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

I ♥ Drugstore

Hi Tory,

The wonderful Emily of Beauty Broadcast fame did this fun tag video about drugstore brands, likes and dislikes - what we'd call the High Street or the chemist - and I thought I'd join. The whole point of this blog is to get fabulous looks on a bargain, so it's what we know, right?

the whole point of this blog is to get fabulous looks on a bargain, so it's what we know, right?

I'd love to know what everything else thinks too - what are your star products or the ones that you thought were complete duds? As always, you can comment below, do a response video on YouTube or leave a message on the Facebook Page - all the links are in the menu bar above!

The Tag Questions

• What is your favourite drugstore makeup brand?
• What are your favourite face, cheek and lip products?
• Your least favourite product?
• What is the best makeup bargain?
• What is your favourite underdog product - something you love that often gets overlooked?
• Show your best drugstore dupes.
• Drugstore product that isn't worth the hype?

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