Referencing my recent 'whats in my friends lip gloss heavy bag' post, there was a "tell us what YOU carry in your handbag" comment on my Facebook wall yesterday (thank you Linda Forman Abrahams).

I usually do my make up in the car on the way to work (unless I'm driving myself in which case I dont!). I carry foundation, concealer, eyebrow powder kit, wipes for hands, nude lip pencil, sheer lipstick, cream blush, eyelash curlers, mascara and powder. Sometimes if I have meetings or need extra help, I take a 'neutrals' eye shadow quad in there too. Add to that some clean brushes which I appropriate from the pro kit for the day - a foundation brush, angled eyebrow, tiny eyeliner one for concealing and a bushy eye brush if I'm taking an eye palette. First thing in the morning I only put a light  touch of foundation (around my chin), concealer and curl my eyelashes and then gradually build up to the other stuff around mid morning/lunchtime.

One beauty editor friend once commented that I arrive on a shoot with a bare face and leave fully made up. It's true, I feel like my face grows into make-up as the day wears on. Often my make-up bag gets too full because I swipe things that take my fancy from the pro kit and then forget to 'pay them back'. Other times, I'm testing out new products to see if they are kit worthy. I'm currently using this very nifty Chanel make-up bag which has a convienient zip along the bottom which means it can transform from a generously medium size to enormous in seconds. Every now and again I have a big clear out and switch to a more modestly sized bag for the sake of my shoulders.

Despite it all being owned by me, I always feel like I'm stealing when I borrow things from my pro kit. Occasionally when on a big shoot Jessie will say "I cant find the ****** (something important in the kit), did you take it for your personal bag?" and I will reply rather sheepishly "oh god yes, I borrowed it for a night out". I think this attitude is probably a throw back to the days when I was starting out and couldn't afford more than one of the essentially fabulous items and even though today I have several...old habits die hard.

If I wasn't a make-up artist and didnt have the pro kit dilemma, I think its safe to say I would carry around the most enormous make-up bag with at least 10+ mascaras concealed in various zipped compartments.

In my bag this week I have:

A secret, and as yet unrealeased, cream blusher I'm testing out.

Kevyn Aucoin - Mascara in Pitch Black (very unusual for me to only have one on the go I'll admit)

Ole Henrikson - Ultimate Lift Eye Gel Roll On (been trying this de-puffing roll on for a week now to see if it helps morning face, so far I like it)

Zebra Stripped Nail File - a nail file is essential

Bourjois - Healthy Mix Foundation - 53

Clinique - Airbrush Concealer - 04

Laura Mercier - Secret Camouflage - SC3

No7 - Perfect Lips Liner - Nude

Shu Uemura - Eyelash Curlers

Suqqu - Balancing Eyebrow Powder

Une - Sheer Lips Balm - SO3