If, like me, you’re totally beauty-obsessed, you’ll know the very specific thrill of a friend showing you what’s in their makeup bag. From new beauty products to classic makeup brands, there’s nothing quite like finding out what other people love and use themselves. After all, word of mouth is one of the best ways to find new makeup treasures, which often go on to become permanent fixtures on our own makeup bags. And, as a result, we beauty editors get asked about our makeup bags a lot.
Working on the Who What Wear UK beauty desk, I’m truly spoilt to be among fellow beauty editors who rigorously test makeup for a living. Between us, we have decades-worth of experience testing everything from the very best foundations and holy-grail mascaras to lip balms that we’re never more than two feet away from. So, if something makes it permanently into our makeup bags, you can bet with certainty that you’re going to love it too.
With autumn here and everyone sliding into our DMs to ask after our top recommendations, I asked my beauty colleagues if I could peek inside their (exceptionally chic) makeup bags and collate the insights all in one place. Scroll on for all our top recommendations.
Shannon Lawlor, Beauty Director
CHANEL
Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream
“I’m going to be honest, for the majority of the year, I wear powder bronzer. My general approach to beauty is that I long to look as though I have been lost in the Californian desert for weeks—complete with dishevelled but beautifully sun-kissed hair and, of course, a level of dusted bronze that appears so intense it simply has to be real,” says Shannon. “However, come autumn, my slightly weather-beaten skin doesn’t take as well to powder products, so I lean on cream and liquid formulas to help boost hydration. This bronzing cream from Chanel is a total icon—I warm it up with a brush and work it into my hairline, hollows of my cheeks and over my nose for a lived-in sort of glow that doesn’t reek of effort,” she says. “It is, without a doubt, my hardest-working autumn beauty product.”
Victoria Beckham Beauty
Colour Wash
“I am not myself if I leave the house without a hearty coating of blush onto the high points of my cheeks and over the bridge of my nose. This Victoria Beckham Beauty Colour Wash tint is, without question, the most exceptional blusher I have perhaps ever used,” says Shannon. “A couple of dots, blended with a brush, delivers a deep rouge that looks as though it glows from the inside out, and it sticks around all day. It makes me look like I’ve just stepped inside from a soul-filling autumn wellness walk—like health and wealth in a teeny-tiny bottle.”
Dior
Addict Lipstick Mix & Match
“Before autumn really kicks off, I spend a great deal of time editing everything that I own. I clear out my wardrobe, my makeup bag, my skincare shelves and my homeware—I don’t like to take anything into autumn that doesn’t make me feel like my very best self,” says Shannon. “This lipstick situation from Dior contains shade D Player inside what is the most beautiful case I’ve ever laid eyes upon. Every time I pull it out of my handbag, I really feel like I have my life together. Plus, the rich, brick-red-brown shade is the stuff that autumn dreams are made of.”
“Unruly, untamed, fluffy brows are sort of my thing, and nothing helps me achieve my signature look better than Merit’s Brow 1980 Volumizing Pomade,” says Shannon. “Throughout summer, I tend to opt for something a little lighter for a skinnier brow look, but come autumn, I want a thick, full, feathery brow with a soft finish, and this product is the best of the best for achieving said look.”
Makeup By Mario
Master Mattes Cream Eyeshadow
“Autumn/winter is the only time of year I lean into eye looks, but I still like to keep things minimal,” says Shannon. “I typically keep one creamy, taupe eyeshadow in my makeup bag that can be swiped over lids during the day or layered up with kohl liner in the evening. This new formula from Makeup by Mario has done more than just impress me; it’s stolen my whole heart,” she says. “I just dot the doefoot onto my lids and blend with my ring finger for the most beautiful wash of chestnutty brown. It is the perfect everyday product for lazy girls who are too busy to play around with intricate eyeshadow looks.”
Eleanor Vousden, Beauty Editor
rhode
Pocket Blush in Sleepy Girl
As for myself, I take autumn very seriously—it may be my favourite season of all. The changing of the guard from summer beauty to autumn perfumes, autumn hair trends and autumn makeup look brings me so much joy. Rhode’s Pocket Blushes are a mainstay in my makeup bag year-round. During summer, I crave the bright pop of Spicy Marg and sun-baked hue of Toasted Teddy, but come autumn, I swap to Sleepy Girl. It’s the most perfect mauve-tone—and doesn’t the name itself speak to a cosy autumn? The cream blush formula just melts into cheeks, delivering a gentle haze of colour that even blush-phobes can get on board with. love to wear it on my lips too for a monochromatic flush.
Hourglass
Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara
I’m exceptionally picky when it comes to mascaras. Having hooded eyes and stubbornly straight eyelashes, I’m always looking for mascaras that won’t transfer or smudge, but can also hold a curl all day long while delivering on length and bestow a fanned-out effect upon my lashes. I’ve been using Hourglass’s Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara for years, and I always come back to it. The comb brush captures every lash, dressing them with inky length that never transfers or smudges. It’s one of the few mascaras that actually holds the curl from my eyelash curler all day, too. Hourglass has just brought it out in an espresso shade, which I may be tempted to swap to for autumn.
Victoria Beckham Beauty
Matte Bronzing Brick
I like my makeup products to be effective, of course, but it doesn’t hurt if they happen to have incredibly chic packaging, too. Case in point with Victoria Beckham Beauty’s powder bronzer, which is housed in a weighty, tiger’s eye crystal-inspired compact, with gilded trims that close with a satisfying click. It features two shades of buttery bronzer powders, which are ideal for warming and sculpting, but also for tailoring your glow as your summer glow fades into the autumn months. It also serves as a mirror for touch-ups, so it’s always in my makeup bag.
VIOLETTE_FR
Lip Nectar in Dahlia Noir
I’m putting it out there—this may be my favourite beauty launch of the year. The Violette_Fr Lip Nectars are everything I want from a lip stain and feel inherently Parisian with their “just bitten” aesthetic. They apply as a subtle gloss while the colour blossoms on your lips underneath to give you a long-lasting stain, too. I’ve been wearing the shade Dahlia Noir, a deep plum-red that makes me feel like a mysterious French extra in Gilmore Girls.
Glossier
Boy Brow Arch Pomade Pencil
They say brows are sisters, not twins—but mine do not know each other. Because of their asymmetry, I need to rely upon brow pencils that allow precise brow strokes to balance them. Tinted brow gels can deposit pigment in the wrong places, while other brow pencils are too heavy. So when I discovered Glossier’s Boy Brow Arch Pencil, I haven’t once looked back. The magic is in the nib, which is slanted and has a wafer-thin pencil edge that makes it easy to draw individual brow strokes exactly where I need them. This brow pencil is the reason I’m saving money on brow appointments this autumn.
Grace Lindsay, Junior Beauty Editor
DIOR
Addict Lip Glow Butter in Black Cherry
“I have dry lips all year round, but in autumn, they really come into their own, which is why my makeup bag is filled with lip balms,” says Grace. “One of my favourites for this time of year is the Dior Addict Lip Glow Butter in Black Cherry. The deeper hue perfectly complements the tones in my autumn wardrobe, and the moisturising formula keeps my chapped lips at bay.”
Armani
Luminous Silk Foundation
“As soon as the weather shifts, you can see it in my skin. My sun-kissed complexion quickly becomes dull and lacklustre, so I rely on glow-boosting makeup products to help bring some life back to my skin,” says Grace. “My foundation of choice is always the Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. The lightweight formula practically melts into my complexion, offering medium coverage and a blurring effect. It is infused with glycerin, so it helps to provide a hit of hydration, alongside some much-needed dewiness that never fails to have people commenting on how healthy I look.”
By Terry
Terrybly Mascara in Missterry Wine
“One subtle change I like to make to my makeup in the autumn months is the shade of mascara that I use. While summer is reserved for black and brown hues, autumn is the time that I like to bring out the burgundy mascara formulas that make my eyes pop,” says Grace. “One launch that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this season was the By Terry mascara in Missterry Wine. This new product comes in the most beautiful deep purple hue, and I already know that it’s going to be a new favourite of mine.”
Lisa Eldridge
Muse Eyeshadow Palette
“Who doesn’t love a smoky eye look in the autumn months? While deep brown and black eyeshadows can look a little harsh on my skin, I love creating a statement eyeshadow look with this palette from Lisa Eldridge,” says Grace. “Featuring a range of soft pink and brown tones in both shimmery and matte finishes, there is so much fun to be had.”
Westman Atelier
Baby Cheeks Blush Stick in Petal
“People often reserve cream makeup products for the summer months, but in my opinion, these are the perfect products to use in winter when your skin is feeling drier than normal and in need of a boost,” says Grace. “I have been obsessed with this Westman Atelier cream blush stick for quite some time now, and although I love using it in the summer, autumn is when I really rely on the buttery formula to give my cheeks a pop of colour and a hint of radiance.”
