallic purple colour. With the same brush I then blended the next colour all along and slightly above my crease, I also blended all along my lower lash line taking the colour quite low down. Lastly I used the darkish purple in the outer corners of my eye and underneath the lower lash line again. I didn't use the gold colour at all as its quite glittery and I'm not in glitter mode yet!

All the colours were really easy to work with, highly pigmented and blended beautifully. The only exception being the gold glittery colour, which seems to be a whole lot of glitter and not a whole lot of colour.

Charlotte's line is available from Selfridges and there are so many eyeshadow palettes to chose from you will be spoilt for your choice. These are pricey at £38.00 but for all you make up lovers I'm sure you can justify the price!

Now onto the rest of the face

Face

Smashbox Photo Finish Blemish Control Primer - As much as I love Smashbox and their primers, I just don't think this one does do much in the way of blemish control, which is disappointing.

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer - I managed to salvage this from my younger brothers bedroom!

Hourglass Hidden Corrective Concealer - Because one concealer isn't enough? I used this as more of a highlight, down my nose, on the forehead and underneath the eyes.

Guerlain Terracotta Moisturising Bronzing Powder - No blush as the eye make up was heavy enough.

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder

Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Powder in Candelight

Eyes

Hourglass Brow Sculpting Pencil in Soft Brunette

Illamasqua Brow and Lash Gel

Benefit Stay Don't Stray Primer

Charlotte Tilbury The Vintage Vamp Colour Coded Eye Shadow Palette

Benefit They're Real Mascara

Lips

Korres Lip Butter in Wild Rose

Revlon Lip Butter in Red Velvet

I Love Tinted Lip Balms

Oh I do love a good tinted lip balm! The only time I don't have some form of lip colour on is when I go to bed at night and when I wake up in the morning, I am obsessed! This is why I love tinted lip balms, they give me just enough colour and keep my lips smooth. Needless to say I can't tell you the last time I suffered from chapped lips!

Here are some of my favourite tinted lip balms

DIOR Addict Lip Glow - I am already on my second tube of this stuff, I got through the first one in about 2 months! This lip balm is meant to adapt to the colour of your lips and give you your own unique colour. Basically it reacts to the temperature of your lips and I get a really nice pinky glow from this. I also really like that this is in a tube, so you don't have to dip your finger in! - £22.50

Korres Lip Butter - I have a few of these Korres lip butters now, so don't ask me to pick a favourite colour! I love the colour range, there really is something for everyone. I'm a big fan of Korres as a brand as they source a lot of natural ingredients. - £8.00

Givenchy Hydra Sparkling Magic Lip and Cheek Balm in Rosy Glow - My favourite of my favourites, there are no words! - £21.00

Miners Tin o' Tint in Cherry - This is the only product I have from Miners. I remember when Miners used to be sold in chemists but now they only sell online. This is my favourite, purely based on the colour. Its a really beautiful dark, cherry colour which looks lovely at this time of year. - £2.99

Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry - I feel like I waited an eternity for these to finally arrive in the UK and I wasn't disappointed when they did. Cherry is by far my favourite - £2.99

Benefit Benetint Lip Balm - You know I love a sheer red lip and Benetint was one of the products that first got me hooked. However this stuff seems to be impossible to find now, I hope that Benefit haven't discontinued it :(

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Lip Protectant Stick - I have used this so much, the labels peeled off so I cant tell you what colour it is, sorry! Like Benetint this is a sheer red but this feels much more nourishing and thick on my lips, would be great if you are prone to dry lips. They also do this an un-tinted version if you prefer to keep things subtle! - £20.00

Face of the Day with Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte Kate Moss Lipstick in 107

Technically this is a face of last week, trust me I do not look like this today. It's Friday, otherwise known as P.O.E.T.S Day (Piss of Early Tomorrows Saturday) and I have just about managed to roll myself out of bed and into work!

Its bloody freezing in the UK now, so I'm back sporting my Joe Pesci in Home Alone hat. 

One thing I really want to encourage you to do is....wear bold lipstick whenever you want. Don't save it for a special occasion or a night out, wear it round the house, wear it to the shops wear it wherever you want! Last year I really loved all the dark Autumn/Winter colours but felt too self conscious wearing them, this year I just think sod it, I'm wearing my Rimmel 107 and I'm wearing it to Waitrose!

My Oprah moment is over, on with the makeup!

FACE

DIOR Diorskin Nude Glow Complexion Enhancer - I'm still playing around with this and I'm still not sure. It does give you a glow but I feel that its completely lost once you apply foundation, hmmmm.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation - I don't give this foundation enough love. This is probably one of the best foundations you will find for the price, it gives a pretty, natural finish and feels really nice on the skin.

Maybelline The Eraser - I'm still loving the name of this concealer but name aside this is bloody brilliant. It has really good coverage and I love the sponge applicator, as it deposits just the right amount of product and feels strangely refreshing! I actually think I prefer this to their Dream Lumi Touch, which is saying something. 

Guerlain Terracotta Moisturising Bronzing Powder in "00 Makeup Artist" - I like using this in the Winter months as its a relatively light bronzer which works well with paler skin.

Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Powder in Candlelight - The best highlighter I have found

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder - A cheap but very good setting powder, I just wish Rimmel would put it in a proper compact!

EYES

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette - This would be a great staple item to any makeup bag. It contains 6 mostly matte eyeshadows, all in neutral, basic colours. This palette is really versatile but also great for day to day. As I knew I was going for a bold lip, I wanted to keep my eye makeup simple so this palette was perfect. I just used W.O.S all over the lid and blended Naked 2 along and just above the crease for definition.

Maybelline The Rocket Volum' Express Mascara (Waterproof) - A really good mascara for defining and adding length to your lashes.

MAC Lingering - This was my very last backup of my beloved Lingering and now its finished. I will  go back to the Hourglass Brow Sculpting Pencil but I have a feeling we will be reunited one day!

Illamasqua Brow and Lash Gel - I use this every day and I think its appeared in every single one of my Face of the Day posts!

LIPS

Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte Lipstick by Kate Moss in 107 - Lastly, lips. I am having a moment with this Rimmel 107 lipstick, I just cant stop wearing it. Its getting to the point where I'm annoying myself because there's other lipsticks I want to wear, or I want to do a stronger eye look rather than a lip but I just don't seem to want to put this down!

This lipstick costs £5.49 and its just as pigmented as a MAC lipstick. The lasting power is also amazing, I always make sure I blot with this lipstick but then I can eat and it doesn't budge.

I braved the chilly outdoors to take these pictures in completely natural and unflattering daylight!

My Favourite Autumn/Winter Perfumes

I never noticed that I change my perfume with the seasons but most of the perfumes I wore in the Summer months I could not imagine wearing now.

In Winter I love heavier, comforting scents and they are normally quite masculine. Anything that contains amber or vanilla you can pretty much guarantee I will love.  Basically in Summer I want to smell like a coconut, a coconut on a deserted beach and in Winter I want to smell like a sexy man!

Maison Martin Margiela Jazz Club - I have spoken about my love for Maison's perfumes many times before on my blog. I fell head over heels in love with his Replica Line and I have been wearing Beach Walk all Summer. Jazz club is his newest fragrance and its actually a male fragrance. Personally, I quite like wearing men's aftershave, if you love a scent you should wear it why does it matter who its for! As usual, the packaging is divine and it smells like a dream boat of a man, a long haired, bearded dream boat!

Bvlgari Jasmin Noir - One of my favourite Winter scents, its not as strong as say Black Orchid by Tom Ford but its really comforting. To me its a very sensual scent so I like to wear this in the evenings.

All my other Winter scents are in rollerballs which is ideal as they are stronger scents so you only need a few dabs. Although rollerballs are harder to come across in the UK a lot of brands release them for Christmas and Travalo have now come out with a refillable rollerball, which is pretty cool. 

Tom Ford Black Orchid - This used to be my favourite Autumn/Winter perfume, I still love it but beware you really only need a little bit of this. If you put too much on its just too much. I've had this rollerball for about 3 years, so trust me when I say a little goes a long way.

Kate Walsh Boyfriend - "You don't need a boyfriend, to have Boyfriend" - What a relief, hey.

This is a guaranteed winner for me as it has my favourite notes, vanilla and amber. A very masculine but sensual scent.

Kat Von D Sinner and Saint - I like that this is a double ended roller ball, pretty nifty. These are the lightest out of all my Autumn/Winter perfumes and I definitely prefer the "Saint" side, the "Sinner" side is a bit too sweet for my taste.

Kat Von D Adora - My current perfume of choice, this is much more feminine than the others. Like the name I would describe this as a very romantic scent and Ive had quite a few compliments when wearing it, which is always a good sign.

My Favourite Makeup Brushes

I have collected and used a fair few brushes in my time. When I studied theatrical and media makeup I got my first set of "professional" brushes, these weren't actually that great and I only have one or two brushes left from the set now. I have collected a variety of different brushes which I love and use everyday. These brushes are a real mixture in terms of price, from high street to more high end but they all do their job perfectly.

Real Techniques Brushes

If I could only use one brand of brushes, I would pick Real Techniques hands down. 

Buffing Brush - My favourite brush for foundation, this guy is extremely well loved. I personally don't like traditional flat foundation brushes, as my foundation always streaks when using them. Discovering this brush was a revelation. 

Available from Boots in the Core Collection which contains this and 3 other brushes for £21.99

Duo Fiber Face Brush - I remember a time when you could only get duo fiber brushes from MAC and now you can pick them up in Boots for a third of the price! I like using a duo fiber brush to apply my powder as the bristles are less densely packed so you get a lighter finish and it stops you looking cakey.

Available from Boots in the limited edition Duo Fiber Set which contains this and 2 other brushes for £23.99

Stippling Brush - My favourite brush to apply cream blusher

Available from Boots £11.99

Duo Fiber Contour Brush - This also comes in the duo fiber set along with the face brush. I don't use this to contour, I actually use it to highlight. Again, as the bristles are less densely packed you get a lighter finish and a much more subtle effect.

Bobbi Brown Bronzer Brush - Since I got this for my Birthday last year I have used it every single day. Although the bristles are quite dense, this brush is so soft and even with daily use it never sheds any hairs.

Available from Bobbi Brown £38.00

Chanel Blush Brush - My favourite brush for powder blushes. I like that this brush picks up a lot of product and allows you to be quite precise with your application. I can really focus my blush on a certain area and build colour easily.

Available from Debenhams £33.00

MAC 217 Blending Brush - The only eyeshadow brush you need. This brush does everything, packs on colour but blends it out at the same time. Also as the bristles are slightly narrower at the top this is great for doing my favourite trick of blending eyeshadow underneath the lower lash line.

Available from MAC £18.00

Sigma SS217 Blending Brush x 2 - Now I know I just said you only need one eyeshadow brush and you do. These Sigma brushes are knock offs of MAC's 217. The brush is exactly the same, except for  a shorter handle. Sigma are an American company which essentially copied all of MACs brushes but for a cheaper price. They have now renamed all their brushes and these are now called the E25 Blending Brush. If you are on a budget I highly recommend Sigma's eye brushes, their face brushes however I'm not so keen on but I can honestly not tell a difference between this and my MAC 217. I got these both for free as gifts with purchase from love-makeup.co.uk

Available from Love Makeup £10.50

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler - Simply the best eyelash curlers. The gold ones were limited edition and are no longer available but you can buy the original silver ones.

Available from Space NK £20.00

Tweezerman Tweezers - Again, you cannot get any better than Tweezerman tweezers. These New York print ones are no longer available but ohmygoodness I have seen the cutest Harajuku Lovers pair which I want so bad!

Harajuku Lovers Tweezerman Tweezers Available from Beauty Bay £23.76

Revlon Brow Brush - Its ridiculous how hard it is to find a traditional eyebrow brush, after an age of searching I finally found this Revlon brush in Superdrug. I use it to brush through my brows if I have been a bit overzealous with the eyebrow pencil. I cant find a link to this online but try your local Superdrug.

Ardell Brow Trim and Shape Grooming Tool - I discovered these mini eyebrow razors about 3 years ago in New York and I have used them ever since. They are perfect for those fair hairs which you cant pluck or for the monobrow area! As it removes all the fair hairs it makes your makeup go on so much smoother! You cant buy these exact ones in the UK but have a google for similar versions.