Makeup On-The-Go | The Student Pocket Guide
by Sophie Coulson
I’m not the kind of girl who carries around a full makeup bag whenever leaving the house, in fact I don’t take a makeup bag at all. I just take a few essentials with me which all fit in the inside pocket of my handbag.
I have very dry skin and no matter how much I exfoliate and moisturize in the mornings my foundation will always crack and peel by lunchtime, so, an absolute must on-the-go product for me is my moisturizer. Even if your skin type isn’t overly dry it is always a handy product to have during cold winter months. The moisturizer I use comes in a small tube, but if yours doesn’t, many brands sell ‘minis’ which are intended just for this use.
Another handbag essential is a pressed powder which has colour pay-off and a fluffy brush; this serves many uses. First of all, it’s great for those of you with an oily complexion and is much easier than messing around with blotting paper. Secondly, if you choose to buy a powder with colour pay-off, it can be used to build up coverage later on during the day if your foundation starts to look a little dull or faded. Something which I always see girls doing with pressed powder is applying it heavily with the weird foam puff that comes with it. Doing this will make your skin look cakey, emphasise any dry areas, and at worse take on a strange shade that is nothing like your natural skin tone. Invest in a fluffy brush as this will allow for a more even application and natural coverage. If, like me, you don’t carry a makeup bag with you get a retractable brush to ensure it stays clean and doesn’t become misshapen.
I don’t understand the need to bring a full makeup bag when you have concealer with you. In fact it seems silly not to just bring your concealer; after all to reapply your foundation you’d have to take it all off and start again, because you can’t go putting foundation over the top of blusher and bronzer it would be one big cakey pink mess. Concealer is your one and only. Use it to hide that persistent spot that keeps appearing throughout the day. Use it to tackle a skin emergency when a new spot rears its head. Use it to brighten underneath your eyes and hide from the world that you didn’t go to bed until 4am.
One obvious rule is that if you’re wearing lipstick when you leave the house, put it in your handbag. Even if you invest in the most luxurious, expensive lipstick on the market you’re still going to need to reapply at some point; no question about it because during the day you will eat, drink or talk. Another lip essential, whether you’re wearing lipstick or not, is lip balm. If you are wearing lipstick, especially a nude shade, your lips may become dry and the lipstick could begin to peel, so a quick dab of clear balm or Vaseline will work wonders, or if you’re not wearing lipstick, lip balm could be used to add a bit of colour to your lips.
