Nowadays, with beauty blog galore and hundreds upon hundreds of tips, reviews and tutorials to be found on good ole' YouTube - it's all too easy to assume that everyone knows everything about beauty. I know that some of my own readers of this blog (Hello!) are likely to be just as big a beauty addict and obsessor as myself, and so perhaps don't necessarily need to be instructed on how to apply liquid liner for the fiftieth time. However, others may only now be entering this crazy community and are less self-assured of the whole beauty thang so for them, said liner tutorial may well be just what they're after. Obviously, this can sometimes complicate deciding what content to produce, but more often than not the second category becomes almost forgotten about. Because of this, I thought for today's post I'd go right back to basics for any readers who do fall into that division, and what better way than to summarise just what I think would comprise a fab (even if I do say so myself) Drugstore Makeup Starter Set...
BASE: A primer is handy but not always an essential, so decide yourself if you feel you need/have the budget for one. If you do fancy picking one up - I'd say the Rimmel Lasting Finish Primer is a great all-rounder for all complexions. It's hydrating yet sinks in well to the skin to leave behind a very natural, glowy finish with an almost-tacky feeling to the skin, ensuring you makeup stays in place all day long. Foundation-wise, I'd also suggest one from Rimmel's stand - their Lasting Finish 24 Hour Nude Foundation is all kinds of awesome. It's very light on the skin (but can be built up if you want/need to), so is a great one for those just starting out with makeup, and the finish just looks so 'skin-like' it's incredible. Not too matte, not too dewy - so the glow can be amped up with highlighter or dulled down with powder depending on preference. For concealer, a classic is the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. Do I really need to go on about this much longer? Again, a good all-rounder product that can be used on blemishes and bags and stays where you tell it to all day. Also, if you are lucky enough to have really great skin or even just feel uncomfortable going straight to the foundation stage, some of this concealer in just the places you need the coverage works a treat. Finally, for base, if you like a more matte finish to your complexion, are prone to getting oily throughout the day, or simply want to set your makeup where it needs to be - a powder may come in useful. One I'd recommend is the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder (Finally! A product that doesn't have 'Lasting' in the name!).
EYES: Moving onto eyes, I think for a beginner, it's always best to keep things simple to start off with. For example, I personally like to sue a primer underneath my eye makeup (Urban Decay's Primer Potion F.Y.I.) as I find things can go a bit #CreaseCentral by the end of the day, but I find this category to be more a personal preference (a.k.a. it's a step you can easily skip if you can or want to) and also one in which I don't really have any drugstore recommendations anyway. I'd highly recommend the MUA Eyeshadow Palettes if you're in the market for eyeshadows - each are under a fiver, have a mighty twelve shades and come in a variety of different types - to appease both neutral and colourful gals alike - and thus create a whole spectrum of different looks. Liners are slightly more difficult to choose from as of course there are so many different types, colours and finishes - but one I'd say is a good all-rounder (yet again) is one of the kohl variety. Now here I'm talking more 'modern' kohls than perhaps we could class the 'traditional' ones. They've had a makeover in recent years and are now much more creamy in consistency, some so much so they apply like a liquid or gel - and so can almost do the job of all three liner types in one product. I'd personally suggest the Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal Pencils as they are probably the best I've found from the drugstore. Finally, for mascara I'd leave it wholly wide-open for you to make your own choice completely. Like many gals, I find mascara to be a matter of personal preference and so one that may work well for one person's lashes may do bugger all for another. Perhaps read up on a few reviews beforehand to gauge a bit of an idea, but I think the best advice I can give is to simply go into your local drugstore and pick one up that looks good to you.
LIPS: Lips are also generally more of a matter of personal choice as we typically are swayed towards certain ranges and shades which we feel cater best to our own personal requirements. Therefore, rather than recommending certain shades I thought it may be more helpful to talk the categories of lip items generally and suggest my favourites ranges accordingly. For lip balms, I really like the Maybelline Baby Lips range. It's really expanded over the time since it was first released and now contains a variety of balms - from those which purely bring the nourishment to ones which also have a hint of tint to them - whatever you want, they'll be something there for you. Gloss-wise, I can't say I have too much advice to impart as personally glosses aren't my favourite lip product of choice, though I do like both the Maybelline Colour Sensational Shine Glosses and Tanya Burr's Lip Glosses too. Maybelline's are a tad more 'thin' in consistency and Tanya's a little more creamy and pigmented, but both are equally lovely and contain a whole host of shades to appeal to everyone. Also, good news - neither are at all sticky! Finally, in the lipstick-type arena (encompassing everything from standard lipsticks to crayons) I have a couple of recommendations. For the bold gals amongst you, I love the Maybelline Colour Drama Lip Pencils. I'd give the nudes of the range a miss if I were you, but the bolds are definitely where it's at. The formula's matte, so super long-lasting, yet also incredibly creamy and comfortable on the lips at the same time so it almost doesn't feel like a matte lipstick at all. If you're in the market for some nude-y, 'barely there' shades however, I love the L'Oreal Colour Riche Exclusive Nudes Collection. A range full of shades designed to suit a certain celeb's skintone, all you need to do is try and match yourself to whichever gal's colouring you feel you're most suited to and hey presto! Or you can just do what I do and just pick out whichever one I like the look of the most...
FINISH: Again, I'd suggest keeping things pared back if you're new to the makeup game, and whilst contouring is totally cray cray right now - perhaps save that until you're a little more experience with the whole beauty shebang, or even not at all if it's not really your type of thing. Don't feel pressured into doing a certain style of makeup - go with what suits you, your tastes and your features - not necessarily just trends. Now, with that little interlude over and done with... back to the finishing touches. I'd instead simply recommend your standard blush/bronzer/highlight. Whether you want to go for just one, two or all three - these are what I like to call makeup 'classics' and so I feel are much easier to master and get your head around. For blush I'd suggest a 'does-it-all', suits everyone-type thang like the Natural Collection 'Peach Melba' Blush. This is a lovely dusky pink that just complements all complexions and whilst being surprisingly super-pigmented, can easily be watered down using some light application. Bronzer is always a goodie to have in your stash to warm up your skin, especially in the Summer. I love the Soap and Glory Solar Powder Bronzer as the two-shade pan means you can alter its colour depending on how your swirl your brush in it - making it a fab one for those paler gals like moi. In terms of a more 'traditional'-style bronzer, I also really enjoy using the Rimmel Natural Bronzer. It's a tad more 'strong' in colour than the S&G one and has a slightly more orangey undertone to it, but I find using a duo-fibre brush with it (meaning it picks up less product so applies it in a more subtle fashion) helps counteract these possible issues somewhat. Finally, in the highlight department I'd certainly give a shout-out to the MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighter in 'Pink Shimmer'. This, as the name would correctly imply, has a warmer, pink undertone to it and so I find to be quite flattering and accurately replicate the sheen your skin would naturally give out on the areas you typically apply highlighter onto. The texture is creamy and so is uber-easy to work with - a great one for makeup newbies.
P.S. Apologies for the super-long post, but I hope it was in some way useful!
EYES: Moving onto eyes, I think for a beginner, it's always best to keep things simple to start off with. For example, I personally like to sue a primer underneath my eye makeup (Urban Decay's Primer Potion F.Y.I.) as I find things can go a bit #CreaseCentral by the end of the day, but I find this category to be more a personal preference (a.k.a. it's a step you can easily skip if you can or want to) and also one in which I don't really have any drugstore recommendations anyway. I'd highly recommend the MUA Eyeshadow Palettes if you're in the market for eyeshadows - each are under a fiver, have a mighty twelve shades and come in a variety of different types - to appease both neutral and colourful gals alike - and thus create a whole spectrum of different looks. Liners are slightly more difficult to choose from as of course there are so many different types, colours and finishes - but one I'd say is a good all-rounder (yet again) is one of the kohl variety. Now here I'm talking more 'modern' kohls than perhaps we could class the 'traditional' ones. They've had a makeover in recent years and are now much more creamy in consistency, some so much so they apply like a liquid or gel - and so can almost do the job of all three liner types in one product. I'd personally suggest the Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal Pencils as they are probably the best I've found from the drugstore. Finally, for mascara I'd leave it wholly wide-open for you to make your own choice completely. Like many gals, I find mascara to be a matter of personal preference and so one that may work well for one person's lashes may do bugger all for another. Perhaps read up on a few reviews beforehand to gauge a bit of an idea, but I think the best advice I can give is to simply go into your local drugstore and pick one up that looks good to you.
LIPS: Lips are also generally more of a matter of personal choice as we typically are swayed towards certain ranges and shades which we feel cater best to our own personal requirements. Therefore, rather than recommending certain shades I thought it may be more helpful to talk the categories of lip items generally and suggest my favourites ranges accordingly. For lip balms, I really like the Maybelline Baby Lips range. It's really expanded over the time since it was first released and now contains a variety of balms - from those which purely bring the nourishment to ones which also have a hint of tint to them - whatever you want, they'll be something there for you. Gloss-wise, I can't say I have too much advice to impart as personally glosses aren't my favourite lip product of choice, though I do like both the Maybelline Colour Sensational Shine Glosses and Tanya Burr's Lip Glosses too. Maybelline's are a tad more 'thin' in consistency and Tanya's a little more creamy and pigmented, but both are equally lovely and contain a whole host of shades to appeal to everyone. Also, good news - neither are at all sticky! Finally, in the lipstick-type arena (encompassing everything from standard lipsticks to crayons) I have a couple of recommendations. For the bold gals amongst you, I love the Maybelline Colour Drama Lip Pencils. I'd give the nudes of the range a miss if I were you, but the bolds are definitely where it's at. The formula's matte, so super long-lasting, yet also incredibly creamy and comfortable on the lips at the same time so it almost doesn't feel like a matte lipstick at all. If you're in the market for some nude-y, 'barely there' shades however, I love the L'Oreal Colour Riche Exclusive Nudes Collection. A range full of shades designed to suit a certain celeb's skintone, all you need to do is try and match yourself to whichever gal's colouring you feel you're most suited to and hey presto! Or you can just do what I do and just pick out whichever one I like the look of the most...
FINISH: Again, I'd suggest keeping things pared back if you're new to the makeup game, and whilst contouring is totally cray cray right now - perhaps save that until you're a little more experience with the whole beauty shebang, or even not at all if it's not really your type of thing. Don't feel pressured into doing a certain style of makeup - go with what suits you, your tastes and your features - not necessarily just trends. Now, with that little interlude over and done with... back to the finishing touches. I'd instead simply recommend your standard blush/bronzer/highlight. Whether you want to go for just one, two or all three - these are what I like to call makeup 'classics' and so I feel are much easier to master and get your head around. For blush I'd suggest a 'does-it-all', suits everyone-type thang like the Natural Collection 'Peach Melba' Blush. This is a lovely dusky pink that just complements all complexions and whilst being surprisingly super-pigmented, can easily be watered down using some light application. Bronzer is always a goodie to have in your stash to warm up your skin, especially in the Summer. I love the Soap and Glory Solar Powder Bronzer as the two-shade pan means you can alter its colour depending on how your swirl your brush in it - making it a fab one for those paler gals like moi. In terms of a more 'traditional'-style bronzer, I also really enjoy using the Rimmel Natural Bronzer. It's a tad more 'strong' in colour than the S&G one and has a slightly more orangey undertone to it, but I find using a duo-fibre brush with it (meaning it picks up less product so applies it in a more subtle fashion) helps counteract these possible issues somewhat. Finally, in the highlight department I'd certainly give a shout-out to the MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighter in 'Pink Shimmer'. This, as the name would correctly imply, has a warmer, pink undertone to it and so I find to be quite flattering and accurately replicate the sheen your skin would naturally give out on the areas you typically apply highlighter onto. The texture is creamy and so is uber-easy to work with - a great one for makeup newbies.
P.S. Apologies for the super-long post, but I hope it was in some way useful!
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