Must Have Makeup Products For Your Makeup Bag - Updated For 2025
Feeling Overwhelmed By Your Makeup Bag?
Think of this post as a personal shopping experience helping you pick the best products!
Updated 17/04/2025
How many times have you walked into a store to pick up some new makeup but been faced with overwhelm and confusion?
It is pretty crazy how many brands and makeup products are available! I think we can all relate when I say we have all purchased products, not really knowing if they are right for us or even what we want and need!
Unless you already have knowledge of what already works for you, the best products to invest in, or have been lucky enough to have had a makeup lesson that helps identify what you need, it can get a little tricky. There are many must have makeup products for your makeup bag so I have touched on a few great products below to get you started!
You do not need a vast makeup bag of products to achieve a simple, easy makeup look. Let's break it down into key areas and create the best makeup bag ever!
* This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a very tiny commission on any sales. This does not affect your purchase at all.
You may not want to wear foundation all the time, maybe just for special occasions, and that is OK. But it is always great to have a foundation to hand to even out your skin tone and create a finish that looks like natural, healthy skin.
Please do not put off using foundation if you are concerned it will look heavy and cakey. The key to applying foundation is to apply it in 2-3 thin layers buffed well into the skin. There are lots of foundation tips in another post that I have written here.
My top foundations for creating a beautiful finish are;
Light coverage, satin finish
Suitable for;
Combination skin
Dry skin
Normal skin
Benefits;
Infused with a skincare ingredients
Evens skin tone within 4-8 weeks
Visibly reduces dark spots over time
Budget friendly
Medium coverage, natural finish
Suitable for;
Combination skin
Dry skin
Normal skin
Benefits;
Buildable coverage
Visibly reduces dark spots in 12 weeks
Sweat, humidity and water-resistant
Up-to 24-hour wear
Medium coverage, satin finish
Suitable for;
Oily skin
Combination skin
Dry skin
Normal skin
Benefits;
Improves texture
Blurs imperfections
Buildable coverage
Day-long hydration
All of these foundations have great medium coverage, which can be built up to create fuller coverage where needed. You can also do a little trick and mix either a tiny amount of moisturiser or face serum to thin out the formula to create lighter coverage.
Using a damp sponge will also help with creating light coverage. Foundations are very versatile; you just need to find the way you love to use them the most.
I meet a lot of ladies who either do not own a concealer or have one but are not sure how to use it.
Concealer is a different type of coverage from foundation, so it is perfect for the only product to be used under and around the eyes. It can also be used on areas of the face where there is a little redness still peeking through after foundation, or where you need a little extra help covering blemishes and/or pigmentation.
Know that it is better to build extra coverage with a concealer after foundation rather than applying more foundation; this is where you could accidentally end up with a heavier coverage you didn’t really want.
My top concealer recommendations are;
Medium coverage
Natural finish
Visibly covers up imperfections
Infused with Caffeine and Vitamin C
Medium to full, buildable coverage
Radiant finish
Hyaluronic acid-infused
Resists settling into fine lines or creases
Medium, buildable coverage
Matte, soft-focus finish
Up to 24 hours of wear
Moves with your facial expressions
Sweat, humidity and water-resistant
When I meet clients who do not necessarily want to wear foundation all the time, I tend to recommend using a concealer just where they need the coverage. So if you feel you need a little coverage under the eyes, around the nose, on the chin, and on the cheeks, just blend a little concealer in these places to give a little coverage. Do not feel like you have to apply foundation all the time.
Blusher can be hit and miss with some people; there is often a fear that it will recreate redness on the skin. Usually it is just a lack of knowledge of how to use it effectively.
Blush is a great way to bring some life to the face and create a lovely, healthy flush that will have a youthful appearance. My advice is to spend a little more money on your blush so you get a quality powder. Cheap powder products can look bity and chunky on the skin.
My top blusher recommendations are:
Richly pigmented, highly buildable
Available in satin and shimmery finishes
Velvety soft powder
Sheer liquid blush
12-hours of hydration
Buildable and blendable
High Pigmentation
Long Wearing - lasts up to 10 hours
Fresh, natural look and buildable colour
Easily buildable and blends flawlessly
Eyeshadow is the perfect way to enhance your eyes, whether that is with a little sweep of colour or built up to be a little more striking.
Similar to blush, I highly recommend you spend more on your eyeshadow powders, as again, it comes down to the quality of the product. I try to have a more compact palette of colours so it does not feel overwhelming with too much choice!
Here are my top eyeshadow recommendations:
Matte to satin finishes
Perfect to take your look from day to night
Highly-pigmented
Long-lasting formula
Ultra-creamy formula
Blends and builds seamlessly
8-hours wear
Buttery-soft textures
Effortless blending and layering for any look
Buildable buttery formula
Velvety matte finish
Eyeliner is perfect for framing the eyes and adding that little bit of definition; you do not need to think of eyeliner as a strong, thick line. I like to teach my clients to nestle the liner into the lash route and smudge it into place to create a more subtle effect.
My top eyeliner picks for ease of use are:
Ultra soft pencil
Firm enough for elegant definition
Smudgeable
High-pigment formula
All-day long wear
Waterproof and smudge-resistant
Soft kohl pencil
Rich colour and a silky smooth
Matte/pearl finish
Mascara, as we know, really draws attention to our eyes; sometimes just wearing a little mascara with a small amount of concealer and a blush is all we need to look a little more put together! Mascara, I find, is a personal choice as all the brushes have a different effect, but these are my personal favourites.
My top recommended mascaras are:
Plumping mascara
Extreme volume and definition
Curling and lengthening
Curl-defining mascara
Lengthens and volumises
Holds for 12 hours
Extra long wear
Smudge-proof, humidity resistant and waterproof
Full and fluttery lashes
Brows are the key to framing your face and bringing your makeup together. Never underestimate how amazing a groom's brow looks.
If you are not feeling confident with filling in your brows, a brow gel will be your best friend. The two I have selected also contain little fibres that attach to your brown hair, giving the illusion of thicker, fuller brows.
If you like to pencil your brows in but have not found a really great pencil yet, the one I recommend is incredible. You barely need any pressure, and the colour glides on like a dream.
Here are my top eyebrow product recommendations:
Creamy coloured formula with fibres
Smudge or fade resistant
24-hour wear
Tinted volumising eyebrow gel
Infused with microfibres to create fuller-looking brows
Buildable and water-resistant
Dual-ended brow pencil
Wax-powder texture
If you are not a lipstick wearer, then leave your makeup bag as it is with the above products. Alternatively, you could just pick up a tinted lip balm to give your lips a wash of colour while also hydrating them at the same time.
If you do like to wear lipstick, I have found my favourite brands, which I will always carry in my kit. These recommended lipsticks are of great quality; they glide on and have an amazing colour payoff.
My top recommended lipsticks are:
Hydrating satin formula
Long-lasting wear
Intense colour pay-off
Long-wearing lipstick
Medium-to-full coverage
Hydrating formula
Smooth, soothing formula
Hopefully this felt a little personal shopping experience for you with a variety of brands and budgets!
* This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a very tiny commission on any sales. This does not affect your purchase at all. Use code LFTFNICOLALOUISE for 20% off at Look Fantastic.
