2017 Makeup Bag

Is there some reason why it takes me a freaking year to document my current makeup bag? This is definitely an alternate collection of products from what I was using at the start of 2017, and seeing the transition would've been really fascinating. Why am I so bad about writing these posts?

Ah, whatever. "What's in my makeup bag" posts are always so voyeuristic in the best way possible, so even though this is long overdo, hopefully it'll still be interesting.

Bear in mind that these are not the only products I'm using right now. This is just the collection of makeup I'm currently favoring and using very frequently. Also, this is a theoretical bag of makeup I'd take on a trip if I had to be gussied up while I was away.

The perfect sheer base: NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly (1), Buxom Show Some Skin Foundation in Tickle the Ivory (2), YSL Touche Eclat Radiance Perfecting Pen in #2 Luminous Ivory (3), and Glossier Cloud Paint in Beam (4) -- I spend more time on my base than on most parts of my face because I'm funny about how my skin looks. That said, I like to stick with products that are comfortable on my dry skin and easy to apply. You're seeing two repurchased base products here, Buxom Show Some Skin and NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. The foundation provides light coverage, subtly perfecting and staying skin-like, while the concealer softens my undereye circles and hides my blemishes. I'm still fiddling with the Touche Eclat Pen, and I don't think I'd call it a holy grail yet, but it's certainly useful for subtle highlighting. The Glossier Cloud Paints are goof proof, so I can slap them on on the go and never look overdone. Beam is probably my favorite of the bunch.

A simple, fuss-free eye: Milk Makeup Ubame Mascara (5), Glossier Boy Brow in Clear (6), and the Catrice Long Lasting Brown Definer in 040 Brow'dly Presents (7) -- I'm lazy about eye makeup in general, but especially when I'm traveling, I don't want to deal with liner smears or shadow fallout. Instead, I tend to focus on a lashy look, which the Ubame mascara does perfectly. For my brows, I'm still loving the look of brushed up hairs and a not-too-precise fill in. The Catrice brow pen makes filling in your brows quick and easy, and while Boy Brow isn't my absolute favorite brow gel on the market, it does a nice job of grooming the hairs without feeling crunchy.

A statement lip: NYX Lip Pencil in Auburn (8), Besame Lipstick in Portrait Peach (9), Glossier Generation G Lipstick in Jam (10) -- Peach, plum, and burgundy are cliche colors for autumn, yet I think there's something to be said for switching up your textures. With a lip pencil, for instance, you can get a really precise application of color and a variety of finishes: slide it over balm for a stain, fill in your lips for a matte look, or add a dash of gloss on top for some shine. NYX Auburn is probably my favorite pencil for this because it's such a flattering red shade. For plums, I often like to move away from the vampier options and go for a sheer shade, like Glossier Jam. And while there are many peach lipsticks I love, Besame Portrait Peach is my current favorite because of its smooth satin formula.

Fall-friendly fragrances: Hermes Ambre Narguile (11) and Dame Perfumery Dark Horse (12) -- Sorry about the tacky alliteration, but cold weather fragrances do funny things to me. While warm, spicy, sultry scents are my favorites and I therefore own a wide variety of them, these two are my current favorites. Ambre Narguile is sometimes described as a "spicy apple pie" scent, which is both somewhat accurate and overly simplistic. There's an incredible warmth to this fragrance; dabbing it on is like wrapping my body in a warm blanket while I sit at the edge of an apple orchard. It manages to be thick and sweet without being cloying. Dark Horse screams fall to me, too, but in a different way; there's a dryness to this fragrance that carries the spicy notes like leaves on the wind. Purple prose aside, these are damn good scents that deserve every bit of love they get.