What's In My Travel Makeup Bag

I'm off to visit my family this weekend and I'm also tying in a trip to London on Sunday to do a spot of shopping and exploring a few of the markets. I've been packing my things together today and thought it would be interesting to show you what I'm taking in my makeup bag for the weekend. I've got a few new things to try out along with a couple of my trusty favourites

Primers are essential if you want your makeup to last all day so I've got the Rimmel Fix & Perfect pro primer which I love and will always go back to. It’s great for people with dry to combination skin although it has a nice in between finish from matte to dewy so you can add different products to suit your preferences (for example a highlighter to add a glow or a mattifying powder)

I recently got given a sample of the Smashbox Photo Finish primer so I thought it would be a good time to try it out whilst I was away. I've heard lots of great things about this primer however I am slightly put off by its expensive price tag but I suppose I will have to wait and see how it performs until I give my opinion.

The foundation which I've been using recently is the Rimmel Wake me up simply because it’s the only foundation dark enough for my skin right now however I do really like it none the less. It’s a very lightweight, dewy foundation which I find blends effortlessly into my skin to give a light to medium coverage.

My all time favourite concealer is the Rimmel Wake me up, I use a lighter shade to brighten under my eyes and I also find it works well to cover up any spots or redness. I find this concealer has a very creamy formula which blends well and doesn't crease or stick to dry patches. Some days when I want a very easy and natural look I like to simply use this without foundation to give a fresh and clean coverage.

Next is always my eyebrows- I saw this brow pallet from Collection in Boots recently for just £2.99 and I couldn't resist trying it out and I have definitely not been disappointed. I only use the lightest shade in the pallet which I think looks very similar to Omega from MAC. Once I've applied some colour into the brows (I always use a small angled brush from Elf) I like to go ahead and use Charcoal Brown from MAC to add a little more colour and definition to the brows, this step could be optional although I prefer more colour some days. To ensure your eyebrows stay in place all day, it’s best to use a brow gel to set them into place- I like to use a cheap clear mascara which works perfectly fine for me however if you want even MORE definition, you could use a coloured setting gel such as the Gimmie Brow gel from Benefit.

I have been using my MAC eyeshadows a lot recently and I have found some very simple looks which don’t take a lot of effort or time at all to achieve. The colours I'm taking with me this weekend in my quad pallet are Naked Lunch (a perfect brow highlight or all over lid shimmer), Satin Taupe (beautiful blended into the crease then with Naked Lunch above on the brow bone), Cranberry (a new addition to my collection which I'm ready to experiment with) and finally Charcoal Brown (for my eyebrows or simply blended into the crease along with Satin Taupe.)

My holy- grail mascara is obviously coming along with me this weekend- Benefit They’re Real mascara gives me amazing, voluminous, separated and extremely defined lashes which last all day long. I do love a few other mascaras however I can always tell a difference whenever I use this Benefit one, the results are great and I couldn't recommend it enough.

You may know from my previous posts that I am a big eye liner beginner although I have finally found one that I really like and can achieve some ‘ok’ results with! This Eyeko skinny liquid liner is very good for creating a neat, thin line without too much effort. I think I prefer this to the Benefit They’re Real Liner which has had a lot more ‘hype’ but I personally find that one extremely difficult to apply and very annoying to remove!

Blush is something I never thought I’d get into because I always found they made me look like I was very embarrassed or like I was about to perform in a circus! Although now I've got this beautiful one from Chanel, I think I'm converted. It adds a nice, subtle flush to the cheeks to make me look more ‘awake’ and healthy.

I think everyone should carry a powder with them, whether you have oily or dry skin you can still end up looking a little shiny throughout the day so it’s handy to keep one in your bag just in case. I've used the Rimmel Stay Matte powder for years and I still can’t fault it, it does exactly what it says on the packaging and is a great, affordable product for everyone. Many people who want to achieve the ‘dewy skin look’ don’t think they need powder however by simply applying some to your T-zone, it won’t affect your glow, it will just ensure your radiance looks natural and not shiny.

I take a lip balm with me everywhere and they are very handy to keep in your handbag on days out. My lips get dry quickly so it’s nice to have a moisturising lip balm handy; the one I've got here is the Nuxe Reve de miel which I got whilst on holiday in France this year.

The final thing I've got to show you is this lip tint from Benefit- it can be used on both the lips and cheeks however I prefer to just use it on the lips. I like to use this rather than a lipstick because it lasts a lot longer and you don’t have to worry about eating or drinking whilst you have it on like you would with a bold lipstick.

I thought I’d show you what I'm going to be carrying my makeup in- I got this pouch as a gift from a friend and I find it perfect for travelling. It’s got two big compartments inside and I like to keep my makeup on one side and my brushes on the other. With other makeup bags that I've owned in the past, they haven’t been big enough to keep my brushes inside as well so this one is great and it isn't too big at the same time as it folds up neatly and is very compact.

I hope you've enjoyed having a nosey inside my makeup bag and that you all have a good weekend- speak to you soon!