May 2

May 2 What's In My Makeup Bag - Kehryse Johnson

Kehryse Vanessa Johnson is the beauty editor of Glam Africa and also co--founded the Facebook community MakeUp for Black Women UK a popping virtual gathering for brown beauties up and down the country to share tips, tricks, product information and get-ready-with-me videos. When she's not championing the perfect British beat face in there, she can be found over on her YouTube channel, Red Vanessa where she shares her thoughts and insights about the Black and British. She's taken a coffee break to share the contents of her make up bag with us today.

Describe the items in your makeup bag.

I have a holdall crammed full of makeup at home but I'd much rather tell you about the little makeup bag I carry around the city, whose contents I have curated to perfection and am very satisfied with. As an insecure dark-skinned girl in my teens and twenties, makeup was a desperate challenge because I believed it was supposed to transform me from the outside in rather than enhance my natural beauty. I simply wore too much of it. Now in my thirties I'm not out here doing the most anymore and with greater freedom to experiment I'm finding that makeup is easier and way more fun. These days it doesn't take much to put my best face forward.

So I keep my skin clean and clear by washing with a gentle exfoliating cleanser and vitamin infused konjac sponge from the BEA skincare range which is completely natural and super hydrating. If I wear foundation, my go-to is Viva Expresso liquid foundation by Black Secret. It boasts a pretty reddish undertone and when applied lightly, it can be very subtle. Most importantly for me, if I'm not wearing it, people don't assume I've fallen ill which is a very good indicator that I've got a match and that I'm not overdoing it. For warming my cheeks, I use Iman's Posh luxury blushing powder duo which looks great in the daytime teamed with any clear lipgloss, nude or brown lipliner.

I own an army of eye shadow but save them for after dark in general, preferring to enhance my eyes with black mascara and sometimes a liquid liner too. I adore Clinique's chubby lash because my eyelashes are short but look amazing with a bit of fattening and to be honest I'm too scared to wear fake ones (or more specifically, the glue-near-eye situation that applying them entails). I spend the day throwing myself out of my comfort zone regularly which usually means that even though I don't have oily skin, nerves and adrenaline tend to leave me shiny on the nose and forehead. To combat this I dust my face with L.O.G Cosmetics photo ready mineral veil which is literally like a screw-top pot of composure. Cant live without it.

Because I have a wardrobe full of bold outfits in bright colours and wouldn't be caught dead dressing down; I find that natural-looking make up provides just the right balance in the everyday.

Which is your favourite item in your makeup bag?

Having said that, my all time favourite makeup item has to be matte red lipstick. Red lipstick is everything. Red lipstick will never die. I used to wear Ruby Woo by MAC which I genuinely believe compliments most shades of brown beauties but I recently discovered this Cherry Skies Liquid Suede cream lipstick by NYX which is a lot darker and perfectly me. It's a dangerous, almost witch-like red and is fast becoming my staple. With a matching scarf and nail polish I'm good to go, I'm casting spells.

Where did you get your makeup bag?

I got this gorgeous little pencil case by Steve Madden as a Christmas gift from my Nan about four years ago and I've been using it as my makeup bag ever since. It's sleek, it's lined in pink satin and because it's so compact it prevents me from weighing myself down with too many products. Smitten! As a writer, I have naturally always been a big lover of stationary so I think my Nan had actual pens and pencils in mind when she bought this for me...ah well...what's a big pen or a NYX eye pencil between friends?