Make-up Bag Staples

image shot by @iuliadavid & makeup by @selen-hurermakeup

I’m a very simple girl. I definitely wouldn’t call myself artistic and this definitely reflects in my makeup skills. When I was younger, my best friend, Candice, and I would attempt to do editorial-inspired makeup looks with an Essence liquid liner and a Mac lipstick (in Myth obviously). I recall a time we used liquid liner in our waterline and obviously had no money for Mac at the time, so opted for light shaded base on our lips finished with a slick of cheap roll-on lipgloss. All that mattered is that we felt beautiful. 

Growing up as a model allowed me to get the inside scoop into beauty and makeup as well as the necessity of sunblock, the areas of your face to highlight and the power of a good eyelash curler.

Skin Prep:

I always prep my skin pre-makeup. It’s the one thing I never leave the house without as a good base is the perfect environment for a good look. I often begin with my Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream. This. Stuff. Is. Magic. It literally leaves your skin looking like a cherub. I apply it in upwards motions as she suggests and I honestly feel like I have the cheekbones of Candice Swanepoel. If this isn’t around, I’ll use the Mac Prep + Prime which has a nice yellow undertone to colour correct any dodgy areas. 

Foundation and Concealer:

As I said, I am a simple gal. I rarely wear foundation on a day to day basis. Trust me, I have had bad skin. I used to get horrendous hormonal pimples and there is nothing worse than someone telling you “but you have to stop wearing makeup, it’ll make it better”.

Honestly, I had these comments thrown at me so many times especially due to the fact that my skin was often always a topic of discussion in a makeup chair. It’s tough to build up the courage to embrace your flaws. I get that. So often, I’d search for the best concealer that would cover up a spot, but fit seamlessly with the bare skin next to it.

But before we hop onto concealer, I’ve recently discovered Beauty Pie’s under-eye superluminous corrector. Somewhat of a cult item, it’s forever sold out. But if you can get your hands on this, you won’t be disappointed.It is the perfect under-eye corrector that lights up any bags that may be there brighter than a Christmas tree.

In terms of concealers, I definitely recommend the Nars Radiant creamy concealer. If you aren’t able to find this one, the Maybelline Fit Me is a good dupe. On the rare occasion I cover up more, I’ll use the Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser or the super affordable Body Shop mineral foundation.

Eyebrows:

When my brows are perfect, I feel like I have my life together. I’m definitely no Cara Delevigne however, I do have a little bit of an obsession keeping them going in the same direction. I’ve found the Pixi brow and contour, the Glossier boy brow and the NYX brow gel to all work fantastically. I opt for a light tint to give me that extra edgy supermodel look (wishful thinking but in my mind it makes sense). My all-time favourite brow gel was introduced to me by a Dutch model I was living with in Spain. It costs around £4.50 and is the ultimate beauty secret. Hema definitely isn’t the first shop that comes to mind when I think about makeup, but I often leave with 3 of their brow gels just in case I run out of one.

Mascara:

In terms of mascara, I always gravitate towards the ones that give the most natural look. It’s also my absolute worst when mascara creates fall-out or leaves black smudges under my eyes. The racoon look isn’t cute and grunge is not in fashion anymore. My favourite at the moment is the Glossier one. Essence has an amazing, affordable range of mascaras. My fave is their Lash Princess one. Both are always in my makeup bag for the rare occasion I feel like going the extra mile (is it sad that mascara is the ‘extra mile’ in my eyes?)

Oh, and, don’t negate the power of a good eyelash curler. Kevyn Aucoin’s one is my fave but Tweezerman has a pretty good contender too.

Other beauty extras I love are the Cocokind MyMatcha stick as well as the Clarins light lip oil. Remember to always apply sunblock during the day as this will always be the biggest beauty necessity of all. If you want to find the other skincare goodies I advocate, click here.

(There are some affiliate links throughout this piece. I may earn a small commission if you purchase through some of the links, and this will be at no extra cost to you)