THE MAKEUP CAPSULE WARDROBE

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After sharing my skincare capsule wardrobe last week, it only seemed right to do the same for makeup! These are the things I neeeeeedddd  in my makeup bag and would rush out to buy if my house burnt down (after all the other admin, of course)...


For complexion, let's start with primer; a fantastic all-rounder is the Touch in Sol No Poreblem Primer | £16 | full review. I'm coming towards the end of my second bottle of this stuff and will absolutely repurchase it. It smooths my skin without being drying or silicone-y or pilling up on my skin. It just leaves everything soft, hydrated, even and ready for makeup! Also going into my capsule collection is the Nars Pure Radiance Tinted Moisturiser (St. Moritz) | £31 | full review. If you want skin that looks like skin, but appears that bit more even, perfected and radiant; look no further because Nars have bottled 'your skin, but better'! This has been a staple in my routine for years and I'm on about my fifth tube because it's a great everyday option that lasts incredibly well on my skin. As a more medium-to-full coverage when I'm heading out, I really am a fan of the Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Hydrating Foundation* (250) | £27 | full review. It doesn't look too heavy, it isn't drying on my skin and it's a long-wearing formula.

Ok, I have two concealers, which seems kind of extra for a capsule collection but I just couldn't sacrifice either! As a spot concealer, I haven't used anything other than the Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer (Ginger) | £24 | full review | in about three years. The love is real! It just has that perfect formula that melts into the skin with the warmth of your fingertips as you dab it on. It's nothing overly matte and it gives excellent coverage whilst still looking like skin. It lasts really well throughout the day without rubbing away and can be applied in a few seconds. What's not to love?! Under the eyes, I usually opt for the Milk Makeup Flex Concealer (Medium) | £23.75 | full review. It has a slight peachy undertone to help correct dark circles (though if you want a dedicated corrector - I recommend Bobbi Brown's | full review) and gives a natural but decent medium coverage. I love how long-lasting it is and how it blends in perfectly with the lighter bases I gravitate towards. To set it all, my absolute favourite is the Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder* | £42 | full review. It's just fantastic! It's finely-milled, it has a blurring effect on the skin, it never looks heavy or cakey, it's not too matte and it really does lock my base makeup in place all day long.

Let's jump into some cheek products, none of which will come as much of a surprise to regular readers! First up; a cream option in Glossier's Cloud Paint in Dusk | £15 | full review. This is one of the few cream formulas I've tried that doesn't look greasy on my skin and lasts really well. You simply dab on a tiny bit with your fingers and blend it out; it meshes really nicely with my base makeup when applied directly over it without any powder. This is a lovely warm, slightly peachy nude colour. I also reach at least twice a week for the Milani Baked Blush in Bellissimo Bronze* | £10.95 | full review. This is a natural, highlighting formula that it's impossible to go overboard with and that never goes blotchy or uneven. It's an orange-gold colour that works really well with any warm-toned makeup look. 

For bronzer and highlighter, I truthfully didn't even have to think about it! I just grabbed my Jouer Powder Highlighter in Skinny Dip | £19 | full review | and my Fenty Beauty Sun Stalk'r Instant Warmth Bronzer in Bajan Gyal | £25 | full review. This highlighter is incredible and totally blinding, but it also meshes really nicely with the skin, as opposed to sitting on top of it so it's kind of natural at the same time! It's a beautiful warm golden champagne colour with a peachy undertone. The Fenty is probably the best matte bronzer formula I've ever tried; it blends evenly and effortlessly and stays visible throughout the day. It's hard to go overboard with this formula and the colour is warming without being orange. 

Let's talk about eye stuff! My go-to quick eye look usually features the Nudestix Magnetic Eye Colour in Copper Foil | £20 | full review. This metallic cream eyeshadow crayon comes in a beautiful, warm amber-gold colour that really works for my skin tone. I simply swipe it on, dab the edges out with my fingers and I'm good to go. When it comes to palettes, I'm sorry but it still has to be the Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Eyeshadow Palette* | £46 | full review. It's just a great, versatile palette that does everything I want it to do, contains the essentials and can take me from day to night. I reach for this palette just as much ahead of a day at the office or ahead of a night out! The quality is superb; the eyeshadows blend like a dream, look stunning when applied and last very well.

On the lashes, you must be new here if you didn't know this was going to be the Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara | £8.99 | full review. I flirt with other mascaras but since this was launched five years ago, it's been the one I've always returned to. It's just a great all-rounder, adding length, curl and volume with good separation. It doesn't flake or smudge on me either. Plus it's under a tenner, so you can't really go wrong! For liner, my trusty and much-repurchased go-to is the Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Intense Smoky Quartz | £16 | full review. This warm dark brown colour adds definition to my eyes in a nice, subtle way and the formula really lasts. For brows, my go-to for a very long time has been the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz (Dark Brown) | £23 | full review. This is a micro-fine brow pencil that honestly just helps add the most natural shape to my brows. They never look too 'done' when I use this pencil and the colour itself is very natural and nothing too warm.

Finally, there are three lip products that cover off all of my bases. The first is the Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment in Spice | £19.50 | full review. This is a nourishing sheer lip in a warm rosy brown nude colour that I reach for on minimal makeup days or when my lips feel a bit dry and want something repairing. My perfect nude lip is the tragically discontinued MAC Matte Lipstick in Strip Me Down | £17.50 | full review. The formula is creamy and comfortable to wear and the colour is this beautiful warm beige tone. People say Taupe is similar, but for me there's something about Strip Me Down that's just next-level perfection. Finally, for a more glam, evening-appropriate look, I really love the Ofra Long-Lasting Liquid Lipstick in Americano | £12 | full review. This is a comfortable but matte and long-wearing liquid lipstick in a gorgeous deep reddish-brown colour that looks pulled-together without being too fussy.

Which products or product types make it into your makeup capsule wardrobe?

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Read more posts from this series here!