What's In My Makeup Bag

Featuring the Beauty Products I Love

I am picky about makeup products. If a product doesn't work well, I am the first to be honest and say that the beauty product isn't working. I always recommend buying makeup items from stores with a very good return policy. Nordstrom is where I buy the majority of my products because they will allow me to return items even after I've been trying the product for a few weeks. For example, I tried a high-end, top foundation that looked good in-store, but I took it home and couldn't get it to blend well on my own. After 2 weeks of trial and error, I took it back to the store and said I wasn't satisfied and they took it back no questions asked!

Knowing that I am being honest and open, I'm sharing what's in my makeup bag and linking my favorite/best makeup products at the bottom of this post. These are the products that I use on my face, eyes, brows, and lips every time I decide to wear makeup. And trust me when I say these are my go-to's. I use these beauty products in summer or winter and they last me through the freezing cold wind of winter and the sweltering months of summer.

Face

1. Veil Mineral Primer. This primer from Hourglass is worth splurging on. It sits so well and helps the rest of my makeup stay on and not crease the entire day.

2. No. 2 brush from Hourglass. I use this makeup brush to apply all the products seen above. The Taklon brush hairs are allergy friendly and don't get gross from makeup buildup.

3. Estee Lauder Double Wear Matte Liquid Foundation. This foundation was recommended as a "top foundation" by a few other people I know and I will recommend it to anyone looking for a new foundation. It goes on matte and so you don't even need a foundation powder (yay for saving money) and I have worn this from 9 a.m. to midnight and it still looked good after 15 hours.

4. BB Cream Eyes from Smashbox. I use this for the days when I look more tired than usual. I put a small amount under my eyes to keep them looking bright.

5. Urban Decay Blush. I use their mauve color for a nice rosy look on a daily basis.

6. Smashbox Highlighter and Contour Kits. I don't use these every day, but I apply them when going out at night or for special events.

Brows

1. BDB brush and blender. I use this to apply my brow powder and flip it around to brush through my brows for a finished look.

2. Urban Decay Brow Kit. I use a combination of both colors. I use the dark color to fill in where my brows are thin, and I use the lighter color to brush over parts that are already full and dark. To make them last longer, I'll run my finger through the eyebrow gel and smooth it over my brows to keep them in place all day.

Eyes

1. Too Faced Eyeshadow Primer. I use before applying eyeshadow to ensure that my shadow stays and doesn't crease throughout the day.

2. Urban Decay Naked Palette 2. I use this for my daytime/daily makeup routine. I put the darker shades on my crease and then blend the lighter colors on my eyelid and closer to my brow.

3. Smashbox Palette. I use this palette for more dramatic evening looks. The colors are more orange than they appear, but they make for a great combination to make blue eyes really pop.

4. Eyelash Curler. I use one from Target and it works great. I don't believe in splurging on eyelash curlers when they all do the same thing!

5. Rimmel Mascara. To be honest, I go back and forth with mascaras. I don't have a favorite and I tend to use whatever I had received as a gift or in my Christmas stocking. That being said, this one works well and is only $4 at Target.

Lips

1. Lancome Lipstick. This is my go-to red lipstick. It looks great and has just the right amount of shine.

2. YSL Lipgloss. This brand makes great lipglosses that act as a lip stain and last for hours. Don't layer this with other lip products though because it can clump and get sticky in that scenario.