What's In My Everyday Summer Makeup Bag

As much as I love makeup, I like to keep things to a minimum in the summer. Even though I live nowhere near a beach, I love that 'I've just walked off the beach' kind of look, so less is definitely more. Not to mention with this heat wave we are having, my makeup is just melting away by the afternoon so there really is no need to cake anything on. I thought I'd show you all the contents of my summer makeup bag, just to see what I've been loving recently and it might help you narrow down your essentials too.


Maybelline Fit Me Foundation; Right now this foundation from Maybelline is my current go to as I love the finish that it gives me and even though it claims to have a matte finish, I find that its only semi matte so it still gives my skin that nice and healthy summer look. Even with the finish, I still find this a full coverage foundation which usually is what I like and whilst this works perfectly for those days that I'm at work and enjoying the air con, its really not ideal for a day in the sunshine. What I really like to do is mix this in with some of my facial moisturiser (I'm loving one that I picked up from Aldi recently which also contains spf 20 ... what a bonus). Mixing this foundation with my moisturiser just gives my skin a really fresh faced look and with a little bit of powder and setting spray I find this coverage will last most of the day.

Makeup Revolution Conceal & Define Concealer; A good concealer is a must during the summer, even more important than foundation - I love that sun kissed bronzed look. To really go out and get the full look I feel that brightening up the eye area is a must as it just adds to that all over glow and makes my skin look really healthy. I am obsessed with the Makeup Revolution Concealer right now as its so long lasting, provides full coverage and I love the way that this instantly brightens up my eye area. I'm currently using the shade C6 which is more yellow toned than C5 (my old favourite). This shade works so much better with my skin tone and makes my eyes look really bright... I love it.

Nars Laguna Bronzer; Every summer without fail my trusty Nars Laguna comes out - I just think this is the best bronzer to use for this time of year as the colour is spot on and it gives my skin that beachy golden look. I either use this bronzer to give a warmth and glow to my whole face with a light dusting all over or use this as a contour when I'm wanting a more put together look. Either way this bronzer is amazing and my summer makeup look would be incomplete without it.

Becca Highlighter Champagne Pop; There's only one highlighter that I'm reaching for right now and that's my Champagne Pop from Becca - I don't think any other highlighter could compete with this one for being the perfect summer highlighter. I love how this looks on my skin and it really gives me those summer time feels. The golden shimmery pigments help to enhance my tan and give me the ultimate summer glow. I pretty much use this everywhere I could highlight in the summer, including my neckline and shoulders. Summer makeup is all about that glow and for me Champagne Pop is a must for the heatwave.

Urban Decay Naked Palette; More often or not I wont wear any eyeshadow, especially if its a really hot day and I don't have much planned, I just feel like whats the point. But on those days that I want something on my eyes, I'll reach for my Naked Palette from Urban Decay. I just love all the warm and golden tones in this palette and love how I can easily create a really natural look that is perfect for a hot summers day. I also love using the highlighter shadows as they really shimmer when the light hits them.

Urban Decay Troublemaker Mascara; I tend to avoid wearing any eyeliner in the summer, unless I have an occasion where I'm going all out. I always think my face looks really bare and naked when I don't wear any, which is why a really good mascara is really important. One of my current faves has to be the Troublemaker mascara from Urban Decay, I love how this gives my lashes plenty of length and volume whilst also being really long lasting. I hate it when a mascara crumbles and flakes throughout the day, but this one stays put, even in these hot temperatures, so its perfect.

Makeup Revolution Banana Powder; For me a summer look is all about the bronzer and keeping things really natural, which is why I like to opt for a banana powder over a regular one just because I find it brings out those golden tones rather than dull my complexion. My favourite has to the one from Makeup Revolution as it makes my skin look really smooth and flawless and also keeps my skin shine free for the majority of the day.

Mac Brave Lipstick; My lipstick choices are never consistent any time of the year, I'm always swapping and changing my mind on which shade I want to wear. However one thing for sure is that I like to wear a nude, especially in the summer. As much as I love a matte liquid lipstick, recently I've fallen back in love with my Mac lipsticks and I've been loving Brave and Lovelorn, which are two of my favourites. Both of these lipsticks are nudes, with Brave being slightly more pink toned. Both of these formulas are semi matte, so they wear for a long time but just give my lips a slight sheen which I think is a really nice look for the summer.

Urban Decay De-Slick Setting Spray; No summer makeup look is complete without a setting spray, they are a must. My skin is oily most of the time, so I need all the help I can get, especially during a heat wave. I've tried a lot of setting sprays and no one else does them like Urban Decay. To be honest I can't tell much difference between the Urban Decay ones because they all perform amazingly and pretty much do the same thing. Right now I currently have the De-Slick one in my makeup bag as its designed to keep oily skin under control and to keep your makeup looking exactly how it was when you first applied it. Whilst this is the case when its a lot cooler, I do find that my makeup does melt off throughout the day, but that's only because it's so hot right now. However whenever I use this, my skin never really feels oily which is why I'm loving it so much right now.

So there we have it, my summer makeup bag in a nut shell. What beauty favourites have become summer essentials for you right now? Let me know.