What Makeup To Bring To Paris?

I already knew i was going to get an overweight bag - so what's new? - so i had to be smart about picking out which makeup to bring.

And i personally feel i did a good job.

At first glance, it didn't seem like a lot. A small bag, my brushes kit and something in a bubble wrap.

And this is what you see when the small bag throws up and the bubble wrap is unwrapped.

For the record, i still think this isn't a lot, but as Rina said before i came here, "Um, awak punya 'sikit' tu tak sama dengan orang lain OK."

Here are my brushes. I stuffed all my important Real Techniques brushes in the compartment here, since i didn't want to bring a separate brush holder.

My eyeliner pencil and lip liner pencil sharpener - one from Stage and one no-brand - and a pair of tweezers.

There are days when i feel too lazy to tweeze every single little eyebrow hair, especially at the places that don't need shaping. So that's when a shaver comes in handy! Then i have my Stage and The Balm Time Balm concealers for my undereye area and my versatile MAC Studio Finish Concealer. I also brought Inglot's Makeup Base, that i've only used about once and don't use anymore because here in Paris, i just put on Embryolisse and that's it for my base. My MAC Strobe Cream in its free-gift size has also been unused here; i feel Embryolisse gives me enough "glow" from underneath.

My Avon compact to powder the face and Stage lash curler. Sometimes i skip mascara and just curl my lashes to prevent smudging of mascara, which oddly i find inevitable nowadays. How annoying is that?

My Urban Decay Primer Potion is a must! I'm into drawn eyebrows at the mo, so i have my Avon Eyebrow Glimmersticks in Dark Brown and Revlon Matte in Sable Brown for that. I also just had to bring something to do crisp black eyeliner, so Maybelline Gel Eyeliner is it. I also brought some eyeliner pencils, like this Silkygirl bronze one and Rimmel's one in Forest Green, both of which i have not used either since coming here. But just in case!

And a couple of black eye pencils from Maybelline too. There's also my Avon glittery blue liquid liner when i feel like colour. There are only two mascaras in my beauty bag when i first came here, but with my purchase of Maybelline Great Lash the other day (not sold in Malaysia!), now i have three!

Two blushers: the bright peachy pink Frat Boy and a warm peachy-orangey-red from Silkygirl. I brought my Bahama Mama bronzer as well; i seem to contour a lot here and i don't know why. Paris just makes me want to contour.

One nude lipgloss by The Balm and one Stage pink lipgloss.

So, i brought five lip liners. It sounds like a lot, but my idea was, i should bring lip colours in the nude, berry, soft pink, bright pink and red families. So i did that with my lip liners and lipsticks.

One interesting fact: I had my Silkygirl lip liner in Maroon in my handbag when Shah and i went to see a movie the other night, and we saw TIM BURTON at the mall! He was promoting Frankenweenie, and it was ah-MAY-zinggg, since i watched his movies since forever! So since Shah and i didn't have a pen on us, guess what ended up being used by Tim Burton when i asked for his autograph?

Huh. I have 8 lipsticks here. But let me just tell you, my MAC Morange isn't for my lips, but it's what i use to mix with concealer for my undereye circles. It cancels out the darkness better, like a corrector, when mixed with my regular concealers.

The safest eyeshadow colours to bring anywhere in the world would be a neutral palette, so my Nude'Tude came with me. And for the days when i feel like adding colours, i've brought all three Shady Lady palettes with me too.

So that's all of them.

People in Paris generally wear neutral makeup, or probably no makeup at all, so that's why a neutral palette is especially handy here. I feel like if everyone here wears makeup, then it is mostly very, very natural "no-makeup makeup". I did see one person, only one, mind you, wearing bright pink eyeshadow. I'm not talking soft sparkly pink, it was this reeeally dense almost hot pink that took over the space of her entire crease. NOT a good look, but if you're into that stuff, why not, right? That woman doesn't care what i think of her makeup. And i don't care what she thinks of mine either. It's another form of "freedom of speech". Except it really isn't speech, of course.
I've also seen coloured lips here in Paris, mainly reds and berry hues, which i'm sure is deemed totally appropriate for the cold autumn season.

See, in Malaysia, it's hot all around, so you're free to wear whatever colour you like, which is fantastic! Here, it's your choice, to fit in or to not. Sometimes i choose not to, but then again with my tudung and bright clothes, i don't know why i should bother to look like Parisians at all. After all, i'm not one of them, and that's OK!

By the way, no, i will not be using my Silkygirl lip liner in Maroon anymore. I'll have to get a new one, as the one i have will probably go into the same frame as Tim Burton's autograph soon!