Creating a Makeup Capsule Wardrobe

The blogging world has gone a bit crazy for capsule wardrobes so I thought why not create one for makeup? I'm not saying to go all Marie Kondo and bin the rest of your collection but it's handy to keep your core makeup products separate to everything else so if you're ever packing in a rush, you always know what to reach for.

A Summer-Proof Base

I think everyone needs in their collection a base of some sort that isn't going to melt into a shiny mess at the first sign of hot weather, isn't going to break you out and won't feel heavy on the skin.

My Pick: Cover FX Anti-Blemish Mattifying BB Gel* | £35 | Every time I go on holiday to somewhere hot; this comes back out! It feels so weightless on the skin but really evens out my skin tone and gives a nice, flawless appearance. It is a matte base but isn't drying whilst simultaneously keeping the shine at bay. It's one of the only products that's still in place after a long day in the heat, so it's essential for me. Plus the shade G Medium-Deep is spot-on for me.

A Light, Hydrating Base

On the flip side, for winter it's important to have an everyday base that's going to keep your skin feeling hydrated and looking healthy and glowing.

My Pick: Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser | £29.50 | I wore this pretty much every single day from October through to March this past winter! It's like 'my skin but better' in a tube; it's such natural, skin-like coverage. It isn't overly dewy but, true to its name, makes the skin look radiant and healthy during the colder months. Like I mentioned with the Cover FX, this also has such a light texture but makes the skin look flawless.

A Medium-Full Coverage Base

Finally for bases, I'd definitely recommend a fuller-coverage option to wear during the evenings, on nights out or just any time that you want a little something extra.

My Pick: Nars Sheer Glow Foundation | £31 | This is my favourite because you can sheer it out to a medium coverage or build it up effortlessly into full coverage. This is my perfect satin base; not too matte, not dewy and something that makes my skin glow without the shine. I can pack this when I travel and know it will work for day or night and I can trust it to last on my skin.

A Complete Coverage Concealer 

A no-brainer really! Any makeup collection needs a concealer that can cover up a multitude of sins and will work both under the eyes on dark circles and to conceal blemishes and redness.

My Pick: Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer | £17.50 | I'm not sure how this took the top spot as my #1 concealer; I guess it was a gradual takeover, however I rarely use anything else these days. I find the texture so lightweight yet the coverage is incredible. It's hydrating enough for under the eyes (so doesn't cake at all) but still long-wearing enough to use on blemishes. It never looks heavy yet always covers what I need it to.

An Under-Eye Brightener

Ok, this one really depends on how bad your dark circles are, so if you're genetically blessed you can skip this (and I curse you!) For me, brightening the under-eye area is essential - it's all very well covering up the darkness but it's a highlighting product that's going to make you look radiant.

My Pick: YSL Touche Eclat | £25 | Of course my #1 pick is the classic Touche Éclat. I actually use one of the shades in this as opposed to the original 'universal' version as it just suits my skin tone better. It adds that brightness to under my eyes and it's a life-save during the day when I'm looking a bit tired; it's like 8 hours of sleep in a pen!

A Compact Powder

Whether it's to set your under-eye concealer in place, give a bit of coverage or to keep your t-zone free of shine, there's a place in every makeup collection for a handbag-friendly compact powder.

My Pick: MAC Mineralise Skinfinish Natural | £24 | I pretty much never use anything else at the moment! This gives a little bit of coverage and is actually quite a radiant powder, despite matting down any shine on my face. It never looks caky or flat but helps keep the greasiness at bay and hold everything in place.

Your Perfect Highlighting Shade

This is totally personal but as a general rule: pale skin tones suit pinky-pearl shades, champagne looks great on light skin, gold tones work well for olive complexions and bronze shades are perfect for deeper skin tones. Whatever the shade is, find something that compliments your skin tone and looks natural but gives you that glow. Personally, I favour powder formulas however it's up to you and depends on your skin type! If you're dry-skinned you might want to consider a cream or liquid formula.

My Pick: Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Champagne Pop | £32 | Personally the golden-champagne-peach of this highlighter is perfect for my skin tone. However I really recommend Becca highlighters in general because they cater to so many complexions; from the almost-white Pearl to the very deep bronze Topaz, so you'd be hard-pressed not to find something that suits you in their range. Becca highlighters especially are so smooth and easy to blend. They're a powder formula but don't sit on the skin at all and give a high-impact, dewy highlight without any glitter.

A Blusher That Goes With Everything

For those busy weekday mornings you definitely need a blusher you can grab without even really having to think about it. The formula should be effortless to apply and blend out to a natural finish and the colour should be something that goes with whatever makeup look you've created.

My Pick: Too Faced Love Flush Blush in Baby Love | £25 | Although it doesn't look like much in the pan, it has to be one of my most-used blushers for the precise reason that I know I can throw it in my makeup bag when I'm travelling or grab it when I have 10 minutes to do my makeup and I just *know* it will do the job! Although it has a slight sheen, once applied it is essentially matte in finish. It has what I like to call a 'good crumbly' texture that just makes it blend out effortlessly and last without ever going patchy. The shade itself is a sort of peachy-nude-mauve that goes with everything from a bold red lip to a muted brown nude look.

A Not-Too-Orange Warm Matte Bronzer

When you want a bit of warmth and subtle definition that isn't as much work as contouring, a matte bronzer is essential. You're going to want something that blends out like a dream, isn't going to be too pigmented and has a very natural look on the skin.

My Pick: Urban Decay Beached Bronzer in Bronzed | £20 | I'd definitely recommend just opting for what suits your skin tone, though if you can find that within this range then definitely opt for this amazing formula! It's got such a beautiful texture and never looks like too much yet gives my face dimension. I find it so quick and easy to apply and it never seems to go patchy on my skin. The colour itself is definitely warm (so not really a contour shade) but isn't orange on me.

A Super-Quick Cream Eyeshadow

Another one for those mornings when you have approximately 30 minutes between your alarm going off and you needing to be out of the door! I honestly don't know how I'd survive without cream eyeshadow (gross exaggeration but you get the picture). Whenever I'm in a rush or just want something that's going to stay in place and not feel like too much effort; I reach for a cream stick or pot. For your Makeup Capsule wardrobe you'll want to pick a shade that goes with most of the makeup looks you tend to wear.

My Pick: Maybelline 24 Hour Colour Tattoo in On & On Bronze | £4.99 | I honestly think this eyeshadow is the best £5 I've ever spent! I just reach for this so much; whether it's for a day at the beach when I want something fuss-free that I know won't budge in the heat or I'm in a mad rush and want something that looks multidimensional on the eyes but only takes one swipe to apply. It's the longest-wearing, most opaque cream eyeshadow I've ever tried and the shade is just perfection; it's a not-too-warm, not-too-cool bronze-brown. It has a very subtle metallic sheen that isn't at all glittery or greasy. It goes with any neutral makeup look and that's what I tend to opt for.

An Everyday Neutral Eyeshadow Palette

Another obvious one but if you're streamlining your collection there has to be a neutral eyeshadow palette in the mix! It goes without saying that it's worth investing in a great formula that's going to be pigmented, smooth and apply with minimal effort, as well as lasting you all day.

My Pick: Too Faced Natural Eye Palette | £32 | This palette is so underrated! Everyone raves about Too Faced palettes in general but this understated product always seems to be skipped over. It may not be the most exciting set of eyeshadows at a glance, however you can see how much I've used this! The colours are just so wearable for everyday and it can work for a neutral smoky eye as well. I cannot rave about the formula enough; these are some of the best mattes I've ever tried. There's no chunks of glitter or chalkiness, just beautiful eyeshadows I know I can rely on! My go-to look is Honey Pot (8 - a bright gold shimmer) as an inner-corner highlight, Push Up (5 - a rosy brown shimmer) across the lid, Cashmere Bunny (2- a warm mid-tone taupe-brown matte) as a transition and Sexpresso (3 - a deeper, more charcoal-toned brown matte) to add more depth to the crease.

An Eyeliner

I won't be too prescriptive about this because people like all different kinds of liners. Some people love smudged-out kohl, whereas I love the precise flick of winged liner. Whatever it is you prefer; invest in a product that you know will work for you on an every-single-day basis.

My Pick: Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Intense Black | £13 | If you're also a fan of winged liner then I can't recommend this enough! It has such a precise point that doesn't fray or bend out of shape over time. It has a very inky, pigmented black formula that doesn't dry down too matte. I find this lasts me for ages before it dries up and I use it every single day! Best of all it doesn't smudge or transfer and genuinely does ensure my flicks stay all day.

A Day-to-Evening Mascara

Mascara is another hugely personal product so whether you favour length over volume or a fibre brush over plastic; you really only need one mascara in your collection because they dry up so quickly. I personally opt for a build-able formula that isn't too much for during the day but can be built up to have amazing impact for an evening eye look.

My Pick: Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara in Intense Black | £7.99 | No surprises here! If I had to throw out every mascara I own and never use another one ever again then I'd opt to keep hold of this. It has a plastic wand that grips onto even the tiniest lashes and coats them in product. It gives me incredible length and curl but also that nice bit of clump-free volume. You can build this up without it getting messing, which is another reason why I love it so much. It doesn't smudge or flake and the curl lasts me all day.

A Brow Product That Always Does the Job

Some brow products look great some days and rubbish the next or require a lot of effort to make them look good. Whilst there's always a place for dramatic brows; for a capsule wardrobe I'd recommend picking a product that you know will do the job every single day no matter what.

My Pick: Soap & Glory Archery Brow Pencil & Brush | £8 | I'm just going to come out and say it: I think I prefer this to the Anastasia Brow Wiz! There's not much between them but I just find the texture of this a little bit better for creating a soft, natural look. I love how the pencil is so fine and you just twist it up so you don't have to worry about sharpening the point constantly to avoid a heavy-handed look. It isn't too warm in tone, which is often the case with cheaper products in limited shades but also isn't overly grey. It has that perfect consistency that means it always works for me; it's never too much and never seems to look fake. It also doesn't smudge or rub away during the day.

A Matte Nude Lip

Of course the shade itself depends on your colouring but for me a go-to matte nude lip is essential! Whether it's a pinky-peach or a rich brown; find a shade that works for you and it will be that lip colour you can always reach for when in doubt.

My Pick: MAC Matte Lipstick in Taupe | £15.50 | This is my perfect matte nude lip; it's a medium-deep warm caramel brown that stands out on me but is still close enough to my natural skin tone. I find the formula to be creamy, non-drying and long-wearing but still a true matte finish. 

A Sheer Lip

Everyone needs one of those lip shades they can grab when they're halfway out of the door that can be applied on the train without a mirror! Ok maybe not exactly that, but it's always handy to have something you can keep in your handbag and know it will go with everything.

My Pick: Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Petal | £19 | This is pricey but I honestly use it SO much that it's well worth the cost! It also gets bonus points because the formula is so hydrating that you can skip your usual lip balm. Essentially it's a tinted balm but it's actually really pigmented compared to others that I've tried. The colour itself is a natural rosy pink.

A Bold Lip

Of cours there has to a more evening-appropriate option in there and I find a bold lip can really pull together your look. Everyone suits different shades, though red is a good shout and there are so many variations and undertones that your perfect shade is out there *somewhere*. I'd generally recommend a matte formula to prevent transfer and smudging.

My Pick: Ofra Long-Lasting Liquid Lipstick in Miami Fever | $20 | This shade has been an obsession of mine, especially during the Summer for evening wear. It leans more towards orange than red, which is maybe why it suits me when so many other reds don't! It's just a stunning shade, especially if your complexion is quite warm. I probably rate the shade more than the formula, though it's still pretty good. It's a matte-finish liquid lipstick that's not too drying when first applied but I'd recommend using a lip balm before re-applying. The 'long-lasting' claim is definitely true though so you won't need to touch it up unless you're wearing it for more than 6 hours.

What are your essentials for a makeup capsule wardrobe?

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*DISCLOSURE - PRODUCTS MARKED WITH AN ASTERISK ARE PR SAMPLES/GIFTS OR PURCHASED WITH GIFTED VOUCHERS. ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. 

PLEASE VISIT MY DISCLOSURE PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION.