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By Simran Sahiba Kaur Takhi

I like to think of makeup bags as being personal arsenals that can provide insight into someone’s character. Admittedly, I’m far from being a dab hand at makeup, so I like to keep my use of products simple more often than not. I like to save items that require more skill and patience for special occasions or nights out as opposed to using different products to create different looks on a casual basis. My bag consists of a mixture of what I would describe as mid to low-end products. Here’s what’s in it currently:

Clinique super balanced foundation – £24.00

I have discovered that foundations at the lower end of the price range tend to not stay on my skin. This is why I opted for a mid-range priced product and, because I get through foundation quickly, I cannot afford to maintain buying products that are on the pricier side. I also have very dry skin and was told that Super Balanced provides moisture so the foundation doesn’t seep into dry patches of skin. I’ve been using Super Balanced for approximately a year and have no complaints!

Benefit Watts Up highlighter – £25.50.

I was pretty clueless on highlighters before this purchase and bought it purely on promising reviews. I love this product because you only have to carry out three steps: twist, glide on cheeks and brow bones and then blend. No need to blend several highlighters and no fuss.

Bourjois Little Round Pot Blush Rose Mandarine – £7.99

This blusher is one of my favourite products simply because of the price making it a great bargain. I find the shade Rose Mandarine gives me a subtle pinky-brown glow on my South Asian skin which is perfect for everyday use. I’d highly recommend Bourjois foundation because I can’t say I’ve seen as many good reviews for such a cheap product. It also comes with an added bonus: it smells wonderful!

Benefit Big Beautiful Eyes kit – £26.50

This is simplistic make-up at its best. A concealer and three eyeshadow shades: pink (which acts as a base), coco contour and rich chocolate. Armed with the brushes that are included in the kit, I can create subtle shimmery looks in a matter of several sweeps and smudges as part of an everyday look.

MAC Fluid Line Blacktrack gel eyeliner £39.00

I can’t say I’ve used many brands of eyeliner as I switch between mid-end (Mac) and low-end (Maybelline). I find myself buying MAC as a luxury when I can afford it. I tend to stick with MAC and Maybelline because they enable jet black, precise lines that are long lasting.

Benefit Erase Paste – £16.50

This paste is a great concealer which I find hides my dark circles amazingly. It’s easy to blend in, long lasting and pardon the cliché, is exactly what is says on the tin. If I’m in a hurry, I just apply foundation and erase paste to instantly brighten my face and erase any signs of tiredness.

Natural Collection Juicy Lips Gloss Caramel Shortcake  £1.99

I refrain from buying lipsticks because I have extremely dry lips where any matte pigment applied to them becomes seeped in the cracks. Instead I opt for a Naturally Collections super cheap gloss which is highly pigmented yet gives a subtle look. The only downside I find with using it is that it’s super sticky and can be highly irritating in the case of having long hair and it being windy outside.

Rimmel Extra Super Lash mascara – £4.99

Mascara is something I’ve never spent a great deal of money on as I find that cheaper products do the same job as pricier ones. This mascara is great because it only takes a single coat to get the desired effects and doesn’t clump.

Too Faced Chocolate Bar eyeshadow palette – £39.00

This palette is the priciest item I have in my bag  at the moment and is something I only make use of on special occasions. I was introduced to this palette after having had my make-up applied by a friend who, unlike me, has make-up application as a forte. With the kit having 16 colours, I looked at tutorials on how to create different looks and found that many well established bloggers such as Zoella highly recommend it for both everyday and more dramatic looks. I love the array of rich colours and am greatly won over by the fact that it also smells of chocolate.

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