This is my list of the 10 essential make up & beauty staples that are always in my makeup bag and what should be in yours! 

If you’re thinking of updating your makeup purchases and not sure what to try next this is a collection of my faves that I’ve tried & loved over the years. I’ve loved make up since the days of dream matte mousse (a rite of passage in my eyes) and since then some bits have stuck around and some bits have changed with my age and skin changes. Each heading is what I consider to be essential in your daily make up routine and bag and then I’ve listed a number of brands that I trust & love for each one with varying prices or personal preferences!

One: Setting Powder

Setting powder is always an essential. I use a fair bit of it and I actually apply it to my entire face. I apply more to my T-zone, under my eyes and around my mouth where I get smile creases and then just a light covering to the rest of my face. Because of spots and acne scars on my cheeks I have to apply it here, otherwise when I add on bronzer or highlighter it drags the foundation and goes funny. Either way, setting powder is just needed. 

Favourite wise the list goes: 1) Kat Von D ‘Lock It’ Translucent Setting Powder (£23.00) 2) Too Faced ‘Born This Way’ (£19) 3) Too Faced ‘Peach Perfect’ Loose Setting Powder (£24.00) 4) Natural Collection Translucent Powder (£2.49)

If you’re not sure about using the setting powder or how much you’ll use then definitely start with the Natural Collection one, I used it for years and years. It’s actually really good for how cheap it is and it works as well as the others. I actually used it earlier this year when I got back from travelling as I needed a new powder but I was really short on money and it was my go to years ago.

The Kat Von D Lock It and the Too Faced Born This Way are verrrry similar. Similar size and colour and both work equally well. I would say the Kat Von D goes on a little smoother and is a little lighter (as in not so heavy on your face) but truthfully, they’re both fab and I love them both. You can get either online or Boots now stock Too Faced and Debenhams has Kat Von D. 

The Too Faced Peach Perfect powder is the newest one I have tried. I think it gives a lovely warm glow to your face as it’s ever so slightly pink tinted but if you want to stick to a totally neutral powder, I wouldn’t use this one. It’s excellent for oilier zones on your face as I find it really stops my makeup from moving or creasing. I’ve been wearing it when I know I’m wearing a mask – it lasted an entire drunk day out in London with a mask on & off and tube trips, and I still didn’t have any creases from my mask when I got home. Finally, it smells absolutely dreamy! 

Two: Concealers 

I’ve tried so many different concealers over the years, anything to cover my spots up. Back in my school days when I was limited to Boots make up only, I started wearing the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection liquid concealer (£4.19). Since uni, I’ve tried so many other ones such as; Tarte Shape Tape (£24), Too Faced Born This Way Concealer (£21), Kat Von D Lock It Crème Concealer (£21), Bare Minerals BareSkin Stay-in-Place (£24), Benefit Boi-Ing Concealer (£15), NYX Wonderstick (£11.50). You could say I’ve tried a few! 

Ultimately though, the one that always comes through and that I always, always, always fall back on or find myself comparing a pricier one to is the Collection 2000 ‘Lasting Perfection’. So not only is it waaaaay cheaper but it’s actually better than all the others combined in my opinion. It doesn’t dry up quickly either in the bottle or when applying, there’s a good amount of product, it lasts all day, blends so nicely into foundation and has a lovely coverage. The only tiny downside is that the colours available are quite limited. I genuinely think I will forever buy this, I trust this concealer so much I will most likely wear it on my wedding day as I know it’s so good & sits so well on my skin! 

Additionally to skin coloured concealers – I use one for highlighting my brows, a darker one for contour and as closely matched to my skin tone one for covering spots, I also heavily rely on a green concealer for colour correction. I have naturally red skin on my acne patches and although it’s helped by my skin care routines, when I have spot flare ups my whole face just becomes so red. A green concealer neutralises the red and it literally changes the entire look of my makeup. It’s something I genuinely apply every time I do my make-up and I wouldn’t ever do my face without it. I have always used the NYX one, it used to come in a pot but they seem to have discontinued in the past six months (I got my last pot just before I went away at the end of 2019) and since then I can’t find it. BUT they do other green concealers in the NYX but I would stick to a crème rather than a liquid as its thicker and better for coverage. I am currently using a Natural Collection Correct and Conceal Stick for £1.99 and to be honest, it’s actually pretty decent. It does the job for sure and I will purchase again but I will forever love the NYX Full Coverage Jar one. 

Three: Bronzer

The only bronzer I swear by, I think I got my first one when I was 14 and so now I’ve been buying it for 10 years, is HOOLA! I know there are possibly nicer, a little bit fancier ones (I’ve heard good things about one of the Chanel bronzers) but I’ve not had a bad experience with it and it’s such a reasonable price at £21 (ish) in Boots. 

The main reason why I like it and have always turned back to it, is that it is such a warm colour and there is absolutely no glitter or shimmer at all in it. If you enjoy one with a little bit of sparkle, this isn’t the bronzer for you, but if you like your bronzer matte & smooth then this is a great starting one. Plus now they have three shades to choose from – lite, original & caramel!

Four: Foundation

Foundation for me has been super dependent on how my skin is and also my age. When I was younger (and to be fair even sometimes now) I’ve wanted a super thick coverage to even my skin and mask my acne & scars. So the best I found for that was the MAC Studio Fix which is around £20. It’s perfect for nights out or day to evening events as it always gives such a smooth thick coverage and it gave me so much more confidence and definitely changed the way I did my make-up. Being able to cover my spots for nights out where there was inevitably going to be photo after photo was such an relief, especially in my first year at uni where I was around so many new people. 

After my first year of university, my preferences changed and I began to go for a high coverage but lighter finish foundation which would look less cakey in the daytime but still covers the areas on my cheeks that I struggle with, saving the Studio Fix for nights out only. My best & favourite now is the Kat Von D ‘Lock-It’ one at £32 and it is absolutely amazing. It does not come off, it lasts all day, it never looks cakey and it’s vegan! I swear by this foundation, it’s got a special place in my heart for sure. 

Of course the ‘Lock-It’ is still pretty high coverage so if you’re wanting a slightly lighter feel one then there are a few good options! Firstly, the Too Faced ‘Born This Way’ (£29) is beautiful. Goes on light and not cakey but still has medium coverage and lasts all day. I did find it crackled over my nose a couple times but decent primer and powder helped that stop and it’s not put me off as I’ve had four or five bottles of it! Next, one of my other absolute faves – which I’m actually currently using, is the NARS Sheer Glow (£33.50). Again, I’ve had a fair few bottles of this and it’s just so flawless. This one is slightly lighter in coverage which is so nice for day to day as you don’t look cakey or too made up for work. I tend to use for work and other day time events, all of my recent photos have been in it too so it’s definitely got good coverage. The only slight downside for me, is that my scars/spots can sometimes show through a little bit but it is easily resolved if I just add a little more to my cheeks and it does build up nicely. 

The last one I’d recommend is my most recent one, which I was using before I was able to get my classic fave NARS Sheer Glow and that was the Fenty Beauty ‘Pro Filt’R Soft Matte Longwear’ Foundation (£27). This was a surpringly nice coverage, lighter than what I’m used to but a decent colour range, nice smooth buildability and it blends so lovely. My mum and sister both also used it and very much liked so it’s definitely a good one for all skin types and age ranges as neither of them are in to particularly heavy make-up and don’t like a cakey foundation.

Five: Brow Products

Brows, brows, brows. These two caterpillar fluffy brushes on my face have been the BANE of my life for SO many years. They’ve been too thin, too thick, to arched, too angular, just about too everything. I’ve never really liked my eyebrows; I think I did too much to them too young which really did not help. Since I decided to grow them out and never over pluck again, I religiously used the amazing Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Pomade. It is a beautiful product. So mouldable, so blendable, so smooth, it totally covers gaps or the odd bald patch and it cleans up so lovely with some concealer to get that perfect arched shape. But, alas, with all trends they come and go and now the kind of brows that I could achieve with my pomade are more or less unwanted so I feel like it’s sort of had its heyday – although it’s always a good back up for nights out I think! 

Since I eased off my addiction to the pomade (I wore it every single day) I’ve tried lots and lots of pencils to achieve that dreamy natural look ranging from super cheap NYX ones to slightly pricier Benefit ones and then the holy grail of all, I had my brows micro-bladed and it genuinely changed my life. I can’t believe the difference it really has made, especially when I was travelling! I knew I’d be 99% of the time makeup less and I knew my brows would really bother me and this was honestly such a relief. I had them done by an amazing lady called Poppys Cosmetics in Essex and she genuinely does work magic. I don’t think I will ever not keep them topped up! 

I know this is a huge commitment though and it really isn’t for some people and since I’ve been home mine have been needing a little help each day as I’m waiting for my next top up appointment. To achieve my natural, everyday look I am currently using & loving the ‘Gimme Brow’ by Benefit. It’s perfect for keeping the wild hairs in place and adds a little bit of colour to thicken the slightly thinner patches. It actually comes in a set which I have also loved and used before I had my brows done, called ‘The Great Brows Basics’ which costs £33.50. It does seem pricey but it is three full sized brow products in one little set – the ‘Gimme Brow’ gel, ‘Goof Proof’ pencil and ‘Precisely, My Brow’ pencil. This is my favourite set I’ve used as I found the pencils to be light and thin but they don’t smudge or wipe off when you touch your brows and the gel (wax) is light but holds the hairs in place all day. I’ve used these products on and off for a while now but they really are such good quality and do last for really long time. 

Six: Beauty Blenders & Sponges

I still rate the beauty blenders or the beauty sponge – this is what I actually use. I haven’t tried the original beauty blender sponges as they are pretty pricey and I’ve found that I really get on with the Real Techniques ‘Miracle Complexion Sponge’ (about £6 for a sponge). The reason why I still, and probably always will, use a sponge to apply my foundation is because it is so so so effective for covering bad skin & spots compared to a brush. I’ve tried lots of brushes but it just pulls the foundation off my scars and exposes them, but the blender allows for a smooth application of foundation and the ability to apply more coverage to the worst areas by building up the foundation in light layers and still blend it nicely to the rest of my face. I honestly haven’t used a brush for so long just because I know it will not give me the smooth base that a sponge will.

I also use a (different) sponge to apply my translucent powder as it packs it on in the right spots for the well needed ‘baking’! 

Seven: All-rounder Shadow Brush

I think the most essential brush to include in your make-up bag has to be a fluffy brush which can be used all over the eyelid as it fits in all of the spots of your eye whether that be the inner corner or blending over your brow bone. I actually forgot this brush when I went travelling and had my mum send it out to me in my Christmas parcel because I missed it so much. I was pretty happy when I was reunited with it and I won’t be going anywhere without it again!

The one I use daily and my true fave brush comes only in a Real Techniques set which is slightly annoying but the brushes are all so lovely and a good quality so it can be worth investing in the set. The brush itself is the ‘310 Essential Crease Brush’ and it comes in the ‘Everyday Eye Essentials’ set which £20 for 8 brushes. This is actually so reasonable and it’s a good price to buy a full fresh set to compliment your make-up. Also, I would so genuinely pay £20 for the 310 brush as it just the best! 

Eight: Setting Spray

Firstly, the holy grail of all setting sprays has to be the Urban Decay ‘All Nighter’ (£18). Yes, it is pricey but just read some of the reviews on the UD website, not only will you have a good giggle, but it will give you all the justification you need to spend just under £20 on a bottle of makeup setting spray. It is the best and I haven’t heard a bad thing about it, ever. I will continue to purchase this because it just is a such a fab product.

Alternatively, if you want the world’s best smelling setting spray the Too Faced ‘Peach Mist’ Mattifying Spray just is divine. Who wouldn’t want to smell of peaches? It is pretty pricey and more expensive than the UD one at £25 but it is just dreamy as it always holds my make-up in place beautifully and the product itself also lasts a very long time. I think I had the same bottle for about 8/9 months and that was with using it every day – sometimes twice a day, if I was going on a night out! 

Nine: Lipsticks, Liners and Gloss

Lip products have always been such an important product for me. I use Burt Bees daily (I think I have an addiction to them) but I also adore a gloss. I remember back in the days of Avon magazines I used my pocket money to purchase a clear gloss and it was just love at first sight. I’ve never found a clear gloss quite as perfect as that one. Since then, my collection of all lip products has grown but there’s a few ones I always use. 

Liner wise, the MAC liner (£15.50) in the colour ‘Spice’ is just the most beaut rosy, browny, warm colour. It’s perfect for darker lips but suits both fairer skin tones & dark skin tones. It’s my go to liner! The great thing about pencil liners is that they last for a long time – I purchased my one spice liner two years ago! I have tried a number of NYX ones and they all go on lovely & blend nicely too and only cost around £3.50 so if you’re not sure about them this is where I’d start for sure! I do think liners are essential though as they work for a more natural look as well as making your lipstick look so much nicer. 

Lipstick itself I do struggle with as I don’t love the way it always looks on me but that’s just a personal preference, and I do have a few still that I wear on the odd occasion. I tend to stick to the nudes and I mostly wear MAC ones in the colour ‘Half n Half’ which is a lovely browny/nudey/pinky tone and is slightly glossy which I think is better than being totally matte. Or, I more recently brought the ever so popular ‘Velvet Teddy’ which is again such a lovely neutral/pinky daily colour and is one I would go to if I was wearing a day time lipstick! It also looks beaut with a little bit of gloss over the top. The MAC lipsticks are always so popular and for good reason; they are fairly priced (£17), they last a long time, the pigmentation is excellent and they do just about any colour! 

If I were to choose a long-stay matte lipstick it would have to be the Kat Von D ‘Everlasting’ Liquid Lipstick (£18). One of my BFF’s introduced me to this and I have never looked back. This lipstick doesn’t dry your lips even though it dries matte so it lasts for hours, even when eating or drinking. It goes on so nicely, drying slowly enough so you can adjust the shape but without taking so long that you inevitably smudge it. The lipstick comes with a small and precisely angled applicator brush making it an easy to use liquid lipstick. The final reason I love this lipstick is the pigmentation is 10/10, and it comes in such a range of colours which gives so many choices. 

Ten: Palettes

The last staple I think that always needs to be in every makeup bag is a decent quality, highly pigmented eyeshadow palette which does both day and night colour tones. I’ve tried a fair few but there are definitely ones I come back to regularly and use all the time and even though they seem expensive they are last a long time and are worth every penny. 

My three faves are good for any eye colour and skin tone as they’re a range of neutral and nude colours with a couple of brighter or darker extras. The one I love more than anything is the Too Faced ‘Sweet Peach’ palette. It has the most beaut range of colours from a shimmery white and warm toned cream to a sparkly black, dark purple and the prettiest green. The palette smells insane and I use the warm brown tones for my everyday looks as they’re matte and then using my finger tip add a shimmer colour or lighter colour to the inner area of my lid for a nice subtle two toned smoky eye look which is super simple! I take this palette everywhere, from holidays to trips away, because I just cannot go without it. I’ve had the palette for over 3 years and whilst I’ve hit pan in a couple colours, there is still plenty in those squares and the rest are still completely full. It’s still available and costs about £40, which may seem pricey BUT (and hear me out here) if you are going to buy one palette which does everything then this is the one you should get. It is absolutely worth the money as the colours suit everyone and work amazingly for any occasion. 

The next one is a bit of a throwback, it’s the Urban Decay ‘NAKED’! My first ever decent palette and the one that literally introduced me to the world of quality eyeshadow colours. I still have the original and although I have hit pan in most of the colours I can’t bring myself to throw it out as the rest of the colours are still going strong. Last year (I think) they re-released the palette with an updated version and relaunched it as ‘NAKED Reloaded’. The colours are a little different to mine but they are still beautiful earthy tones. All brown and gold-y colours with a vibrant pinky-orange one. I would say the colours are pretty similar to my fave Too Faced one so it’s just personal preference of which one you think is nicer and even though I haven’t tried this specific palette my original is SO good with such nice blendable, pigmented colours that I would happily use it and I will purchase eventually. At the moment its retailing for £39.00 which again, seems expensive but as I said with the last ones it will last you for ages and is so versatile to use both every day and for nights out. 

The last one is my newest and it’s the Huda Beauty ‘NUDE’ palette. I could buy everyone of Huda’s palettes, they are all super pigmented colours that blend like a dream. This was my first one from them and it certainly won’t be my last, although it could be a while before I purchase another as they are slightly spenny and cost more than my other two. This one is retailing at £56 still, but it is £56 well spent for sure. I would say this was a better choice if you have a few palettes already and were looking to up your game or branch out and try something new. The colours are nude based – pinky toned nude colours with a dark purple, dark pink and also warm brown tones. It also has a concealer for your shadow base, as well as, 4 pressed glitters and 3 pure glitters. I love the pure glitters but they work better with a glitter glue, whereas the pressed glitters are just the easiest and prettiest glitters I’ve ever used. ‘Day dream’ is just most gorgeous colour and is so easy to apply – I just use my finger tip and it’s my absolute go to in this palette. When I use this palette, I most likely have ‘Day dream’ on! I can’t explain how absolutely beautiful it is. But as I said, it is on the pricier end and the colours are darker so I wouldn’t get this palette as if it’s your first even though it really is divine.

There are so many more make-up staples I could go on and on about (I mean I haven’t even spoken about lashes and I LOVE lashes) and there are so many variations of foundation, brushes, mascaras and more so find what works best for you really is a trial and error situation, but hopefully this offers you a little bit of a clue of where to start or sparks some inspiration if you were thinking of updating your make-up bag.

I’d love to know if any of these work for you or if any of my staples are your favourites too! 

lots of love, 

Han x