Catalina Tapia, The Raven Reports Global Beauty gives us a personal insight into the products that have earned a permanent place in her makeup bag.
There is a considerable difference between the beauty products I admire and those I actually use.
The latter reveal themselves over time. They are the formulas I reach for when I have five minutes to get ready, the shades I instinctively pack before a flight and the products I replace when they finally run out. Some are relatively recent discoveries; others are part of beauty habits I have had for decades.
My makeup bag is deliberately edited. I like skin to look like skin. Most days, I want coverage precisely where I need it rather than everywhere, although when the occasion calls for a more polished complexion, I want a foundation that still lets my skin come through.
Colour is where things become more interesting.
I have been blessed with unusual eyes, a distinctive mix of blue around the outside, with green and light brown through the centre. I discovered early on that warm browns, bronzes, aubergines and purples have an extraordinary way of bringing all three colours to life. That has shaped the way I wear eye makeup far more than any trend ever has.
Looking at everything together, there is no grand strategy behind my makeup bag. It is simply the result of years of working out what suits me, what performs and, most importantly, what I genuinely enjoy wearing.
These are the products that continue to earn their place.
SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum SPF50+ PA++++
Sunscreen is non-negotiable for me. Finding one that behaves properly beneath makeup is another matter.
SKIN1004’s Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum has a lightweight, serum-like texture that makes it particularly easy to incorporate into a morning routine. The formula combines centella asiatica and hyaluronic acid with rice, oat and soybean extracts and is designed to leave the complexion hydrated and luminous without a white cast.
What I appreciate most is that it doesn’t make me rethink the makeup I apply afterwards. A sunscreen that is heavy, excessively shiny or prone to pilling can dictate the entire complexion. This simply becomes part of the preparation.
For something I wear every day, that usability matters as much as elegance.
Why it’s in my bag: High-factor daily protection in a texture that sits comfortably beneath my makeup.
Price: AED 89 | Shop: Watsons UAE
INIKA Organic Tinted Natural Sunscreen SPF50+ – Universal Tint
On days when I want to pare things back even further, I reach for INIKA Organic’s Tinted Natural Sunscreen.
It uses non-nano zinc oxide for broad-spectrum SPF50+ protection, with a universal tint designed to counter the characteristic white cast that can accompany mineral sunscreens. The formula also contains jojoba oil and pink algae.
Its appeal is the territory it occupies between sunscreen and complexion makeup. The tint gives my skin a little more polish while keeping the finish natural and uncomplicated.
It is precisely the kind of multitasking product I value: considered, practical and easy to wear.
Why it’s in my bag: Mineral SPF protection with just enough tint for days when I want to wear very little else.
Price: AUD $59 | Shop: INIKA Organic
Dior Forever Skin Correct – 1.5N Neutral
I would rather conceal precisely than cover everything.
That is exactly why I love Dior Forever Skin Correct. I use it beneath my eyes and anywhere I want a little extra coverage, whether that is redness, pigmentation or the occasional blemish, and leave the rest of my skin alone.
It gives me the coverage I want without making me feel as though I need to follow with foundation. A small amount, blended only where I need it, is usually enough to make my complexion look more even while still allowing my actual skin to show through.
That balance is what keeps me coming back to it. I don’t want my complexion to look completely uniform. I want to see my skin, just on a particularly good day.
Why it’s in my bag: Excellent coverage exactly where I want it, without giving me a reason to cover everything else.
Price: AED 185 | Shop: Bloomingdale’s UAE
Victoria Beckham Beauty Satin Kajal Liner – Cinnamon and Fig
I have been blessed with unusual eyes, a distinctive mix of blue around the outside, with green and light brown through the centre. I discovered early on that warm browns, bronzes and aubergine liners have an extraordinary way of bringing all three colours to life.
I reach for Victoria Beckham Beauty’s Satin Kajal Liners far more often than black because they give me definition while making my eye colour noticeably pop. Cinnamon brings warmth and draws out the lighter brown and green tones, while Fig, with its deeper plum character, seems to intensify the blue and green.
I also love the texture. The pencil is creamy enough to glide on easily and gives me time to play with it before it sets. I can keep the line precise when I want more definition or smudge it out for a softer, slightly smoky finish.
But ultimately, I keep coming back for the colours. They are distinctive without feeling overtly colourful, and every time I wear them, I notice my eyes more.
Why they’re in my bag: Cinnamon and Fig make my eyes pop. Simple as that.
Price: US $35 | Shop: Victoria Beckham Beauty
Victoria Beckham Beauty Eye Wardrobe – New Orchid
Large eyeshadow palettes have never particularly appealed to me. Endless choice tends to result in several shades being used repeatedly while the remainder sit untouched.
The Eye Wardrobe takes the opposite approach: four coordinated shades in a compact designed to be refilled.
New Orchid is the palette that makes sense in my makeup bag because it continues the colour story I already love around my eyes. Orchid and purple tones provide an interesting contrast against eyes that shift between blue, green and light brown, yet they can still look remarkably restrained.
The powders are designed to be buildable and blendable, allowing the palette to move from subtle daytime definition to something stronger in the evening.
I also appreciate the permanence of the object itself. Its brass, glass and metal compact is intended to be refilled rather than automatically replaced once the shadows are finished.
Four shades. All useful. No passengers.
Why it’s in my bag: A concise palette that brings out different dimensions in my eye colour without making the makeup feel overworked.
Price: US $76 | Shop: Victoria Beckham Beauty
Gucci Beauty Stylo À Sourcils Waterproof Eyebrow Pencil – 02 Blond
I have never liked the look of obviously drawn-on brows. I want mine defined and polished, but still natural enough that you notice the brows rather than the product used to create them.
This pencil gives me exactly that. I can fill the little gaps, add definition where I need it and then brush everything through so there are no obvious lines or hard edges.
The shade is equally important. 02 Blond gives me enough definition without looking too dark or heavy, particularly when I am wearing more colour around my eyes.
It is quick, precise and very difficult to overdo, which is exactly what I want from a brow pencil. The best brow makeup is usually the makeup nobody notices.
Why it’s in my bag: It makes my brows look like better versions of themselves, not like I’ve drawn on a new pair.
Price: AED 210 | Shop: Sephora UAE
Bobbi Brown Powder Blush – Sand Pink
I have been a Bobbi Brown fan since the 1990s, and their blushes have been a constant in my makeup bag ever since.
The shade may change, but the habit hasn’t. As Bobbi Brown updates its colours, I update the blush in my bag, and right now that shade is Sand Pink.
I like blush to bring life back into my complexion without becoming the focus of my makeup. Sand Pink does exactly that. It gives me a soft flush of colour and works beautifully with the shades I tend to wear on my eyes and lips.
There is also something reassuring about returning to a product you have used for decades. My makeup bag has changed considerably since the ’90s, as has the way I wear makeup, but there has almost always been a Bobbi Brown blush in it.
Why it’s in my bag: More than 30 years of Bobbi Brown blushes says it all. The shades may change, but one always seems to find its way back into my makeup bag.
Price: AED 170 | Shop: Bloomingdale’s UAE
Huda Beauty Liquid Matte Lipstick – Miss America
Everyone needs a red lipstick that makes them feel incredible. This is mine.
Huda Beauty’s Miss America is the red I reach for when I want a sexy, sultry look. The colour has presence, but what really won me over is its staying power. This stuff does not move.
I can put it on at the beginning of the night and not spend the evening wondering whether my lipstick is still where it should be. I love that freedom. I can have dinner, have a drink, talk, laugh and get on with the evening without constantly reaching for a mirror.
There are softer lipsticks in my collection and certainly more understated ones, but that isn’t what I want from this. When I wear a red lip, I want to commit to it.
Miss America gives me exactly that.
Why it’s in my bag: It’s my go-to red. Sexy, sultry and, most importantly, it stays put all night.
Price: AED 116 | Shop: Huda Beauty
Clarins Natural Lip Perfector – 21 Soft Pink Glow
At the opposite end of my lip wardrobe from a bold red is Clarins Natural Lip Perfector in Soft Pink Glow.
This is the one I reach for when I want something easy. It gives my lips a soft wash of pink with just enough shine to make me look polished, without feeling as though I am wearing a proper lipstick.
I love products that don’t require any thought, and this is one of them. I can apply it without a mirror, throw it into my handbag before I leave the house and reapply it wherever I happen to be.
It works when I am wearing very little makeup, but it is equally useful when I have done more with my eyes and want the lips to stay soft and understated.
Some products earn their place because they make a statement. Others earn it because you reach for them without even thinking about it. This is very much the latter.
Why it’s in my bag: Soft pink, a little shine and effortless to wear. It’s the lip product I reach for when I don’t want to think about my lip product.
Price: AED 125 | Shop: Clarins
KORRES Lip Butter Stick – Honey + Thyme
Every carefully edited makeup bag needs something decidedly unglamorous in purpose.
For me, that’s a good lip balm.
KORRES combines Greek balsam oil and vitamin E in its Honey + Thyme Lip Butter Stick, with the formula designed to moisturise and condition dry lips while leaving some shine.
It isn’t here to transform a makeup look. It is here because lips get dry, long flights are unforgiving and sometimes the product you appreciate most is the one that simply makes you feel comfortable again.
It also sits neatly beneath the other lip colours in my bag, which makes it more useful still.
Why it’s in my bag: Straightforward nourishment in a format I can take anywhere.
Price: US $18 | Shop: KORRES
Clé de Peau Beauté Lipstick Matte – 124 Lavender Iris
Lavender Iris was an unexpected discovery for me. It is certainly not the sort of shade I would once have considered an everyday lip colour, yet somehow it works.
Perhaps that shouldn’t be surprising. I have always gravitated towards aubergine, plum and purple around my eyes because of the way those colours complement the mix of blue, green and light brown in them. Lavender Iris takes that same colour family and brings it to the lips.
What I love is that it changes the mood of my makeup without taking over. I can wear it with a relatively simple face and suddenly everything feels a little more interesting. It is different, but still incredibly wearable.
That is probably why it has become something of an unexpected neutral in my makeup bag. Sometimes the colours you think will be the most difficult are the ones that simply work.
Why it’s in my bag: Unexpected, flattering and much easier to wear than lavender lipstick has any right to be.
Price: AED 280 | Shop: Sephora UAE
By Terry Mascara Terrybly – N°4 Purple Success
Purple mascara might sound like a bold choice, but this has become one of the most natural additions to my makeup bag.
Just as aubergine and plum eyeliner bring out the different colours in my eyes, a deep purple mascara has a similar effect. Against the blue around the outside and the green and light brown through the centre, there is something about the purple that makes all three colours come alive.
What I love most is its subtlety. It doesn’t immediately register as purple mascara. From a distance, my lashes simply look darker and more defined. It is only when you look a little closer that you notice the colour, and that is precisely the point.
I find black mascara can sometimes feel a little harsh, particularly when I am wearing softer colours around my eyes. Purple gives me the definition I want, but with more warmth, depth and interest.
Paired with Cinnamon or Fig liner, it has become one of my favourite ways to make my eyes pop without looking as though I am wearing a lot of eye makeup.
Why it’s in my bag: It makes the unusual mix of colours in my eyes stand out, but the purple is subtle enough that you have to look twice to realise why.
Price: AUD $80 | Shop: By Terry
Chanel Sublimage L’Essence de Teint
Most days, I am perfectly happy with concealer precisely where I need it and my natural skin showing everywhere else. But when I want a more finished complexion, I reach for Chanel Sublimage L’Essence de Teint.
What I love about this foundation is the finish. It gives me coverage without making my skin look covered. There is a beautiful luminosity to it that makes my complexion look fresh and polished, but still like skin.
The texture is another reason I keep coming back to it. It feels more like a serum than a traditional foundation and blends beautifully, so I can control how much coverage I want rather than feeling committed to a full face from the first application.
At AED 780, this is unquestionably an investment. For me, a foundation at this price has to do considerably more than carry a luxury name. I need to love how my skin looks when I wear it, how it feels throughout the day and, importantly, still recognise myself in the mirror.
This one delivers exactly the finish I want when the occasion calls for something more polished.
Why it’s in my bag: When I want more than concealer, this gives me a luminous, beautifully finished complexion without hiding my skin.
Price: AED 780 | Shop: Chanel
The art of knowing what works
Looking at these products together, I realise that my makeup bag has been shaped less by brands or trends and more by knowing what works for me.
I want good sun protection, skin that still looks like skin and makeup that enhances rather than overwhelms. Most days that means concealer exactly where I need it. When I want a more polished complexion, I have a foundation I know I can rely on. My brows are defined, my cheeks have colour and then, quite often, I have a little more fun.
Colour has always played an important part in the way I do my makeup. Perhaps having such unusual eyes has something to do with it. With blue around the outside and green and light brown through the centre, I learnt early on that the right colours could make them come alive.
So there is cinnamon and aubergine around my eyes, orchid on my lids, lavender on my lips and purple on my lashes. Then, when the mood calls for it, there is that unapologetic red lip.
Some of these products are relatively recent discoveries. Others represent beauty habits I have had for decades. Bobbi Brown blush has been part of my makeup bag since the ’90s. Products change, shades evolve and occasionally something new earns a permanent place. That, for me, is the art of the edit.
“It isn’t about owning more. It is about knowing yourself well enough to recognise what deserves to stay.”
Shopping note: Prices and availability are correct at the time of publication and may change.
Editorial disclosure: Where relevant, disclose products gifted or supplied for editorial consideration. If affiliate links are used, include The Raven Reports’ standard affiliate disclosure. All products have been selected independently.
