Every girl is going to be guilty of splurging on makeup at once in her life. It starts with a sample here and then a cute little lippie with a box you just couldn’t resist there. Before you know it, the evidence of your retail therapy is everywhere, from dressers that are littered with rogue bottles of foundation to containers overflowing with makeup brushes and lipsticks in every imaginable shade and formula.

No matter how big the collection gets, however, we can never seem to let a single product go. The problem is this: how do you know which ones to bring to work or school to touch-up your everyday look without carrying a clunky maleta with you everywhere?

Let’s narrow that down. Here are ten makeup kit essentials:

Sunscreen

Face it – you live in the Philippines. You can never hide from Mr. Golden Sun. He reigns in the sky for half the day, and it’s inevitable that you’ll encounter him at least once in those hours.

For your everyday makeup look, skip the primer and go for a mattifying sunscreen. Sunscreens protect your skin from UV rays and prevent dark spots from developing or getting darker than they already are.

BB Cream

Save the full-coverage foundation for glam days, girls. Leave your foundation bottle at home and bring BB cream instead. Today’s BB creams come in cute cushion compacts with sponges to save us poor girls the inconvenience of having to stick an unwieldy foundation brush inside our kit. BB creams are also lighter on the skin – perfect for the hot summer days!

Blendable Concealer

Always keep some concealer handy, so you can brighten up tired eyes wherever you go. This pocket-sized travel-buddy is also useful for covering pimples and scars in a pinch.

Compact Powder

We all get extra oily later on in the day. Always keep a compact powder in your makeup bag for quick touch-ups anytime, anywhere.

Natural Blush

For fuss-free days, there’s no need for heavy contouring. Stick to a natural blush shade to brighten up your cheeks and to add color to your face. If you want to be bold, you can also use darker blushes as a subtle contour powder for a fresh look. Experiment and be resourceful!

Eyebrow Pencil

Brows are life. You can forget everything else, but never forget the brows. The fastest, most fuss-free way to define your face, an eyebrow pencil is something you shouldn’t be caught without! A pencil with a spoolie brush at the end is the tool that gets your eyebrows on fleek the quickest. You can also use it as eyeliner if you’re daring enough.

Eyelash Curler

A lot of girls have eyelashes that grow downwards. For gravity-defying lashes that make your eyes pop, bring a trusty eyelash curler to prep your lashes for mascara.

Clump-Free Mascara

A layer of mascara opens up the eyes and gives you a more polished appearance. Just make sure your mascara isn’t the goopy kind! The goal is to make the fan of your lashes more apparent and clumped eyelashes won’t do your look any favors.

Your Perfect Nude Lipstick

Who can get enough of the My Lips But Better (MLBB) trend? Not us, that’s for sure! When curating your everyday kikay kit, leave the bold colors at home and opt for beautiful nude lipsticks. These understated shades do wonders for polishing off your day look.

Wet Wipes

Learn from the Titas of Manila and always carry a pack of wet wipes with you. When will I need those? you might ask. That’s the point, though: you’ll never really know when you’ll need them. Better be safe than sorry!

The ultimate trick to choosing what goes into your kikay kit is to go for versatility. Choose products that do two (or three, if possible) things at once and always stick to the basics.