This, according to Britain’s savviest beauty editors and make-up artists, is the perfect make-up bag. From the first beige you smear on your face in the morning to the last gloss you apply in the taxi at night, these are the 12 items that will make you look like the you you want to look like. There are old favourites and cult brands, and many are around £15. Chuck out your old mascara – this is the kind of spring cleaning we can get behind.
Prada Cosmetics Pouch, £155, prada.com My ideal bag is durable yet lightweight, has lots of compartments and looks chic, too. Bobbi Brown, make-up artist
Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner in Midnight Cowboy, £14, urbandecay.co.uk By day it is a beautiful shot of radiance, which I wear in a short line at the inner corners of my eyes. By night it becomes a gorgeous, eye-brightening flourish teamed with a dark brown eye shadow. I live in terror of it being discontinued and always buy it in bulk. Annabel Meggeson, beauty director, Red
Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat, £11, asos.com It’s the ultimate for expensive glossy shine and quick-dry power. It makes every colour and brand of polish pop. I have tried all the imitations but always come back to it. Sophy Robson, nail guru
MAC Brow Set in Beguile, £13.50, maccosmetics.co.uk This is magnificent. It’s stupidly easy to wield. And it’s a dull, greyish brown – which looks more authentic than anything I’ve used. I even take a break from using it for no other reason than I don’t want to become complacent about its powers. Joanna McGarry, associate editor (beauty), Stylist
Stila Lip Glaze, £15, stila.co.uk I have been using these for more than 10 years. I love the high-octane shine and the rich texture. “Cranberry” is a perfect red for my skintone and the variety of shades in the range will suit all. Natalie Clue, beautypulselondon.com
Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage, £26.50, uk.spacenk.com I use it to conceal blemishes and uneven pigmentation. If you don’t want to wear full foundation, you can blend a little with your usual face cream or moisturiser and make a lightweight make-up base. Lisa Eldridge, lisaeldridge.com
Lip Balm by Terry Baume de Rose, £35, net-a-porter.com This is the ultimate lip balm. It’s emollient without being greasy. Baume de Rose sinks into flaky, abandoned lips and transforms them into pillowed lusciousness. That’s the “Baume” part. The “de Rose” part is what seals the deal: it’s a realistic scent that doesn’t veer off into candy, like many phony-baloney scents do. Katie Puckrik, broadcaster and YouTube perfume expert
NARS Orgasm Blush, £23, selfridges.com I’ve tried literally hundreds of blushers, but this dusty-pink-with-a-tiny-bit-of-peach one seems to work every time. François Nars has attempted to replicate the colour your cheeks go when you’ve had a flush of blood to the skin’s surface – after a brisk walk, say, or as its name suggests, something a bit more passionate. Nicola Moulton, beauty director, Vogue
Kate Moss for Rimmel Lipstick in Coralicious, £5.49, asos.com This shade is the perfect pop of colour for all skin tones. I’ve managed to keep this on through a hot yoga session and many a long day in the office. It’s also extremely easy on the purse… Liz Hambleton, beauty and health director, Grazia
Code Beautiful Mini Volumising Lengthening Mascara, £10, code-beautiful.com The wand is exactly the right size for the width of my eye and the span of my lashes. The brush picks up shorter hairs so my lashes get an immediate lift, and it’s not gloopy but doesn’t dry too fast either. Perfect! Millie Kendall, marketing director, BeautyMART
Bare Minerals Bareskin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation, £26, bareminerals.co.uk This is the most undetectable foundation I’ve found, and it blends with your skin’s natural texture. It just looks like you have awesome skin, which, after all, is what we want. It also contains skincare properties such as plant stem cells to firm up the skin and vitamin C to brighten areas of discolouration. What’s not to love? Anita Bhagwandas, senior beauty editor, Marie Claire.
Charlotte’s Magic Cream, £70, selfridges.com It’s a recipe I’ve been using and perfecting backstage for years. It floods skin with moisture to instantly turn around dry, tired and hungover skin. Charlotte Tilbury, make-up artist
