What’s In My Makeup Bag

I recently bought this sparkly Nine West makeup bag ($10 at Marshall’s!) after selling a lot of my clothes at Plato’s Closet so I thought it would be fun to share exactly what I keep inside! I keep my makeup pretty simple. It’s never drastic and I like to stick with neutrals. I’m not exactly brand loyal but I do try to buy what’s best and works for me.

  1. Mascara: I use two brands. Clinique Lash Power Mascara as a base (and it only comes off with warm water) and then I top it off with Benefit’s They’re Real! mascara to make my lashes longer.
  2. Concealer: I use Natural Cream Mineralogie for under my eyes. Now that summer is over, I’ll probably start mixing it with something lighter.
  3. Foundation: I absolutely love Bare Escentuals and have been using their Original SPF 15 Foundation for years. It’s a loose power and the coverage is great (not too heavy and not too light).
  4. Eyeshadows: For any eye color, I use Bobbi Brown. The two shades I use are Rose Gold and Bone. Her shadows are affordable and I’d rather experiment with shades regularly.
  5. Blush: Again, I use Bare Escentuals for my blush! I wear The Aphrodisiac and like that it’s compact vs loose powder.
  6. Brow Pencil: I went to Nordstrom one night and asked what brow pencil they recommended the most. $35 dollars later, I walked out with Smashbox’s Brow Tech To Go. AMAZING. Would totally recommend it. I love that it’s angled, I don’t have to sharpen anything, and it comes with a gel brush.
  7. Eyeliner: Since I use Clinique’s mascara and use their face wash/lotion, it was only a matter of time before they got me hooked on something else. The Cream Shaper for Eyes is creamy/soft but doesn’t smudge or come off with water.
  8. Tweezers: Nothing special and I have no idea what brand. They just work really well!
  9. Lash Curler: Also some generic brand. Any suggestions on one worth purchasing?
  10. Shadow Primer: Too Faced’s Shadow Insurance in Candlelight is a great primer to use before applying your eyeshadow. I think the shade has been too light for summer but I might as well stick it out since autumn is near!
  11. Brushes: I only use three brushes and they’re all from Bare Escentuals. Speaking of…I need to clean my brushes. I’m embarrassed to admit but I’ve never done that before. Any tips?

So that’s what I wear everyday! As I list it all out, it seems like a lot but I swear it only takes me 5 minutes to apply everything. I don’t keep any lip stains, glosses or chapstick in my makeup bag (they’re usually all in my purse) but I am on the hunt for a few new products:

  • A really good lip exfoliant. I think I’m going to buy one of Lush’s lip scrubs next month.
  • A lighter concealer for fall/winter.
  • A lip stain that actually stays!

What’s in YOUR makeup bag? Feel free to copy the post and link below! Any products that have your loyalty? Recommendations? 

*All photos taken on my Canon T2i

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Comments (27)

  • A very nice post! I love Lush products!
    I use few products for my daily makeup, my favourite eyeshadow is a bronze colour.
    To clean your brushes, you could wash them with a children’s soap and lukewarm water :)

    • Lush is really wonderful. I was introduced to their products earlier this year. Oh and thanks for the makeup cleaning tip!

  • Allie: After just raving about my new brushes, now I want to try yours! That brand def seems worth trying (and gettin hooked on).
    For cleaning brushes, I just use a little of my regular face wash – that way you know it won’t bother your skin.
    For a lip scrub (which I just learned is a thing like last week), I mix a little sugar in honey or olive oil. But that Mint Julips could probably convince me to buy it. :)

    • I do love my brushes! They’re so soft. I loved your post the other day about E.L.F products! I totally love your tip on using my facewash to wash my brushes! Do you just use your fingers to work through the brush or what?

      Oh and a homemade lip scrub is genius! But you’re right…Lush makes it pretty hard not to buy theirs ;)

  • I love posts like this, Allie! It’s always so fun to see what products other people use. And that makeup bag is too cute!

  • Allie,

    First off, your makeup bag is fab! And so clean. Mine is kind of scary. Secondly, what are your thoughts on powder foundations? I’ve always wanted to try them because liquid is too heavy and cake-y for me, but I have yet to find the right kind.

    • Thanks Beth! I think the glitter is totally appropriate. Mine PROBABLY won’t stay that clean after I use it over the next few months. My last bag was filled with powder, mascara stains, etc. How does it get so messy??

      As for the powder foundation, I seriously LOVE it. I’ve only used Bare Escentuals though. The coverage is amazing (sometime I’ll post a before and after photo of myself…eek). I like that is covers enough to smooth out my tone/color but sheer enough that you can still see my freckles! And I feel like I could sleep in it since it’s so natural.

  • For my brushes, the few times I’ve washed them I’ve used baby wash- it’s what I use on my ultra-sensitive face, too.

    It’s about time for me to sew myself a new makeup bag- I’ll link up once it’s finished and then share what’s inside!

  • I love this post – I have been thinking about doing a post similar to this for quite some time. I think I need a brow pencil… so I’ll have to keep the smashbox one in mind. I’m a huge fan of Bobbi Brown eyeshadow too. It’s such good quality!

    • Yes please do a similar post soon! I love them. I never used a brow pencil until last winter and now I think I look so different without using it! I don’t go crazy but it definitely helps shape/darken.

  • I must be a secret voyeur because I love seeing what’s in other people’s bags, closets, etc. Your makeup bag is so fun!

    There was a great post on The Beauty Department this week on how to clean your brushes:
    http://thebeautydepartment.com/2012/09/how-to-properly-wash-your-brushes/

  • Love this! For eye lash curler I’ve heard so much good things about the Shu Uemara. Haven’t tried it myself, but I will soon be picking it up.
    For balm stains I am obsessed with Revlons Kissable Balm Stains. Most colors are bright but they do have some nice berry colored ones that can transition to fall.

    • Oh I’ll have to look up that curler brand! And I picked up a Revlon Kissable Balm Stain…SO awesome. I love that it has instant moisture added.

  • I signed up for Birchbox with your referral link months ago and I got a lipstain that I loved in the June box. It’s theBalm cosmetics Stainiac. I wrote about it in this review and posted a (not great) picture with me wearing it: http://www.thatswhatwedid.com/2012/06/28/june-birchbox-review/

    It doesn’t last forever, but much longer and less drying than any other that I’ve tried (and it’s a better color). It made it through a few wine tastings and a dinner intact – I consider that a success!

    I loved this post – I may have to try the Clinique mascara the next time I need it. I also use (and love) BE foundation and blush.

    • YAY! Glad you love BE too. Also, theBalm stain didn’t really work on me. Not sure why. Maybe I’m looking for more color? Who knows. It looks SUPER good on you though. Jealous! And let me know how you like the Clinique mascara :)

  • This is a beautifully styled/photographed post, Allie! And all of those products that you use sound great. I’m going to have to try some of them!

    • Thank you, Tori! I’m really loving my new camera and those shots turned out great! Let me know what you end up trying!

  • Such an interesting post! I love seeing what’s in other people’s make up bags!

    Becky
    xx

  • If you have troublesome stick straight lashes, definitely try Sheiseido’s lash curler. I’ve been using mine for over two years and I LOVE it. It’s about $20, but it lasts forever and is seriously the best I’ve used.

  • I love mascara. If I don’t have time for any other makeup, I put on mascara. I’ll have to check out the ones you use!

    • I do too. I’ve noticed how much mascara and my brow pencil make a difference. I don’t even need much else if I’m in a rush.

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