Pretty packaging, hero products, must-have purchases…make-up is a subject we could spend hours chatting about. Everyone has their tried and tested buys and in a bid to find out more about the best way to get bang for your buck, we decided it was time to call in a little expertise. Beauty bloggers make it their business to trial run products and are up to date with the latest releases before they even hit the shelves. In a new weekly feature, we’re going to quiz beauty bloggers on their make-up essentials and why these are the products they return to time and time again. First up, it’s Karen Constantine of Lovely Girlie Bits.

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I have to start off this "What's in my beauty bag" post with the beauty bag itself. I picked up this Pamela Barksy pouch, which I'm using as my everyday make-up bag. I'm having an affair with New York so is very appropriate for me and I can fill this bad boy up with lots of products. All about the face. I think Estee Lauder's Double Wear is the holy grail of foundations and that's a big claim from someone whose hobby it is to try out foundations.  Now, it only does what I want it to do, which is make me look flawless thank you very much, when I use it with a Beauty Blender.  If I try to use my fingers or a brush, it cakes on my skin and doesn't blend properly, but with a damp sponge, it's a whole different story.  I'm loving the medium coverage it gives and for fans of a selfie or two, it photographs beautifully with no flash back. I'm the owner of lovely dark circles under my eyes and have found that the best concealer to hide them effectively without drying out my skin or making it look crepey is Clarins' Instant Concealer.  It's really pigmented and blends into the skin easily making me look well rested, when I feel anything but. As I'm partial to a bit of contour, I've been using the Face Sculptor compact from IsaDora recently and it’s now part of my everyday make-up routine. The soft contour gives me the illusion of cheekbones, the blush gives a warm peachy glow to the skin and the champagne highlight leaves my skin looking radiant, always nice on grey winter days. When I'm not in the mood for contouring, my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Dim Infusion is my go to blush.  The marbled blush/finishing powder not only lifts my cheeks, but gives me a healthy glow. I have to powder my face every day and the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light is a must have for me.  It keeps shine at bay, something very important for us oily t-zoned ladies, but it leaves a super subtle sheen on my skin which lifts my complexion. Look in to my eyes. Neutral eyes are my thing and when I do shift from them towards a bit of colour, it's generally in the bronze direction.  Charlotte Tilbury's Dolce Vita Palette is eyeshadow perfection and while aimed at those with green eyes, anyone can use them.  These shadows are soft, buttery and blendable. On the budget end of the scale, I have a few options that I frequently reach for because they make life easy at 5.30 in the morning. Walking on Eggshells, one of Wet n Wild's bestselling trios is such a little gem and I can be half asleep, cackhandedly applying this and still walk out of the house looking like I've made an effort. The same goes for Max Factor's Excess Shimmer Gel Eyeshadow in Copper.  When I want a wash of colour and bring light to my tired eyes, this is what I reach for. Bringing up the rear of the eyeshadow team is L'Oreal's Colour Riche Mono Eyeshadow in Breaking Nude. There wouldn't be any point in me leaving the house and going to work if I didn't have my brows and lashes on.  There's only one brow product that I repurchase time and time again and it's Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz.  If you're rubbish at brows, then try this. The tiny retractable pencil is small enough to mimic brow hairs for a really natural finish and I can never put a foot, or brow, wrong with this. The same can be said for Charlotte Tilbury's Full Fat Lashes mascara.  I'm a sucker for full, thick, long, wispy lashes and this delivers on all fronts. Lips don't lie Whittling this down was difficult because I am a lip product fiend.  Don't believe me? Check out my Instagram feed where I emptied my handbag and realised exactly why my bag was so heavy! MAC's Patisserie is a peachy nude lip lover's dream and is perfect for everyday wear.  I love wearing it with Charlotte Tilbury's Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk as they're a perfect match. If you think you don't like mauve lip products, then you haven't tried Molto Mauve, one of L'Oreal's L'Extraordinaire Liquid Lipsticks.  This lipgloss/liquid lipstick hybrid is so thick and moisturising on the lips. It’s really pigmented and surprised me with how much I fell in love with it and I use it on an almost daily basis. The same goes for any of the NYX Butter Glosses. This shade, Tiramisu is my all-time favourite though with it's dusky pinkness and is one of those "my lips but better" shades. Finally is the newest edition to my lip product family is Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil. Rich in essential oils which nourish the lips, it gives a super glossy finish without any stickiness.  When I'm wearing it, I feel like I'm properly pampering my lips and know it'll only be a matter of time before I reach the end of this tube. This might seem like a lot of products, but as a bona fide makeup lover, this was seriously whittled down. I love make-up and these are the products I reach for on a daily basis when I'm not testing out other things.   If you're a beauty blogger and want to tell us all about your beauty dos and dont's, drop a line to our girl Cathy at cathy.donohue@her.ie