When I first became interested in makeup, I knew that I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on makeup. I don’t use it often, so it usually ends up in the trash can because it’s expired rather than finished.
So, I watched some beginners’ makeup videos on YouTube, and read some articles about makeup products needed to make a pro makeup look.
To make a long story short, I made a list of the essential products, which I want to share with you. If you are a beginner, don’t use makeup every day or want to save some money, keep reading for some tips and suggestions.
Eyeshadow
Eyeshadow is used to make your eyes pop. It comes in many different colors, but I recommend buying a palette of neutral and bright colors. In this way, you can diversify your makeup looks.
You can choose a shimmer, matte or sheer shadow. The most famous formulas are cream, pressed or loose powder or crayons.
You can also buy cosmetic glitter and even 3D glitter. When using cosmetic glitter, it’s better to have glitter in a gel, on an adhesive or in a gloss.
If you have loose cosmetic glitter, I don’t recommend putting glue on your eyelids—rather use a concealer or an adhesive medium.
Eye primer or eyeshadow base
Want a longer-lasting eyeshadow? Use an eye primer. It is cream or silicone-based, and most primers are sheer/skin tone/colorless. Eye primer can be used with any eyeshadow.
However, if you want a more vibrant shadow color, use an eyeshadow base. It is cream based, and you can find strong colored or sheer/skin tone/colorless bases.
If you choose a strong colored one, it’s like an eyeshadow, so you won’t need to apply a regular shadow.
People tend to say that primer and an eyeshadow base do the same thing, but sometimes they don’t. The main role of an eyeshadow base is to intensify the shadow color and to set the eyeshadow in place.
In contrast, the main role of an eye primer is to make the shadow last longer and not crease or fade.
If you don’t have an eyeshadow base, use a white matte eyeshadow to achieve a more vibrant color or a concealer to set the shadow in place.
If you don’t have an eye primer, apply a cream eyeshadow under a powder eyeshadow.
Eyeliner
Eyeliner is another makeup product to make your eyes pop. You can find eyeliners in different colors, but be sure to have a black and a white or nude color at all times.
The pencil doesn’t last long unless you buy a waterproof pencil eyeliner. Choose from a retractable, pencil, marker, liquid or gel eyeliner. Only use a pencil or retractable for the inside part of your eyes as you don’t want to cause an irritation.
Eyebrow kit
This kit is designed to make your life easier. You can also use a matte eyeshadow for your brows. The majority of kits go from light to medium and medium to dark.
If you decide to buy a kit, remember that having dark hair means choosing a kit that is one or two colors lighter than your hair color. If you have light hair, opt for a kit that is one or two colors darker than your hair color. You can also use a pomade for your brows.
Mascara
Mascara is used to emphasize your eyes as it gives the illusion that they’re bigger and more enchanting. Like eyeliners, you will find different colors, such as pink, yellow, blue or green, but the most commonly used is black.
You can also buy a brown mascara, which looks more natural. You will find mascara for short lashes, definition, lengthening, thickening, etc. I recommend the voluminous mascara and one that is not waterproof because they tend to be harder to remove.
Blush
Blush adds color to your cheeks. It’s applied after your foundation to create a more natural look to the otherwise even and solid color of the foundation.
There are different types of blushes, such as cream, pressed or loose powder, tint, gel and pencil blush.
You also need to consider your skin color when choosing a blush. Rose is perfect for light skin tones, while peach, orange and coral is ideal for medium skin tones.
If you have a tanned or olive skin tone, choose a cherry rose or coral blush to complement your skin. For dark skin tones, orange, coral, copper, rose, fuchsia and red wine are best.
Aim for as natural a color as possible. Also, try pinching your cheeks to see what color appears.
And let’s not forget about bronzer. If you want that sun-kissed beach look, bronzer is your best friend! The product is made for different skin types and has different ingredients.
It comes in different formulas, such as pressed powder, serum, solid, spray, etc. If you don’t have a blush, and you have a dark skin tone, you can use a bronzer instead.
While bronzer is suitable for any skin tone, it should always be only one or two shades darker than your natural skin tone—anything more will look fake.
Fake lashes
You can choose full fake lashes or individual pieces of fake lashes. There are so many options that it’s impossible to include them all. Some are dramatic, natural, long, short or full volume.
If you want to use fake lashes, you will need a glue. The glue comes in clear or black. I recommend buying a clear glue. Two good brands are LashGrip and Duo. You can also buy self-adhesive eyelashes.
Foundation
Foundation is a skin colored makeup used to hide imperfections or an uneven skin tone. As you know, it can change your natural skin tone, which is why you need to choose the right shade.
When you go to the store, you need to know your skin type and undertones (cool, neutral, or warm). If you have blue or purple veins, then you have a cool undertone, while those with neutral undertones tend to have blue green veins.
People with warm undertones have green or olive veins. Match the foundation to your chest and neck area; in this way, you won’t have a whiter face. Remember: it is better to have a lighter rather than a darker shade, because you can use a bronzer to get the perfect match.
When it comes to foundation formulas, they’re available in liquid, cream and loose, pressed or mineral powder with light to full coverage. You can also buy foundations for different skin types and tones, as well as different finishes, sunscreen and other benefits such as moisturizers, anti-aging/mature components and long-lasting.
If you don’t want to use a foundation because you prefer a more natural look, or you want a lighter product or don’t need a lot of coverage, you can use a BB, CC or DD cream or a tinted moisturizer.
BB cream is a beauty balm that is similar to a tinted moisturizer, but better and heavier. It hydrates, evens out skin tone and treats the skin with antioxidants and other anti-aging ingredients.
It also has sunscreen. CC cream is a color correcting cream, and is a lighter version of a BB cream or concealer. It addresses issues like redness or sallowness, discoloration, dark spots and acne scars.
Finally, DD cream is the dynamic do-all cream and a hybrid of BB and CC creams. It is perfect for people who want a lighter feel without sacrificing coverage.
A tinted moisturizer hydrates, evens skin tone and has a minimal coverage. Which color to use? Most BB creams are categorized by skin type rather than skin tone. If not, then be sure to match the cream or tinted moisturizer with your skin tone.
Powder
I don’t like how powder emphasizes wrinkles, but the powder is needed to set the finished makeup and helps to avoid having a greasy face throughout the day.
When you choose a powder, be sure to match it to your skin tone, and apply the same principles as choosing a foundation. You can also buy a translucent powder, which matches all skin tones, but be sure to blend it well.
When it comes to types of powder, you will have to choose between loose and pressed. If you like a more natural look, use a mineral powder.
Concealer
No one likes dark circles under their eyes. This is why we need to use a concealer. Concealer not only helps you to hide dark under eye circles, but also covers redness, discoloration, dark spots and acne scars.
It needs to be one or two shades lighter than your foundation or your skin tone.
There are neutral, white-, yellow-, orange-, green-, purple- and pink- or peach-based concealers. The color that you need depends on which color you want to hide.
If you want to hide a blue color, choose an orange-based concealer. To hide a red color, use a green concealer. Then, use a concealer that matches your skin tone to cover the colored ones. Hint: see a color wheel. If you don’t have a green concealer, use one that matches your skin tone.
Face primer
A face primer helps your skin to absorb makeup better, prepares your face, minimizes your pores and makes your makeup last longer. If you decide to buy one, they are available as sprays, sticks, gels or creams.
After applying it, wait 5-10 minutes before using the next product. The color of the primer varies, but you should choose one that helps you with your skin condition or desired result.
For example: illuminating, perfecting, color correcting, or shine free. You will find green, nude, purple, blue, pink, or clear primers, but they are all colorless when you apply them.
Contour kit
This ia another product that is not essential because you can use a powder, concealer or foundation that is two shades darker to do the contouring and a foundation, concealer or powder that is two shades lighter to do the highlighting.
However, you can use a cream contour kit for a more natural look and a powder contour kit for a more defined look. A contour kit has shades to do contouring and highlighting.
The contour is a makeup technique to minimize some areas of your face. It allows you to have a smaller nose and less protuberant cheeks without surgery and only using makeup.
In contrast, highlighting is when you emphasize certain areas of your face—areas that are hit by sunlight. If you don’t like the highlighter in your kit, you can buy a highlighter of your choice.
To select the right shade, keep your undertones in mind. If you have warm undertones, choose a gold base, while if you have cool undertones, choose a silver base.
Some formulas are balm, cream, gel, liquid, etc. You can also use a shimmering eyeshadow as a highlighter.
Lip gloss
Lip gloss is a lipstick, but with gloss. It gives the illusion of fuller lips. I love lip glosses, but they don’t last very long. You will find a lot of shades, but be sure to have a transparent and a transparent with glitter.
This way, you can mix it with your regular satin or matte lipstick. Voila! You have the glossy effect that you adore.
Lip liner
Lip liners are used to line your lips. If you use them right, you can make your lips appear bigger or smaller. You can also use lipstick to line your lips.
If you decide to buy a liner though, buy a nude color that you can use it with any lipstick. To avoid ending up with outlined lips only when you eat or drink, apply the liner before your lipstick.
Lipstick
The much-loved product that doesn’t last as long as most women would like: lipstick. With so many colors to choose from, I recommend buying the colors that you cannot live without.
There are different types of lipstick to choose from: satin, lip stains, matte, long-lasting and glitter. Want to be the center of attention? You can also use loose cosmetic 3D glitter and a sticky lip gloss.
This is not good if you are going to drink or eat though as you will end up eating glitter. Also, remember not to press your lips together because you will ruin the look. To get rid of the glitter, use clear tape.
If you are looking for something that lasts all day, buy a lip stain or a long-lasting lipstick. However, you will need a makeup remover to remove it at the end of the day.
They also tend to dry out the lips, so if your lips are dry or tend to chap easily, it’s best to avoid these. Stains can also draw attention to chapped lips or wrinkles around the mouth.
If you decide to use one or both, use a lip balm to moisturize your lips first and a lip gloss to moisturize your lips after.
Lip balm
Lip balm is made to heal chapped and dry lips. It is recommended to apply a lip balm before a lipstick. Three famous brands are Chapstick, Vaseline, and Burt’s Bees.
My favorite lip balm is Burt’s Bees; its easy to fall in love with its flavor and smell, and it leaves your lips feeling so soft. You can find a lot of lip balm flavors as blueberry, bubble gum, almond or butter pecan. You can also make your own natural lip balm.
Brushes
Brushes are what you use to apply your makeup. Some people use their fingers. If you are applying makeup for other people though, use a brush. Similarly, if you want to blend some products, you will need a brush.
Some brush sets include 5, 10, 12 or 20 pieces or buy individual brushes. I prefer a 32-piece brush set, so I have all the necessary brushes and the other brushes to experiment with. Then, you can choose the brushes that work best for you.
What is your favorite product? I love lipsticks and eyeliners. Who doesn’t? They make your eyes pop and make your lips more attractive. Did I miss any products? Let us know below.