The Ultimate Guide to Your Capsule Make Up Bag

Does your make up bag weigh the same as carry on luggage? Are you tired of having to bring ten different shades of lipstick with you for every occasion? Well we have a solution for you. No this is not a JML ad, it's Lorna's guide to managing your makeup bag (I should trademark that).

My make up bag takes up most of the room in my bag everyday, and honestly I find it very hard to reduce it down in size and volume. But moving around a lot in my job means it cannot be weighty or packed in any form. I needed to streamline the make up approach and focus on the things I really need throughout the day. So how do we go about this clean out?

• The bag itself

I used to opt for thick plastic based make up bags so I could wipe them clean, but they take up a lot of space. So I've choosen a floppy fabric one which can be squeezed and compacted down to fit in my bag. Penneys have a great selection of these for less than €5.

• Coverage

If you apply your foundation before you leave the house, it's not necessary to bring the bottle with you. I bring a good foundation based powder for touch ups that also top up the coverage if I'm having a bad skin day. Estée Lauder Double Wear Powder Foundation is great for this.

• Travel Size

Travel or sample size products are not just for your holidays; they make for great make up bag products too to take on the go. It's almost like making a smaller, efficient second make up kit to keep with you all day. Look out for travel kits too, like Urban Decay who make a super one.

• Lipstick dilemma

I have such an addiction to lipstick and I love having a selection on me. But, it's so not necessary. I've started to just bring two: one natural and one stronger colour in case a fabulous occasion arises for the evening time. One lip liner in a soft colour that works with both lipsticks is another space saver.

• Brushes

The full kit is not for your bag. Try and keep a double ended brush in your bag that you normally find with eye palettes. The new Clarins Essentials eye palette has a great brush in it, that I reckon can be used for a concealer brush too. Also, Real Techniques make a really good mini brush set that's perfect for hand bags.

So, it's not about packing your entire inventory, just a few simple changes can make your bag a lot lighter. Have you any tips for sticking to make up bag essentials?