#5 WHAT'S IN MY MAKE-UP BAG?

Ellie Morson shares what's in her make-up bag:

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation - £36.00

This is definitely my most expensive item in my makeup bag and retails at a staggering £36.00. I’d never normally spend this on a foundation, however I’d heard great things about this product and as ASOS stocks the Nars line, I took one of their 25% student discount opportunities as a chance to try this out. I have combination skin and find this is really good at keeping the dryer areas of my face looking hydrated, whilst keeping my more oily prone areas in check too. I wouldn’t personally say it’s sheer; rather it has quite a strong coverage. I also don’t think it’s particularly ‘glowy’ (that I’ve noticed anyway), but rather it seems to have a semi-matte finish, which I like. Other plus points include its longevity – I don’t feel the need to touch up during the day and it also photographs nicely. Considering the price though, I don’t think I’ll repurchase once it’s gone.

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer - £4.19

This concealer is an absolute steal at £4.19. I do tend to suffer from under eye circles and this is amazing at covering those up. This is really creamy and not too thick for the under eye are, just blend out a couple of dots and you’re good to go. Both the quality and price make this an absolute must-have.

Mac Eyeshadow in Brun - £9.00

Mac’s Brun eyeshadow is a dark muted brown and I lightly use a small angled brush to run this through my eyebrows. It just helps to give them a little bit more shape and definition and to help them match my hair colour a little better.

Clinique Brush-On Cream Liner - £14.00

If ever I had a must have product, it’s probably this one. I’m constantly repurchasing/ claiming my trusty boots advantage points on this Clinique eyeliner, despite the fact that that one little pot lasts me ages.  I used to use liquid eyeliner all the time a few years ago but after having become used to gel eyeliner, I don’t think I could go back. This has all the appearance of a liquid eyeliner and none of the mess, not to mention it’s a lot easier to avoid mistakes. It’s extremely pigmented and leaves a nice, smooth and dark line which lasts throughout the entire day. You could go all fancy and buy an eyeliner brush, however I just use a small synthetic craft brush with it and it does the job just as well.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero - £14.00

For my lower lash line, I’ll just use a slick of this. It goes on easily, without tugging, whilst still remaining incredibly black and lasting throughout the entire day. Not to mention that I can’t remember when I first purchased this, only that it was a long, long time ago now and that it has lasted ages and still has a lot of life left in it yet.

Maybelline Colossal Mascara - Volum' Express - £7.19

I’m a huge lover of most of the Maybelline mascaras and I think I bought this one on a whim when I saw that it was on offer one day. Like many of the other Maybelline mascaras, it doesn’t fail to disappoint. I’ve found Colossal Volume Express to be more defining than some of their other mascaras, however it still offers really good volume, giving nice thick, yet separated lashes for the day.

Mac Lipstick in Cherish and Patisserie - £14.00

In terms of lipsticks, I have two that I pretty much alternate between on an everyday basis-  Mac’s Patisserie and Cherish. Both feel comfortable on the lips, with neither of them feeling sticky. They also last a fair amount of time compared with others I’ve tried in the past. Cherish is really nice natural nude colour, airing more on the peachy/brown side of the nudes. Meanwhile, Patisserie is more of a rose/brown nude and is slightly glossier compared with Cherish.  I adore both and they’re nice to vary between on a day to day basis.

Mac Powder Blush in Harmony – £17.50

Though not an everyday product, I do reach for Mac’s Harmony a lot. I love this product, simply because of its versatility. It’s a soft rose brown ‘blush’ from Mac, without any of the more orange tones. I have mega pale skin so a warmer/ more orange based brown can sometimes cause me to look a little tangoed. However, this is a nice neutral brown shade which I tend to use either as a blush/ bronzer for a hint of a tan on more summery days and for going out. However, this also doubly serves as a really good contouring shade, allowing me to enhance cheekbones and get rid of any sneaky dub-chin action that I tend to get. Much love for this product.

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Translucent - £3.99

Finally, I could not live without Rimmel’s Stay Matte powder. As I mentioned, I have combination skin and whilst my cheeks can tend to be dry, my t-zone always gets oily. This does a fab job of masking that oil. I only use this across my forehead and nose, but it does well at keeping the shine at bay. I’m not a massive fan of the packaging, (I don’t always feel that the lid’s secure). However, for the price and product itself, you can’t go wrong. It’s also a nice size for on the go touch ups, which is always a plus.