Make-up Essentials for a Mini-Break

Anybody who knows me knows I adore city breaks and long weekend trips, but I never quite know what to pack.. make-up wise! I own near enough 100 beauty products (potentially even more as I just keep buying them..) and I use every single one of them on a weekly basis so you can only imagine the huge dilemma I face when it comes to packing light.

So if you, like myself, struggle with choosing which of your products you can not simply leave at home then you're reading the right post!

1: Foundation

Choose the foundation that you use when you want to feel your best; for me it's the No7 Beautifully Matte foundation in the colour Calico. By using you best foundation every day whilst you're away you will be looking your best every day, which is an instant mood booster.

2: Primer

I can't stress how important it is to wear primer anyway but when you're away it is an essential! I can't be bothered with returning to the hotel to top up my make-up before going out for a lovely dinner. I wear my Smashbox Photo Finish primer every single day, it is fantastic and I can not be without it. It keeps my make-up looking fresh and perfect all day. Perfect for busy days out with no time to top-up.

3: Powders

I own loads of different face powders from bronzers to blushes to highligters and contour kits. This is probably my hardest decision when it comes to deciding on make-up so I decided to break it down and work out which ones I actually use daily. The 3 main powders that I actually use daily are a matte bronzer, pinky blusher and a shimmering highlighter. Simple!

4: Eyeshadows

Ouch.. this one is also a toughy! I own quite a few eyeshadow palettes and tend to use more than one at once. I decided to break it down and figure out what colours I cant live without. I tend to stick to subtle nudes for day time looks and add shimmers and colours for my evening wear. I use my Naked Basics palette every single day for my basic day-to-day look. It has every single colour you NEED for a simple look. I also like to take my Make-Up Revolution Iconic 3 palette (which is a dupe for the Naked 3 palette) as it has a fantastic range of shimmer and matte nudes and pinks that are perfect for both everyday and evening wear.

 

I also like to take with me an eyeshadow pencil stick in a pale, shimmery colour. This is my Collection eyeshadow pencil in the colour vanilla sky and it is perfect for quick make-up. Its easy to apply by simple colouring your eyelids in however it makes a huge difference by opening your eyes up and adding a hint of shimmer

5: Mascara, Eyebrow and Eyeliner

This one, in my opinion, is easy. Just choose your favourite mascara, your go-to eyeliner and an eyebrow pencil (preferably one with a built in eyebrow brush).
My absolute favourite mascara has to be Dior IT Mascara. It does wonders to my short and stumpy lashes and makes falsies redundant.

I use liquid eyeliner pretty much everyday to create my classic winged look so I simply cannot be without it. I use Rimmle Exaggerate eyeliner as it just slicks onto your lids creating an effortlessly smooth wing. It's ideal for a weekend away as it's small and compact with its own built in applicator.

For my brows I use a lot of products as I love trying out all the different gels, kits, waxes and pencils! However my go-to life saver eyebrow pencil has to be the Rimmle eyebrow pencil with a built in eye brow brush on the lid. Perfect for light packing

6: Lipsticks 

I love lipsticks! The just complete your face and set the desired tone for you make-up whether its pretty in pink or a sassy red. I like to take 2 lipsticks away with me, one for day wear and one for evening wear.. simple!
I wear a matte nude for day wear as its simple, natural and goes perfectly with any outfit. My favourite matte nude has to be Soap and Glory's Matte Super Nude lipstick.
For the evening it's time to go bold and choose your favourite statement lipstick, mine being the No7 Moisture Drench lipstick in Deep Rust.

7: Skin Care

Now this is an area that I don't skimp on as skin care is too important. I will always pack my No 7 Beautiful skin cleansing lotion and my No 7 Early Defence day and night cream despite how bulky it may be.

8: Make-up Brushes

I own probably about 60-80 make-up brushes and yes I do use all of them.. just not all at once. I have to narrow it down to about 5 when it comes to light packing. It's all about essentials.

- flat foundation brush
- large powder brush
- two double ended eye shadow brushes
- stippling brush
- eyebrow brush

So there it is ladies, my mini-break make-up essentials! I hope this helps with any light-packing or weekend trips. I decided on these buy truly taking note of what I really really need and what I use the most.