Summer is over, which means the busy season of autumn is just around the corner. As girls who are at all times on the move (travel, work, study, you name it!), our makeup bags are essential. But what products should be in our cosmetic bag? And how can we determine how much product is too much product? (I mean, when I pack for a trip, I essentially take my whole wardrobe with me. You’d be foolish if you thought my makeup bag was any different.)
Here are ten essentials you need to carry with you at all times – trust me.
CONCEALER CORRECTOR
Instead of carrying a heavy liquid foundation and makeup sponge in your makeup bag, toss a correcting concealer in your bag. If you are on the go and need a fast touch-up in areas where your foundation might have run off, this should be your go-to product. Liquid foundation is messy and hard to apply when you’re in a rush and away from your vanity at home. Plus, you normally do not want to pack more foundation to cover your previous foundation. So that’s why this genius product will save your life. It’s small, portable, and hits smudges like foundation cannot!
PRESSED POWDER
You’ll want to avoid loose powder for your makeup bag – I mean, if that baby spills, you will have endless powder all over the place. And the powder is not easy to wash off! So rather than loose powder, I prefer Covergirl pressed powder. The compact comes in a small package and includes its own sponge and mirror, which means you do not have to carry around a separate sponge or mirror! Convenient, right? When I travel and need to remove shine from my foundation, this is my go-to product.
OIL ABSORBENT SHEETS
Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheet
It may be the most precious addition you’ll ever put in your makeup bag. If you run around all day and your face gets oily like mine, this will be your life saver. They come in a portable package, so it is easy to slip them into your bag and that is it. And all it takes is one tiny sheet to remove the oil from your face – one tiny sheet! You NEED this in your makeup bag.
A COMB
I know, I know, this might sound strange, but trust me on this one. I have long, thick hair, and it is essentially tangled 20 minutes after I brush it in the morning. And I hate going all day knowing my hair is tangled like a rat’s nest. Since the brush is too big and thick, the comb works perfectly. It’s thin, light, and removes tangles from your hair just like your favourite brush.
HAND SANITIZATION
On more than one occasion, I would be in a public place and that I would touch something disgusting. Something that would get my hands dirty or sticky, or all dirty. Hand sanitizer fixes this problem easily. Since the smell of generic cleansers is commonly very strong and pungent, head to Bath & Body Works and pick up some of their hand sanitizers. They come in little bottles with every kind of fantastic scents. And here’s a big tip: Some of their hand sanitizer is sparkling! Products that leave you feeling clean, smelling good, AND sparkling? Where can you go wrong?
CHAPSTICK OR LIP BALM
One of my least favourite feelings is going all day with chapped lips. It’s annoying and sometimes painful. Slipping chapstick or lip balm into your makeup bag may seem to be a piece of cake, but it is a wonder how often I leave the house without my handy tube of chapstick. And I certainly regret it every time. And here’s another tip: You can even get tinted lip balms (hello, EOS and Baby Lips!) so you do not have to pack lipstick or gloss in your makeup bag. Tinted lip balms help heal your chapped lips, while imparting a surprising color. What a lovely solution!
NETWORK
It’s a staple in my bag during allergy season (nobody has time for teary eyes and a runny nose!). But tissue is not just important for days when you suffer from allergies! You never know when you must blow your nose, do you? Wipes also work if you have something small that needs to be cleaned up quickly, like condensation on a water bottle or leaking hand sanitizer. Use a smaller travel pack and just put one in your bag, very handy!
HAIR TIE AND BOBBY PINS
I can not tell you how many times I’ve started the morning with my hair down and ended up in a ponytail by the end of the day. It got worse when I took time for my hair, only to unknowingly walk out into an enormous windstorm. Still, the ponytail is a go-to hairstyle, which can only mean one thing: A hair tie is an absolute must. Same for hairpins. Hairpins are essential for days when you want to keep your hair out of your eyes or simply clip your fly.
ROLLERBALL PERFUME
Perfumes are usually heavy and fragile – not something you want to stash in your makeup bag. I mean, what if it spills or the glass bottle breaks? Not fun. If only there was a solution for that… oh wait! There is. ROLLERBALL PERFUME. It comes in a small, convenient stick, making it fully portable. When you feel the need to freshen up, simply roll the stick over your skin and you will be smelling refreshed in no time. If your favourite perfume does not come in a roller bottle, you can purchase an empty roller container and pour your perfume inside. Perfection!
MASCARA
On days when I actually do not feel like putting on makeup, I’ll add a little bit of mascara to my lashes just to add a little something to my face. Mascara is unquestionably a makeup product that I cannot live without. So, at the end of the day when my lashes are looking a little weak, mascara is unquestionably the solution. I normally use Colossal Cat Eyes Maybelline mascara in the morning. So rather than tossing expensive mascaras into my makeup bag, I prefer to tuck Maybelline’s Great Lash mascara into my bag (which in fact costs a lot less). I found it difficult to apply Cat Eyes mascara over more Cat Eyes mascara, but Great Lash mascara is lighter, and therefore easier to apply over my previous mascara. Now you can rock those charming lashes all day every day!
With these ten items in your cosmetic bag, you are 100% guaranteed to survive every beauty breakdown ever.
