How to build a capsule makeup bag, for 24/7 polish
The best makeup bags that Red's beauty team has seen aren't overstuffed with product. The opposite, actually; they're minimalist. Thoughtful. Carefully curated. Each product chosen for its ability to expertly pull a look together.
We've taken a leaf out of our favourite makeup artists' books and put together the ultimate list of beauty products for a capsule makeup bag. Here, the buys we recommend to family, friends, and now you. Looking more polished starts right now...
The primer
The right primer will help any base you put on top of it go the distance, enabling it to look fresher for longer. What you look for in a primer will largely come down to your skin type, so consider this before choosing which is for you.
If you have dry skin that eats up foundation, try a hydrating base, such as this one from Bobbi Brown; it floods skin with moisture and plumps up any parched areas. Oily skin will benefit from E.l.f. Power Grip, which yes, is sticky, but it means that foundation stays put all day. Try NARS' version if you don't like stickiness; it has a soft matte finish and blurs large pores. If your skin looks a little dull, opt for a radiance-boosting primer; Clinique's is beautifully light-reflecting and boosts glow in a really natural-looking way.
Read more about our favourite primers here.
The foundation
Any makeup look is only as good as your base. There's a whole spectrum of coverage to discover; we'll start at the lightest. Tinted moisturisers, serums and bases, such as our pick from NARS and Anastasia Beverly Hills, promise only a whisper of coverage; just enough to cover light redness and even out skin tone. If you want to look fresh and natural, these are just the ticket.
Medium coverage foundations, such as Shiseido's, will create a canvas that's even enough to conceal most blemishes, but still allow freckles to peek through. At the end of the spectrum – on the fuller coverage side – it can be hard to find a foundation that doesn't look flat. Sisley's, although pricey, does a fine job at knocking back any high colour, concealing blemishes and providing a totally perfected canvas. It's great for when you want to wear a bold lipstick, and want no other colour in the face competing with it.
Read more about our favourite foundations here.
The concealer
Get it right, and you can skip foundation entirely. Any of these concealers make light work of concealing blemishes, but also of making a face look brighter, fresher and more even. As a general rule, concealer for the undereye area should be one shade lighter than your skin tone, and concealer for blemishes should be skin tone-correct.
Read more about our favourite concealers here.
The blusher
A good blusher is your route to healthier looking skin. Putting one over any type of base makeup you wear will always make skin look less flat, more dimensional, and more like your own. Use your fingers to apply cream: rub product on to your finger tips and apply straight from fingers to cheeks. Using your fingers – and a light touch – will stop foundation being disrupted underneath. A good powder blusher can be applied atop cheekbones with a fluffy tapered brush.
Read more about our favourite blushers here.
The bronzer
Bad bronzer memories? You wouldn't be the only one. It wasn't many moons ago that shade ranges were slim and dismal, with often one generic terracotta. These days, there are cream and powder options that cater to all skin tones and types. Using it on the cheekbones and on the temples is the quickest way we know to imbue some warmth to flat-looking skin.
Read more about our favourite bronzers here.
The eyeliner
Eyeliner? A capsule makeup product? When they're as brilliant as the ones in our edit, yes. The kohl offering from Lisa Eldridge and Victoria Beckham are sublime; buttery soft, deliciously smudgy, stay put when they dry down. We like to trace along the upper waterline for some subtle definition.
As for creating a wing, liquid eyeliner takes the crown. Makeup By Mario's pen style has a firmer tip, so it's great for unsteady hands, whereas the E.l.f offering has a tiny, flexible brush to get a super sharp point.
The mascara
Most women's dessert island product, a good mascara is a steadfast way to make you look more awake. Try Glossier's Lash Slick for no-makeup makeup days, Lisa Eldridge or NARS for volume and length, and Maybelline's for curl and lift. All options are inky black and non-clumping.
Read more about our favourite mascaras here.
The brow product
The scaffolding of the face, it pays dividends to give some attention to your brows. It needn't be complicated and you don't need to overdraw them or do anything drastic in order to make a difference.
For sparse brows that need gaps filling, a brow gel or micro-fine pencil are good options. Milk Makeup has a tubing formula, which when combed through the brow, makes hairs look thicker and fuller. To mimic the appearance of individual hairs, UKBrow's pencil has such a fine nib; use upward strokes in any areas with gaps and watch the magic happen. Try a wax and powder à la Chanel for subtle definition, and seal the deal with Anastasia Beverly Hills' wax, which makes hairs sit upright all day long.
Read more about our favourite brow products here.
The lip colour
No look is complete without one. Matte textures have come a long way, and Charlotte Tilbury's Matte Revolution range, in all its comfortable, soft glory, is a glowing example. Look to Rare Beauty for punchy, full-bodied colour; its soufflé texture is light as a feather and does not budge.
For a classic satin option, Hourglass is always a safe bet for its considered shade ranges and sublime texture. Anyone with an Instagram account would've seen the fanfare surrounding Dior's cult lip oil, too – they give so much shine, sans stickiness.
Read more about our favourite lipsticks here.
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