8 Beauty Editors Share the Products They'd Buy Again ASAP If They Lost Their Makeup Bag

Jacqueline Kilikita, deputy beauty director for Refinery29 UK, says this is her new favourite foundation. "When I find a foundation I like, I tend to stockpile it. NARS Sheer Glow and Gucci Eternité De Beauté Foundation SPF 15 are staples in my makeup routine, and depending on my mood or the weather, I flit between the two," she says. "Now, I'm equally as obsessed with the new Burberry Beyond Wear Perfecting Matte Foundation. I have oily skin so foundation often slips off my face, but this stays put with a Velcro-like grip. Don't let that put you off though; it's so lightweight that I forget I'm even wearing it, and it doesn't break me out in spots unlike other matte offerings."

"This mascara is on par with the luxury versions inside my bulging makeup bag, and I often get complimented on how long and thick my lashes look when I wear it," says Kilikita. "The wand is special; it's tapered, which makes light work of capturing and beefing up little lashes in the inner corners, whilst the comb boasts teeny-tiny teeth to pull the product through effortlessly. No clumpy bristles here."

Freelance beauty journalist Humeara Mohamed would buy this concealer if she lost her makeup bag. "My dark, hollow under-eyes are enough to instil the fear of losing my makeup bag whenever I set foot on a plane," she says. "Nobody needs to see these dark circles in my holiday pictures, thank you very much. Huda Beauty Faux Filter Concealer has been my ride-or-die formula since it first launched in its previous packaging. It boasts some seriously intense coverage—ideal for hiding acne and acne scarring (been there, done that) and under-eye shadows that are dark enough for people to look concerned and ask if you're poorly."

"If I had to pick just one makeup product that brings me the most joy, it'd be an eye shadow. And yet, I haven't always been an eye shadow girlie—it all began with this Charlotte Tilbury quad, gifted to me on my 18th birthday by my now mother-in-law," says Mohamed. "Since then, I've repurchased at least 10 more because I always hit pan without fail—that's how much I use it. It's just so versatile! The shades really make my eyes pop, and I like that I can use just one colour all over my lids for a smokey effect, or I can use the brown shade as a liner, with the glitter on top for added pizzazz on any look."

"So, when pondering the nightmarish prospect of losing my entire makeup bag, I tried to think about which products I use every single day without fail and the first that I simply couldn't be without for more than a day is the Kosas Revealer Concealer," says freelance beauty journalist Mica Ricketts. "To me, it's the perfect concealer as it's just so versatile. Unlike some others, it works brilliantly to cover both dark circles and blemishes without looking cakey, and most days I apply it haphazardly all over my face in place of foundation. It's creamy, blendable and has a brightening quality to it that makes skin look really luminous and fresh."

"Lashify Flush Cheek is a fairly new launch, but one that I've used every day since receiving it a few weeks back. I now can't imagine how I did my everyday makeup without it," says Ricketts. "In all honesty, I didn't have hopes for a pH-reactive jelly cheek stick, but it glides so beautifully onto skin and imparts the perfect pop of colour with a subtle sheen. I'm a blush fan anyway, but this one creates a really natural-looking rosy flush—which I think is the ultimate shortcut to healthier-looking skin. Bonus points for the fact that it looks just as good on the lips too, so it takes care of all my makeup colour needs in one step."

When I asked freelance beauty journalist Morgan Fargo what two products she would repurchase, the first she said was Westman Atelier's much-loved Baby Cheeks Blush Stick. "Cream blusher that blurs onto the face like a genuine, truly natural-looking flush? Well, that's exactly what beloved celebrity make-up artist Gucci Westman created with this blusher stick," she says. "Petal is the colour I reach for most days, fluffed onto my cheeks, nose, chin and forehead with a large brush. It's natural without being nothing-y and lasts all day long."

"If it's not in my handbag, it's in my pocket. If it's not in my pocket, it's in my hand. Wherever I am, this lip product is too. Hourglass' lip balm-gloss-colour hybrid is a revelation," says Fargo. "Pigmented colour that slicks on with shine and moisture, all in a slim stick that fits snugly inside jeans pockets and the smallest of bags. In fact, if I had to eschew all other makeup and choose only one thing to take my face from tired to alive, it would be this. Fighting talk, but that's how good it is."

"I’ve tried countless blusher brushes over the years, none of which compare to this one," says freelance beauty journalist Grace Day. "In fact, I only recently replaced my original, which I remember buying around ten years ago when I was a student—at the time it felt like an extravagant purchase, but I definitely got my cost per use from it," she says. "The fluffy, rounded shape applies blusher perfectly—depositing just the right amount of pigment so that it never looks heavy or overdone, and blending it out in a way that perfectly suits my cheek shape. Plus, it works just as well with cream and liquid formulas as it does powder ones."

"I’m totally over wearing full-coverage foundation, but I find that a lot of skin tints and tinted moisturisers don’t always last the day," says Day. "Merit Complexion Stick is the perfect in-between product—pigmented enough to provide coverage and stick around all day, but weightless and completely natural looking. Unlike regular foundation, it’s great for using on the go as well—I can throw it in my makeup bag with a blending brush and know that I can apply it anywhere and everywhere."

Freelance beauty journalist Vanese Maddix swears by this pencil. "I reach for 19/99’s Precision Colour Pencil on a weekly basis, making it one of the first products I would need to re-buy," she says. "I love that the pencil is multi-use and looks really good whether applied to the eyes, lips or cheeks. The pencil is super creamy and highly pigmented, and no matter the shade I’m wearing, I’m always guaranteed compliments."

It turns out that Maddix is also a fan of L'Oréal Paris Panorama mascara. "There is no better feeling than finding a mascara that works wonders at adding length and volume to your lashes. For me, L'Oréal Paris Panorama Mascara does exactly that with just a few swipes," says Maddix. "Whether I use the mascara alone or over the top of eye shadow or liner, it just gets the job done. For me, no makeup look is complete without a good mascara."

For freelance beauty journalist Ata-Owaji Victor, it's all about her brows. "I'm all for experimenting when it comes to colour cosmetics. New blush? Pass it this way. Fun eye shadow palette? I'll be there with a brush at the ready. But when it comes to my brows, for years I've abided by an 'If it's not broke…' mentality, dutifully filling them in with an angled brush and eye shadow," she says. "In my last big makeup-bag update (i.e. trying a bunch of new products), I finally took the plunge and tested out two brow gels, one of which has now become so well used that the writing on the tube has rubbed off. You might remember the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow pot from its 2017 heyday, and you can think of this brow gel as its sleekier 2024 sister," she says. "It's the one that turned me into a brow product convert and it's now a makeup bag mainstay."

"Often, I think that when we put on a face of makeup, going through the ritual of it all, swiping the mascara wand (you'll have to pry my favourite Saie Beauty one out of my cold, dead hands) and such, we forget that so much of makeup's wear and finish relies on great tools," says Victor. "Now, although I have a roster of favourite brushes, the one tool I would immediately need to replace is my HD Brows tweezers. I got them in a Glossybox years ago and on the one occasion I thought I had lost them forever I bought two more, before subsequently finding the original pair. They're great for brow shaping and lash application and are a staple in my makeup bag," she says.

When I asked freelance beauty journalist Sidra Imtiaz for the two products that she'd replace immediately, she shared two of her favourite base products. "Powder for South Asian skin tones can be tricky—I always find they make me look a little grey or wash out my warmer foundation colour," she says. "This one just does exactly what you want it to without caking."

"Can we just take a moment for NARS and its inclusive shade range? This foundation is cult for a reason: it's silky, hydrating and long-lasting and I’d definitely spend my money on it."

As for myself? When I want to look put together with minimal effort, two products I rely on are a tinted SPF and a brow pencil. As the makeup items I wouldn't leave the house without, naturally they're the two I'd immediately re-purchase. I've lost count of the amount of tubes of Supergoop! Glowscreen I've gone through. This SPF has a glowy tint to it which imparts a little coverage whilst making my skin look like I've just had a facial. If I lost my current tube, I'd re-order immediately.

I've tested a lot of brow pencils, but Refy's is my favourite. The retractable nib is very fine, making it ideal for filling in sparse areas without looking blocky, and it also has just the right amount of glide so it doesn't drag on the skin or slip and slide throughout the day.