What’s In My Makeup Bag? (Midlife Minimalist Party Edition)

My everyday makeup routine is pretty simple, as I work from home and live in a laid-back community. But recently, we received dinner invitations and a save-the-date for a wedding, and they reminded me that I needed some new “party” makeup. So, I thought I’d revive an old blog post trend called “What’s In My Makeup Bag”. I call mine the midlife minimalist party edition. You won’t find any false eyelashes, pearl embellishments, or floating eyeliner here. Instead, you’ll find solutions to some common midlife changes, and suggestions for upgrading your everyday makeup for special occasions. This is what’s in my makeup bag…

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Brushes

Until recently, I used inexpensive makeup brushes that I bought randomly from my grocery store. When they started to fall apart, I knew I wanted to replace them all with a new set. So I started reading reviews, watching demos, and talking to the advisors at Sephora and Ulta. The bad news: they all recommended different brands, and many of them favored different brands for different types of brushes. The good news: there were a handful of brands that came up in conversation over and over again.

After much thought, I decided to splurge on this Sigma Beauty 12-pc Essential Brush Gift Set.

What a difference a brush makes! Over the past few years, my skin has lost elasticity, so makeup doesn’t glide on like it used to. These brushes are softer on my skin, they are easier to control, and deposit makeup better than my old brushes.

If you want to buy high-end brushes, but don’t want a complete set, Sigma has a 5-pc Signature Brush Set.

When buying brushes, think about the cost-per-use of your brushes. if you use them every day, it’s worth splurging. Higher-quality brushes will last longer. If you only occasionally use makeup, you may want a more affordable brand.

Other Recommended Make Up Brush Sets

I haven’t tried these brands, but they get solid reviews and are more affordable than Sigma:

Sephora’s 10-pc Deluxe Brush Set

It Cosmetics’ 5 Piece Makeup Brush Set.

If I hadn’t replaced all of my brushes, I would have kept my EcoTools foundation brush. It was the best of my inexpensive brushes. If you do buy Ecotools brushes, I recommend getting the individually packed full-sized ones. I found the travel sets to be stiff and rough on my skin.

Foundation, Corrector, And Concealer

I currently wear Jane Iredale’s Liquid Minerals foundation every day, as a part of my simple 5-Step Makeup Routine. (I buy mine from a local salon, but you can find Liquid Minerals in Amazon’s Luxury Beauty shop). It’s more like a tinted moisturizer than a foundation, so has a very natural look.

For parties and events, I wanted more coverage, so I tried out Ilia’s True Skin Serum Foundation. It is available in 30 shades, and the color Bedarra was a perfect match for my skin.

Hint: In midlife, powders can settle into fine lines and make your skin look dull, so opt for a liquid foundation.

If your undereye circles are pretty serious like mine are, use a color corrector to neutralize the undertones and then a concealer to cover them.

Eye Shadow, Mascara, and Eyebrow Color

Our eyes (and hands) tend to be the first areas to show signs of age. I know my eyelids are softer and more hooded than they were in my thirties, so bright colors, glittery finishes, and complex techniques just don’t work for me. I wear Jane Iredale’s PurePressed eyeshadow (Triple Cognac And Soft Kiss) which has either a matte or slightly shimmery finish. The tiny compacts make them perfect for travel.

This summer when my skin is darker, I may buy Ilia’s Necessary Eyeshadow Palette which has similar earthy colors but in darker shades.

For mature faces, less is more, especially when it comes to eyeliner. If you are finding that your eyes are softer and more hooded, heavy eyeliner will make them look that much smaller. Try a fine line with liquid eyeliner. If you don’t have a steady hand, a soft pencil liner is easier to use. I like Burt’s Bees’ Nourishing Eyeliner which glides on easily and stays put.

As I’ve gotten older, my eyelashes have become shorter, so I’m always on the lookout for a clean mascara that extends and thickens. (I also look for clean, non-toxic products that perform well.). I’ve been happy with Jane Iredale’s Pure Lash Lash Extender and Longest Last Mascara. For a one-step mascara, I keep Milk Kush High Volume Mascara in my makeup bag.

I am fortunate to still have pretty full eyebrows, but for special events and photos, I define them a little more. I use Beauty Counter’s Color Define Brow Pencil. Then I fill it in with a powder that is actually a matte expresso eyeshadow (a trick an esthetician showed me). The biggest mistake that I see with brows is a heavy-handed application or a color that is too dark. My hair is black, but I use a dark brown pencil and powder for my eyebrows.

Contour, Blush, and Bronzer

For everyday makeup, I sweep a little bronzer across my cheeks. But for special occasions, I’ve been playing around with contouring. If you haven’t tried contouring, the concept is simple; use a dark color to create depth (under your cheekbones and jawline), and a light color to create highlights (cheeks, corners of your eyes, forehead, nose, and chin).

I use Milk Makeup’s Matte Cream Bronzer to contour. Normally, I wouldn’t recommend a bronzer for contouring as bronzers tend to have a warm, shimmery look. However, in this case, the color is matte and cool. For a highlight, I’m going to pick up Milk Makeup’s highlighter, but for now, I’m using up a highlighter I bought a year ago that’s no longer available.

Note: Milk Makeup’s preservative-free formula can dry out more quickly than other brands, so if you don’t use contour and highlighter very often, keep that in mind.

For mature skin, makeup professionals often recommend a cream blush, but I find powder easier to apply. Mine is Jane Iredale’s PurePressed Blush.

This video from Sephora is a good tutorial for applying subtle contouring, bronzer, and blush application.

Lipstick

Wow, remember lipstick? After years of wearing masks, I’d forgotten what it was like to choose lipstick. Lips often look thinner as we age and lose collagen in our skin. They also tend to dry out and show fine lines. So start with moisturized lips and a good lip liner.

I’m always looking for a shortcut, so I love Bite Beauty’s Lip Crayon which works as both a liner and lipstick.

I also just bought Jane Iredale’s PlayOn Lip Crayon which is slim enough to fit into my party clutches.

Don’t shy away from color for special occasions. Just keep in mind that really dark colors will make your lips look smaller. Gloss will make them look a little bigger.

So there you have it! These are all the products in my makeup bag for special occasions. What are some of your favorite makeup brands and tips?

P.S. I’ve included links to online resources, but for makeup, I recommend going to local stores so that you can test out colors. I buy all of my Jane Iredale products from my friend’s salon.