If you’ve been following me for a while, you know it takes a lot for me to switch up anything in my makeup bag. And honestly, I think that’s a good thing! My makeup bag goes everywhere with me — if I’m leaving the house, it’s coming in the car. Sometimes, it just stays in the car because that’s where I end up doing my makeup most of the time. 😉 Inside, you’ll find my tried-and-true favorites, products that have worked for years. Sure, my drawers are full of PR goodies I’ll occasionally test out, but if something makes it into my bag, you know it’s the real deal.
It’s been a while, so now that I have the blog back up I’m sharing what’s in my makeup bag. I’m excited to have a place for this to live for people to refer back to!


Love this no-makeup-to-makeup look above with photographer Alex Kikis. He’s the best.
In order of how I apply it…
Prep (this is important, too!)
- Face wash – I switch off between this (love the exfoliation beads in it!) and this super gentle but effective face wash – both can be used to get makeup off, even on your eyes, without hurting! So I honestly don’t even own eye makeup remover. I have both on subscription, I love it
- Serum – I know there are a million serums out there but this one is my favorite – hands down. And esthetician I’m obsessed with told me about it years ago and I think it’s the thing that helps my skin/aging the MOST. Pricey but worth it
- Moisturizer – I’m on subscription for this one (currently 15% off) and I love how deeply moisturizing it is and how clean the ingredients are
- Eye Patches – These ones are my favorite, I try to wear for at least ten minutes before I do my makeup
- Ice Roller – this one is pricey but it really is the best, hence it’s culty following. If you want something less expensive, I love this one for travel/on-the-go
- Eye Cream – I have been using this Vitamin C /Peptide eye cream for a while and love it for the texture and color and the way it seems to plump and fill the creases, and then I just discovered/started using this one and also love it and that the ingredients are clean
- Eye Drops – I love these for every-day relief if my eyes are feeling itchy/allergic at all, they’re so relieving! But these are insane for whitening/brightening your eyes for photos or a special occasion, if you’ve never used them you’ll die over the difference
Makeup
- Foundation – I put a little bit of this foundation (in the color 3W1 Tawny) into my palm, literally one drop of this, mix it together with my fingers and spread evenly all over my face. I used to apply it with a beauty blender, which I still keep in my makeup bag for adding some coverage later in the day if I need it, but I find that my product lasts so much longer and I actually like the way it goes on better when I just use my fingers (of course I always always wash my hands before doing this!) I think this handy pump is totally worth getting, too. Another note – I love the foundation for many reasons, main ones being that it gives such good coverage without looking cakey, lasts all day (hence the name!) and does not come off on clothing when you take things on or off…or other people’s clothing when you hug them…cause that’s the WORST
- Body Oil – the glow body oil I mentioned about deserves it’s own post, because I’m so obsessed with it. I actually went to Sephora one day for another brand, and when I asked the associate where it was he was like WAIT..if you like that you HAVE to try this, trust me. And he was right, I’m hooked. I get the color Copacabana Bronze. It often sells out, so if I see it in stock I always buy two! I use a drop in my foundation like I mentioned, and no it does not make me break out at all. I also use it ALL over my body for swim shoots or on any days I want a tan filter everywhere 😉 I am not someone who does self-tanner at home, this is not that. It’s a glowy oil that gives you an instant tan/blurring effect. I like to put it on out of the shower, after lotion. I use my bare hands and then just wash them, and stay naked for five minutes or so while it dries. That way it really doesn’t get on my clothes!
- If I’m not on camera or don’t feel like I need much coverage, I like to use this viral product in place of foundation in the color 4.5 medium (which sells out a lot, so this is another one I always buy two of if it’s in stock!) The reason I said if i’m not on camera is because it majorly reflects on camera, so not great for flash/lights!
- Bronzer – I love this one in medium. I also love this $9 “drugstore” option if I want something a cheaper – 300 if I’m going for a darker option and 200 if I want something more medium – I keep both in my makeup bag. I use bronzer in place of eye shadow, just on the crease of my eye, too.
- Eyeliner – A few years ago my friend who is a makeup artist convinced me to start using this liner on my waterline, and I’ve never looked back. If you have light eyes, it gives you an instant pop! If I’m going out or wanting to look a little more done, I also use this liquid liner on the top above my lash line. I love how it goes on, and I decide how thick I want it based on what I’m doing.
- Sharpener – I always have a sharpener in my makeup bag, for my eyeliner and eye pencil! Drives me crazy if they’re not sharp enough to use right
- Highlighter – obsessed with this one in the color Pillow Talk…I kinda hate how it splooges out when I travel, but I haven’t found anything else I like as much so…such is life
- Eyebrow pencil – I finally tried this pencil and it lives up to all the hype, you can literally draw on what looks like hairs. I get the color “cool brown”. I’d say i’m completely obsessed EXCEPT I hate how fast I go through it! For that reason, I still always keep this trusty brow powder duo I’ve had for years (i get color “soft brown”) and this brush to apply in my bag as backup.
- Mascara – A few years back I was having crazy eye allergies and had to switch to a clean mascara. I had heard amazing thing about this one with super clean ingredients, so I finally tried it. Now I’m on subscription for it and I love it, making the switch fixed my allergies and it really is like liquid lash extensions. One disclaimer though – you don’t want to use it if you’re planning to swim/get wet! It comes off easily and in crazy looking tubes! This is great news for washing your face at night, but not for a pool/hot tub/beach. If I have a day where I want/need to wear mascara but know I’m going to be under water, I use this cult favorite, the waterproof one in the color “excessive black”! Both are always in my makeup bag.
- Lip Mask – You’ll never find me without this lip mask, I use it day and night.
- Lip Liner – I have been trying to use liner more and loving it. I love this $4 one, current fav color is “peekaboo neutral”
- Lip Gloss – currently loving this butter balm I got at a favorite things party last Christmas – it feels like a hydrating gloss, and the I forever love this $5 butter gloss.
- Lipstick – I’ve never been big into lipstick, but the last couple of years I’ve been in love with this one in the color “Bitch Perfect”. I also love using this tint with SPF in place of lipstick – has some color to it but such a good, moisturizing texture. I’m in love with the color plum blossom (a cute pink color), it’s what I’m wearing in the “makeup” photos in this post.
- Makeup Bag – I couldn’t post about what’s in my makeup bag without posting my actual bag, I love it so much. It’s the viral $23 bag that lays flat, I have it in brown and I’ve bought it for so many people as gifts and also convinced so many people to buy it for themselves. For me, it’s the perfect size!



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