Sarah’s Make-Up Bag

Take a sneak peak inside Sarah's make-up bag and discover her favourite products, one’s that she uses herself daily:

Cleanser

Cleansing is the most important step in any make-up regime. It removes dirt, avoids pores from becoming clogged and therefore dry or greasy. It is more important than foundation! If you don't create a clean canvas for the make-up, then you will feel like you need more ‘cover-up’ and could easily get caught in the vicious cycle of using more and more make-up to try to ‘disguise’ your unhealthy skin. Invest the most in your skin care products, and you will have a more beautiful canvas to work with and a healthier skin tone. Apply with hands, add some water to create lather, scrub your face lightly, remove with moist large cotton cleaning pads, and ensure all product is removed. Top pick: Astara Skincare Cleansing Gele or another of their cleansing products.

Moisturiser

To restore moisture is essential to maintaining a young skin. Apply after a dab of toner to awaken the pores. You can use a base cream or gel that has enhanced properties -No7 Protect and Perfect, the brand by national pharmacy Boots in the UK (also available at Target), has incredibly results yet very inexpensive. The line sold out in minutes when launched, as the press in the UK reported that it had be tested and compared to high-end costly brands and was even considered more effective! Then, apply on top another moisturiser for protecting and nurturing skin.

Top pick: Astara Skincare Rich Moisturiser or another of their products. Use also their eye cream.

Foundation

Apply a light, natural foundation (to jaw-line and not neck). Test the colour on your forehead first for the closest match to your skin. Use a proper foundation brush (rather than sponge - also available at Prescriptives) for best application. Top Pick: Prescriptives 'Traceless' (level 1-5) available from Selfridges, Macys, Sephora.com, or NuSkin 'NuColour' complexion with spf 15 and natural ingredients comes in a great range of warm and cool shades that work well on your skin.

Concealer

For under/around the eye area. Top Pick: Laura Mercier 'Secret Concealer' available from Sephora and Space NK, or Benefit 'boi-ing' available from Selfridges and Sephora.

Eye highlighter

Apply a highlighter to eye lid/upper eye lid to lift eye and open up your eye area. Top Pick: Benefit 'Lemon Aid' or your lightest white/stone/cream in your colour palette. Available at Sephora or Selfridges.

Eye Shadow

Apply to eye lid, crease in eye/upper eyelid to open up eye. Balance out eyelids by placing darkest colour where you have the most e.g. deep socket - darker eyelid, more upper eyelid - darker on crease and upper. Where you have less eyelid apply lightest colours. Use a sponge brush for applying to lids and a powder brush for highlighting. Top Picks: Bobbi Brown Cream Shadow, Wash Eye shadow, and Eyeshadow. Mac have a great range of colours, and also Sonia Kashuk and Target.

Eyeliner

My favourite eyeliner is to apply eyeshadow using a damp narrow/fine long brush. Apply along the entire upper lid if fuller lid or to lower lid if deeper socket to open up. Avoid wearing the typical black if it isn't in your colour palette; you will only take away from your natural colouring rather than enhance it. Top Pick: Bobbi Brown Essentials Eyeshadow in Navy (looks very dark) or Espresso, Charcoal, Smoke, Cement, Steel or Longwear Eye Gel is also great, especially Hunter Ink with hazel eyes. Apply with a fine brush. Mac's eyeliner is great if you are looking for a kohl style pencil.

Mascara

The mascara is a finishing touch and should not overpower the eye area. Rather than wearing thick or heavy mascara, instead use an eyelash curler and then apply a light mascara to set the curl. And avoid the conventional use of black unless you have black/dark brown eyes are very dark eyelashes. Black overpowers most people so instead use brown black, brown or navy. The difference is only negligible but very obvious around the eye area and how it impacts your skin tone around the eye. Top pick: Clinique – 'Natural Gloss Mascara'.

Cheeks

Gone are the days for dabbing powder in the centre of your cheek. Instead the gels provide a healthy glow and reflect the natural look that is in-vogue. Apply along the cheekbone, from corner of eye to hairline. Top Pick: Let’s raid the Benefit factory! Benefit 'Dandelion', 'Dallas', 'Hoola' or 'Georgia' all enhance your natural tones and are great for no-make-up days so you don't feel like you have made no effort. Glamazon is brilliant for glamour types with olive/darker complexions. 'Benetint' is fantastic as a cheek stain and also Revlon's Limited Edition Pinch Me cheek tint. I also favour Vincent Longo Blushers or cheek stains. Note: a powder, stain, or gel...depends on your personality which one is appropriate for you.

Lips

A woman should never be without her lipstick. Gloss, matt, sheen - whatever you choose you can have these days. A lipliner makes all the difference and a plumper (try Benefit 'plump') can also enhance lip size and create more definition. Top Pick: my favourite lipstick is Laura Mercier - Healthy Lips. Or Bobbi Brown Nude cream lipsticks. A great in-between gloss/matt is Paula Dorf's Lipsicle. Mac - Tinted Lipglass is fantastic. Vincent Longo's new Baby Balm lipsticks are fantastic for adding colour and sheen.

Nails

Why wear nail polish? Keep your nails groomed with a good hand cream and a nail oil for the cuticles. Top Pick: Marvala Cuticle oil available from various department stores including Selfridges. Try Sparitual vegan Nail Polish which is free of DBP, formaldehyde, and toluene.

Perfume

I always avoid perfume that is overly fragmented and unnatural, which accounts for 99% of the market. Perfume should be your signature and leave people understanding you more rather than fending them off. What is the point of wearing great clothes if you spoil it with a cheap or over-chemicalized scent. Create your own using distilled water and oils or opt for an oil based perfume such as Aveda's Pure-Fume. I used to wear Aveda's Attraction II oil-based perfume. That is no longer available, so now I use an unconventional choice - Bush Flower Space Clearing Essence Mist. It consists of natural fragrances and I feel it gives me a Feng Shui at the same time. I also use Rose Water mist too which is light and creates a similar affect - a fresh clear feeling.