Unofficially I have nicknamed Chiara Ferragni the Italian version of Kim Kardashian. Like the Kardashians, Ferragni has a fierce entrepreneurial spirit (her blockbuster blog and footwear line, Chiara Ferragni Collection, became a Harvard Business School case study in 2017), leads an opulent lifestyle, and is married to an equally famous musician (Federico Lucia, Italian rapper and producer). It’s easy to forget that the 31-year-old was once a blogger with a modest little site called The Blonde Salad, which has since been revamped. She has traded in her Abercrombie & Fitch hoodies for Dior dresses and Vogue covers. With 15.7 million followers on Instagram and counting, Ferragni is a force to be reckoned with.
About a month ago, I finally splurged on this Anya Hindmarch makeup bag. I had been considering it for some time – several friends have it and swear by it, mainly because of its streamlined shape and organizational system, the fact that it is easy to clean, and that it has a LOT without taking up a lot of space. My makeup situation has been a mess for a while now. I alternated between different cosmetic gift bags and everything felt like it was everywhere. Despite being pretty minimalist with my makeup routine, I had a lot of products.
Having a lot of products sounds like fun but it’s more annoying than anything – I could never find what I was looking for! So I bought this bag and subsequently did a major makeup purge. If it didn’t fit in the bag, it got tossed (I have a few other products – mostly mascaras and liners – that are on my vanity but this is mostly everything!) I keep this bag on my vanity at home but also travel with it. It has all of my makeup essentials and it basically never leaves my side.
I really like to stick to the essentials. Since I’ve cut things out (a bit, at least), it’s always easy to find what I want (and my bathroom is a lot less cluttered!)
WHAT’S IN MY MAKEUP BAG
MAKE UP BRUSHES
The first compartment is strictly dedicated to brushes. There are only six grooves so that’s what the cutout did. One big fluffy dry powder brush, this foundation / highlighter brush (I have to say it’s probably my favorite brush, it’s magic to blend with highlighter), three eyeshadow brushes (TBH probably won’t need them all, but what sea) and a spiral brush, which is actually one of my favorite items, great for taming brows and brushing lashes if they get tangled or a little mascara builds up.
MY FAVORITE PALETTE
I’ve said it before, but I’ve never been a great paddle girl. (While I love the brand, I think I’m the only person who isn’t obsessed with Urban Decay’s nude palette.) And I love eyeshadows, but I don’t use them enough to take up a lot of real estate space in my bag. I featured this Wander eye palette in this post and I’m sticking with it – it’s the best and it’s small so it doesn’t take up much space. Contains blush, highlighter, and the prettiest tan eyeshadows I’ve ever seen. LOVE.
MASK
I only have one mascara in my bag at a time, and this time it’s NARS Climax Mascara (which I’ll review in a week or two, what a name!). I really love this mascara when I want drama. Don’t worry, I DID NOT throw away the Glossier Lash Slick that I still love so much for no-makeup makeup, but I’ve had more dramatic lashes lately so I haven’t been using it as much.
BRONZER
My favorite bronzer is Benefit Hoola. There is nothing better! I have tried many other bronzers and I always come back to this one. I’ve been using it since before I moved to New York, over twelve years ago … crazy.
MOST NOTABLY
Maybe you have too many highlighters in here, but hey, you can never be too bright, right? I have Wander’s Glowtion (with a bit of a cream highlighter at the end), and I also love this one from Charlotte Tilbury. Oh, and Sisley’s Instant Shimmer Primer, which is great for under makeup / tinted moisturizer. Lastly, I have this cream highlighter from Becca, which is probably my favorite of the bunch. I apply a little on the temples for an added GLOW.
EYE SHADOW STICKS
I LOVE an eyeshadow stick. They are easy to apply, they stay on all day / night, they are the best! Sometimes I wear them alone, other times under a powder eyeshadow to add more dimension. My favorites are usually from Bobbi Brown and Laura Mercier, but I also tried this Jouer stick in rose gold and I LOVE IT.
PRODUCTS BROW + MASCARA
I don’t always wear makeup on my face, but I do my brows almost every day. I fill them in with an Anastasia Beverly Hills pencil and then tame them with Sisley’s brow mascara.
