Top 5 makeup bag essentials

Bula Islandhers,

This week we take a look at one of the most common questions that I get asked, which is: “I don’t wear a lot of make up, what are some of the bare essentials that I can wear and purchase to enhance my features?”

For those of you who like make up but never know how to pop it on, or maybe you want to start wearing make up, this piece will help you to start your collection with all the basic essential items that you should purchase first.

There are some items that every woman should own, whether you use them everyday or not. Here are my TOP 5 make up bag essentials that can make a difference to your face without wearing a lot.

MASCARA:

It is important that you change your mascara tube every 3-6 months because they do dry out and also carry bacteria. So what should you look for?

• Mascara that isn’t too runny, this can cause the mascara to smudge around your eyes.
• Mascara that dries quickly on your eye lashes.
• Mascara that has the right brush for your eyelashes. (Gives you length if you have volume, or volume if you have length, or both if you have short stubby lashes).
• If you do not usually purchase mascara, try and go for a plastic brush with thin bristles that has a pointy tip. This will allow you to get to the corners without painting your whole eye lid black.
• You always want to apply at least two coats to your lashes to make them stand out (if you’re anything like me, you will apply as many coats as you can before it looks too tacky).
• For more information, check out my ‘BIG LASH OUT’ piece

LIP BALM/GLOSS:

You can always carry a little tinted balm, or even a gloss if you like the sticky feeling on your lips. How do I know what colours to wear with my skin tone?

• It’s nice to have an everyday wear one like a pinky brown colour that you can just wear everyday or even wear out to dinner.
• I like to carry a statement colour too, for those days where you get stuck at work all day before you have to go to a dinner or an event in the evening, (Shake your hair out, apply a bit of colour to your lips and you should be good to go).
• If you are constantly kissing babies, or drinking from a glass or just don’t want the sticky feeling on your lips, tinted lip balms are a cheap and moisturizing way to plump your lips a little.
• For more information on how to choose the right kind of products for you, check out my “Pucker up in time for Valentine’s Day” piece

EYELINER:

Eyeliner is a tool used to make your eyes pop and become more noticeable, and when worn correctly, they can enhance your eyes to make them really stand out. But how do you know what kind to buy?

• Liquid eyeliner gives a very precise and defined line. This is for those with a steady hand and who like a very bold sharp line.
• Crayon is the easiest to apply; you don’t have to sharpen it which means you avoid having little pieces of pencil sharpening in your eyes. Also you don’t have to carry a sharpener with you which is always a bonus.
• Eye liners come in many colours, so if you are a little bit to shy to try a black liner, maybe start by purchasing a dark brown to soften the bold look.
• Thin line is always safe if you hardly wear make up. If you are ever in doubt, just line the top lid. (For more information on application of eyeliner see my “PREC-EYES-LY” piece)

BLUSHER:

When the right colour is applied, blusher looks amazing! The problem is that some women have, is finding the right colour and applying way too much. This should look like ‘rouge’ not ‘rude’. Here are some things to remember when finding the right colour.

• Find a shade that suits your skin tone. Unfortunately pink does not suit everyone and the ‘baby doll’ colour is not an everyday wear.
• Colours that are slightly brown or a more peachy pink with a gold under tone can be worn all through the year. They also generally suit most skin types, especially tanned skin.
• Blusher shouldn’t look like plaster on your face, it should be blended in like a highlighter. Generally powdered blushers are easier to apply.
• For application, start at the apple of the cheeks and brush towards the temple
• Less is definitely more. So go easy with it.

For more information on applying blusher and bronzer, see my “Facing Foundation Head on” piece 

EYESHADOW:

Eye shadows are like shoes, you can have so many pairs, but you are always going to have one or two favourite pairs that go with everything. Before you spend unnecessary amounts of money on it, make sure that you are going to be able to wear it more than once and that the colours suit your eye colour.

• Preferably browns, golds, pinks, greys and fleshy colours are flexible to throw on everyday without looking like a drag queen.
• Using an eye primer will allow you to transition from day to night without having to touch up your eye make up.
• If in doubt, always just go up to the crease of your lid.
• Blending is important, if you are using more than one shade, blending is easier and softer on the eye.

These are my top five make up items that I believe every woman should own. For more information on how to apply these, have a look through my other articles for how-to’s and step by step instructions.

Remember, make up is only to enhance your beautiful features not to hide them!

Whitney Pa’u  whitney@islandher.com