I have a confession to make. I am obsessed with ‘capsule’ everything (well, not everything!?). The wardrobe I can do. Toiletries are getting there. But makeup, hell no. In my quest to find the perfect set of makeup that, in my fantasy, adorns every Supermodel’s oversized day bag, I have spent thousands of wasted pounds, euros and dollars, on makeup that disappoints me.
Perhaps I need therapy about this? I sit on easyJet planes from Malaga to London and back and dream about the perfect palette, particularly because I am determined to only travel with hand luggage in the future (you heard it here first, people). Customs officers actually scare me…will they? Won’t they.
I might actually sue Boots as they claim that their plastic holdalls are an ‘ideal size for airport security’. According to Luton airport staff, this is not the case. Or holdall, to be precise. Some of my favourite items were taken from me. I felt robbed. I am going to write to Boots, Lord help them. Anyway, back to makeup…
The travel sets so fondly created by beauty houses, whilst great in principle, never get it right. What is this obsession with dull, ridiculous eye shadows, in colours that you just wouldn’t wear? And so many of them? Or colours so very sparkly that your eyelid resembles Christmas wrapping paper.
The blushers either make you look like a TOWIE reject or as if you are auditioning for Gerry Cottle’s circus (I’m thinking more clown than elephant). The powders and their associated brushes are so small you end up getting either a streak of green eyeshadow to mattify your brow or a flash of bronze somewhere under your chin.
Don’t get me started on foundations, primers, concealers, brighteners, pigmentation dimmers or enhancers. Laura Mercier is the best but I wish she would do mini versions. In theory, I would love to use Bare Minerals but knowing my luck, customs would think I was a drug smuggler. Or I would sneeze at the time of application and my joyous prizes would go everywhere except on my skin.
Lip colours are usually designed for the 80+ age group (no offence to 80+ mind you, respect) and this enters a whole different arena. How a lipstick or gloss can look FABULOUS on your hand or in the mirror and then selfie mania begins and it then looks altogether wrong, is unfathomable to me. I have found the perfect lipliner though, a saving grace in this sorry tale. Terry is the brand. So my capsule makeup kit is lonely, just one-item strong. Most lipsticks should actually be banned. They look hideous, even on the catwalk. Some inspired beings should not watch fashion shows and should not be allowed to shop alone.
Eyebrows are another full-time job. I actually end up using waterproof kohl pencils (blended) for my eyebrows. Powders tend to make you look like the world is hovering above your brow (or too dusty) and pencils are often so hard that you end up with a graze. I must have eight pairs of tweezers, ranging from ‘good’ to ‘excellent’. The good ones I can always find. The excellent ones are stolen in the wee hours by tweezer thieves, I am sure of it. I might buy a metal detector.
Mascaras and eyeliners, I love the mini-versions so these get a tick, as long as they are decent. I always wear waterproof eye pencils and mascaras but no makeup kit contains similar versions. I don’t wear waterproof makeup due to the fact that I am prone to weep a lot. Moreover, because I am a klutz, adore a big false lash and also to combat heat, humidity and cabin air or the like. They also tend to glide on better. I am a big fan of the kohl. Not in a Helmut kind of way, mind you.
So, in summary, here is what my perfect makeup kit requires:-
Great base, with just that hint of reflectiveness and overall cover without making you look like a cake top – small size
Pore minimizer – small size, the Clarins one is great but comes in a cumbersome glass pot
Powder – flat and transparent in colour, with a washable applicator
Three eyeshadows – small, matte (2) and iridescent without colour for the evening (1)
Eyebrow pencil – that reacts to the colour of your skin
Waterproof mascara – a wand with brushes (small size but not compromising the size of the wand)
Kohl eyeliners – waterproof, small size, in two colours, one for day (khaki green for moi) and one for night (blue/black, also for moi)
Bronze/Blush – that reacts to your skin type – less on sparkle, more on pigment
8-Hour cream – does everything that a highlighter likes to do without making you look like cupcake frosting. Many a lady gets highlighter application soooo wrong in her application (just look on Instagram)
Lipstick – dual ended, one for day and one for night, small size
Gloss – one, without lights or fluorescent beads but has to smell yummy (not essential if you have a mini 8-hour cream but we all love a Juicy Tube, right?). Many a lady’s day has been made by a pack of Juicy Tubes
Brushes – two double ended brushes (blusher/bronzer and eyeshadow sponge/brush)
Lip liner – the one and only Terry lipliner
False eyelashes – Hooray for the false lash
Tweezers – the ‘excellent’ ones, when found by the new metal detector
Makeup bag – another big challenge, the zip being in the right place so that nothing falls out, enough pouches etc
So, who is going to be the genius that finds a solution for millions of women’s faces, travel thoughts and social media misdemeanours? Let’s plot against the customs’ people. Some women can get makeup so wrong…please help us minimise the fallout on Twitter and Whatsapp. Or will I have to create Leslau’s Perfect Lipstick n’ Kohl. Not a Helmut or Cheryl in sight.