Cute Makeup Tips

Makeup Junkie wants to know what's in your makeup bag - you know, the must-haves that you absolutely cannot leave the house without! I have a habit of going through other friend's makeup bags or makeup artist's kits. I just love seeing the faves and beauty essentials because it's just so personal and unique to each woman's needs. I also love seeing products I've never tried - going through a friend's makeup bag is a great way to test out new-to-you products without having a salesperson breathe down your neck!

I will start with my own makeup bag. These are pretty much the essentials I carry with me all the time. A little excessive? Maybe, but I like to be prepared for anything like if I get stranded somewhere or have to do an on-the-spot makeover! lol My mood changes so quickly so whether it's a neutral, bronzey, or glam look I'm going for I like to have it all in one place. Most of these products stay in my bag all year long, but I switch out a few when the season's change. In the Spring, I'll probably switch out my reds for pinks and corals and add some pretty cream or gel blushes. Who knows, the possibilities are endless!

Top row: M.A.C. clear makeup bag - this was actually from the line's skin care travel kits. I prefer clear bags because I can see everything instead of rummaging for 20 mins to find a gloss! The bag is starting to rip at the sides though. It should come with a warning: "Bag cannot exceed 10 products!"
Starlet Travel Brush set- I never wanted to buy a travel brush set because I have so many brushes. I hated carrying the other ones in my purse because they weighed my purse down. Oh, as you can see I added my fave M.A.C. #109 brush to the inside zipper of the case. I just love using this to contour or buff blush into the cheeks for a natural flush.

Middle Row L-R: M.A.C. Mineralize Skinfinish in Medium Dark -never makes skin look powdery, Nars Single Eyeshadow in Bengali - deep chocolate brown for when I want to smudge liner into the lash line or add a little drama to the eyes, Nars Duo Eyeshadow in Key Largo - I love this pale peach/bronze duo for everyday and looks great with any colour palette, Nars Duo Cream Eyeshadow in Thebes - great cream shadows in silver and pale gold as a base or for a little highlight and shimmer, Nars Blush in Deep Throat - for a peachy/pink glow like Orgasm but darker, Nars Blush in Mata Hari - for when I want a girly pink glow, Face Atelier Blush in Mocha - a neutral rosy/brown blush for those natural days

Bottom Row L-R: Nars Multiple in South Beach - perfect on-the-go bronzer since Benefit's Hoola is too bulky. The apricot hue gives the face warmth and goes great under your favourite blush, shadow or lip product. Pink Beauty Lip Sheer Lipstick in Elsie - makes your lips look you've been making out all day and great for when you want to add some drama in the evening, Pink Beauty Glamour Glaze Gloss in Dearest - coppery/pink shade looks great on its own or over top of any lipstick, Nars Lip Gloss in Stolen Kisses - a caramel/pink for the perfect neutral lip, Nars Lip Gloss in Giza - nice peachy gloss for a peachy look and pairs well with a smoky eye, Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss in Spark - for when I want to add a sheer pop of colour usually on its own or over Elsie or a berry lip stain for a more intense colour, Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss in Gold Berry - limited Holiday collection, love wearing this amber-gold in the evening on its own or over top of a red, Loose Lips NY Hint of Mint Gloss in Mint Cherry - gives the lips a kiss of sheer red and freshens my breath, Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bettina - when I want a matte pinky-nude for a smokey eye, Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Calliope - when I want a matte coral/peach colour, C.O. Bigelow Cinnamint Mentha Lip Shine - moisturizes lips, smells yummy, and is a great clear gloss, M.A.C. Limited Lip Stain in Lovin' It Light - I actually use this wine/berry shade on my cheeks and lips for that "snow-bunny" flush and the staying power is amazing, YSL Touche Eclat in #3 - brightens my under eyes and conceals dark circles, L'Oreal Voluminous Waterproof Mascara Black - gives me the fullest, longest, clump-free, smudge-free lashes ever, Smashbox Photo Op Undereye Brightner - I use this under my Touche Eclat to make my under eye luminous and helps diffuse fine lines and dark circles, Covergirl Line Exact Black - for my cat-eye/hollywood glamour mood, Tweezerman Tweezers - the best of the best in tweezers because you never know when a stray will pop up, Face Atelier Camouflage Duo Medium - creamy med-full coverage for those pesky blemishes or when I don't have time to apply foundation, M.A.C. Eye Paint Untitled - the only primer I use for my shadow (way before all the primers came out), M.A.C. Matte2 Eye Shadow in Signed, Sealed - love this for a smoky eye because the deep eggplant/grey-black makes my brown eyes stand out, Shu Uemera Eye Lash Curler - cult classic and gives my lashes the most perfect curl (can't wait to test out Billy B.'s - stay tuned for that review!)

Wow, I carry a lot of product with me! My purse is another story - you'll find hand creams, cuticle cream, travel perfumes, nail file, baby balm, cheerios, business cards, pens, cell, keys, organizer, wallet of no money haha. It's amazing how much we carry with us! Email me at joy@makeupjunkie.ca with a picture of your makeup stash and a rundown of your products. Feel free to give a detailed description but a list with just the names is fine too. I'll feature one a week on my site. I can't wait to see what's in your makeup bag!

For more info on each products visit these sites:
M.A.C. Cosmetics, Nars Cosmetics, Starlet Cosmetics,Pink Beauty Cosmetics, Face Atelier, Smashbox Cosmetics, Estee Lauder, Loose Lips NY, C.O. Bigelow, YSL, L'Oreal, Cover Girl, Tweezerman, Shu Uemera

When I hear the word "starlet" I think of Hollywood's most glamourous. Starlet Cosmetics products are made to make you feel, well, like a starlet. Their products are geared towards the professional makeup artist but any makeup junkie would love the variety of pro tools and accessories. I received the 7 Piece Pink Folder Brush Set which includes: a powder/blush brush (goat hair), eye primer/concealer brush (nylon), shadow (pony), precision crease (pony), liner/brow (nylon), lip (nylon), and brow and lash groomer (synthetic). The brush set comes in a pink magnetic closure folder style case with pink brush handles and a zipper compartment for your favourite shadow or gloss perfect for the woman-on-the-go!

The Result:
I have been using the set for almost 2 weeks and I'm delightfully surprised at how amazing the quality of these travel brushes are! I have a huge collection of pro quality brushes but I don't have any travel ones for myself that I can just throw in my purse. The length of each brush is actually the perfect size I'd like normal brushes to be. And although it is a travel set, the length of the brushes aren't too short (length is important in achieving a flawless application). The zipper enclosure is big enough to fit a blush, gloss/lipstick, slim compact and shadow but nothing to0 bulky. If you have an all-in-one face palette then you're set. It's the perfect size to carry around in your purse and the 4 magnetic closure prevents your brushes from falling out.

Powder/Blush brush: Amazingly soft and the density of the brush gives you a perfect blush or powder application. None of the hairs have fallen out either.
Eye Primer/Concealer: I haven't used this to prime the eye but I've used it to apply both foundation and concealer. It's actually the perfect size for both and I prefer using this to apply foundation than a normal foundation brush. The compact size of the brush forces you to apply foundation only where needed and you end up using less product as a result. The nylon brush is smooth and is great at blending face products.
Shadow: The brush has the perfect firmness but is still soft enough to blend eye shadow properly. When I applied my shadow, it gave me the same colour intensity as using a stiff shadow brush.
Precision Crease: My favourite of the collection. This brush is great for smudging shadow into the lash line for a subtle smoldering effect or all the way up into the crease for a dramatic smoky eye. Some pencil brushes are too firm to use all over the lid or in the crease and don't blend nicely but this brush allows you to smudge and shape the crease with super blendability.
Lip: I haven't used this for my lips just yet, but have used it to conceal those pesky pimples. It's the right size to precisely conceal raised blemishes.
Liner/Brow: This brush is firm enough for flawless application of powder or gel liners to shape the eye but soft enough to naturally fill in the brows.
Brow/Lash Groomer: Essential brush for maintaining clean brows and combing through lashes for a natural and clump-free effect.

Love the set and highly recommend it. You get 7 brushes in a pretty and functional case for $38 (USD). The set also comes in a beautiful black croc case if pink isn't your colour. I love the faux croc effect and the black just looks much sleeker. The only negative about this set that I wish it had was a contour brush. I've been carrying around my normal size contour brush inside it but since the head sticks out doesn't stay clean. Maybe I'll send in my suggestion and hopefully they'll make a set especially for me! lol Oh to dream... Starlet Cosmetics also sells pre-made palettes for blushes, shadows, and lip products. Perfect for the makeup artist or the makeup junkie who wants it all and wants it organized! Happy shopping!