Everything You Need to Know About Those Makeup Bags You're Seeing All Over Instagram

I travel with what many might consider to be an absurd amount of beauty products. Some people overpack clothes; I overpack skin care and cosmetics. Sue me! Still, even after trying every makeup case out there to keep my products safe, a blush or highlighter almost always cracks and spills all over, an eyeliner cap pops off, or a foundation leaks and leaves behind a nice, even finish — on the interior of my bag, not my face. Oh yeah, and a lot of them look just plain boring or ugly.

Enter Oliver Thomas. The moment I was introduced to the brand, I became obsessed with how its cosmetics bags looked: the quilted design, the bright colors, the patches. My craft-loving heart was full — it's no wonder they're all over Instagram. But my favorite thing about the cases is that they are easy to clean and durable. They're made with 100% jacquard polyester, are machine-washable, and you can easily wipe them down. They have some shape to them because they have a down-like fill, but are easy to store because they can collapse if needed.

I use the Not a Trainwreck case ($55) for most of my cosmetics. I keep all pencil products (eyebrows, lips, eyeliner) plus grooming tools (tweezers, scissors) in the zip storage on the lid. There are seven pouches for makeup brushes, which I fill with my bigger powder brushes. Then I strategically pack the bottom with foundation, concealer, blush, bronzer, followed by my highlighter and eye shadow palettes on top.

When I'm on the go, The Pencil Case ($19) is ideal for your purse. It's big enough to fit my must-haves, including a BeautyBlender blusher, mini mascara, Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk, 2-3 lipsticks or glosses, and concealer. The large KST Cosmetics Case ($35) is a catch-all for when I'm traveling. I typically keep all of my lip products inside, kind of like a messy, unorganized library of all the shades I want to have on me but am unsure if I'll use, but it's also great for packing hair care products.

Plus, you can decorate the bags with a patch — which is a fun reflection of your personality. You don't need an iron for them to adhere; instead, the brand suggests using a hair dryer to heat them up for 10 seconds before you apply. Even cuter? The brand was named after the founder's dog, Oliver. In fact, one featured print is called "Hot Dog," which includes a variety of dog breeds. To quote Jonathan Van Ness, who gave you permission to be this precious, Oliver Thomas?

Keep reading to see bag options, colorways, and patch inspiration.