What's in your makeup bag? (And any tips or recommends for replacements, especially eyeshadow, eyeliner, blusher and lipsticks?)

[MillTree]

I'm reviewing my makeup bag. Yay! And so I thought I'd ask you lovely ladies for some recommendations.

At the moment, I use Chanel's Les Beiges for my foundation, Lancôme Hypnôse waterproof mascara, eyeshadows from Bobbi Brown, lipsticks from Chanel and Charlotte Tilbury, loose face powder from Rimmel, and eyeliner from Max Factor. Cheeks are dusted in Nars bluser. And eyebrow pencil is from Chanel.

I'm happy with most of the above, but need some better products elsewhere.

I'm 45 and I'm finding the powder eyeshadow I've been using just doesn't blend nicely anymore. It struggles to cover my lids and ends up patchy. Can anyone recommend gorgeous eyeshadows that are easy to apply and blend, please?

Also, blusher. I think I need to go cream. Any recommendations?

Eyeliner? I love a black line across my lids. Preferably one that doesn't cause an utter mess with shavings or broken bits of black that end up on the carpet!

And lipsticks. As much as I love the Chanel ones, some of them aren't ideal. Any ideas on great replacements?

Thanks so much

Bobbi Brown cream eyeshadows will fix your eyeshadow problems. Laura Mercier has some lovely ones too.
Ilia multi sticks are really beautiful cream blushes. I also recommend giving Nars Afterglow liquid blush a go. It’s lovely.
Nars lipsticks are my favourite. The Audacious line if you like a bullet lipstick, powermatte liquid lip if you like liquids. Highly recommend the afterglow lip balms.

Awesome, thanks @learieonthewildmoor! I don't have much luck with cream eyeshadows. I prefer the blending abilities of powders. I've ordered some Dior Five Couleurs eyeshadow in Soft Cashmere and a Lancome Hypnose in French Nude. I'm a cool tone, so I hope these palettes work.

I've also stuck with my usual...Chanel Rouge Coco Flash in Jour. It's a stunning nude and really suits me. So why not, eh! Not tried the Nars lippies, though. Will give those a whirl when I've got time to go into a shop and see the colours in the flesh.

I've ordered Benefit They're Real Xtreme eyeliner, too. Plus Tilbury's Pillow Talk lip liner. Always works so well.

I'll report back. But still happy to hear people's suggestions...!

Urban Decay and Too Faced eyeshadows are my favourites. Blend very nicely, smooth colour and good pigmentation. Work best with Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer.

I like Benefit blushers and bronzers.

I'm yet to find any lipstick at all that replaces my beloved Estée Lauder Tea Rose which was discontinued almost a decade ago now. I was disappointed by the last eyeliner I bought (No7).

I recently bought the Huda Beauty cream blush stick in Rebel Red which is a great colour for me, and as a bonus, it's equally a good colour on my lips, so I bought a lip version too!

Thanks, @monpetitlapin. I also have the added pain of trying to find shades and colours that suit my cool tone. I got my "colours done" a while back, and I'm a true winter. So, nothing warm for me!

And @Papyrophile – that's great to hear. I spend a small fortune on makeup. Often reaching for brands like Chanel. Never tried Huda. Will take a look.

@MillTree ah, I'm a neutral so all the very warm/cool stuff makes me look either glaringly fake (warm) or washed out (cool) and I have to take care what shades I buy. I just ended up buying two shades of foundation to mix together today to get a neutral shade.

Ah, then you feel my pain @monpetitlapin! I've opted for cool-toned lipsticks with blue undertones. They work really well for me. I've got some bright reds and subtle pinks and have really nailed those.

But with eyeshadows, the only shades I've found that work are Bobbi Brown's Heather and Cement. Greys, purples and cool-toned taupes look good. I've just invested in two new palettes – one with Dior, the other with Lancome and I'm really hoping they work. They're kind of on the warm side, but we shall see. I feel they're neutral enough that it won't be an issue. The Dior one is cooler-toned, and similar vibes. I've heard great things!

For my foundation, I use Chanel Les Beiges in B20. That works so well for me. And then Nars blusher in a cool-toned berry shade.

Chanel has a cream blush in a stick, it's quite nice. Westman Atelier is a good quality across the range. Kjaer Weiss has really good cream blush/bronzer duo. Try Chantecaille lipsticks, they are what Chanel used to be (how they feel on the lips), but I wouldn't call them extremely pigmented. Mascara - Chanel Noir Allure Mascara combined with Lancome cils booster. Dior Iconic is a great choice but the brush is bigger than my eye so I stopped using it. Lipglosses- Cle de peau. Sensai does really good lipsticks. For reference, I'm deadly pale and I'm Chanel B10 . Cushion foundations- cle de peau and La mer, pores disappear without a primer. Eyeshadow primer Urban decay potion eyeshadow primer- anything looks good on that primer. Use Mac fix it spray on the eyeshadow brush. Hope that helps .

@MillTree Huda was new to me, but the colour range is excellent. I have olive skin with grey hair, and I'm nearer 70 than 60, so not sure I'm really the target market... but very pleased.

Maybe try an eye primer OP.

In my make-up bag -
Revlon Colour Stay Full Cover foundation
Green colour corrective cream
Essence camouflage cream
about 4 lipsticks, all Max Factor
an eyebrow pencil
a purple mascara
tweezers
2 eyeliners

I don't buy anything fancy, I stick to what suits me

Viseart eyeshadow is lovely and blendable and they have several cooler toned palettes. The mattes go on really nicely and I think the shimmers are perfect, they give a nice sheen without being super metallic and showing up every line on your eyelids.

Face - Erborian cc cream
Eyebrows - NYX eyebrow pen
Cheeks - ByTerry illuminating blush or benefit dandelion
Lips - MAC mehr, CT pillow talk and lip liner, Clinique black honey and Burts Bees pomegranate lip balm.
Eyelashes - Ilia limitless lash (favourite) but also use Maybelline sky high also.
Eyeshadow - Bobbi brown in a bronze/brown colour

I also have another make up bag for 'special occasions' as I wear light make up day to day that includes VB satin kajal in cocoa and bronze (not a huge fan of these but the colours are nice), rimmel exaggerate liquid liner, naked eyeshadow palette and lots of other miscellaneous make up products I've accumulated over the years.

Oh and can't forget my eyelash curler! Day to day I don't wear mascara unless I can be bothered but I'll always curl my lashes and as they are long, it has a good effect for me.

Shockingly (to me) have not used foundation since ...well covid. Too bloody lazy and my skin is ok. I occasionally wear it when I go out (rare). I do sometimes put on Erborian BB in Dore which is a warmer tone but looks 'healthy'. I am so lazy I don't always bother with eyebrow pencil (which I should). For work it is mainly mascara, eye liner if I have time and a lipstick. I don't keep to the same lipstick or mascara.

Today it is a Tarte fat lip crayon. Cannot read the small print for the colour. A kind of browny pink but not too brown. Brown not the lip colour for me. Soap and Glory Heck of a blot pressed powder and Loreal Lash Paradise.

When I can be bothered with eyeliner (which I should) it is a pencil normally. I like the Avon Glimmersticks in Brown, brown black, black, grey but in my bag I have a rather harsh LA Colours (black) or a much softer Rimmel Scandal eyes which I now realise is actually blue not black (eyesight crap). I also have a Burts bees lip balm and a Superdrug Vitamin E One which I have been using today.

Two other mascaras I have in my bag are Maybelline Falsies lash lift and Loreal false lash architect.

The other lipsticks in my bag are: Nyx Butter Gloss Summer Fruit, Estee Lauder Pure Colour Crystal Coral, Estee Lauder Frosted Apricot, one I think is from IT Cosmetics but cannot read it called Stellar.

Oh also found Eyeko Black magic mascara in Cocoa, A Rimmel eye brow pencil, a Technic eyebrow pencil (too light really) and another Erborian the CC Dull correct.

Despite having numerous make up bags (all full to the brim) I have just tossed this stuff in my handbag!!

I also have 3-4 Loreal single eyeshadows in my bag that I keep forgetting to wear.

My tried and tested products are:

Lisa Eldridge foundation
Hourglass illuminating powder
Fenty setting powder
Glossier cloud paint cream blushes
Nars eye primer
Maybelline stay the day cream eyeshadows
Benefit brow stuff
Bobbi Brown smoky eye mascara
No eyeliner since Covid but I used to always wear the KVD tattoo one
MAC setting spray

Shu eyelash curlers

Lipstick always red and I have millions, but if I had to choose two it would be MAC Lady Danger (orangey red) and Lisa Eldridge Velvet Ribbon (blue red)

I like cream eyeshadow because it’s one swipe, blend, done. Stila has released some new liquid eyeshadows in matte. Same simplicity as cream, but the finish of powder.
https://www.stilacosmetics.com/products/suede-shade-liquid-eye-shadow-1?variant=40138017636455
There’s a pewter shade you might like.
If you do take a look at the Audacious bullets, look at Barbara and Anita. Lovely cool brown and pink nudes. Rita is a gorgeous blue-red.

Thanks @Britpopbaby – can you recommend any primers?

The Urban Decay one is good!

I'm a true winter and was matched Chanel Les Beiges B20 too. I find it's too warm for me and I use Suqqu cream foundation in 20 and it's perfect, but I think it's more to do with the formulation as it's quite sheer.

I use a discontinued ( I stocked up!) Maybelline powder and am currently using e.l.f. cream bronzer ( for contour), blusher and highlighter in the squeezy tubes with sponge applicators. They're brilliant!

The Hourglass concealer I bought was terrible so I've gone back to my Revolution one.

I have a Chanel bronzer that I just swish about the extremities of my face/ up into hairline etc because again I find Chanel runs warm and I end up looking like a toasted marshmallow if I'm not careful.

Eyeshadow - my eyelids are getting a bit more crepey now I'm in my 50s so I use a matte cream-to-powder one from Rimmel which is excellent and doesn't budge.

Eyeliner is an NYX brown chubby pencil which I use to add a bit of oomph to the eyeshadow.

Mascara - Lancôme Hypnose.

Eyebrows - Max Factor have a Boy Brow dupe which is a nice cool brown. I dye my eyebrows every few weeks with Just For Men so don't use much in the way of eyebrow pencils any more. Just a quick swoosh of the Max Factor and everything is in place.

Lipstick - whatever takes my fancy. I don't bother spending tons on fancy liosticks unless I absolutely love the colour ( I mourn the loss of Lipstick Queen - she had some great colours!) At the moment I'm using a Barry M lip and cheek tint in a lovely dark coral colour which is nice under a lip balm.

I have a dense bristled brush for blending bronzer, a softer kabuki type for powder and a small headed soft bristled eyeshadow brush to blend out the cream eyeshadow.

It all fits in a medium sized make up bag.

I also have a 'back up' make up bag that stays at home and houses all the extra lipsticks and foundations that I'm trying to use up, and a drawer full of things like Hourglass palettes and Bobbi Brown eyeshadow quads that I use occasionally.

Hey @LadyOfTheCanyon, I'm a true winter too. I can recommend Heather and Cement in Bobbi Brown eyeshadows but it sounds like you wouldn't use those. And I'm not sure anywhere sells them anymore either, hence one of the reasons I started this thread.

858 Royal rouge red lipstick Rouge Allure L’Extrait by Chanel is my evening option. It's expensive, yes. But my goodness, the colour is perfect for us. And Chanel's Coco Flash in Jour is the ideal neutral for our cool tones.

I use cool blushes, never bronzer. Bronzer makes me look quite unwell. Always black eyeliners and mascaras. I find soft cool purples and greys work best regarding eyeshadows. These are the most difficult challenge. I'm not sure what I'm going to do when my Bobbi Brown eyeshadows run out!

I rate Bobbi brown cream eyeshadow sticks, they’re fab. Mac paint pots are ok too, urban decay anti ageing primer, sorts out my crepey eyelids! Bobbi brown cream blusher, wee black pot, game changer. I’ve also changed from powder to cream bronzer, Chanel one is great. I’ve found as I’ve aged less is more

I have this too it's fabulous