the make up bag: the lazy diva make up kit

the bare essentials : MAC Studio Fix Liquid,  And Concealer, in Nc45; Mac Mineralise Skinfinish in Soft And Gentle; Mac Blush in Peachtwist; BYS Baked High Shine Bronzer in Golden Shimmer, Mac Zoom Fast Black Lash in Black. Eyeliners: - bourjois (turquoise), shisedo, revlon (eyebrow pencil), mac (purple liner). no idea where i got the green or what brand it is. 

so in chatting to one of my gfs, she grumbles: "it's not that i hate make up... im just lazy as feq. make it simple for me!" challenge accepted. look, i get it. with the thousands of youtube gurus out there with arsenals of tools, potions and lotions, make up can seem daunting to a new comer, or even to someone who just wants to keep it simple. so, after conducting a quick survey (read:asking friends on facebook) i've come up with a very minimal list of products and tools for the lazy, or shall we say minimalist diva.

1. tinted moisturiser/bb cream/light foundation:
why: it's moisturiser and light coverage foundation in one. i'm assuming that you can't be bothered to moisturise AND apply foundation so this lil wonder kills two birds with one stone. if you need a bit heavier coverage however, this may not work for you.
brands: i use mac studio fix liquid foundation, or revlon photo ready (revlon is lighter). sure, you can go out and by an actual tinted moisturiser, but i just mix a bit of the foundation with my regular moisturiser and apply it to my face. i'm on a BUDGET(see name of blog).
note: for more coverage, a liquid foundation, is usually buildable, allowing you to apply heavier where necessary. alternatively you can use a concealer, but you should set that with a translucent powder, if nothing else.

2. bronzer
why: bronzer is my miracle product. it's so versatile. if you're really looking to simplify things, then bronzer is your champion. it acts as blush, bronzer, eyeshadow, highlighter-you get the point. a good bronzer will never steer you wrong. in fact, i use 2 bronzers- a copper-toned and a gold toned one. they give my face some dimension and highlight where necessary. plus they're perfect natural toned eyeshadows for my cinnamon skin! if you're very pale, try using highlighters like mac skinlights in soft and gentle
brands: i'm partial to iman. (i swear it makes me look like Nefertiti) and i do love  mac mineralise skin finish in gold deposit. but i can't hate on black opal, or revlon for that matter. you better get your glow on!

3. eyeliner
why: because your eyes look dead without it. DEAD. also, if you can't be assed with following youtube vids on complicated eye-shadow application (who has time for that anyway?) then coloured eye liners are a great cheat. they're a quick and simple way to add colour to your face.  seriously, you can smudge a liner out to create "eyeshadow" or a smokey eye, or make crisp sharp lines for an intense look. eyeliner is what life is about!
brands: now this is important.. because the wrong eyeliner will have u looking like a racoon in a hot minute. if you rub your eye like a five year old, then invest in a waterproof/smudge proof brand.. i swear by mac's eye khol in smoulder, but shiseido is pretty decent as well. if it doesn't freak you out and you have a steady hand, opt for a gel liner like on the upper lashline as you can create a winged look pretty easily. other than that u can try an eye pen (liquid liner in pen form) but they will never be as intensely black as the gel liners.
random tip: if you have brown eyes switch the black eyeliner out for a navy blue. it brings out the colour in your eyes.. this goes for any eye colour- wear eyeliner in the complimentary colour to your eyes - green- purple liner, blue- brown liner

4. mascara
why: does this really need explaining?
brands: mac zoom fast black lash is the blackest, sexiest mascara ever, but i guess maybelline volume express isn't half bad either.

5. tools
brushes: if you dont buy ANY other brushes, buy a face brush.. you can get at least 3 uses out of it: powder foundation brush, bronzer brush, and blush brush. brushes work better than application sponges (esp for powders) because the product goes on lighter,and looks more natural, less caked on.
fingers: if you are like some of my friends, and can't be bothered with ANY kind of brush then you already have 10 brushes of your own. just remember to wash your hands before you touch your face and when you are moving from one product to another.

apologies for my expressions. my face does weird things sometimes. left: face products shown above plus mac pearlgide eye khol in violet and zoom fast black lash mascara. right: face products shown above plus mac eye khol in smoulder (smudged out) with zoom fast black lash mascara.

ok so there you have it. this is the least that i can work with, and still be happy, but i suppose it can be reduced even less, to simply to concealer, bronzer and eyeliner. the idea here is to show that wearing make up doesn't have to be that daunting task or challenge, complete with tape, special brushes, potions and lotions. don't be intimidated! keep it simple and have fun.
Don't forget to check out the make up tumblr (http://julie-mango.tumblr.com/) for tips and ideas.
later divas!
k

a note on lips: i didn't feature this because its too easy! lip balm, lipstick, lip gloss - whatever floats your boat. it takes like 2 seconds to put on. do it!