My Holy Grail Beauty Products I Use Every Single Day in Bangkok’s Hot Weather

I was cleaning out my beauty products and makeup the other day and realised that there are some products that are my holy grails and help me feel confident and look presentable every day. Especially living in a hot and humid city like Bangkok, I need makeup and products that will last all day but not feel heavy on the skin. These products have been with me for years and/or multiple repeat purchases have been made. In a nutshell: they’re always on deck and going places with me.

If you’re looking for everyday staples that are worth spending your hard earned cash on, read on:

Marc Jacobs Beauty Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara
Price: 1,100 Baht
I got this mascara as a free sample from Sephora a few years ago. And it’s pure magic. It adds beautiful volume and length to my almost non-existent lashes in a few strokes. I think it’s because the wand has a slight curve so each lash coats and curls easily. The formula of the mascara is the best; it’s not messy or clumpy and it doesn’t feel heavy on the eyes at all. And the best part: it’s super easy to clean away and doesn’t leave behind raccoon eyes. I’ve tried other mascaras but for my thin, sparse lashes nothing works as well as the Marc Jacobs Beauty Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara.

Benefit Cosmetics Goof Proof Brow Pencil

Price: 1,120 Baht

The Benefit Cosmetics Goof Proof Brow Pencil has been with me for more than two years and is my go-to for filling up my brows so they look nice and full. I’m still using the first pencil I ever bought and I don’t see the end anywhere near in sight! It’s available in a variety of shades. For anyone who has dark brown / black eyebrow hair shades 4 or 5 should be fine. The price is on the higher side for a reason — it lasts forever but is also super easy to use with the spooly brush on the end to help achieve natural, fluffy brows.

Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Bronzer
Price: 1,350 Baht

Bronzer is a tricky thing for medium-to-deep skin tones. Firstly, a lot of bronzers barely show up on my skin tone and secondly, I don’t want two separate powders for bronzing and contouring. I want to be able to do both with one product and I found the perfect neutral-toned bronzer that lets me bronze and contour: the Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Bronzer. I love this bronzer because it’s blends out smoothly and looks so natural on the skin that I use it almost every day to add warmth and definition to my cheeks. I like to use it with a fluffy blush brush and gently blending from the centre of my cheek bones and top back towards the top of my ears. The brush it comes with is great for doing a quick nose contour.

NARS Costmetics: Radiant Creamy Concealer in Shade ‘Biscuit’
Price: 1,320 Baht

I have very, very dark circles and with a few dabs of NARS Costmetics: Radiant Creamy Concealer my dull, blue-toned dark circles are neutralised so my face looks brighter and even-toned. This is my must-have secret weapon for every day makeup. Especially for days I don’t want to wear foundation but need to look somewhat put together I’ll put concealer under my eyes and I’m ready for the day. One tube for me lasts 5-6 months so its definitely worth the investment and the shades are great for medium-to-deep skin tones. When applying it I use the applicator to dot the product close to the inner tear duct and under the eyes and let it sit for a few minutes so it dries down a bit. Then using my fingers I blend it all around my eyes and it melts right into my skin looking flawless and feeling light. I always set my concealer with a translucent powder. (Note: I use the shade ‘Biscuit’).

Fenty Beauty Killawat Freestyle Highlighter in Shade ‘Hu$tla Baby’
Price: 820 Baht

The perfect highlighter for medium-to-deep skin tones. It’s not too gold, not too pink, not too light, not too anything else. It is just right. Using a fan brush or a smaller fluffy brush, I will lightly dust the Fenty Beauty Freestyle Killawat Highlight in shade Hu$tla Baby on the high points of my cheeks and then blend it into my bronzer using a large fluffy brush to get a flawless blend between the two. I like to use this in combination with the Hoola Bronzer — my face has never looked more defined and radiant. Most days this combo looks good enough and I don’t need to add a blush. It’s available in a duo compact with another shade ‘Mean Money’, which is okay and nothing to write home about. So I prefer to get it as a single in this small combo and the lip gloss that comes with it is nice too.

MAC Cosmetics Satin Lipstick
Price: 880 Baht 

After much exploration between all kinds of lip products including liquid lipsticks, glosses and matte lipsticks, I found my preferred lipstick for daily use: MAC Cosmetics Satin Lipstick. The finish on these lipsticks is somewhere between matte and creamy. The satin-like finish has the durability of a matte lipstick but the soft, moisturising feeling of a creamy lipstick. I’m very fussy about lipsticks and how they feel on my lips but I love these lipsticks because they last all day without drying out my lips. Sometimes after eating I need to reapply but that’s about it. And the colour range is really nice for medium-to-deep skin tones — my favourites include: Twig, Faux and Brave.

Are any of these products your holy grails too? Or do you have other suggestions? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.