Spring clean your make-upbag
Words by Armand 29/05/2006
Most women have so much clutter in their handbags which they never use. They keep eye shadows and foundations just in case they might need them at some time in the future. Well, summer is nearly here and it’s time to spring-clean your make-up bag and streamline down to the bare essentials. Here are some tips for sorting out the good, the bad and the downright ugly:
- Be ruthless! – if you haven’t used it in two months bin it.
- Only keep your mascara for three months – mascara is notorious for hording bacteria.
- Never plunge the mascara wand in and out as this traps air and can clog your mascara.
- Ditch those mucky sponges – again a magnet for bacteria, plus it smells.
- Use multi-purpose products – try Clarins Multi-Blush in Tender Raspberry; this is a great colour for the eyes, cheeks and lips, and don’t be scared about the brightness as the colour blends down. Also, Nars Multiple is a product that can be used on all areas, but it is a little bit bulky.
- Invest in a make-up palette - loads of cosmetic companies stock seasonal make-up palettes which have eye shadows, lip glosses, mirror, etc., really handy if you want to achieve a versatile look. Lancôme and Esteé Lauder have some great palettes to experiment with.
- Invest in a clear make-up bag to avoid rummaging around blindly.
- Travel-size brushes are a handy space-saver which will enable you to achieve a professional look every time.
- Try to keep an essential make-up bag for day-time and a separate one for night-time.
- Decant your favourite foundation and skincare into clear, plastic, travel-size bottles; these are available at most chemists and department stores.
If you’re stuck for what to store, here a few essentials for your make-up bag:
- Foundation – Shiseido stick foundation is really handy to have in your make-up bag for touch-ups.
- Mascara – Lancome Definicils is a reliable mascara for subtle definition. For more volume invest in Christian Dior, Dior Show.
- Eye shadow – Clinique Colour Surge Palette is a handy quad of shadows that comes with a mirror and is perfect for the girl on the go. My favourite selection of colours are Island Breeze.
- Cheeks – Clarins Multi-Blush in Tender Raspberry applied to the apple of the cheek and gently blended in will give any complexion a glow.
- Bronzer – Givenchy and Guerlain are the two best companies for maintaining your glow.
- Lips – Go for a lipstick in your favourite shade that is soft and gentle and has an SPF. If you prefer a natural look then try Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream for the lips, SPF8.
- On-the-spot treatment – Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Concealing Stick is available in three different shades; not only does it cover the spot, but it also blends smoothly and evenly into your make-up.
Look out for me because I’m going to be out and about on the Coast scouting for make-over victims for my forthcoming pages, and I WILL be checking make-up bags – so be warned!So, out with the old and in with the new; be ruthless and resist the urge to horde. These little tips will be handy if you do a lot of traveling or even if you’re about to hit the beach to top up that tan on the Costa del Sol.
