In my last post, HERE, I showed you what I've been carrying around in my Flight Attendant tote makeup bag (for touchups and excess lippies ha ha!). Today, I wanted to share what's in my main makeup bag...you know, the big one that stays in my suitcase!

***All items purchased by me, or received as a GWP or with a purchase code. Affiliate links included.

I try to switch up at least a few makeup items for each work trip, and the amount I take depends on whether or not I'm testing new product or if I'm not feeling anything specific and want more options. I've run the gamut from taking a very small, minimal makeup bag and minimal amount of product to a big bag (like the one below) and waaaaaaay too much. Here are few things I've learned:

While I love the idea of only packing minimal makeup, at the end of the day I like to have options because I never know what kind of makeup mood I'll be in.
I never wear everything I bring.
I always slightly regret bringing so much because it's heavy and takes up space.
I seem to always want to bring products to test, but because of one too many mishaps...well...I'm not usually willing to risk that they won't be good on a work day so I simply don't test. Unless it's a really short day, but that's rare. But I still pack things to test. Why??? LOL

Seems like I haven't quite found that perfect balance! I want to feel happy that I have enough options, but I also don't want to weigh down my suitcase. And I need to get over testing things on a work trip! In an effort to try to find that happy medium, I hope to do make 'What I Packed VS. What I Wore' a series...thinking if I actually document my packing/usage habits then it'll get better at editing? Fingers crossed LOL :-)

This is the cosmetic case I've been using for the past month or so. I purchased it over the Summer from Tumi - I was able to snag it on sale, but unfortunately this model is currently unavailable and I couldn't find it on any other site (sorry for no info). Tumi has some other cosmetic cases both on sale and full price, but it doesn't look like any are as large as this one, nor do they have as many zippered compartments (2 outside and 1 inside). Anyway...I love that this is unconstructed so I can squish it into smaller spaces or I can squish a TON of product into it. Ok, the latter is dangerous and why I've decided I probably won't be using this again unless I'm going on a very, long trip!

See...lots o' space!!! I could fit at least twice the amount that's already in there, maybe even 3 times???

Ta dah! This is what I packed, minus lip products (those usually stay in my tote makeup bag) - some of these I haven't reviewed yet, so I've added my thoughts:

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Mood, Diffused and the Palette - My thoughts on the individual powders, HERE. Whoops, I bought the palette too. And guess what...I've been loving it. I'll go stand in the corner now LOL!
Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow - I bought this back when she launched on the Nordstrom site, but only have recently started using it. Love the bronzer side, and may even purge my other 2 bronzers after more testing and if I continue to love it as much?? Maybe. I'm not as crazy about the highlighter color - it's slightly more golden than I would like. That said, I do love that both products are housed in one slim compact - great for travel!
Tom Ford Traceless Foundation Stick - A recent purchase that I've been loving. Definitely better than the old formula of the Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick. It's definitely a heavier coverage foundation, but can also be sheered out a bit and is good for covering old acne marks as well. I prefer the Laura Mercier Secret Camo for marks, but if you want to minimize products you use or carry with you then the TF stick works nicely. Not an everyday foundation for me, but I really like having the option for something heavier, to use as concealer or to touch up on spots that I feel need heavier coverage over other foundation.
Tom Ford Traceless Perfecting Foundation SPF 15 - I've been using this for over a month now, and I absolutely loved it at first, but now I'm not so sure if I love it quite as much. Love the coverage (definitely a strong, medium coverage) and that it can be built up without looking weird. It's got fantastic staying power even without being powdered. Finish is natural...not a luminous natural either - a truly normal skin finish. Why I'm not sure I love it as much now???? It's the finish and the fact that it doesn't wear so well over the couple of sunscreens I've tried with it. As far as finish, I find I'm really looking for something with a tad more of a naturally glowy, luminous look...not dewy, but something with a little more oooompf. Regardless, I think this is a really good foundation, and ultimately I'm so so happy to have found another option that doesn't break me out. I totally can see myself repurchasing!
Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage - Industry favorite for a reason! Fantastic for covering those pesky red marks left by acne (not so good at covering large areas). Mine has an unfortunate gouge because I tried to depot into a small container for travel. Yeah...that didn't work...the texture is too dry.
Nars Pro Prime Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base - Staple product.
Bare Minerals 5 in 1 BB Advanced Performance Cream Eyeshadow - Sample. Supposed to triple as eyeshadow base, eye concealer and eyeshadow. Haven't tried it yet.
Charlotte Tilbury 'The Retoucher' Conceal & Treat Stick - Love. Best, non-creasing under eye concealer I've tried that still wears well over heavy eye cream. Slightly brightening.
Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Eye Crayon in Th(Ink) and Brown (Out) - Brown out is the mini sample. These wear really well (long lasting), and survive a good several hours before I start to see fading on my water line (most start fading into the first hour!). I love the Th(Ink) color :-)
Tom Ford Eye Defining Pencil in Espresso - Swatched HERE.
Benefit Watts Up - Mini sample that doesn't seem to get any smaller no matter how much I use it! My perfect, my-lids-but-better color that is my default for lazy days. Still searching for the powder equivalent.
Fairy Drops Scandal Queen Mascara - Cult mascara that so far seems to be as good as I've read. Bronzer Bunny told me about it a long time ago, and I only recently bought it! Lengthens, thickens and doesn't smudge on my piddly little Asian lashes. Not so sure about the curling claim yet...but my lashes are stubborn!
Kevyn Aucoin Eyeshadow Duo in #207 - Swatched HERE.
Chanel Joues Contraste in 84 Accent - Love this color!! I wore this a lot earlier this year - it's an easy to wear color that's got a kick of shimmer to it.
Burberry Light Glow in Misty - Swatched HERE. This has a dent in it!! I wore this a ton back when I first bought it, but it hasn't seen much love in recent times.

...and...yep...that's Tom Ford Nude Dip. Yep, I had a relapse in my shadow no buy, but thankfully that was my only one. Sort of. But that's for another post! And I'm back on the shadow no buy saddle. All I have to say for now is that I flippin' LOVE Nude Dip. Period.

So that's what I packed...19 products...

...and I only used 8...

Hmmmmm....hmmmmmmmmmmm....hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?!!!!

What did I realize this time???

Nude Dip is even better than I had hoped.
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Mood Light still makes a fantastic natural looking blush that I can make as subtle or strong as I want. Which is really good because I tend to go overboard on blush. Like, a lot. I dunno...it's like my blush brushes are on auto pilot and go all out no matter what. But Mood Light I can actually make look semi subtle. Er, at least semi subtle for me ha ha!
I brought way too much. Again.
Despite my positive feelings on the Charlotte Tilbury Bronze and Glow, The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder palette is more versatile while still remaining slim and very travel friendly.
I could've fit all this into a much smaller cosmetic case.

I'm sure it'll take a few more posts like this to really knock some sense into me. Or maybe I'll never get it? Ha ha! How about you? Do you overpack your makeup too, or have you successfully gone minimal?!!