A Blonde Moment: Makeup Bag: The Bare Essentials

When going travelling, whether abroad or just somewhere in England for a night or two, there are always the items which absolutely always make the cut when I'm putting my makeup bag together to take with me (oooh, lucky them!). It would be amazing to be able to pack everything, but until someone invents storage which takes up no space (I can see this in Harry Potter...), making a minimal collection of the bare essentials will always be a necessity! I'm talking about the items you can use for both day and night time, the ones you won't get bored of, when space is of a minimum. Flying with only hand luggage, having to fit everything into a tiny rucksack, is a good example of this and one I'm very familiar with!

Mine's from Primark and was the little price of £3, they had some gorgeous designs in there and in all shapes and sizes so I'd definitely recommend having a look! I thought this one was very Cath Kidston esque, but at a fraction of the price. It's got two compartments and the interior is clear plastic, so you can see what you've got in there which is handy. It's the perfect size as it's small but holds just the right amount!

Lily Lolo foundation in Blondie is a favourite, and I don't like to use anything else on a day to day basis as this doesn't cause breakouts. It also has spf 15 which is great on holiday, provides a good amount of coverage and is very buildable. I use the Lily Lolo Super Kabuki to apply this, which is super soft and gives a lovely finish. NARS blush in Deep Throat is literally amazing, a gorgeous peachy pink with a hint of shimmer, applied with the Real Techniques Blush Brush (what did we do before Real Techniques?!). Sleek's contour kit in light has a beautiful highlighter, which when blended in gives a lovely glow, and Collection 2000s lasting perfection concealer features in most makeup bags for good reason - great coverage, bargain price!

Ever since receiving Benefit's They're Real! in a goody bag, it's been the only mascara on my eyelashes. I find that eyelash curlers aren't even a necessity with this as it curls so well, but they provide extra lift when needed. Avon's supershock gel eyeliner was a freebie with Marie Claire and this stuff is seriously brilliant for it's staying power and refusal to smudge. Maybelline's colour tattoo in Pink Gold is great for the evenings, whilst MUA's eyebrow pencil in Blonde is my current choice (I'm on the lookout for something less warm, but for £1 I'll always have one of these handy!).

Aside from lip balm, Revlon's lip butter in Tutti Frutti really brightens up even the rainiest of days (and since I returned to the Lakes, that's all we've had!). Combined with my love Barry M's gelly nail paint in Satsuma, you can be fooled into thinking that summer really is on its way!