Hey Girlies,
Hope everyone is having a fantastic day! Today I thought I would do a post on what I believe are essentials when starting a make-up kit. This need not be expensive. As long as the products do the job that they are supposed to do and do them well then I don't see any reason why you should be forking over all your hard earned cash on a few beauty items.
Before starting out and experimenting with make-up there is a couple of things you need to find out or be aware of in advance.
Skin type, Skin tone, Face Shape & Eye Shape
Knowing your skin type can be half the battle when it comes to picking out foundations / other base products and skincare
If you would like to read my post on Whats your skin type?? || Beginners guide to knowing your skin type - Just click here - Link
Skin tone can also help with colour matching foundations, picking the right concealer and colours of blush and eyeshadow to complement you.
Face shape helps when it comes to contouring and eye shape helps for eyeshadow placement
*Disclaimer - my recommendations for foundations, powders, primers and setting sprays are what work best for MY skin which is Normal to Dry and may not work as good on you if you are a different skin type.
Here is a list of what I believe are essential Items to any make-up bag -
Primer
Some people can get away without one but I believe if you prep right then all the rest of your make-up application will apply better and look more flawless. These dont have to cost an arm or a leg either! My tried & tested drugstore favourite is Maybelline Baby Skin, Pore Eraser. To read a full review just click here - Link
A Good Base
This doesnt necessarily have to be foundation there are all sorts of tinted moisturisers, BB and CC creams on the market these days. However if you are going down the route of foundation there are so many different types, textures and finishes to choose from! From light coverage to full coverage - From Dewy finish to Matt! This can be a little daunting if you are new and if your interested I will be posting a beginners guide to foundations very soon so stay tuned for that. My advice would be to do a little research before you buy. decide what suits you, your skin and your lifestyle also ask the person behind the counter for a colour match. Although one of the great things about drugstore foundations is that they have testers so you can check the colour for yourself! Just try to check the result in natural light because those warm lighting bulbs can be very deceiving.
If you would like to see my video on my top 5 drugstore foundation picks you can watch my video by just clicking on the link here - Youtube Video
My top picks for BB creams are Loreal Nude Magique BB cream & 17 BB Blemish Balm - If you would like to read my review of the 17 BB Blemish Balm then just click here - Link
Conceal, Conceal, Conceal
Im a huge fan of concealer! Its a miracle in a pot. dark under eyes, redness, blemishes, uneven pigmentation?? gone! never exsisted! I recommend two different types of concealers.
1. Blemish concealing concealer - This is one that either matches to your skin colour/foundation or is tinted green, yellow, purple or salmon in order to conceal anything your are trying to hide. My favourite ones for this are Seventeen Phwoar Paint pot and Fuschia Cosmetics Concealer Palatte - Which pretty much has every colour concealer you could possibly ever want! To be honest though these days colour correcting concealers are all over the highstreet so you shouldnt have much trouble in picking out the best one for you!
2. Highlighting Concealer - I believe this trick was made popular by Kim Kardashians Make-up artist Mario Dedivanovic as it is an excellent contouring tool. I love this. There is bearly a day that goes by that when I do my make-up that I dont use highlighting concealer. In fact concealer is probably the product that I go through the quickest!! My recommendations are the Collection Lasting Perfection 16 hr Concealer and Loreal Lumi Magique Highligher Pen.
Setting Powder/Spray
Again this is a product some people can get away without wearing but I think for 99% of people it is good to set your make up. It gives it more staying power. Besides after all that work you put into in why would you want it all to melt or fade after a few hours.
The ones I use are Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder & Essence All About Matt!! Fixing Loose Powder And for Spray I use Urban Decay All Nighter Make-up Setting Spray & The Body Shop Vitimin E Face Mist.
Eyeshadow
I think when you are starting out a good "do it all palate" is probably be your best bet. There are so many to choose from and I think it will all depend on how much money you are willing to pay will determine which one you should choose. My go to palate is still the Naked (Original) but depending on your skin tone and perferance the Naked 2 might be right up your street. My sister swears by this palate! Everyone and there mother has them and or raves about them and for good reason but at around 50 euro a pop they dont come cheap but If you do want a cheaper option a good dupe is the W7 Lightly Toasted - Naked Original or W7 In the Buff - Naked 2. To see my comparison Blog of the W7 Lightly Toasted and the Naked Original just click Here - & to read my comparison on the In the Buff palate & Naked 2 and In the Nude & Naked 3 palate just click here - Link. Sleek Cosmetics also do really good paletes. To read more about the two that I own Storm and Eu Natural just click here - Link
Another route to go down is Making you own paletes. You can choose individual eyeshadows and create your own personal everyday palate. The most popular brands for doing that is MAC, Make-up Geek & Fuschia.
And finally every drugstore brand will also sell individual eyeshadows or even cute quads , so you can just pick and choose the colours that appeal to you most!! Remember though again you can choose from a wide array for textures and finishes. So have fun with it!!
Bronzer
A good bronzer (and if used properly can be a god send) It can warm up the face giving you life and can be used to contour. I love Catrice Sun Glow Matt Bronzing Powder. It was mention In my Best of Beauty Posts as one of my finds for 2014! To read this post just click here - Link
Eyebrows
A girls best friend! I am of the same belief as many that you are never truely dressed until you have eyebrows! My favourite Eyebrow kit is The Catrice Eyebrow Set. I have been using it for over a year now and I love it. It also comes with a handy little mirror in the packaging. I would definitely be interested into discovering some new brow heros though.
Mascara
Mascara is an essential item in a make-up kit! even if its just a clear one but it makes your eyes look brighter and you look like you are more awake! win win! I also believe that mascara is something that the drugstore do well so theres no need to pay out huge money for a good one! The ones Im currently using are The Catrice Lashes to kill, Fibre Lash Mascara, Essence Princess Lash Fibre Lash Effect Mascara and W7 Lashtastic. There are so many to choose from! They generally come in black or brown but you could get artsy and creative and use a coloured one like blue or purple or even glitter effect ones!
Blush
Blush is another one product that instantly makes you look more awake! and again you can get a lot of very good ones on the highstreet/Drugstore. The ones I use the most would be Sleek Cosmetics blushes - Swede & Rose Gold. However I would like to try the Wet & Wild ones as I have heard so many great reviews about them!
Lip Balm / Lipstick
Now to finish off the look , something to put on the lips. Again like foundations there is so much choice here. You can literally have any type, colour, texture, staying power, finish that your heart desires. I use so many different brands all the time but if you are on a budget I would recommend checking out Essence Long lasting lipsticks or Wet & Wild.
Now that you have the basics anything you add will be decorative and personal taste e.g Lip Liner, Eye Liner, Highlighter, Glitter Pigments..... Its all about experimentation and having fun with it... after all Its only make-up.
Have fun! I hope this was helpful!!
Are there any products in particular that you would see as an essential to a beginner / starter make-up kit??
Thank You For Reading
xox
