Hello, friends! My first semester of college is officially over and I am home for the holidays. It’s so nice to be able to spend time with my family and relax after a semester of papers, tests, and shows. However, coming home for winter break brings a bit of a challenge as far as packing goes, especially for someone who has moved across the country. How the heck am I supposed to pack a month’s worth of stuff into a duffle bag and a backpack? I managed to make it work, relying on things I knew were waiting for me at home and sitting on my bag to get it to close. Today, I am going to share what I brought in my beauty bag. These are my essential makeup products, products that I can count on, and knew I would be using during my trip home.
**Disclaimer: If you don’t see certain products in this post, it’s probably because I packed with the knowledge that there were some supplementary items waiting for me at home.
Face Products
- Maybelline Better Skin Concealer: This is the second Better Skin concealer that I’ve picked up and I really like this product! For me, it’s a no fuss, no muss product that covers imperfections really well. I would necessarily say that it’s made my skin any better, but it’s good as a stand-alone concealer.
- L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation: I’ve been using this for a couple months now and it’s great for everyday wear. I have really oily skin and it does a great job of keeping matte, though my skin always gets the best of any product I put on my face. For me, it won’t prevent shine for the entire day, but it does stay on for a good eight hours.
- L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Glow Foundation: Once I got home, I realized that my Pro-Matte foundation was a bit too dark for me, so I picked up a different shade. Though this time, I wanted to go with the dewy route. Let’s just embrace the oily skin! I’ve only been using this for a few days, but I like how light it feels and that it makes my skin look healthy and glowy.
- Benefit Watts Up Highlighter: As you can tell by my recent foundation purchase, I’ve been experimenting a bit with the dewy look and I’ve really been enjoying playing around with highlighting. This product is great, because it’s small, travel friendly, and easy to use. I like to warm it up on the back of my hand, so it blends easier, then I put it on the tops of my cheeks for a subtle glow. Why not add a bit of sparkle for the winter time?
- Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation: I like to pair this product with the concealer for days when I want something quick, easy, and light. This is another travel-friendly product. Even though it’s a loose powder foundation, the packaging contains a net that keeps the powder from going everywhere. I’m not sure how legitimate “Amazonian Clay” is, but it makes me feel like I’m putting good ingredients on my skin. I like that this product gives a soft, matte finish,
- Rimmel Stay Matte Powder: This is my go-to setting powder and I’ve been using it for years. As you can see by the cracks, this particular powder has been through some tough times, but it’s a great powder! It’s cheap, easy, and gets the job done.
Eye Products
- Benefit Roller Lash Mascara: Look how cute this mascara-mini is! Don’t knock the travel-sized products, you guys, because they take up less room in your back and last longer than you think. I really like how this mascara lengthens my lashes, while also separating and defining them. It also has great lasting power and hardly smudges, which is a success for my oily skin.
- NYX HD Eye Shadow Base: This is my favorite primer! It keeps my eye shadow in place all day and is super affordable. I might even go as far to say that it’s a dupe for the Urban Decay Primer Potion. This is always an essential in my beauty bag.
- L’Oreal Brow Stylist Definer: This is another essential in my beauty bag. This is the third time I’ve repurchased this product, because it is just so easy! I love that it’s dual-ended, so I can comb out my brows with the spoolie. The liner itself is really thin, so I have a lot of control in how I fill in my brows. There’s also a lot of merit in using a liner, because I find that it’s the fastest way to do my eye brows.
Lip Products
- Milani Lip Liner “Bordeaux”: I use this liner the NYX lip cream. It keeps it in place and makes application of the product a lot easier.
- NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream “Copenhagen”: And now for the main event! This is the perfect fall/winter lip stick/gloss/cream. It looks pretty dark and menacing in the tube, but the actual product is a beautiful wine/maroon shade with a hint of a blue undertone (art words). I love wearing this product as a statement lip, while keeping the rest of my makeup minimal. Be warned, though. This product can be drying if you don’t moisturize your lips first.
- Revlon Lipstick “Rum Raisin”: This is a great shade for adding a bit of drama to your look, while keeping it subtle. It’s a red/brown color and beautiful for fall/winter. If you’re scared of wearing red lipstick, this is a great alternative.
- Makeup Forever Rouge Artist Natural “N9”: This is my go-to everyday lipstick . It’s moisturizing! It’s the perfect natural shade! It’s unfortunately discontinued! Believe me, I’m not happy about this. If you have any recommendations for lipsticks that are as moisturizing, yet opaque as this one, please please please let me know in the comments.
- Vaseline Lip Therapy “Rosy Lips”: This is another makeup essential for me. It’s a great chapstick/lip moisturizer and leaves a hint of a rosy tint. I use this every morning, night, and before I put on lipstick.
Brushes: I’m not going to go into detail about these brushes, but these are my essentials for travel.
- Fluffy face brush
- Foundation brush
- Angled eyeliner brush
- Flat shader brush
- Fluffy shader brush
- Fluffy crease brush
- Lash Curler
I hope you guys enjoyed this post and hopefully got some good recommendations on products that are great for both travel and everyday use. Have a fabulous holiday season, loves!
-Love Ling
Love Ling 