What’s In My Beauty Bag – Gracey O’Connell of Long Hair and Lashes

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. 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 chatting to Gracey O'Connell of Long Hair and Lashes

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As a long term lover of lotions and potions, and now working in cosmetics retail, it’s safe to say I have tried quite a few products over the years. My blog pushes me to constantly try out new things; to let my readers know what I think works, and also what doesn’t… At least that’s my excuse when my bank account is suffering – sure isn’t it all for the blog?! While my makeup collection is quite extensive, my on-the-go makeup bag certainly isn’t. I do a full face of makeup on a bus every morning, so only the hero products make their way into my beauty bag. The Beauty Bag: I like to change my makeup bags every few months for hygiene reasons and Penneys always has great designs and sizes. This one screamed summer to me – does it remind anyone else of being on holidays in Spain as a child and seeing that pattern on everything in souvenir shops?! Skin Preparation: I’ve really turned into a skincare fiend since starting my blog, Elizabeth Arden Prevage day lotion is the most recent thing to make its way into my makeup bag. On first impressions, it seems to be sitting super well on my oily skin throughout the day and it has SPF 30 which is crucial for me. I follow up my makeup with a primer and the one to rule them all in my opinion is the Benefit Stay Flawless. This stuff is like pritt stick for your face – it holds onto all the makeup and is perfect if you need your foundation to stay in place all day. I’ve been using this for years and have repurchased it three times now, so it’s definitely a firm favourite. The Face: I love trying out new foundations and that’s all very well and good, but my go-to one that I know always looks great when I need it to is Seventeen Stay Time full coverage foundation. I’ve harped on about this on my own blog plenty of times before, but it’s just so fantastic. I’ve gone through bottles of this, I’m never without it. Collection Lasting Perfection concealer is a much loved gem among many beauty bloggers and with good reason – the coverage is super and I have repurchased this a couple of times. I'm also using  Urban Decay Naked Skin concealer, it's gorgeous under the eyes. Finally, I have to set everything in place with a powder to stop nature’s shine (aka my oil slick of a T-zone) coming through. The one I happen to have now is the Seventeen Stay Time Pressed Powder, it gives a bit more coverage and works nicely with its sister foundation. The Cheeks: Contour, blush and highlight might seem a bit much for every day but it’s something I love doing to give shape to my face. NYX Taupe blush is a brilliant contour if you are very fair. It’s a grey, cool toned powder that really mimics a natural shadow and I’d recommend using that over a bronzer if you’re pale like me. Blush is something I’m always changing up, but I generally go for corals and peaches in the summer and plums or nudes in winter. At the moment, I'm obsessed with Urban Decay Afterglow blushes. The packaging is sleek, they come in 12 shades with different finishes (both matte and shimmers) and the formula is beautiful and very long lasting which I appreciate. Lightscapade MSF by MAC is the highlight I wear most days. It’s really brightening and great for fair skins. It gives a sheen to the skin but isn’t very high impact or in your face. On days when I do want a high shine highlight, I look to Mary Lou by The Balm. The Eyes: Priming the lids is something I always do. I need my shadow to stay on throughout the day, and the eyeshadows to look as true to colour as possible. Urban Decay’s Eden primer is my favourite out of all the ones they do. It has a yellow tint that conceals any redness or veining on the lid, creating a blank canvas for whatever I put on top. I’m pretty boring with the eyeshadows I use day to day but the Urban Decay Naked Basics (the original, not number 2!) has never done me wrong. It’s teeny tiny so perfect for travel, and has plenty of mattes that are really versatile. I get so many questions on which Naked palette people should get and 9 times out of 10 I tell them to go with this guy over 1,2 or 3. You can use the black as a liner, the browns to fill in your brows and the shimmery cream to even highlight your cheek bones in a pinch. Brows are my thing. I just love them and about a year ago I found the thing for me. Anastasia Beverly Hills knows her stuff when it comes to brow products and the Dipbrow broke the mould. If you like a bold, statement brow then this is a good one. I want to be buried with my winged liner on fleek, and I have been using the Essence Liquid Liner for YEARS – even when I was a 13 year old at Paramore concerts. The brush is great, the formula is long lasting and it’s small enough to keep with you if you decide to add a wing for going out after work. Eh, plus, it’s like €1.87 and that wouldn’t even buy you a Happy Meal. A cream coloured pencil is great for brightening up the waterline, making you look more awake and covering any redness that may be around the eye area. Mascara is another thing I’m not loyal to; I can’t remember the last time I actually repurchased the same mascara twice. The one I’m using for now (and really liking) is W7 Absolute Lashes. The Lips: I like lipstick my options, and it might be a little excessive but honestly, I cleaned out my handbag 10 minutes ago and found 5 more lipsticks/balms and liners so this is restrained. I promise. Lipliner is essential for me and I always have a few with me to match whatever lipstick I think I might wear that day. NYX, Sleek, No 7 and MAC do some of my favourite liners. Finally, lipstick is the make-up item I like to buy the most, and I think it can completely change a makeup look so you know, I like to carry 5 at any given time (or in case Ryan Gosling is in the area). I wear nudes most days, and adore Faux (MAC), Kinda Sexy (MAC) and Native (Urban Decay). I also like to have a bright red or pink and a dark lipstick (Urban Decay Catfight and Wet n Wild Ravin’ Raisin) with me, just in case! Love beauty? As a member of 3Plus you'll get unrivalled access to beauty offers & competitions, including 20% off at McCabes Pharmacy online, 20% off at The Spa, Aghadoe Heights, Killarney. Register now with 3Plus to get these exclusive deals as well as offers on shopping & eating out.