About a month ago I finally splurged on this Anya Hindmarch makeup bag. I’d been considering it for some time – several friends have it and swear by it, mainly for its streamlined shape and organizational system, the fact that it easily wipes clean, and that it holds a LOT without taking up much space. My makeup situation has been a disaster for a while now. I alternated between different freebie cosmetic bags and everything just felt like it was everywhere. Despite being pretty minimal with my makeup routine, I had so many products.
Having a lot of products sounds like fun but it’s more annoying than anything – I could never find what I was looking for! So I bought this bag and subsequently did a major makeup purge. If it didn’t fit in the bag, it got tossed (I have a few other products – mostly mascaras and liners – that are on my vanity but this is mostly everything!) I keep this bag on my vanity at home but also travel with it. It has all of my makeup essentials and it basically never leaves my side.
I really like sticking to just the essentials. Since paring things down (a bit, at least) it’s always easy to find what I want (and my bathroom is a whole lot less cluttered!!)
What’s in My Makeup Bag
Makeup Brushes
The first compartment is dedicated strictly to brushes. There are only six slots so that’s what made the cut. A big fluffy brush for dry powders, this foundation/highlighter brush (I have to say it’s probably my favorite brush I own, it’s magical for blending in highlighter), three eyeshadow brushes (TBH I probably don’t need them all but whatever) and a spooly brush which is actually one of my favorite items – great for taming brows and brushing your eyelashes if they get tangled or a clump of mascara.
My favorite palette
I have said it before but I’ve never been a big palette girl. (While I love the brand, I think I’m the only person who isn’t obsessed with the Urban Decay naked palette?) And I love eyeshadow but don’t use it enough to take up a lot of real estate space in my bag. I featured this Wander Eye Palette in this post and stand by it – it’s the best, and it is little so it doesn’t take up much space. It contains blush, highlighter, and the prettiest bronzy eyeshadows I’ve seen. LOVE.
Mascara
I only keep one mascara in my bag at a time, and this time it’s NARS Climax mascara (which I will be reviewing in a week or two, what a name!!!). I really love this mascara when I want drama. Don’t worry, I did NOT toss the Glossier Lash Slick which I still love so much for no-makeup makeup, but lately I’ve been into a more dramatic lash so I haven’t been using it as much.
Bronzer
My favorite bronzer ever is Benefit Hoola. There’s nothing better! I’ve tried so many other bronzers and always come back to this one. I’ve been using it since before I moved to New York which is over twelve years ago… crazy.
Highlighter
I maybe have too many highlighters in here but oh well, you can’t ever be too glowy, can you?? I have Wander’s Glowtion (with a little nub of a cream highlighter on the end), and I also really love this one from Charlotte Tilbury. Oh and Sisley’s Instant Glow Primer which is great for under makeup/tinted moisturizer. Lastly I have this cream highlighter from Becca, which is probably my favorite of the bunch. I dot just a little on at my temples for major GLOW.
Eyeshadow Sticks
I LOVE an eyeshadow stick. They’re easy to apply, stay on all day/night, they’re just the best! Sometimes I will use them on their own, other times under a powder eyeshadow to add more dimension. My favorites are usually from Bobbi Brown and Laura Mercier but I also just tried this Jouer stick in rose gold and LOVE it.
Brow Products + Mascara
I don’t always wear makeup on my face but I do my eyebrows nearly every day. I fill them in with an Anastasia Beverly Hills pencil and then tame them with Sisley’s brow mascara.
A BeautyBlender
I love this tool so much. It’s the greatest. I use it to blend my tinted moisturizer and/or highlighter.
Concealer
I have two concealers. I need to decide which one I like better and get rid of one but I can’t seem to quit either one. The first is Laura Mercier’s Secret Concealer which is great for when you want more full coverage or have something big to coverup. The other is RMS Un Cover-up which is great for little spots and imperfection.
My favorite Tinted Moisturizer
I have loved Laura Mercier’s tinted moisturizer for a very long time. It makes you look so pretty. I had been on the hunt forever for a clean/natural alternative. Foundation/tinted moisturizer was high on my list of products to replace with something clean as you use so much of it when you apply it (vs. just applying a dab of concealer or a swipe of mascara). This one from W3ll people is just everything – I swear by it and it also has SPF. It’s easy to apply (I use my BeautyBlender) and makes your skin look really beautiful (but not as though you’re wearing a lot of makeup). I’m now on my third tube.
Anya Hindmarch Makeup Bag
I’ve never tried eyeshadow sticks before, but they sound so convenient! I’m rather clumsy with powder anyway, so I might just give your recommendations a try. Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
So convenient!!! Give it a try!
Grace,
I always love reading your beauty suggestions. I recently bought some of the RMS eye shadows, have you tried them? I really like blending them with my powders – check them out!
Mollye
I have tried them! They didn’t make the cut for my makeup bag but agree that they are good!
I had to laugh when you mentioned being “the only girl who is not obsessed with the Naked Palette” That makes two of us! I’ve never been compelled to buy any of the Naked palettes or really any of the other “holy grail” palettes like the Too Faced Chocolate palette because my two closest girlfriends both own literally all of them. I don’t wear a ton of eye makeup so why spend money on something I’m not going to get a ton of use out of when I can just use theirs?
Although, confession. I DID order the Naked palette ASAP when I heard it was being discontinued. For some reason I felt like I had to have even though it will barely get any use haha
hahahaha I know. I mean I LOVE Urban Decay – they have some great products. But that palette seems so unnecessary to me!
I can relate to buying something because it’s being discontinued, though. That’s funny. I did that with this L’Oreal mascara a few years ago – I bought 3 of them and never even ended up using them.
I have the clear Anya Hindmarch travel case which I love for all my skincare products when I’m on the go, but I love this one too (do I need both? Probably not, but you know…).
Loved this post because I’m so nosey and love seeing inside other people’s makeup bags / cupboards / wardrobes. And this is such a great edit of products; I currently swear by that Nars mascara too – it’s so good when I need a little more than the Glossier which I use for down-days.
Briony xox
OMG I love your clear Anya – I remember it from our trip to Paris!
I feel like a real a-hole spending so much money on a makeup bag but it has really made a huge difference for me!
Thanks for the tinted moisturizer recommendation. I try and use clean foundation unless I’m getting dressed up for something and haven’t found anything I love. I’ll be trying W3ll next!
Also, not to add to your recently de cluttered collection, but the Glossier cloud paint in Storm is amazing and takes up minimal space if you need a new blush!
xAllie
http://www.theallthatglittersblog.com
Oh good! I hope you LOVE it!!!!
I liked Cloud Paint a lot – I did a review of it on my blog – https://thestripe.com/2017/04/glossier-cloud-paint-review/
I just found that it only lasted an hour or two so I stopped using it! If I’m going to wear makeup I want it to last.
If I can make a recommendation for a sub for Laura Mercier (i made the sub recently), I looove Perricone MD’s No Foundation Foundation. It’s an SPF serum with some tint, but doesn’t feel *at all* like foundation (feels like a tinted moisturizer but even thinner), but still makes your skin look amazing. I don’t think it’s totally clean ingredients but my skin is really dry & sensitive and reacts really well to this.
thanks!
Aaah! I’ve been eyeing that makeup bag for awhile as well, and now I might just have to buy it! I may have to try that W3ll people tinted moisturizer – I have the MUFE ultra had one and love it, but am always on the hunt for a cleaner option! ❤️
Give it a try! Def one of my favs!!!
Hooray! So happy to see this blog post is all pulled together (not that I had any doubt, lol!). It turned out well, Grace! I always love seeing your picks.
HAHA – I was a day late but here we are.
Omg, is it wrong of me that I am swooning more over that makeup bag than the contents?? (Totally guilty of using the freebie bags) Also, Sonia Kashuk’s beauty blenders are pretty darn good too!
Hahahaha it’s such a good one.
Benefit Hoola is a classic! I’m convinced theres no better!
http://expeditiontoeuphoria.com
100% agree!!!!! It’s the greatest!!!!
You have me seriously considering this make up case. Looks SO perfect and a great way to get organized. I also LOVE that Hoola bronzer and NARS blush. I’ve been wearing Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer for about a year now — thanks for sharing a good alternative!
The Champagne Edit
It’s a splurge but I love it so much. And yessss NARS Orgasm and Benefit Hoola forever! xo
Love this makeup case, but is there possibly something less pricey? Also, I missed your fav lip products here. Do you keep those in your handbag? I always love your make up suggestions. I never bought the Urban Decay palette either,but got great use out of the Covergirl ones! (Per your suggestion)
Lips are in my handbag.
I know, it is pricy! If I see something less expensive I will definitely link it here.
I found a pretty close dupe at Ulta for $30. You helped me edit my bag with this great suggestion, thanks! Would love to see your lip favorites too sometime 🙂
ahhh amazing, good job! There have been plenty of lip faves in previous posts (like the Dior Lip Glow and Charlotte Tilbury Lipsticks) Just peruse the beauty archives!!!
I immediately bought this makeup bag after seeing it here. It just arrived today and I already LOVE it….can’t wait to travel so I can “really” use it (at home, my makeup is in a drawer). Thanks for the recc!
OMG that makes me so happy. It really is such a splurge (I use it at home and like that it forced me to majorly edit down my products) but such a beautiful makeup bag!