Top beauty essentials you need to keep stashed in your car

By Aisling Keenan
02nd Apr 2019

Top beauty essentials you need to keep stashed in your car

From car to bar, to office, to everyday life. No matter where you are driving, there are certain beauty bits it’s always handy to have tucked in a glove box or in the boot for when you’re caught on the hop. Take it from me, a woman who basically lives out of her car…

At a certain point, I had to accept defeat and just store an entire replica of my “getting ready” tools in my car. I keep it in the boot (no one needs the hassle of a car break-in ruining your plans) and I know if ever I’m out without make-up, at the gym without deodorant or a hair bobbin, or on the way to work without a dash of moisturiser on my face, I can rustle up something.

Fail to prepare, prepare to flail*

Granted, if you KNOW you’re about to be called in for your annual appraisal, you can be prepared. But what about when you have no intention of being in any way glam, or even presentable, and someone lands an important meeting/Skype call/date on you? In order to prepare, you’ll need more than what fits in your handbag and this is where the car stash comes in.

Related: IMAGE Beauty Festival: Book your tickets now

Car stash essentials

What you want to do is think minimal effort, minimal space, minimal fuss, but the absolute maximum result. You also want to prepare for as many eventualities as possible. Read on, and prepare to be prepared.

Dry Shampoo – I would not leave home without it. Not only does it provide a hair refresh, but it can provide some texture too. Double jobbing, that’s what you’re after.
A Tangle Teezer – on the same note, I would never leave home without some form of hair brush. Neatness is paramount for me, and messy, unkempt hair just will not do.
Travel sized perfume – I’d always opt for something fancy. Granted, you don’t want your very favourite scent to loiter around your boot for emergencies, but equally well you want your scent to say “got my sh*t together” and not “got this on sale”.
Moisturiser or facial spray – you’ll need something of this ilk if you have nothing on your face as a base, but also if you are just topping up your make-up. No one needs the stress of applying anything to a parched canvas.
Nail polish removal pads and a base coat – I absolutely abhor chipped nail polish and would rather go bare-fingered into any battle than enter with chipped nails. Maybe it’s just me I fear someone will equate my chipped nails with being irresponsible and/or scatty.
A decent foundation – preferably something relatively full-coverage so you can also use it to tan your neck and decollétage should that level of detail be required. If it can also be repurposed as a concealer, all the better. Bonus turbo points if it contains SPF.
A killer lipstick – one that can be used to brighten up your lips completely, and that can double up as a blush. Wearing a bright, bold colour can take you from day to night easily, with little effort made elsewhere on your face. Likewise, blush really livens up the face more than any other make-up.
Mascara (and a secret little thin liner brush) – apply your mascara to instantly open your eyes, of course. But then, use a liner brush to apply mascara along the lash line, upper and lower if you wish, to give more definition and fill in the gaps. It’ll act like an instant liquid liner, with minimal fuss.

* Yes that’s meant to say flail.

IMAGE Beauty Festival

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