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. This week, we're quizzing Nadia Powney of Material Girl on her make-up must haves.

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When your make-up bag is more of a make-up case it can be pretty hard to pick out your essentials. As a collector of all things beauty I find myself constantly switching up products and when it comes to my relationship with make-up you might say I am not exactly loyal. However, there are holy grail products that I always come running back to and I’ll explain all in the below post. Foundation The most important part of my routine is foundation. I have a range of different brands in my collection but my favourite is Estée Lauder Double Wear. If you are looking for a flawless finish and want your make-up to last as long as possible, then you won't find anything better. Concealer I suffer from breakouts so I need a high quality concealer. Over the years I have tried and tested many high end brands and just as many cheaper alternatives. My favourite high end is MAC Pro Longwear (€23). It covers dark circles like a dream and most importantly does not crease under the eye. It has a matte finish which means it is perfect for covering blemishes without drawing attention to them. My pocket friendly choice is Collection Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer (€5.79). Although it is not as polished as the MAC one it is not too far behind. It covers imperfections beautifully but it just doesn’t have as much staying power as the former  Blush I usually stick to a light pink blush like MAC Pink Swoon (€24) as it complements my skin tone but I do love to switch it up depending on what type of eye or lip I go for. My absolute favourite blushers are the Benefit Cosmetics Box O’ Powders (€34). So you can imagine my delight when they released the Cheeky Sweet Spot (€43) as part of their 2014 Christmas Collection. It comes complete with five of Benefit Cosmetics most popular blushers, a Hoola bronzer and a generous sample of Watt’s Up which is a stunning cream highlighter. Tools The tools I use to apply my make-up are just as important as the products so I have always invested in expensive brushes. When I heard that my favourite YouTuber’s Pixiwoo were bringing out an affordable collection of brushes naturally I wanted to try them. I am sorry to say that my poor MAC brushes have not seen the light of day since Real Techniques came along. They are the best brushes I have ever used. They are high quality, they don't shed and they are so well made that they do all the work for you. My favourites are The Expert Face Brush (€13.29), The Buffing Brush (Part of the Core Collection €28.99) and The Blush Brush (€12.99). The one MAC brush that I did not give up on is the 217. It's an eyeshadow blending brush that everyone should have in their beauty bag. I like to apply my shadow with a flat brush and use a clean 217 to blend it out to achieve the perfect smokey eye with zero effort. Another favourite of mine is the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge (€7.99. I use this to blend out cream highlight and contour to achieve a beautiful result. Highlighters Like every other beauty junkie out there I am addicted to highlighters. Liquids, powders and creams the list goes on. My problem is (and I know a lot of girls will relate) I get make up envy. So when I see someone with glowing cheek bones, I have to go out and buy that product too. My most recent discovery is The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer (€20.50) and all I can say is WOW. There are no words to describe how beautiful this product is, you will just have to experience it for yourself!  Eyes Naked Basics is the one I turn to when I am travelling. It is so compact yet it has exactly what you need to create subtle day time looks that can be turned into sexy smokey eyes in a flash. As for eyeliner I swear by Catrice Cosmetics Liquid Liner Waterproof (€3.99). Winged liner can be a bit of a struggle and I have even heard make-up artists admitting that there are times when you just can't get it right. I find the felt tip on this gives a really precise application. My favourite eyelashes are Primark Beauty Sultry Lashes (€1.50). Previously I would spend on average €10 for one pair of falsies which as you can imagine became a very expensive habit. My top tip is to invest in a good eyelash glue instead of using the glue that comes with the Primark ones. I have yet to find a mascara I was so happy with that I kept repurchasing. However, I did find a little gem in Clinique’s Bottom Lash Mascara. The wand is so small that it easily gets into every single lash making them longer than ever. Eyebrows On the days when I leave the house without make-up I make one exception, my eyebrows. My go to product is Benefit Browzing (€34). This little kit comes with a powder for filling in, a wax for setting, a tweezers for grooming and 2 mini brushes for applying. My favourite eyebrow pencil is Catrice Cosmetics Eyebrow Stylist (€2.99). It has a powdery texture and comes with a small brush on one end. Lips No beauty bag is complete without a MAC lipstick (€20). I always have three lipsticks in my handbag which might seem silly but sometimes I wake up in a Velvet Teddy mood and by the evening I am in a Rebel mood so I always like to keep my options open. My favourites at the moment are Brave, Candy Yum-Yum, Relentlessly Red and Impassioned. Tan My beauty bag is not complete without a bottle of Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan Mouse in it. Again this is one of those bargain products (€7.99) that outdoes the more expensive options on the market. If you're a beauty blogger and want to tell us all about your make-up bag, drop a line to Cathy at cathy.donohue@her.ie