images: Pinterest
Article by BR Kellie
If your makeup bag looks anything like mine it’s bursting at the seams with products. To the point where you unzip it and makeup explodes forth like confetti from a party popper. A pretty sight, yet not particularly practical.
While I do take a certain joy from owning so many products, (oh who am I kidding, I take immense joy from owning enough products to see me into my seventies) there are times, like when I’m off on holiday or heading away to visit the family for the weekend, that the old makeup bag needs to be pared back. It’s then that I create a capsule makeup bag by putting together makeup products that work together or can multitask to create as small a bag as possible. (Less makeup means more rooms for handbags and shoes, right? Yes, I may have a little problem…)
So how do you go about creating a capsule makeup bag?
A great place to start is with an eyeshadow palette that features a range of matte and shimmery colours ranging from light to dark shades, like ChiChi’s Glamorous Nudes. A palette like this is a gem as the colours can be used to highlight, to fill eyebrows, contour, and line the eyes, as well as to colour your lids.
Next keep an eye out for an all in one blush/lip tint like Stila’s range of Lip and Cheek Stains. Or raid your lippy stash, because the right lippy can also act as a blusher, just be sure to blend blend blend so you don’t end up looking like a clown.
Any good makeup bag needs mascara, and if you’ve dark brows you can use your black or brown mascara to also tame and fill in brows. If you’ve lighter brows and don’t mind not having va-va-voom black lashes, you can always pick up a clear mascara to lift your lashes and keep your brows in check.
Another easy way to minimise your makeup bag is to minimise the size of your products. Benefit’s minis are fantastic for this, especially if you pick up Primping With The Stars, which contains two primers, a foundation, lip and cheek tint, highlighter and mascara in cute little travel-friendly sizes.
Of course, the ultimate way to create a capsule is to find a palette that offers a little bit of everything in one little case. bareMinerals The Colour Compatibles features a bronzer, blush, highlighter and six eyeshadows, and Urban Decay Naked On The Run features eyeshadows, bronzer, blush, lip gloss and mascara. Keep an eye out around Christmas time, as that’s when you’ll find a lot of fantastic multi-tasking palettes on offer from some of the big brands.
Last, but never least, are your tools. And if you’re looking for travel-friendly makeup brushes you can’t go past the Real Techniques Mini Brush Trio. With a foundation, shading and face brush it’s got your skin and eye looks covered.
So, have you already got the capsule makeup bag down? Or is yours bursting at the seams? Do you have any products that you love for their multi-tasking abilities? Chat away!
I love multi-tasking products so would probably add a pencil liner (like EOH Goddess pencils) that can be smudged across the lid etc for use as an eyeshadow. I haven't had to travel light before though... last time I went on a plane anywhere I took the kitchen sink lol... these tips are great though because there will come a time I am sure :)