10 Products Every Girl Needs In Her Makeup Bag

Whether you're looking to create a daytime look perfect for shopping with the girls or a look that'll take you straight to the bar, having a well-stocked makeup bag is key. If you're missing a product or two, you'll still be able to get the look but your makeup might not have the staying power or "wow" factor than if you had the full kit - so here's what you need to know!

Moisturizer

Yep, it isn't a piece of makeup, as such, but it's still a vital part of your kit. Without it, your makeup will slide off your face - it acts as a base, even though it isn't one.

Rub it in in light, upwards, circular strokes and leave to sink into the skin until you can no longer feel it sitting on the surface of your skin.

Primer

Primer is just perfect for blurring your skin, helping to improve tone and texture and hiding pores and pimples. If your skin is fairly good, you can use it alone without foundation as it'll just help to improve what you already have. If not, you can use it under foundation. There are a few types: blurring primer, base primer and mattifying primer. Keep in mind though that not all primers will work for everyone: blurring primers are fab, but if you put makeup on top of them it can often rub off if you touch your face.

Foundation

Whether you choose a light tinted moisturizer, a BB cream, a CC cream, a cream to powder foundation, a liquid formula or a gel/mousse formula, the next piece of kit you need is foundation. Generally, if your skin is poor or if you need to hide redness, uneven skin tone or lumps and bumps, you'll need a slightly heavier formula. If your skin is oily, combination or just needs a little bit of TLC, go for a lighter formula like a tinted moisturizer or a BB cream.

Blush

Blush or bronzer, one of the easiest ways to make yourself look brighter and more awake is to add a sweep of color to your cheeks. Pinky red hues are perfect through the winter months as they add a flush of color that makes it look as though you just stepped inside from a long walk in the cold.

Corals and blush that has a slight orangey hue are also lovely through the summer months.

See Also: 6 Common Makeup Mistakes And How To Fix Them

Liquid Liner

One of the easiest ways to make yourself look put together is with a slick of liquid liner on your upper lash line, whether you use put any other makeup on or not. Start at the inner corner of the top lash line, then slowly draw across the top of the lashes, ending in a flick.

Kohl Pencil Is Your Best Friend

Kohl is your best friend. It'll frame your eyes, make you look more awake, help you go from daytime to nighttime, help you build a full on party look and give you a sweet, girl next door look. It might sound like one little product won't be able to do very much for you but it can - you just have to learn how to use it properly. Draw on the lower water line along the lash line, stopping at the end of the lash line, for an easy to wear daytime look.

Draw underneath both lash lines and smudge very gently with your finger tips.

Eyeshadow

You can create virtually any look with an eyeshadow palette. Regardless of your budget, the most important thing about your eyeshadow is that it suits your skintone. A nude palette will be flattering for most skintones - look for one with a few shades of dark brown as well as a few shimmery hues for nighttime. For a twist on the look, go for a palette with some deep purple or grey tones. For daytime, use the light and neutral hues and for night, incorporate some of the darker colors.

Lipstick

If you're not a lipstick lover, now is most definitely the time to start. We've seen brightly colored lips and berry hues on the catwalks and they're a brilliant nod to the season's trends without having to revamp your wardrobe. For extra staying power, line lips in a matching color and then color in the lips with the liner. This'll provide a brilliant base. Then, dab the lipstick on with your fingertip or by using a brush.

Lip Stain

Lip stains tend to double as cheek stains and they're a brilliant quick fix if you're running low on time but still need to put on some makeup.

You can always add more, but you can't take away, so be sparing. For lips, if you want to add more impact, use a slick of Vaseline to turn the color into a gloss or cover with the colored gloss of your choice.

See Also: How To Choose The Perfect Red Lip Color For Your Skin Tone

Powder

Powder has had a bit of a bad reputation for a long time - it can be seen as a product that only elderly people use. But it can do so much for your makeup! It can set everything in place, help to blot away excess oil, add color, improve the tone and texture of your skin and generally, make your skin look fabulous! For the best results, apply using a large powder brush rather than the sponge that comes with the powder.