Help me with a commuter make up bag

[lemonsherbet]

Hi, I am about to start a new job with a 2 hour commute there on a train. There is no way I am going to put my make up on before I leave. Help me develop a routine/easy way to look good with not many items.

I do tinted moisturiser, mascara, eyebrow pencil and lip stick. I’m not an expert at all though!

I do my tinted moisturiser and creme blusher at home (so I can wash my hands after), then eye pencil, mascara and lipstick the train. Remember to pop in cotton buds to clear up any smudged bits!

Compact foundation
Chubby stick for eyes, lips and cheeks
Mascara
A couple of brushes to blend

Or compact foundation and a complete eye, lips and cheek pallet

I have a palette from beauty pie with 3 useful eye shadows, a couple of blushers, bronzer and highlighter. I bought it to chuck in my swimming bag (for afterwards!) but it has migrated into my handbag and i quite often do foundation and eyebrows at home and then the rest on the train. Nice not to have to rummage around with loads of pots.

Have a look at the Nudestix brand. Everything is in pencil form, no brushes needed. I always pack some when I'm travelling, they're brilliant to use on long haul flights etc because they're so easy to use. For base I would use a compact foundation.

I think it's so much easier to streamline the routine and do it at home in good light etc. I have it down to about 4 minutes. It's not going to make a difference getting up 5 minutes earlier (although I know early commutes are a bastard). You'll be knackered either way. But if you do everything bar mascara you can have a little train nap without anything going bad, and just brush on mascara at the other end. Only do this if you're getting off at the terminal station .

Sali Hughes often does train make up posts on her Instagram, if you scroll back a bit on her account you should find some!

It depends on what makeup you actually apply now? I’m going to assume that you wear everything.

Apply foundation/concealer and set at home.

For brushes, take minimum 1 face and 1 eye, you’d have to use these for everything without cleaning in between though

Products:

• compact foundation, mainly for touch ups
• lipstick
• mascara
• palette with eyeshadow/highlighter/blush/bronzer

With the palette, I’d recommend creating your own. Sounds like a faff but it’s not! You can buy a small empty magnetised palette from MAC or Z Palette and fill them with whatever you like. If you apply blush/bronzer/highlighter at home, just take a small eyeshadow palette

The empty MAC palettes are great

This looks suitable. It’s affordable too!
NARS duo

For face highlighter, use a soft shimmery eyeshadow as it’s the same thing essentially? So take a separate eye palette with highlighter, eyelid shade and crease shade. Again I’d recommend creating your own as you can ensure you have shades you’ll like/use.

I'm sorry you have such a long commute. I'd do my hair, and any shaving and stuff, the night before so that I only needed a quick shower in the morning. I'd prep my face re cleansing and moisturising and get dressed. Once at work I'd spend 5 minutes just doing foundation (I use my fingers but I use a sponge to blend), bows, eyes and lips.

God all of these sound ridiculously bloody complicated. Palettes? Brushes?

I do: brow pencil, concealer, mascara, cream blush. Very occasionally red lipstick. Job done.

Don't forget hand sanitizer. Trains are filthy which would put me off putting makeup on in one.

I was suggest anything that won’t require you to touch your face with your hands.

PPs have said to do foundation etc at home but it does depend on what you use

Charlotte Tilbury does that Instant Look palette which has everything in it. All you'd need is concealer, mascara and lippie.

And a few short handled brushes to whack it all on.

Definitely wash hair night before and spritz with a weeny bit of dry shampoo around the hairline before bed so you wake up and it's still looking super fresh.

And I'd also whack on a primer over my moisturiser. Shouldn't take any longer and will make your makeup sit better when you do do it.

I've got this exact issue. I have two trinny London pots bff and just a touch (I've now topped up the bff pot with hourglass cc cream as I prefer it). I use the just a touch more like a creamy concealer where I need it. A travel size Bobbi brown lip/cheek tint and travel size mascara plus brow pencil. Travel size is your friend.....

I do a "train face" nearly every day. All of the below fits into a slim pencil case size make
up bag:

Bobbi brown stick foundation
Beauty pie concealer (Small flat compact)
Beauty pie eyebrow pencil
Bobbi brown cream blusher
Smashbox contour pencil (I use as a cream bronzer as I'm v pale)
Beauty pie cream eyeshadow stick in Taupe
Beauty pie false lash mascara
L'Oréal liquid eyeliner pen
Beauty pie nude and red lipsticks (they're small compared to others as packaging in minimal)
Beauty pie velvitiser powder (super slim compact)
Beauty pie travel make up brushes (only the powder, foundation and blusher ones)
Couple of glasses wipes so I can clean my glasses and wipe my hands or correct any mistakes

Takes 10 mins while I watch TV on my phone and drink my coffee 👍

@CmdrCressidaDuck How are brushes and palettes complicated? These are basic makeup items. Palettes in particular are travel friendly as individual products are condensed into one.

I would say it’s more complicated applying wet products like concealer and cream blusher on a train. If you’re not using brushes as they’re so complicated what are you using? If you’re using your hands, will you be able to wash them before and after? Trains are filthy

Also who wears red lipstick to work? That would be OTT in my circle (finance).

They're bulky and a lot of faff to lug back and forth/do in the work loos.

Face powder
Eyeliner
Mascara
Lipstick
Blusher

Do at least the tricker stuff like eyeliner and mascara at home or in the loos at work.