My 6 Product Minimal Makeup Bag

Recently, I trimmed down the makeup that I use from day to day! I haven't thrown any of it away and instead just put it away so that it's not so busy. All the makeup that I own fits into a 6x6x2" bag. BUT - I don't use every single piece that I own every day. I still want to keep the one blush that I own (NARS Dolce Vita) and my lipsticks for special occasions and winter time.

The inspiration to do this came while I was packing my things up to move and found a makeup bag I used to use in the days when I was makeup noob. I sat down and thought about what was most important to my daily routine - as in, if I was running late (which I often am), which steps did I absolutely need to do? It boiled down to the following things. 

Conceal dark circles

Fill in eyebrows

Curl eyelashes and put mascara on

Everything else - evening out skintone, concealing blemishes - was optional, but strongly encouraged. Doing those 3 things takes around 5-10 minutes for me, depending on how my eyebrows cooperate. 

The bag it all fits in.

So I've been using these 6 things for about a week now, and I think this is the right mix of pieces that work. They're portable and multi-use, so I can throw the bag into my backpack if I'm truly in a bind and do my makeup on the train. Something that I love is that the bag is not full at all. And it's a small bag! It's perfect because I can throw in a statement lipstick if I need to go somewhere in the evening. Here's what's inside: 

Laneige BB Cushion in Medium

I picked this up at Target and was nervous about the shade, but it ended up being a perfect match! I'm not sure how to contextualize my skin color - but I'm a shade Golden Beige in bareMinerals if that's helpful at all. I love that this has SPF in it, so if I'm running really really late and don't have time to put sunscreen on, this will take care of that. The coverage is semi-sheer, but buildable. The finish is dewy and I wouldn't recommend it without powder on top if you're oily! I love it as well because it's like a super portable liquid foundation and is quick to put on. 

Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in #3

This has been my undereye concealer for about 2 years now. It's a creamy consistency and the peachy shade cancels out my dark circles beautifully. It doesn't crease on me and it doesn't dry my undereyes out either. 

Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in Ebony

I use powder to fill in my brows, since I'm uncomfortable with pencil. I don't know - I've never been good at getting a natural look with pencil! So I use this with a Real Techniques angled brush, and this takes care of my eyebrows. I also use the darker side of the duo to stamp along my eyelashes - almost like a really subtle liner. 

NARS Creamy Concealer in Custard

This, I actually rarely use. And it's usually once a month when I start to get hormonal breakouts. I use it as an all-over-the-face concealer and around my nose if it's looking extra red. I'm ambivalent about it - not too loyal, but it does the job and is precise because of the doe foot applicator. 

CoverGirl Clump Crusher Mascara

This is my holy grail mascara. I've used it since the day it came out, and before that, didn't use anything. It's my main B. It's the only mascara that I've used that lengthens and does not clump. Before putting this on, I'll curl my eyelashes with the Sephora eyelash curler. 

Nivea Milk & Honey Lip Balm

Nivea do a lot of different lipbalms - I think I've tried the olive oil one, but I didn't like it too much. It was too slick? Anyway, this is the best one. Moisturizing, slick but not too slick. I use it under lipstick. Perfect for winter time as well!