What's in My Makeup Bag

Rather than doing an updated What's in My Bag post, I thought I'd feature what's in my makeup bag instead. There's still some overlap in terms of the products, but the main difference is that I have a makeup bag now to house all my various tidbits in one place rather than needing to rummage through the debris at the bottom of my handbag. Every now and then, I'll forget to zip up the makeup bag, and invariably everything will fall out and my bag contents will become a mess again. Some things never change.

I'm using this free makeup bag that came with a Bourjois gift with purchase from Priceline in November last year. It's a flat, zip up bag with a white-lined interior that holds a lot more than expected. I like that it's purely functional and hardy (a must in the rough terrain of my handbag) — there aren't any embellishments (apart from the gold exterior) or superfluous details. The zip opening runs along the whole width of the bag and it's not made of plastic/stiff material, so it's easy to rummage through and stuff things inside. While it's roomy enough to hold both the mini Klorane dry shampoo and Avene Thermal Spring Water (just), I usually leave those two outside the makeup bag so that it's not too bulky and bursting at the seams.

As usual, I have way too many lip products. I normally will have at least two Korres Lip Butters — Jasmine for a bit of balmy nourishment, Mango for something with a bit more colour and a potential cheek tint. Maybelline Baby Lips in Relieving Menthol is an absolute must as it's the only thing that works to alleviate dry lips craving a bit of soothing, minty hydration. I've gone through so many tubes, I probably could've bought five pots of By Terry Baume De Rose with the same amount of money. The now discontinued Revlon Beyond Natural Protective Liptint in Pink Rose is deeply underrated. It's kind of in the same family as a Clinique Chubby Stick or tinted lip balm, but with greater pigmentation and more comfortable and moisturising on the lips. I like to have a couple of other lip options that I'll move in and out in my bag depending on my mood or current interests, especially if I'm planning to go out at night after work. Right now, there's Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush (I hate that the lettering on the outside rubs off so easily) and Revlon Matte lipstick in Strawberry Suede, because I'm all about wine and orangey-reds at the moment.

Spritzes, mists, sprays. There's one for every occasion here. I have the Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist, though I'm really more in love with the smell than what the actual product does. I'm a bit wary of anything where alcohol is the second ingredient, but a careful inspection of the rest of the ingredients list reveals lactic acid and marshmallow root, rose, grapefruit and aloe leaf extracts that seem potentially useful (but really, what would I know). Spraying this also tends to feel more like I'm being attacked with a hose than subjecting my face to a gentle, fine mist. That's where the Avene Thermal Spray comes in — I'm addicted to this stuff. It's a godsend for when I've sat in front of a computer in a dehydrating, air-conditioned office for 8 hours and my face feels like it's about to melt off. I spray this on any skin irritations that might arise, when my face feels weirdly hot, when I need a refreshing, cooling pep up, when my eyes feel tired, when my makeup feels gross nearing the end of the day. I try to convert other people onto it as well. I'm that person pushing them to try it because trust me, it's sooooo nice. It disperses such a light, perfectly distributed mist — kind of like when you're on a sight-seeing tourist boat a few metres from the base of a famous waterfall (Maid of the Mist pleasure-seekers, you'll know what I mean). A small bottle of the Klorane extra-gentle dry shampoo with oat milk is at hand for any emergency touchups to my perpetually greasy roots.

A few more essentials: mirror, blotting paper, a small tub of Nivea Soft to smooth over any dry patches, Listerine PocketPaks (very thin, super minty, small sheets that you put at the roof of your mouth to freshen your breath). There's my favourite hand cream at the moment (only because I've run out of Jurlique rose one): Crabtree & Evelyn Pomegranate, Argan & Grapeseed Hand Therapy. This was a freebie with Women's Weekly a few months ago and it's lived in my makeup bag ever since. The smell just makes me happy. There's my beloved Kai perfume oil which I dab onto my wrists for an instant pick-me-up or whenever I feel like smelling it/smelling of it. I've decided that I really should get my hands on the EDT as it's the only perfume that's excited me for a very long time. Lastly, I have the Maybelline Fit Me concealer in Sand. Said to be similar to the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, this is the only makeup item in my bag excluding lip products. I use this to touch up my skin after a long day if I'm going out at night. I usually dab a bit on my hand, then use my fingers to apply this around the sides of my nose, corners of my mouth and any blemishes that I might have. It sinks into the skin decently when it's first applied, but I find that it does wear off and start to cake slightly as time goes on. I'm not head over heels for it, but it'll do for now.