Make-up Bag Must Haves

There are so many questions I get asked as a make-up artist, the number one definitely being 'what are your favourite products?'

So for my first post and by popular demand I’m going to delve into my kit and let you in on my beauty must haves.

Number one spot - Estee Lauder's Double wear stay in place concealer, £22.50

Now I hear a lot of different opinions about Estee Lauder's Double Wear range but for me this concealer is one of my kit essentials, it has excellent coverage and can be adapted to suit most skin types from the young, wrinkle free to the not so young and not so wrinkle free. I've heard people say that the double wear range is simply too heavy for them but the beauty with this product is that the liquid concealer can either be applied directly on to dark circles and blemishes (if you are of the younger variety) or mixed with a little foundation and illuminating product for more mature skin. I would say the only down side of this is that the colour range isn't great, it’s pretty limiting for darker skin tones.

Second Place goes to - No 7 Instant Radiance Foundation, £12.50

Now this is a bit of a cheat entry because this isn't in my professional kit but it's what I use on myself every day and I love it!

This foundation isn't expensive and it gives a great medium coverage leaving your face with an amazing dewy glow, I always get complimented on how great my skin looks whenever I’m wearing it. And who doesn't love a bargain, there are some really great foundations out there (stay tuned for them in another blog post) and a lot of them with quite an expensive price tag to match so it’s always great to find a product that works for you that's affordable.

Just a small warning though if you do have oily skin this foundation won't be a great fit for you BUT why not give No7 Beautifully Matte a try, having a normal skin type has meant I've been able to try both and that also gives a great finish, not as dewy but still leaves you with a great complexion and a lovely healthy glow.

Third Place - E.L.F Mineral Blush, £6.00

Now you may not have heard of E.L.F before and i only stumbled across it when i was in New York, it's an American brand that you can now buy online over in the UK. I bought this blush product to try out on myself as 99% of the time very cheap cosmetics just don't stand up next to the more expensive brands due to the quality, pigment content if often poor in cheap make-up and that is why I would always advice clients to invest a little more in eye shadows and blushers. Saying that I absolutely loved this blush, it's so easy to blend and gives a lovely natural flush, it’s buildable and also has a fine shimmer to give your cheeks a youthful glow.

A great product at an even better price.

Number 4 - Estee Lauder Illuminating Perfecting Primer - £25.00

Primers are important if you want your face to stay put, i have a few different primers in my kit but at the moment this is my favourite. This primer gives a lovely illuminating base, great for tired or dull skin or even on its own if you're having a no makeup day, just conceal your bad bits, add a lick of mascara and you're good to go!

Again if you have very oily skin a mattifying primer would suit you better, i love Illamasqua's Matte primer, give it a go and see what you think.

Last but by no means least - Sephora Rouge Gel Lip Liner in Crème de la Crème. - £10.00

Everyone raves about Sephora, if you haven't been before it’s a like a sweet shop for women, a place you can easily spend £70 on make-up in about 3 minutes. They have nearly every range of make-up you can think of plus their own collection that's reasonably prices and good quality.

I'm always on the lookout for great natural lip colours and this product is definitely a find. Its gel texture means it glides on the lips with ease and makes the lips look plump and moisturised unlike a lot of lip liners I've used in the past that can be hard to apply without leaving your lips looking dry and unappealing. Always remember to buff the liner into the lips with a lip brush to get rid of the 'I’m wearing lip liner look' and then either add a gloss or apply your lipstick and you're good to go!

I hope this little look in to my make-up bag has proven you don't have to spend a fortune to look good, keep popping back for helpful hints and tips and my next post on the all important Tools of the Trade .

Helena @ Just Lovely