In case you've missed my off-the-scale excitement: I'm going to New York on Wednesday! I thought I'd give you a little look at my city break makeup essentials that will be coming with me. I will also have the few bits that will be in my hand luggage, so if you missed that post, check it out here and I don't know if I'll be able to resist the temptation to bring more lip colours...
Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot Primer | £10
This is my favourite primer because it just seems to do it all! It's nice and hydrating on my skin whilst also taking away any of the shine. It provides a perfect base for my foundation, which just seems to glide on over it. I also find it extends the wear-time and stops my makeup disappearing from my problem areas.
Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Stay-in-Place Makeup | £29.50
As I mentioned in my last post, I have the Clinique Chubby in the Nude Stick Foundation in my hand luggage which offers a really nice, light coverage and is great for touch-ups. So for my main foundation I'm taking something a little fuller: Estee Lauder's Double Wear Light. It offers a good medium-full coverage with a matte but non-drying finish that's just amazingly long-lasting (another pro as I think we will be out for quite a lot of the day and won't have loads of time to freshen up before dinner each evening). It works as an evening base but isn't too heavy for the day.
Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer | £17.50
This always comes away with me when I travel because it's so light and fluffy in texture yet gives amazing coverage, making it perfect for both under the eyes and on blemishes. I don't find that it creases or wears away during the day either. It isn't drying but it isn't overly hydrating either.
Ben Nye Luxury Banana Powder | £11.95
This is my favourite setting powder right now (I use this with a damp BeautyBlender) as it just ensures everything stays in place without being caky or drying on my skin. As my foundation is quite matte, I don't need anything overly mattifying as a powder and I always have my trusty Bourjois Healthy Balance in my handbag just in case.
Laura Geller Gelato Swirl Baked Illuminator in Gilded Honey | £21
This highlighter is just so compact and travel-friendly that it had to be my choice to go away with. It's a gorgeous true, bright gold shade that blends beautifully onto the skin. It isn't anything too glittery, it just has a metallic sheen, which I love.
Too Faced Love Flush Blush in Baby Love | £25
I picked this partly because the packaging is quite travel friendly and I don't think I'll have to worry about it smashing (fingers crossed!) but also because it's just one of those shades that goes with anything. It's a little bit mauve, a little bit nude and a little bit peach so I think it will compliment all the lip and eye colours I've packed. It has a very slight sheen but looks matte on the skin and applies so evenly. It doesn't go patchy or wear away so will work for my skin even if it goes a little dry after the flight.
ColourPop Cheek Shock in Bronze Me | $8
This is my favourite bronzer right now so obviously this went straight into my New York makeup bag. It's a sort of matte-cream formula that's not at all greasy, applies smoothly and wears very well on my skin. It's a warm-toned shade but is cool enough to do a natural contour with. It has a very slight gold sheen but I don't find it translates to the skin. You can find out how I ship this brand to the UK here.
Urban Decay Original Eye Primer Potion | £16
I use this literally every single day and almost take it for granted but I had to give it a mention here because it really makes so much difference. It's just a translucent eye primer which you only need a tiny amount of on each eyelid to ensure the colours really pop and that your eyeshadow stays fresh for hours.
Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick in Taupe | £21
This is just the perfect matte nude eyeshadow base for me. It's so creamy, easy to blend out and pigmented. It really helps my eyeshadow last longer and again for the shades to show true to colour. It doesn't crease and has amazing wear-time. Despite the name, it isn't too cool-toned nor is it too warm so I find it works with absolutely any neutral eye look for me.
Makeup Geek Travel Vault | £11.50 with Eyeshadow Pans | £4.95 each and Foiled Eyeshadow Pan | £7.95
The Travel Vault is definitely my favourite way to store Makeup Geek eyeshadows because it's sturdy, secure and stylish. I find the eyeshadows to be of amazing quality; the pigmentation, how easy they are to work with and also how long-wearing they are. They just have the nicest texture and very few brands can do mattes as nice and creamy as these.
I will be taking with me the shades Shimma Shimma (an off-white highlighting shimmer), Homecoming (a brown-bronze shimmer), Taupe Notch (a brown-toned taupe with a very subtle sheen), Grandstand (a Foiled super-dewy rose gold shimmer), Peach Smoothie (a light-medium peach matte transition colour) Frappe (a warm caramel-brown mid-toned matte crease shade), Wild West (a pinkish-brown mid-toned matte crease colour), Cocoa Bear (a medium-deep warm reddish-brown matte for the crease), Americano (a deep purple-toned cool brown), Cherry Cola (a muted deep reddish-brown matte) and Bada Bing (a deep cool-toned brown with gold shimmer running through it).
MAC Pro Palette x4 | £5 with Pro Refill Eyeshadow Pans | £10 each
It's probably a little bit excessive of me but I also still have some MAC shades I really love and use all the time so wanted to take with me in this little quad. I'm justifying it because in total I'll be away from home a good 10 days (including a couple of days I have to be in London for on either side of New York) so thought I'd want some options. Overall I find MAC eyeshadows less creamy than Makeup Geek but they're very pigmented and long-wearing plus the shades I have here are just so unique.
I have 3 really nice lid colours: All That Glitters is this gorgeous nude shimmer with hints of bronze and peach, Woodwinked which is a warm-toned bronze shimmer and Sable, an interesting red-toned brown shimmer. I also have Quarry as a crease colour which is a lovely taupe with a hint of cool-toned lilac.
Stila Stay All Day Liquid Eyeliner in Carbon Black | £14.50
Of course this was going to be in the mix as it's the liquid eyeliner pen that I trust the most and of course I love my winged liner! This is really pigmented and black (though isn't completely matte) but once it dries it isn't going to budge. I love the small, thin, precise tip and it takes ages to use this up so it's definitely worth spending that little bit more on.
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils | £15.50 each
For my other eyeliner needs (tight lining and the bottom lash line), I have my trusty Urban Decay liners. The formula is creamy and pigmented but doesn't move around, smear or disappear during the day. Stag is a charcoal matte-look shade, Smog is a bronze-gold shimmer and Underground is a cool-toned bronze-taupe.
Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara | £7.99
I'm sure this will come as no surprise to regular readers! It's my favourite mascara as it works so nicely for day or night, depending on how much you layer it up. It gives me amazing (and lasting) curl and so much length as well as that nice little bit of volume without any clumps. It also doesn't flake or smudge on me, which is essential.
Soap & Glory Archery Brow Pencil & Brush in Hot Chocolate | £8
This is my go-to everyday brow product as you can just twist it up and the tips is so small and precise, plus doesn't need sharpening and is always ready to go. It's that perfect balance between soft and waxy - you still get some colour payoff but you can be very subtle with it and really shade in each individual hair. The shade isn't too warm, nor is it grey and the spooly on the end is perfect to brush out your brows before and after for a really natural look.
NYX Tame & Frame Tinted Brow Mascara is Espresso | £5.50
I pretty much always finish off with my NYX brow gel as the shade is almost identical to Hot Chocolate and it adds that bit of colour, fullness and holds everything in place. It isn't crispy or thick at all but it isn't too watery either.
ColourPop Lippie Stix in Brink | $5
This is my perfect everyday nude lip colour; it's a kind of warm brown nude with this little hint of mauve in there. Although it's billed as Matte, it has a very creamy formula and a slight sheen. It's a total bargain and a must-buy if you're doing a ColourPop order as it just goes with any neutral makeup look.
Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Balm in Curviest Caramel | £17
This is my more hydrating, low-key option. It's just a really nice pinky-nude colour with a really creamy formula that's easy to throw on if I'm in a rush, even without a mirror. Again it's one that's going to go with any of the makeup looks I'd create with the other products I'm packing.
Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Double Dare | $20
Of course I had to have a slightly deeper matte liquid lipstick for the evening and I love the Kat Von D formula. It doesn't flake, lasts me hours even when eating and drinking and has a pigmented, matte finish that isn't too drying. The colour is a a browny-strawberry shade.
What are your makeup essentials for a city break?
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