What's in My Makeup Bag

Using the products listed below, except I omitted the Too Faced Beauty Balm, Juice Beauty powder, and Juice Beauty lipstick, and I have butterLONDON Lippy in Rosie Lee on my lips.

Highly original topic, I know.  I'm in a "minimalist" phase, and in my fantasies this is ALL the makeup I have (but of course, that isn't the truth). Someday, maybe!

 

I'm listing the items in the order I'd put them on because the photo is too random :-P

 

Lip Balm - Crazy Rumors Root Beer (my favorites are Cola and Red Velvet)

 

Tinted Moisturizer - Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm in Vanilla Glow (I did a side-by-side comparison one day with Elf Tinted Moisturizer in Light Beige, and as a moisturizer I preferred the Elf! Plus, it's a more makeup-bag friendly size and it's cheaper.  I'm trying to use this (very good) product up and I probably won't repurchase... once I get through the backup I already have...)

 

Primer - Elf Mineral Infused Primer (I've tried SO MANY primers and this is hands-down my favorite.  Yes, I love it more than Hourglass Veil Mineral!  It has that slick, velvety feel of the Smashbox primer but it's much cheaper and it doesn't make me break out.  It just makes my foundation smooth on like butter and my pores seem to disappear under my cheapest foundation... like all those other primers are supposed to do but never have for me.  Other primers I can think of that I've tried: Too Faced Primed & Poreless and Primed & Poreless Pure, Make Up Forever HD, Bare Minerals Prime Time, Benefit The Porefessional, L'oreal Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base... I'm sure I've tried more but this Elf one is still the best I've tried and probably the cheapest, too.)

 

Foundation - Wet'n'Wild CoverAll Cream Foundation in 816 Fair/Light (like a match made in budget heaven with the Elf primer.  It lasts all day in conjunction with the primer and also resists transfer (a HUGE problem I've had with most foundations.  Hourglass Immaculate went back to the store for that problem). 

My pores are nearly invisible with this duo and I don't even set it with powder most of the time.  It's a little off color-wise and the color selection is pathetic (7 shades, I think) but I just love the consistency and performance of this product so I let the imperfect shade not bother me.)

 

Concealer - Too Faced Absolutely Flawless Concealer in Perfect Nude (not HG but pretty darn close... it creases under my eyes if I wear it alone and don't set it with powder.  It creases far less over the Elf primer and WnW foundation even without powder.)

 

Powder - Alicia Silverstone for Juice Beauty Simply Flawless Pressed Powder (I don't usually use this, to be honest.  It doesn't really prevent the concealer from creasing under my eyes.  It does, however, help to blur the look of pores when I wear this alone with tinted moisturizer which is pretty darn great.  For setting my concealer I prefer Elf's HD Undereye Setting Powder, which is not in my makeup bag.)

 

Blush - Elf Studio Blush in Twinkle Pink (is what Nars Orgasm is supposed to be, but Orgasm makes me look rashy; it has too much red for me.  The only complaint I have about this is it has glitter (which I don't mind but others might) and so-so-lasting power (but it's cheap so I just re-apply once during the day.)

 

You may notice the lack of bronzer and highlighter.  I don't usually wear either, but if I need highlighter the pinkish shade in my eyeshadow trio is gorgeous.  I don't like wearing bronzer most days because I feel like it brings out my pores... even matte, expensive ones.  I like to keep attention off of my cheeks because I have acne scarring, too.

 

Eye Primer - Elf Essential Eyelid Primer (This $1 elf one works just fine... I do get some creasing once in a while, but that happened with UD's primer on me.  The best primers I've ever used are Lime Crime (who doesn't consistently label their primer as Vegan on their website so it makes me uneasy... but I do own it currently) and Too Faced (not vegan, and much too drying to use every day.)

 

Eyeshadow - Wet'n'Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio in Walking on Eggshells (I have a backup or two, but if they discontinue this I'm rioting!  The pink shade is perfect for lids and the closest I can get to MAC All That Glitters (since they are no longer cruelty-free).  It's also great for highlighting cheekbones.  The light shade is fine under brows and on the inner corners, but it is a little sheer.  The bronze shade is perfect for either crease or lids on its own.  The blogging world loves this trio and I'm just another raver :-)

 

Brow Filler - Too Faced Exotic Intense Eyeshadow Single in Enchanted Garden (I can't find anybody else on the internet advocating for using a shadow with any glitter/shimmer like this one to fill brows, but I seriously cannot tell the difference between this and my beloved Tarte Amazonian Clay Brow Pencil in Medium Brown once applied.  It sticks around on my brows all day without setting gel and I can't detect any of the fine gold glitter in my brows in person or in photos, so I let this product multi-task as my brow filler and my eyeliner/crease darkener.  I don't even have to wet my angled liner brush.)

 

Eyelash Curler - Japonesque BCA Travel Lash Curler (I don't really need this unless I'm skipping mascara.  The mascara I use pushes my lashes up and holds them that way.)

 

Mascara - Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara (It's not even waterproof but it holds/creates a curl  in my lashes!  This is amazing stuff, and I was a VERY happy girl when I found out it's Vegan :-)

 

Lipstick - Alicia Silverstone for Juice Beauty Purely Kissable lip color (A pinky nude that is okay... I prefer my Elf Mineral Lipstick in Runway Pink, but to be honest both smell a little funny to me... I'm really picky about how my lip products smell, and want them all to smell like candy ;-)

 

Blotting Linens - Boscia (Alas, is no longer cruelty-free but I bought loads of these before they decided to sell in China :*(  I'm still going to use them up... at least they aren't made by P&G.)

 

Bag - ecoTools by Alicia Silverstone (came with brushes I swap out when they are dirty for these Elf ones... both are great.)

 

Brushes - Elf Studio Powder Brush (I use it for powder but it's great with most foundations, too.  I can apply the Wet'n'Wild CoverAll Cream Foundation and blend so quickly and nicely with my hands over the Elf Mineral Infused Primer, however, so I don't use the brush for foundation.)  Elf Angled Blush Brush (A great size and shape for my cheeks.) A synthetic Coastal Scents brush I don't know if they make anymore... not numbered.  Elf Contour Brush (Awesome.) ecoTools Angled Eyeliner brush (I don't think they make this anymore, which is a serious travesty!  If you can get it in a discontinued kit or something, I recommend it because it's the best angled brush I've ever used).

 

Whoa, this post wound up WAY longer than I originally intended... but that's because this is also sort of a "Perfect Minimalist Makeup Collection" post for me.  All I'd add are my two favorite lip colors of the year:  Elf Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick in Movie Star (glossy sheer-but-buildable red) and butterLONDON Lippy in Primrose Hill Picnic (glossy pinky-fuchsia that makes my teeth look whiter).

 

If you read all that you win all the KitKat bars I have leftover from Halloween!

XOXO,

Sarah S.