EACH WEEK, WE’LL be taking a peek into some of our faves’ makeup bags to see their must-have products, because we’re nosey. This week, it’s the turn of beauty blogger and makeup enthusiast Steff Kelly (Breaking Beauty). You can follow her on Instagram here.

Her earliest makeup memories

“My earliest makeup memories come from a very unfortunate time in my life. I was going
through a massive goth phase so I’m sure you can only imagine the state of me.

“I think the lowest point must have been attempting to pack talcum powder on top of a foundation belonging to my mum in an attempt to make my face look ghostly white! My dad still threatens me with the pictures from those dark days.

It wasn’t all bad though as it left me with two things; the ability to apply decent winged eyeliner, and a thick skin when it comesto being slagged for more adventurous looks!

As I got a bit older (and thankfully grew out of the goth stage), I went through the usual
dream matte mousse and zero eyebrows trend. My love and passion for makeup only really kicked in a few years ago. I had always loved art and writing so beginning to experiment with makeup looks and starting up a beauty blog was a great way to combine the two!

Her makeup bag and what’s inside

“I have a VAST makeup collection so condensing it down to my utter essentials did take me a while but each and every one of these items are an absolute necessity in my daily makeup routine. I’ll go through my bag in the order I would apply a full face of makeup.

“Having a good base is everything when it comes to applying makeup. Without it, even the most expensive products just won’t look right. I have very dry and dehydrated skin so I always start off by applying the Moisture Boost Serum from Simple. I then spritz my face with the Aqua Priming Spray from Makeup Revolution. This is a dream combo and really hydrates my skin and helps my base products to sit perfectly on top.

“While I wait for those products to really sink in, I do my brows. I legit have no eyebrows. I could actually give Lord Voldemort a run for his money. My saviour is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow pomade. These really are worth the money as the formula is just second to none! I use the shade ‘Taupe’ for when my hair is super blonde and ‘Medium Brown’ for when my roots have grown out a lot. I also love the Makeup Revolution Brow Definer as it’s absolutely perfect for creating tiny little strokes to mimic real hairs.

“I always do my eyeshadow before my face and I would be lost without my Z palette. I’ve built it up myself with a mix of Makeup Geek and Colourpop single pan shadows. These are hands down my favourite eyeshadows in the world and if you haven’t tried them I highly recommend giving them a go! I love wearing colourful eye looks but I have a good selection of neutrals in there as well so I’m covered on all bases.

“I’m a sucker for glitter but the application can be a bit awkward and messy. The Glitter and Glow liquid eyeshadows from Stila are total game changers! I now use these anytime I want to add a bit of sparkle as they’re so quick and easy to apply. They also make it look like you’ve put in way more effort than you actually have! They are definitely on the pricey side but trust me they are 100% worth it.

“I’m not the biggest aficionado when it comes to mascara and rarely buy expensive brands as I almost always wear false lashes. The L’Oréal Telescopic mascara is definitely the best I’ve tried in years though. It’s really lengthening and most importantly; doesn’t smudge! When it comes to liner, I adore the Makeup Revolution Renaissance Flick for wings and the Maybelline gel is the best gel eyeliner I’ve come across.

“As I mentioned, I always wear false lashes which I like to buy in bulk from websites like
Wish. I’ve recently discovered a site called Rosegal where I’ve found some fab bargains and the shipping is much quicker than the likes of Wish or Ali Express! I love a dramatic fluffy lash and I always apply them using Duo glue.

“My holy grail foundation has got to be the LA Girl Pro Coverage Foundation. I absolutely love the finish this gives and it is so gorgeous and glowy while still providing amazing coverage! I also really rate the Makeup Revolution Fast Base foundation sticks. I use two shades in each, one for when I’m pale and another for when I’m tanned.

“I don’t suffer from problematic skin so I don’t need my concealer to hide any blemishes,
instead I use it to brighten under my eyes and to carve out my eyebrows. My two faves are the Makeup Revolution Conceal and Define in C1 and the LA Girl Pro Coverage concealer in ‘Porcelain’.

“I don’t like to mattify my face too much and the best powder I’ve ever used is the RCMA No Colour powder. This has been raved about for years and I really can see why! I apply it mainly under my eyes and around my nose and then I just lightly set the rest of my face with whatever is left on my brush. It doesn’t look at all cakey and really keeps my makeup in place.

“My favourite bronzer in the universe is ‘Give Me Sun’ from MAC. I’m on my third one since discovering this and honestly could never do without it! I also love the contour kit from Bbold. The bronzer is the closest dupe for the MAC one that I’ve ever come across and I adore the contour shade, which is the perfect cool tone.

“My biggest weakness when it comes to makeup is definitely highlighter! I love it to be as
intense as possible and the three I always reach for are absolutely blinding. ‘Shine Bright’ from Doll Beauty, ‘Rodeo Drive’ from Ofra, and the Anastasia Beverly Hills Amrezy highlighter. I can’t get enough of these and I can’t recommend them enough. They’re just pure glow with no powdery finish whatsoever!

“Lipstick is something I’m addicted to buying and I favour liquid lipsticks over traditional bullets. You can’t beat a classic nude but I also have a weakness for a bright pop of colour! My favourite brands would definitely be Jeffree Star, Colourpop, and Anastasia Beverly Hills. When I’m in the mood for a glossy lip, I love the NYX Butter Glosses.

“My favourite setting spray is the Slay All Day range from Gerard Cosmetics. These come in a variety of different scents and smell absolutely unreal! I currently have the ‘Watermelon’ one which is divine. I also really like the cult classic Urban Decay All Nighter. I always buy the travel size version which is so dinky and perfect for throwing in my handbag!

“Lastly, the most important part of makeup are your tools. I love trying new makeup brushes but HATE washing them and have actually been guilty of buying new ones instead of doing the dreaded task. How lazy, right? I order a lot of my brushes online off eBay but if I had to recommend a specific brand it would definitely be BH Cosmetics. They are such good quality for a really affordable price.”

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