My Version of Survival Makeup

There are short trips, and there are long trips. This one went well over a week in a place with bright sunshine and chilly wind, but little humidity. Meaning, we’re not in Kansas anymore. In packing for the trip, I went into full-on survivalist mode with my makeup bag. (As survivalist as a beauty junkie could get, I suppose.) As usual, the goal was to be able to create many different looks with as few pieces as I could manage. Challenge accepted.

Face:

• Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation in Sand – I’ve tried a lot of foundation formulas in the short time since I started getting technical with makeup. When my post-puberty skin started to settle into an adult combination-dry, I learned to embrace light and moisturizing foundations over full-coverage or mattifying ones. I chose to take this on the trip with me in anticipation of the cold weather, because I didn’t want something matte/drying. I also knew there would be tons of outdoorsy activities, and I didn’t want to look like I was made up heavily as if getting ready to attend a formal occasion.
• K-Palette Zero Kuma Concealer Type 2 – This is my second tube, actually. The first one I got was Type 3 that I still use with some of my more orange-based foundations. No doubt, Type 2 is a better fit now that I know my exact foundation shade. It’s yellow based to match my undertone and current foundation. Still love the formula, and I still call it my “Sleep in a Tube”.
• Pixy Two-Way Cake in Natural White – I’m on my second refill case already. I’ve only been using this on my T-zone, so  as not to exacerbate the dryness of my cheeks.
• Nars Deep Throat Blush – I cannot be without this one. If I could only use one blush from my entire collection, this would be it.
• Bobbi Brown Pale Pink Pot Rouge – Again, as a way to fight the cool, dry air, I decided to bring along an alternate blush in cream form. This pink would go well with nude lips and a smokey eye. (More on that later.)
• TheBalm Marly-lou Manizer – I love this highlighter to the moon and back but, golly gee damn, it does not travel well. At all. The Manizer sisters of highlighters/blushes are notorious for breaking with the slightest provocation. Admittedly, I dropped mine once from a short height and the powder broke as a single mass away from the sides of the pan. I tried correcting it by spraying rubbing alcohol and pressing the powder back, but it was only a temporary fix. That powder is so finely milled that it breaks up again if you walk around with it in your purse. I love it so much that I just have to keep using it, even though tiny bits of powder that escape the compact keep dirtying up my makeup bags.

Eyes:

• Bobbi Brown Black Plum Eye Shadow – Just in case there was some sort of evening out, I wanted to be able to create a quick smokey eye. I piled this powder over…
• Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Khaki (Mini Size) – This creamy shadow pen has a little bit of stick to it, so you can layer a powder eyeshadow over to get the pigments to look bolder. The dark color is ideal for building up the smolder in a smokey eye.
• Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Amethyst – For days when I’m too tired to blend and contour, but I still want to have presentable eye makeup on.
• Etude House & Rose Flowering Eyes – IMHO, this is the best shadow palette that Etude House has made to this day. It’s a mix of neutrals and purples, my favorite shadow colors of all time. There’s also a few sparkly and bold colors to play around with in addition to the mattes, so finishes are well-represented. They came up with two smaller palettes last year with similar colors, but this is the all-in-one, right here.
• Bobbi Brown Long-wear Gel Liner in Sepia Ink – I realized that my Espresso Ink was starting to go past its prime, so it was time to open a new one. Sepia Ink is lighter, so it’s less severe and easier to wear everyday in a casual setting.
• Etude House Play 101 Liner in 43 – A little undereye sparkle helps cover up tired eyes. ‘Nuff said.
• Milani Stay Put Brow Color in Medium Brown – I actually forgot to bring a brow pencil. (Que horror!) It was a beauty emergency, so I had to go pick one up. Will write a full review on this later, but know that I really like it!
• Covergirl The Super Sizer by Lashblast Mascara – We vacation in a panicky way. It’s always off to the next attraction in a hurry, so we always end up knackered at the end of each day. For that reason, I anticipated being too tired to fuss with removing waterproof mascara separately. I wanted something I could rub out with micellar water along with the rest of my face, so this was my natural choice. It also survives the elements exceptionally well for a washable mascara.

Lips:

• Nature Republic Collagen HD Dual Lipstick & Lipcream – I’ve had this dual-ended nude lip color for ages. I don’t do a lot of smokey looks, so the matching nude lipsticks I buy get the least amount of use in my collection. Might as well try to make a dent.
• MAC Rebel Lipstick – Inversely, this lipstick is all about fall, so it got the most use from me on the trip. I proudly wore it even during daytime.
• Bobbi Brown Bellini Lip Gloss – A matter of compulsion? I hardly wear them, but I always need to pack at least one lip gloss with me.
• Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in Merveille – Okay, so the one lip gloss became two. My idea of a no-makeup look is neutral eyes paired with the brownish-purplish-pinkish enigma of Merveille.
• EOS Lip Balm in Honeysuckle Honeydew – Since I always had a lipstick or gloss on, my lips didn’t suffer from dryness. However, the corners of my mouth were left unprotected. This provided a colorless barrier to prevent the skin around my lips from peeling.

Umm… Did I still bring too much? This was the most reduced version of my beauty kit already! What makeup would you have brought on your cold-weather vacation? Share them on the comments section, please. 🙂