My On-The-Go Beauty Essentials!

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Today I wanted to share a few products with you all that have become handbag essentials over the past few months. It feels like I’ve been living out of a suitcase (and often my handbag in the daytime) more so than ever recently. Quite often I’ll need to do a day-to-night turnaround in a restaurant bathroom or be out for a sixteen hour day with only my handbag. These products have not only been rocking my world, but often saving the day when I’m on the go!

First up is the Max Factor Facefinity compact. This is a powder foundation. It has a great medium coverage but isn’t too heavy, so it’s great for on the go touch-ups of your foundation, but also works really well as a mattifying powder too. It comes in a super sleek compact with a massive mirror, so I don’t have to carry another mirror if I’ve got this as I can easily top-up the rest of my makeup with it too. It also has a little sponge which often comes in useful on the go (although sometimes I also carry a little retractable brush which helps for a lighter application). It’s been in the Max Factor lineup for ages, but I hadn’t tried it till recently and I’m so glad it’s made it’s way into my collection as it’s a great handbag staple for me. It comes in 7 shades and is £10.99 for 10g - available from Boots & Superdrug now, and online here.

Another little product that works alongside this powder are the MAC blotting sheets. MAC sell these as part of their permanent collection, but my pack are from the limited edition Charlotte Olympia range (hence the super cute case!) I had never been crazy about blotting sheets in the past, but recently I’ve found my skin has been getting a little oilier, especially if I’m in London all day and rushing between meetings. I’ve found these to be amazing when I’m on the go. They not only stop you from simply applying more and more powder when it’s not needed, but they also stop you from depositing oil from your face back into your powder if you’re using a sponge or brush (gross but true!). Over time this actually clogs up your powder and makes it’s much harder to use, less effective and is pretty unsanitary to boot! All in all, if you have oily skin and want to keep your makeup in place and looking fresh for longer, I would thoroughly recommend getting a pack of these beauties into your handbag! They are £12 for a pack of 30 and available from MAC counters, or online here. There are lots of cheaper versions available from different brands too, so if you don’t want to splash your cash on the MAC ones, check out Boots for a budget alternative, here.

Another makeup staple when I’m on the go are the Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfectors. I’ve yet to find a person who doesn’t love these little glossy tubes, and I’ve seen pretty much every blogger on the block talk about them over the past few years. They are without a doubt one of the best tinted lips balms I’ve ever tried. They smell absolutely divine (like vanilla) are super smooth and nourishing on the lips and also impart the perfect amount of pigment, subtly perfecting your lips and adding a pretty wash of colour at the same time. The colour shown here is 07 Toffee Pink Shimmer, one of the newest additions (a great dusky rose, one of my favourites) but these come in loads of colours. I have to say I own a shameful amount  (I think almost all of the colours!) but they are just brilliant little products, perfect for throwing on in the back of a cab or on the tube. Because they are quite sheer you can even apply them without a mirror if need be and know you’re going to look a little more polished if you don’t have the time for a full touch-up. These are out now, priced at £18 and available from Clarins counters and online here. 

Lastly, a little departure from the makeup side of things… Chanel have launched an unusual little fragrance product called the Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Touche de Parfum . I was really sceptical when I first tried this as every solid perfume-type product I’ve tried in the past has been greasy and given off quite minimal scent. This was a pleasant surprise though! A non-greasy gel formula that is housed in a white version of the rouge allure gloss packaging. You press the top to open it (super slick!) Inside there is a little plastic applicator. Touch a little to your wrists and pulse points and rub into the skin and it gives you the full effect of a proper spray perfume. The scent is super strong and much more convenient when you’re travelling or on the go! It’s eye-waveringly expensive at £65 but I’m totally smitten with mine. It’s limited edition so may be tricky to get your hands on now, but worth asking about on counter if you like the sound of it! Available here.

What are your must-have handbag essentials? Have you tried any of my recommendations above?! 

* This post is sponsored by P&G for Max Factor as part of my ongoing work with 'Beauty Recommended'. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and products I genuinely use and would recommend.

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