Back To School Beauty|| Beauty Bag!

Hello There!

As part of my themed blog week, "Back To School Beauty," I thought I would show you some basics that I find necessary for school. If you don't have time to put on makeup, or if you need to touch up throughout the day, this bag may just save your life. With my long school days, and extra long workouts, these few items make a makeup look new again.

Brush:

Whether you have a kabuki brush or a brush like mine (this one is from clinique) a brush is great for reapplying blush, bronzer, powder, or even a light wash of color across the lids. I use this brush for powder, but if you need more coverage a powder puff would work as well.

Bobby Pins:

If you are like me and find makeup is more important than hair, these are very useful. Just pinning back your hair for a "half-up do," or throwing your hair in a topknot looks more put together and can cover up a mediocre hair day. I carry four pins because for me pinning down a topknot requires four pins. One just won't do it!

Q-Tips:

Q-Tips have an infinite number of purposes. They can be used to clean up feathering lipstick, smudged eyeliner or mascara, or remove excess foundation or concealer from fine lines. I even use them multiple times a day! Even if you don't want to carry around loads of makeup in your bag everyday, just grabbing a few cotton swabs before you leave in the morning makes all the difference. 

Quarters:

I usually have a five dollar bill in my makeup bag in case I forget my lunch, but quarters are great in an emergency. You always need them when you don't have them!

Elf Tone Correcting Concealer- Light Beige:

While I would not call this a "holy grail" concealer, this product has just enough coverage that you can reapply it without making your foundation or under eye makeup look cake-y. *Quick Tip- applying a wet product like a concealer to dry foundation or concealer will make it and easier to blend dry foundation or concealer if it was not fully blended.* Plus, if you did not have the time to do your makeup, this concealer will give the coverage needed to cover up small blemishes or dark circles. 

RP: 1.00

Elf Clarifying Pressed Powder- Light Beige:

This powder is medium to full coverage, and can give coverage that the concealer may lack. Like the concealer, it's just one dollar! I use it after I blot my face to keep the skin matte. I would recommend blotting before reapplying powder, otherwise it can appear cake-y. *Quick Tip- If you don't have blotting papers, toilet seat covers are actually made from the same material as blotting papers. Who knew! You may look crazy blotting your face with a toilet seat cover, but it will save you a bit of money and make all the difference in your skin.* 

RP: 1.00

Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara-Black:

When I crack and buy a high end mascara, it will be this one. I love the tapered brush, because it can help grab all the lashes. It gives you voluminous, fluttery lashes that don't look overdone. If you get mini mascaras in the freebie gift bags given in department stores, they can be great for your makeup bag because they take up little space, but you don't sacrifice the size of the brush. Even a bit of mascara can make you feel less naked.
mini RP: FREE! large RP: 16.00

Burt's Bees Lip Shimmers:

This product is a natural color, so it does not look to overwhelming for school. It's pigmented and quick to apply. Plus, their minty taste is so potent you could just about skip brushing your teeth (yikes!) because the minty scent makes it seem like you have minty fresh breath! I love these chapsticks and have them in a multitude of colors. For a look at more swatches go to my Back To School Makeup blog post.
 RP: 5.00

Labello and Lipsmacker Lip Balms:

I like to have a variety of lip balms in my bag in various colors. For my foreign friends, Labello lip balm is a great option for you! This lip balm is creamy, nourishing, and has enough pigmentation to give a slight tint to your lips. However, I use this chapstick as a cream highlight. It is almost the same type of color as Benefit High Beam- a light pink-y toned highlight shade. It lasts all day on your skin and does not look greasy.
RP: 4.00 (Euros)
 Also, I love the lip smackers lip balm not only because it is a nice pink color that looks good on almost every skin tone and is creamy and nourishing, but because it smells like raspberry melon! It's just lovely. If I don't have time to swipe on some shadow or liner, a tinted lip balm is a great way to add color to your look without looking overdone.
RP: 3.00

Top: Labello Bottom: Lipsmackers

Liz Claiborne and Anchorblue Perfume:

I used to keep a big Bath and Body Works spray in my bag, but I was always afraid it was going to leak. So I decided to start keeping roller balls and small bottles in my bag. Both of these smells are nice, although the Liz Claiborne scent is more "grown-up-ish," and they are easy to grab and put on if you are in a pickle and don't smell your best. Even popping a little on your wrists can make you smell better. Plus, a perfume will last much longer than a spray.

Anchorblue RP: 6.00 

Liz Claiborne mini RP: 20.00, large RP: 72.00

While I don't think it is necessary to get some of these exact products, I think grabbing a small perfume and a tinted lip balm can really help you in a "beauty" emergency. Keeping them all in this little bag from Sephora makes it easy for me to find everything, and taking what I need to the bathroom is easy if it's all in one bag, instead jumbled among pencils and erasers in some random pocket. 

I hope this was helpful and gave you some ideas what to pack for school, work, or even every day. 

What are some of your favorite travel beauty essentials?

xx BB