What's in My Cosmetics Bag?

Hi Tory,

Every family dinner, you, me and Mum all get out our respective bags and handbags to do the reapplication of the lipstick ritual and it's always amazing to me how different women are when it comes to makeup storage. I used to be of the "throw in and never find it again variety" but I was stern with myself and finally invested in a cosmetics bag... and then I saw this tag going around YouTube and had to join in.

I try to keep the items in my cosmetics bag to a necessary minimum, working on the premise of touch-ups throughout the day, and a quick face if I stay over at a friend's house. At the moment my go-to lipstick is the MAC one, but in the summer it tends to be a nice bright lipgloss or even a tinted lip balm. You can always ring the changes according to the season and update your look.

I used to be of the "throw in and never find it again variety"

With the size of the bag, it's a good practice to avoid the bigger ones - that way you avoid the temptation to overfill with a bunch of products that you probably won't need on a daily basis, and it makes you really assess what you need, rather than what you want. Your shoulders will thank you!

Of course, the products here are just my own personal preference - you might find that a touch of powder and a lipstick is all you really need. Adapt it and tweak it and play with it for your own needs. Just know that you'll be able to find everything without doing the dreaded root canal thing!

Products Used

• Boots Flower Cosmetics Bag (no longer available)
• MUA Professional Eyebrow Kit
• MUA Professional Mosaic Bronzer in Natural Glow
• ELF Complete Coverage Concealer in Medium
• Travalo Perfume Atomizer in Black
• Samantha Chapman Real Techniques Setting Brush
• Boots No 7 Contour Brush
• MUA Professional Every Lash in Black
• Collection 2000 Eye Definer in Black
• Bloom Lip Pencil in Outline (discontinued)
• Rimmel Soft Kohl in White
• MAC Lipstick in Hug Me

One More Thing...

• I would highly recommend trying out the fuller lip technique - loads of people have asked what fillers I'm using!
• Does anyone want a tutorial on making theatrical prosthetics? Happy to do one!
• MUA are expanding their professional range at a rate of knots - going to do some product reviews on those!
• I'm thinking of doing a monthly awards for the best budget products - sound good?

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

Morning After Makeup

Hi Tory,

there have been girlie nights with wine and movies, numerous parties, and the occasional missed train

I will confess. I have not always been the pink-cheeked Paragon of Virtue you see before you. (hem hem)

Several years as a journalist, staying up 'til all hours and interviewing drunk rock bands has prevented me from ever joining a nunnery. And, there have been girlie nights with wine and movies, numerous parties, and the occasional missed train. The end result is always the same - wake up on the couch with a crick in my neck and makeup that is a cross between a panda and Alice Cooper.

This is never a good look.

I don't advocate carrying a trunk of cosmetics around with you, particularly not in your neck of the woods of Central London. And although it would be nice to have the Pixiwoo sisters on call for such emergencies, real life isn't like that. (Sam! Nic! Help!) What I tend to do - after a lifetime of practice - is take a small but strategically stocked cosmetics bag with me so that I can fix what needs to be fixed, cover up the results of a hangover, and get myself to the bus stop looking like a human. It's what they now refer to rather euphemistically as The Stride of Pride. ;)

Products Used

• ELF Complete Coverage Concealer in Medium
• MUA Professional Pro-Brow Ultimate Eyebrow Kit
• Sleek Luminous Pressed Powder in LPP01
• MUA Professional Every Lash Mascara in black
• MUA Professional Mosaic Bronzer in Natural Glow
• Collection 2000 Eye Definer in black
• Samantha Chapman Real Techniques Setting Brush
• Boots No 7 Contour Brush
• MAC Lustre Lipstick in Hug Me

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

MUA Deco Chrome Eyeshadow Look

Hi Tory,

Part of my last mini haul was the gorgeous shade #26 from the MUA single eyeshadows' range... it's this beautiful eau-de-nil colour subtly shot through with gold that just said Art Deco to me, so I got to thinking...

it's this beautiful eau-de-nil colour subtly shot through with gold that just said Art Deco to me

My joint favourite building is the Chrysler Building with all those wonderful, soaring chrome chevrons, and I adore the fashion drawings of Erte with the vamp ladies in their watercolour Deco tea gowns. So these were my inspiration for this stylish and pretty Deco eye - all made with MUA, so kind on the pocket! I ended up wearing it to Bloomsbury for the TOWIB meet-up (a room full of makeup bloggers all chatting happily about palettes - bliss!), and I paired it with a strong berry lip and fairly dramatic blush.

Products Used

• MUA Single Eyeshadow in Shade #14
• MUA Single Eyeshadow in Shade #26
• MUA Single Eyeshadow in Shade #15
• MUA Mascara in Shade 5
• MUA Intense Colour Eyeliner Pencil in Jet Black

Suggested Blush and Lip

• MUA Blusher in Shade 6
• 2True Glossywear Lipstick in 10
• Daphne Guinness for MAC Cremesheen Glass in Richly Revered

You don't have to use the Daphne Guinness gloss.. but, you know, it's Daphne Guinness. ;)/p>

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

Forties Glam!

Hi Tory,

As requested, here's a polished and glamorous look for you to try out for when you go off to your day job at the Imperial War Museum! (The eyebrows look a bit Angry Birds on camera - sorry about that!)

There really aren't a lot of products involved as it's more about polish and presentation than out and out colour, and because of the scarcity of cosmetics during the war they tended to keep things simple.

Products Used

• Urban Decay Primer Potion (Makeup Academy also do one)
there really aren't a lot of products involved as it's more about polish and presentation
• Makeup Academy Intense Colour Pencil in Rich Brown
• Makeup Academy Matt Eyeshadow in Shade 17
• Makeup Academy Intense Colour Pencil in Black
• (Recommended) Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Black
• Makeup Academy Blusher in Shade 2
• MAC Viva Glam in Cyndi Lauper

Stock up on chocolate and stockings! :)

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

The Tools for the Job!

Hi Tory,

Buying the right tools makes putting makeup on a lot easier, and you don't need to have a battalion of them to get the job done! The three that I'd say to get to cover most eventualities are:

Essential Brushes

• Small Angled Brush - in the video I have a Ruby & Millie one which has since been discontinued... the MAC 266/263 is the posh version but the Maybelline gel liner comes with one... take a look at the Boots and Superdrug cheaper brands like 17 and so on :)
Buying the right tools makes putting makeup on a lot easier
• Small Flat Eyeshadow Brush - mine is the Urban Decay one, but there are cheaper alternatives in most of the chemist ranges, like this Boots 17 one.
• Small Domed Brush - again the MAC 217 is the posh version (my Ruby & Millie one is discontinued grrr): look for something called a domed brush or a domed blending brush. Boots 7 do one - here.

Next On The List Brushes

• Brow Brush
• Blusher Brush
• Foundation Brush

Later Date Brushes/Possibles

• Large Flat Brush
• Angled Shadow Brush
• Powder Brush

The rest of the brushes that I mentioned (like the concealer brush and the weird scratchy flat one) are just ones that I happen to have but don't really add much overall.

Hugs and kisses,
xxx