Holiday Special: Pack a beauty Bag!
As much as I love travelling, it does come with its pros and cons, and if you're anything like me packing should be an absolute nightmare! With the Christmas vacation, right around the corner some of you may be packing your bags to somewhere, so I thought I’d share a 7-step checklist I usually follow in order to pack my beauty bag!
Let’s talk packing! Nobody wants to have a 5kg bag of makeup with them so the important thing to keep in mind is to pack smart.
· I always try to pack things that have more than one use, that way I can minimize the number of products I take with me
· I also like to reach for travel sized products as they take up less space and are much lighter.
Step 1 Skincare
We are well into winter by now and you cannot neglect your skin during the cold months. The first thing I like to pack is a skin mist. My all time, favourite products are the rose water spray and green tea spray by Mario Badescu. Both make a lovely toner for your skincare routine, a prepping base for your make up routine and they can be used as setting spray as well! This is a perfect example of packing something that has multiple uses.
Next comes moisturizer (You cannot forget moisturizer). For my latest travels, I packed with me a travel sized Pore Tightening duo by Caolion. The top half is a day cream which hydrates, tightens your pores and it gives you an amazing glow! So it’s also great for skin prep. The bottom half is a sleeping mask which also targets pores and leaves your skin fresh and plump in the morning!
Step 2 Pack a base
If you don't wear any foundation, great! Save yourself some time and skip this step. But if you do here’s my tip. If you don't know which foundation to reach out for, go for the full coverage one. The good thing with full coverage foundation is that it can be mixed with moisturizer to make it less heavy to the face for when you’re out and about during the day but it can also be worn on its own in case you get a bad skin day.
Next, I like to pack a concealer and a powder, because they are essential. What I also like to pack with me is a liquid highlighter because they give a healthy gloss to the skin. I usually go for my travel sized MAC Strobe Cream since it’s my favourite!
Step 3 Eye make up
Pallets! Pallets are a traveller’s best friend! They have everything you need inside and the combination of the shadows in there can be combined and give you tons of different combinations. For the holidays, I like to go for natural glowy looks and I have found the perfect pallet for the job.
Soap & Glory’s, 'She’s a Natural' is one of my new faves. Inside it has 3 eyeshadows a base shadow, a gold shadow and a bronze shadow. It also has a bronzer (which is perfect for a transition shade), a cream blush, a cream highlighter and of course, a mirror. With this pallet, you can basically do your entire face, hence it will be more than enough to cover you for your holidays. I especially love the pigment of the shadows and the glow of the cream highlighter.
You can use the pallet to do a naturally defined eye by popping the bronzer on your crease, applying the gold shadow on your lid and then lining the eye with the bronze shadow. You can top it off by applying some of the cream highlighter to the brow bone to lift the eye. (Bonus tip: Only apply the highlighter to the highest point of the brow, otherwise it will drag your eye downwards). There you go, perfect eye look for the day! And if you’re going out for the night use the bronze shadow to do a festive smoky eye. (I also packed a basics pallet, cause I can’t help it I need variety-don’t judge me).
Next up is Mascara, another essential. I also like to pack a black eyeliner, since it always comes in handy. For these just reach for your favourite products. What I have here is Voluminous by L’Oréal and Supercat eyeliner pen by Soap & Glory.
Step 4 Eyebrows
Who can forget eyebrows? They are frames of our eyes. Again, go for a pallet that has everything you need inside. My current favourite is the ‘Archery DIY Brow Bar’ by Soap & Glory. It has 2 tones for you to fill in and shape your brows, a highlighting cream and wax to set everything. It comes with 2 brushes inside which are sooo convenient because there’s no need for you to pack extra brushes. And if you don’t feel like packing another pallet go for an eyebrow mascara. It fills in gaps and keeps the hairs in place.
Step 5 Blush
Blush is a must during the holidays. Flushed cheeks are trending at the moment. Since you probably don’t have the space to pack every shade that you might need for your looks, just reach for the shade that suits your skin tone the best. The one I’ve been reaching out for lately is Soap & Glory’s ‘Made you Blush’ in the shade rosy chic. I love the formula of these blushes and their finish is so natural.
Step 6 Lips
And we’re down to lips. The obvious and easy choice during this time of the year is red. My all-time favourite red is Colour Pop’s ultra-satin lip in the shade London Fog. It has a matte finish that lasts all day but without making your lips look like a desert.
But if you feel like you want to try something different, frosted lips are very in right now! Why not try Soap & Glory’s Holographic Lip Gloss? These glosses are fully opaque and they do not budge. The frost in them will give your lips the perfect shine for a winter look. And for a more natural look why not pack a nice plumping lip gloss to keep the lips hydrated in the cold?
Step 7 Brushes
Take the number of brushes you think you need with you. Good, now cut it in half. Only take the very essentials with you. These are:
- Foundation Brush/Sponge (Depends on preference)
- One powder brush
- A blush brush
- Bronzing/Contour brush
- Highlighting Brush
- Blending brush
- Eyeshadow applicator
- Eyeliner brush
Anything else is redundant and will only take up space.
Bonus step: Find a good bag.
I am always looking for a nice bag that will store everything but will not be too bulgy or take too much space. The latest one I found and have been loving is the ‘Soaper Store-all Bag’ Soap & Glory.
