What’s in my makeup bag?

Before moving out of my flat I knew I needed to declutter my belongings; one because I was moving from a flat to a single bedroom, and two because I find owning less ‘stuff’ makes me feel less anxious or overwhelmed. Does anyone else find that or is it just me?

So after decluttering and organising my jewellery collection, I decided the next item should be my makeup collection, especially streamlining my makeup bag. As always I took everything out of my boxes and bags, then categorised the items before purging.

So, what’s in my makeup bag?

Honestly there were some a lot of products in my makeup bag that I’d forgotten about, which probably means they were far past their use by date(!). Among other things I found 10 old nail polishes, 5 eyeshadow palettes, body glitter(!?) and a couple of makeup brushes that had seen better days.

I managed to streamline my makeup into one small makeup bag and I love my new minimalist collection. Ha, it’s strange for me to use ‘love’ to describe makeup as I didn’t wear it often until a few years ago. But I do like to use makeup to give myself a little boost if I’m going out.

Eyeliner

I kept two different eye liners, one pencil and one liquid. The liquid liner is the ‘exaggerate’ eye liner by Rimmel but “exaggerate” is probably an overstatement to be honest. The eye liner gives a more subtle look, which luckily I like, and it’s also very easy to apply. I’ve found some liquid eye liners can be too runny but that’s certainly not the case with this one.

The eye liner pencil I kept is the No.7 “Stay Perfect” pencil which is not only waterproof but also hypo-allergenic. I have very sensitive skin and find it difficult to buy products that don’t cause any skin irritation, thankfully I’ve ever had any issues with this one.

Although it’s not as easy to apply as the liquid liner, the colouring is much better and as for waterproof, let’s just say it stayed on even when I forgot to remove it before a shower. 😅

Mascara

My eye lashes are fairly short, especially the bottom ones so when looking for a mascara I want one that makes them stand out a little more. The best mascara I’ve found is the No.7 ‘Lash Impact Ultra’ – the brush is a little large for my bottom lashes but perfect for my top ones.

I’ve had good reactions when I’ve worn it out and comments on how my eyes ‘pop’, which is lovely to hear. 😊 The mascara is suitable for sensitive skin too which is a bonus.

Eyeshadow Palette

My eyeshadow palette is part of the Avon True Colour collection and contains two shades of purple and a mini eyeshadow brush. The shade is ‘Crushed Orchid‘ and it’s perfect for throwing in my handbag for a night out and the colours, especially the darker purple, are so vibrant.

I’m looking for a larger palette so I have more colours to play with but this one is great for now. I’ve been looking at the Alien Palette by Jeffree Star Cosmetics which I first discovered on Beth’s post.

Makeup brush

I only kept one of my makeup brushes, the ‘crease brush‘ by Younique; it’s a soft brush and I find it covers well when I’m applying my eye shadow.

My other brushes had definitely seen better days and will need replacing, so I’m looking for any recommendations. 😊

Nail clippers

I have a complete manicure set which I keep by my bedside and a spare pair of nail clippers in my makeup bag. My nails are fairly brittle so these come in handy when my nails split and I need to cut or file them.

The spare nail clippers I have were an inexpensive pair I bought from Boots for less than £1 and are of great quality. Unfortunately they don’t make this one anymore and I’ve heard bad reviews for their current model. 🙁

Nail varnish

My favourite colours for nail varnish are pale blues, purples or berry shades. At the moment I’ve been wearing the ‘Purple-Xing’ shade by Nina Ultra Pro, it’s such a beautiful colour and usually lasts for a week without chipping.

Facial wipes

The cucumber cleansing facial wipes by Boots are my favourite. They leave my skin feeling soft and moisturised after every use and are great at removing waterproof mascara. I use them on a daily basis to freshen up even if I haven’t been wearing make up.

Hand cream

At the moment I’ve been using The Body Shop ‘Berry Bon Bon’ hand cream that I was given for Christmas. It smells delicious and has been great for my skin this Winter. I even got the bubble bath because I loved the scent so much.

The Body Shop is always my go-to for hand creams as they come in a wide range of scents and never fail to keep my hands well moisturised.

Lip balm

I’ve never been a fan of wearing products on my lips but I love a good lip balm, as mine become dry and cracked very easily. My favourites are the Nivea original care for day to day use and the Nivea pearly shine for nights out. It’s a lovely subtle shimmery pink.

Lipstick

Honestly my lipsticks had seen better days so none of them were kept sadly, but I tend to wear lighter berry tones or pinks. I prefer a subtle look which is probably why I don’t wear lip products very often.

One lipstick that always ends up in my rotation however, is the fig luster shade by Bare Minerals, which I first discovered in Jenny’s post where she talked about her favourite products.

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I think the great thing about the products I’ve kept is most of them are inexpensive and can be found in stores such as Boots or Superdrug, or through Avon.

What do you keep in your makeup bag? Are you fairly minimalist or do you like to try out different looks? Let me know in the comments. 😊