Whats In My Everyday Makeup Bag

As a busy mum of two small kids aged 5 and 3, I rarely have time to glam.

Ok so I never really ever get time to glam, but I thought it might be interesting to take a look at what I DO have time to place on my face on a daily basis and do you know what, I was thoroughly shocked.

There I was thinking I pretty much slap a bit of concealer on and draw my brows on before heading out the door, but no no my friends, this seems to not be the case.

According to my photos and catalogue of products I use, I pretty much glam up every darn day!

I’m most confused. Particularly given that I do my makeup sat on a bean bag, in our lounge (by the window for natural light, obvs) while simultaneously trying to down my now cold cup of tea while breaking up 50 billion arguments between the kids at 8:15am.

Ugh.

Yet, here we are ladies and gents. The contents of my makeup bag which I basically wear every single day.

Milk Makeup Blur Stick (£30.50) I only received this recently so I’ve been trying it out. I don’t like the large clumpy stick for application but I DO like its ability to keep shine at bay and my make up staying in place all day long.

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation (£32)  I love this foundation for medium coverage when your skin needs a little help but you don’t want to look overly made up. Silky and with great coverage its my go-to. Reviewed in full HERE. 

YSL Touche Eclat (£26) Yeah, I have a 5 year old and 2 year old. Nuff said. Could use this stuff in the bucket load.

Clarins Instant Concealer (£22.50) I maintain that this is THE BEST concealer you’ll ever use. Fabulous coverage, great for concealing dark circles, stays in place, feels like it hydrates your skin and I’m sure there’s a full review HERE. 

YSL Eyebrow Pencil In shade 05 Ebony (£21) Again, full review HERE but the best eye brow pencil in terms of shade and texture EVER. Expensive? Yes, Worth it? Yes.

HD Brows Palette (old school packaging but in Vamp and now RRP £30) My brows have been overplucked for years so once I’ve used my YSL Pencil I use  touch of this to fill in the missing spaces where my eyebrows should be. Sigh.

Instant Effects Lip Plumper (£24.99) I’ve always wanted full lips and actually had lip fillers recently (more about that another time) but I always apply a generous slick of this plumping serum to my lips and leave it for a good 20mins or so before applying my lip colour. And yes, it does plump your lips but without any of that horribly cooling or tingly sensations you get with so many plumpers. 

Benefit Hoola (approx £22) I’ve used this as my go to bronzer for as long as I can remember and for that reason it never leaves my make up bag!

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara (£18.70) Reviewed in full HERE this is my fave Benefit mascara. Curling, lash separating and it creates mental length with no flaking or smudging. Winner.

The Vintage Company Eyelash Curler (£7) Soft, gentle and easy to use these bad boys turn my flat as a pancake lashes into something that’s really curly, I cant think of anything right now but they’re reslly good and a great price point too. 

Kiko Milano Sweetheart Baked Blush in Just like Coral (no longer available) I just love its iridescent, non flat, colourful blush that adds colour and rightness to your complexion. 

Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look In a Palette Natural (£49) for the Highlighter (I hit the Pan on the Blush which was shade POP which was a sad day) Best highlighter out there- soft and champagne in colour it blends over your make up seamlessly leaving you looking your glowing best.

O'Keeffe's Lip Repair Unscented Lip Balm (£3) Cheap and cheerful this has to be THE BEST lip balm I’ve ever used. Thick and rich in texture its not fancy, it doesn’t smell, it has no colour but boy does it stay put and apply a generous amount to your lips at night before bed and wake to soft, gorgeous lips.

PIXI Lash Line Ink -Black Silk (£12) Sleek, highly pigmented and easy to use it doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin and it stays put. Winner.

Beauty Pie Shine Up Colour Balm in Pillowy Pink (£3.70 is you’re a member, £16 if not) I love Beauty Pie (Check it out HERE) and this colour is just the perfect subtle pink with a gentle sheen for the school run. 

No7 Perfect Light Pressed Powder in Translucent (£12) My oily skin always requires powder and this finely milled, super soft powder is one I’ve been using for years. I don’t like to add colour to my skin with finishing powder hence he translucent shade, but its great for hot summers days when you don’t want to wear make but want to blot your face a bit!

Scamp & Dude Mini Swag Bag in Peach (£18) Scamp & Dude was created by Jo Tutchener-Sharp, founder and previous MD of Beauty Seen PR who suffered a brain haemorrhage. She had to leave her small children for a lengthy stay in hospital to undergo life threatening brain surgery and the agony of not being able to be with her kids was what inspired Jo to create a brand that helps children feel more secure when apart from their loved ones. This swag bag is just one of many, many items Jo sells and has become a HUGE SUCCESS.  Adore my stylish Mini Swag leopard and lightning print bag.

So there we have it. Turns out I wear a sh*t tonne of make up to the school run and had absolutely no idea I wore so much!

I’m also quite impressed that I’ve managed to successfully apply said make up within the small amount of time I have to get everyone ready and out the door so I think that deserves a round of applause, so go me!

Beauty Pie Japanfusion Pure Transforming Cleanser

If you love luxury skincare and beauty but haven’t heard of Beauty Pie then before we go any further you need to read my post HERE explaining how it all works.

Now you need to understand, that I have waited almost two months for this cleanser to come back in stock. It is THAT popular. 

Made in Japan, Beauty Pie’s Japanfusion™ Pure Transforming Cleanser is a superlight melting cleanser designed for all skin types and we ALL know how much I love a melting cleanser!

Packaged in a really sleek, chic, pinky tube it is a full 100ml so you’re getting a lot of cleanser for your money, which by the way, if you’re a member is just £5.89. I know. Bonkers isn’t it.

Fragrance and colour free, this cleanser has been antioxidant infused and features a high tech gel-to-oil-to-milk cleansing balm.

Thick and rich in texture it quickly glides across dry skin, allowing you to gently massage the product into your face. 

Formulated with a moisture lock complex it features a quadruple-action Pombe Yeast derivative that delivers moisture and firmness, visibly re-energizes the complexion and reducing visible lines and wrinkles through deep hydration and skin-surface nourishing.

Jabara extract (antioxidant ingredient harvested from the Japanese citrus fruit, rich in Vitamin C and polyphenols) helps inhibit the appearance of pigmented spots, and helps keep free radicals from aging the look of your face.

Something rather complex called Delamyth Dna+  is an extract from the peels of the Delaware grape which is proven to help soothe the skin and to counteract UV-related free radical damage with excellent antioxidant activities.

No cleanser would be complete without some Vitamin E thrown in for some extra antioxidant protection and deep skin moisturization.

I cam see why this cleanser is constantly out of stock.

Gentle, sleek, soft and wonderful it glides across your skin, removing all traces of make-up and grime as it goes. 

Despite its thickness when dispensed it is actually really light in texture- probably due to its high tech gel to oil to milk situation and once splashed with warm water the gel emulsifies into a nourishing milk, leaving your skin feeling clean, refreshed and gorgeous.

I wasn’t 100% convinced that such a light cleanser could remove all my make-up so I stuck to my tried and tested ‘toner on a pad’ experiment and do you know, not a single smear of make-up was left on my face.

Impressive.

I will say that despite being described as suitable for everyone, it did leave my skin feeling a little tight after so I may try the equally popular Plantastic Apricot Butter Cleaning Balm which I’ve heard may be better for drier skin.

If you want to get your hands on this mega cleanser at a seriously ridiculous price you ned to Hurry before it sells out again to head to Beauty Pie now!

BEAUTY PIE

OK, so, have you heard of a brand called BEAUTY PIE? No? Man you’re missing out big time.

BEAUTY PIE is a beauty brand unlike any other. 

To quote the guys themselves;

BEAUTY PIE is the first ever buyers club for beauty addicts. Members have access to luxury products, from world's leading beauty labs, but can buy up to 5X MORE for their money!

You wont find BEAUTY PIE on the high street and that’s because it’s an online retailer only.

Like many luxury brands they do not manufacture their own luxury skincare and makeup, rather, they source their products from around 20 of the worlds leading labs who manufacture their best formulations for BEAUTY PIE members.

The premise is simple. For a small monthly subscription you are allocated a corresponding spending limit based on the typical (high end) prices of the products on the website.

However, you do not pay the high end price, you pay a ridiculously discounted price allowing you to indulge and enjoy the luxury of some of the best products out there without beggaring yourself!

You have access to the same luxury, quality cosmetics and high performance skincare, without paying for the middlemen, the celebrity marketing or retailer costs.

So without getting too technical, you can sign up to a range of monthly memberships ranging from £5 a month which allows you a monthly spending limit of £50 up to £20 a month giving you a £200 spending limit or if you’re proper hardcore, £99 for a year’s subscription which allows you a £100 spending limit a month plus two months free. 

PLUS any unused spending limit will roll over onto the next month so you never lose out.

I recently signed up to their mini monthly £5 membership to give it a go and I am nothing but impressed!

For my first order I chose;

Wondergloss Lip Oil in Nude Nectar RRP £26 – I paid £4.84

Smart Powder Blush in Ring My Bell RRP £18– I paid £4.04

One Powder Wonder RRP £26– I paid £5.32

Super Moisture Lip Balm RRP £16– I paid £6.07

That order (including my £5 membership fee) came to £23.63. If I had bought those products as a non-member it would have set me back £86.

BONKERS isn’t it! 

PLUS for a limited time they’re giving you a £50 top up limit on your first order AND if you do decide to join then use THIS LINK and as a thanks you’ll receive your first months membership for FREE!

I’m going to spend some time in the coming week focusing on individual items from the BEAUTY PIE range because its safe to say that I’m already well and truly hooked on this brand but today I’d like to give a little mention to the Super Moisture Lip Balm, because lip balm’s are one of my most favourite things!

Housed within a small, chic, understated glass jar with white lid you’ll find the thickest richest, most delicious smelling lip balm of dreams.

99.4% natural this decadent balm is enriched with a host of skin loving, nourishing ingredients to leave  your lips feeling hydrated, soft, plump and beautiful.

Avocado oil nourishes, shea butter softens, sweet Almond Oil offers a soothing element while

With a scent reminiscent of a vanilla-coconut hybrid it is an absolute pleasure to use and its nourishing qualities last for ages on account of the thickness and richness of the balm itself. 

This was the very first item I tried and I was immediately impressed. 

I’m onto my second box now and I’m yet to be disappointed! 

In fact, here’s a sneak peek of the simply gorgeous Futurelipstick Luxe Shine in Pinkyum which cost me just £4.33 which without my £5 membership would have set me back £20.

If like me you adore luxury cosmetics and skincare but can’t justify the often hefty price tags that go along with them then I implore you to give BEAUTY PIE a go. What do you have to lose?

Don't forget, if you decide to join then use THIS LINK and as a thanks you’ll receive your first months membership for FREE!

Click HERE for your first month’s BEAUTY PIE  membership for free.