Miss USA Kara McCullough's 6 Makeup Bag Must-Haves

Beauty secrets, revealed!

By Alanah Joseph May 19, 2017 7:24 PMTags
ESC: Kara McCulloughJohn Lamparski/WireImage

If you were one of the many that tuned into the Miss USA 2017 pageant, you probably wondered, "What does it take to win Miss USA?"

We'll tell you (or, you can watch the cult classic Miss Congeniality). It takes self-confidence, a great hairstylist and makeup artist, eloquence, grace, intelligence and the right beauty products. Kara McCullough had all of the above, which is why she took the title. "What attracted me to Miss USA was a secret desire to compete," she told E! News. "I don't really have a performing talent, but I fell in love everything that it had to offer."

This includes access to the best in beauty. "I have very small eyes, and when I initially started doing makeup, I was putting too much eye shadow on the bone above the crease. When I was competing in Miss USA, the makeup artist showed me how to keep the eye shadow on my eyelid only. That was really helpful," Miss USA revealed. "Now, my colors don't go above the crease of my eye. I also stay away from black eyeliner. If you have small eyes, you can use black on the top waterline, but typically you should use a dark blue or a brownish red on your bottom waterline." Duly noted.

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Best Beauty Products of Spring 2017

Now that the model has won, she has to remain picture-perfect—the pressure is on. For clear skin, Miss USA prioritizes cleaning her skin. "I really believe in using clay masks. I typically like to use apple cider vinegar with the mask," she explained. "I just think it's thorough cleansing, and that's all you need. It's always better to use natural ingredients on your face." After her clay mask, she hydrates her skin with Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer. Then, she uses a host of beauty products that to keep her flawless throughout the day.

Wants to know what's in Miss USA's makeup bag? Keep scrolling! 

Benefit

"On days that I don't wear makeup, I love to use Benefit Pore Professional on top of my moisturizer. It keeps my skin moisturized, while mattifying it a bit."

The POREfessional Mini Face Primer, $12

Wet n WIld

"I thought it was cute because it's pink."

Blush Brush, $2.96

CHI

"I keep a bottle of CHI Silk Infusion for Hair and Skin on me for those flyaways. I also put it on my hands, every now and again."

Travel Size Silk Infusion Silk Reconstructing Complex, $15

NARS

"I love NARS concealer. The radiant cream concealer is my favorite! I buy the ginger color."

Radiant Creamy Concealer, $30

Laura Mercier

"I keep the translucent powder by Laura Mercier because I tend to have oily skin. However, I really appreciate my oily skin, so I'd rather dap powder on oily spots, rather than use any heavy astringents, which will take away my natural oils."

Translucent Loose Setting Powder, $38

Palladio
 

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