Pack With Me | Beauty & Skincare Pt.2 ft. What’s In My Makeup Bag?

This segment will cover the preparation and makeup aspects of my travel beauty to Hong Kong. I want to be thorough and informative on why I have chosen these particular products to take with me. If you haven’t yet, you can catch up with the first segment here which explains the skincare aspect and how I intend to look after my skin whilst I’m away.

Otherwise, let’s get on with what I’m bringing makeup-wise!

Note: To make it easier, I’ll split this segment into two parts – one being more of a What’s In My Makeup Bag and the other being My Base Makeup, Brushes and Tools.

Featured in this post:

Bobbi Brown SPF 50 Protective Face Base
Clinique City Block Sheer SPF 25
Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer in ‘Light’
Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Pact
Real Techniques Contour Brush (as part of Core Collection Set)
LUSH Honey Trap Lip Balm
Eyebrow Tweezer (Unsure of brand)
NYX Micro Brow Pencil in ‘Expresso’
Etude House Drawing Eye Brow Duo in ‘#1 Dark Brown’
Etude House Dr. Mascara Fixer For Perfect Lash
Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara (sample)
Dior Addict Lipstick in ‘871 Power’
MAC Lipstick in ‘See Sheer’ (Lustre Finish)

Kiko Skin Tone Corrector Primer (discont.)
Real Techniques Stippling Brush
Real Techniques Buffing Brush (as part of Core Collection Set)
H&M Precision Sponge
Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation in ‘Vanilla’
Clinique Even Better Makeup SPF 15 in ‘Ivory’ (sample)*
Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look in a Palette (Beauty Glow)
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder in ‘2 Medium’
EcoTools Powder/Blush Brush (as part of Six Piece Starter Collection)
Real Techniques Pointed Foundation Brush (as part of Core Collection Set)
Koji Curving Eyelash Curler

*There is Even Better and Even Better Glow…I am unsure as to which version the SA gave me to sample!

What’s In My Makeup Bag?

My makeup bag stands the same as what I normally take with me on-the-go in my everyday life so I didn’t need to make any changes at all. The only thing I added was the mascara primer and mascara which would ordinarily be on my desk but since I’m traveling, it’s in a new home for now! Do note however that I have placed my eyelash curler with my brushes and base makeup, and not in my makeup bag.

One of the key aspects of the way I comprise my makeup bag is whether I can still create a great look even if I’m running late or had no time to do a full makeup look. The makeup bag should also be helpful for when you want to touch-up on your makeup throughout the day. Think of the things you would need to fix. Is it shine? Your concealer? Brows? Lip colour?

I have typically long chosen products that are easy to use and give that effortless, model-esque look – clean, pretty skin, natural brows, defined and lengthened eyelashes and a pink, healthy lip. I guess you can say my makeup bag is equal to a No-Makeup Makeup Look, however if I substitute some products with the other bases [See next section], I can still achieve my Everyday Makeup Look. It’s all about versatility and smart-planning!

Sun Protection & Easy Base

• I have two choices for sun protection and what’s even better is that both products double over as a great base and moisturiser underneath makeup or even just on its own.
• The Bobbi Brown SPF 50 Protective Face Base is newish in my kit but already a firm favourite. The smell is quite planty and organic – I really love it! It’s really pulled me through winter and has given my skin some extra loving. Oh, and it’s non-greasy which is great for my combo/oily skin. Instead, my skin looks clean and prepped.
• The Clinique City Block Sheer SPF 25 is a repurchased product. It gives sheer-light coverage which is perfect for those No-Makeup Makeup days. Joyce recently told me that this is a product from the 90s… 😝 which is probably why no one talks about it? Anyways, I love it! It evens my skin and covers my minimal redness. It also makes my skin look really pretty. 🙂
• No matter what look I’m going for, my concealer has been the same for the last few months: Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer in ‘Light’. I find it so easy to blend with a sponge – it brightens and never creases! To set, I use Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Pact with a Real Techniques Contour Brush. Perfect finish!

Brows & Eyes

• I always carry a tweezer with me – does anyone else do this?! My brow growth is quite rich so I always have some stray hairs that I need to tweeze. 🙈
• For brows, I have two choices. The first being the NYX Micro Brow Pencil in ‘Expresso’. To be honest, this isn’t a must-have for me – it’s average so most likely won’t repurchase. I find that the outer edges fade after a couple of hours. However, I like the brush head for grooming my brows!
• Now, the Etude House Drawing Eye Brow Duo in ‘#1 Dark Brown’ has got to be my most-favourite brow product! It gives me full, yet soft and natural brows! The angled pencil makes it so effortless to draw and fill my brows in.
• Perhaps the newest product in the whole post is this: the Etude House Dr. Mascara Fixer For Perfect Lash. It’s already a firm favourite though, providing a strong and lifted eyelash base for my mascara to glide on top of!
• To complete the combination, I use the Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara (sample). A part of me doesn’t want to like this because I don’t believe in spending $$$ on mascaras but oh boy, I really like this! It thickens and lengthens my lashes, giving me a rich lash-game which I didn’t think was possible. With the mascara primer, it’s a perfect combo for me. 😍

Lips

Dior Addict Lipstick in ‘871 Power’ (left) and MAC Lipstick in ‘See Sheer’ (right) | Although the two colours look very different, when swatched, they are quite similar but with tonal and textural differences.

• My lips were so dry earlier in the month but with continued use of the LUSH Honey Trap Lip Balm, they look (and feel) so much better. I normally apply this before I do any makeup so that by the time I apply my lip product, my lips are nourished. 🙂
• Honestly, I’m not a person that changes the lipstick in my bag all the time – it is generally the same most of the year!!
• The Dior Addict Lipstick in ‘871 Power’ is a sheer colour of grapefruit pink. It’s not very long-lasting to be honest, but I still really like it. It’s very pretty and needless to say – the packaging is stunning with a magnetic closing mechanism.
• I didn’t realise but 871 Power and MAC Lipstick in ‘See Sheer’ (Lustre Finish) could potentially be sisters although the latter can be built up better whereas the former still stays quite sheer (ironic really). See Sheer is probably my most-favourite, most-used lip product ever. It’s a pretty, grapefruit pink colour and is such a pick-me-up!

My Base Makeup, Brushes & Tools

Choosing my base makeup wasn’t as hard as I thought it’d be. Perhaps because I had learnt from my past mistakes where I overpacked on makeup that I didn’t even come to use. This time round, I just wanted to consider my Everyday Makeup Look. I think sometimes – just because you’re traveling, there’s a tendency to look almost fancier but truth is, I’m not a glamorous person. Needless to say, the first few days I will be very jet-lagged so I think the idea of ‘glamorous’ will go out the window. My methods are all about being easy and effortless so that’s what I want to teach and share to my readers!

In particular, I considered the packaging of the following products and knew that they’d be travel-friendly. Any glass bottles are automatically out-of-question which is fine as we could do without the extra weight anyway!

Let’s look at my final choices, shall we?

• I’m on the last bit of my Kiko Skin Tone Corrector Primer so thought I could empty it whilst away. Unfortunately, it has been discontinued so no link but I’m hoping to find something similar in-store since I love this a lot! It’s a hydrating primer that evens out my skin.
• The Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation in ‘Vanilla’ is such a no-brainer choice. It’s probably my most-favourite, fail-safe, everyday foundation. I especially love it for this time of year since it gives my skin some life and glow, even when it’s feeling dehydrated or unbalanced.
• To apply, I either use the Real Techniques Buffing Brush or the Real Techniques Stippling Brush, or a damp sponge such as the one from H&M. All achieve natural, light-medium buildable coverage with airbrushed effect.
• I said I’m not a glamorous person but I didn’t say I didn’t like choices… 👀 I couldn’t bring myself to only bring one foundation! As such, I’m taking samples with me!
• I recently sampled the Clinique Even Better Makeup SPF 15 in ‘Ivory’ and really like the finish! Pretty. Oil-control is so-so however with powder, it’s fixable and not a big deal in this climate.
• The star product 🌟 in this whole post is actually the Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look in a Palette (Beauty Glow). It is what it says and makes me look so healthy and lit-from-within! [See: Review]
• As an alternate powder choice, I’m taking the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder in ‘2 Medium’ with me too. I haven’t tried too much of it so far so at this moment, I have no real opinion on it.

Perhaps I should explain the other brushes that I am bringing along with me?:

The Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look in a Palette (Beauty Glow) which I currently like to use with two brushes: The EcoTools Powder/Blush Brush (left) and the Real Techniques Pointed Foundation Brush (right)

• The EcoTools Powder/Blush Brush is what I will use to apply the CT palette with. I’ve been using it recently as such and find it to be such  versatile brush since you can dab and blend to your liking just by turning the brush to the side.
• The Real Techniques Pointed Foundation Brush was at first a redundant brush but I’ve been using it for two causes in the past few months. One, for highlighter (à la the CT palette) and two, for concealer.
• Mascara is useless for me if I don’t bring an eyelash curler since I have such flat, short and straight lashes! The Koji Curving Eyelash Curler is one I purposefully bought a few years ago in Hong Kong since I thought it’s best to buy a product better suited for Asian eyes. It’s done me good all throughout these years so it’s one to stay!

This specific eyelash curler comes with its own designated case! This is perfect for travel for both hygiene and protection reasons, and the main reason for me buying this item.

It’s a perfect fit – not too tight or snug and the plastic is of a good quality. Although I don’t necessarily use it a lot (the case), the plastic has not shown any signs of cracking.

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I’m back from my 3-week vacation to Hong Kong! In a perfect world, this post should have been up before I went away but the photos never happened even though the writing part was finished. Anyhow, it’s here: a guide that I’d still reference to in the future. Got to make life easier for yourself, right? 😉

I’ll be preparing my Hong Kong beauty haul post for next week – that one should be exciting so I can’t wait to share! See you soon. 🙂

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