I have already said this here but, again, my love for makeup started one year and something ago. And I did struggle to have my starter kit. My knowledge about makeup was almost zero. Until that moment, all that I applied was black eyeliner on my waterline and mascara. Sometimes a gloss, sometimes a lip balm, nothing else.
But I always loved make up so there was one time, when I watched too many make up tutorials on YouTube, that I decided that I wanted to do more and know more about make up. And I watched even more YouTube videos about make up but, this time, to know more about what I needed, the essentials. And it was a bit hard to find the actual information that I was looking for. So I decided to do a post about it and I do hope it helps.
This will be all about make up essentials for a full makeup routine to look flawless and fresh, all with drugstore products that you can get at Boots or Superdrug but I always go for Boots. They are more organized with their makeup and they do have more variety!
So what I will do is just give you a list of all the essentials that you will need mentioning drugstore products that I have used before and loved.
Sorry that there are no product photos but I will link everything to the online store!
Also, please keep in mind that I am not in any way a make up expert/professional.
So now I am just going to start with this list or else this post will get soooo long and boring! Let's go!
1st Make Up Brushes
I had to start with this topic just because you can't apply makeup if you don't have makeup brushes. Or you can, but it isn't the same. My life changed when I started applying makeup with the right brushes. It makes a big difference. So.. which ones should you choose?
If you want to go for the most affordable option and that I know that are good quality, you have the Sleek Brush Set. Buying this you will have the brushes you need to apply all your makeup, believe me. I bought this for my mom that, because of me, is now applying a tiny bit of makeup that makes a huge difference and this brush set is more that enough. So if you are a new started, these brushes are brilliant. They do their job and they are very affordable.
The next option is the Real Techniques Brushes. Everyone loves them and I am no different. They have several packs that you can choose from. They are a tiny bit more pricey than the Sleek ones but of course that the quality is also different. Follow the link and you will find all the packs that you need. And for more guidance, if you are a new starter I would suggest you to buy the Real Techniques Starter Set 1406 - here you will have all the eye shadow brushes that you will need, and then add a foundation brush, powder and blush brush. You can buy them all at Boots but you will find better prices at Amazon and Ebay as I did. So, make some research.
2nd Moisturizer
You can't apply makeup without moisturizing your face even if I do. Do what I say, not what I do. You should moisturize your face as it will prep your skin for all the makeup that you will apply. Now, the moisturizer is a personal preference and it depends on your skin type. I am not an expert on that so I can't really give you proper advice. See what works best for you and use that moisturizer before applying your makeup (about 10 minutes before). Mine is from Nivea. They are also very affordable and so good!
3rd Foundation
So, this is a tricky one. This is where I struggled the most and you will, probably. The hardest part is to know how to find the right shade for you. There are many videos out there on YouTube for you so, check them out. I love Camila Coelho's channel and she has a brilliant video about that that will really help you:
So know that you know how to find your perfect shade, I can advise you some really good drugstore foundations. They all go around the same price, £9.99. And yes, for this price you can really find a good foundation. I have tried three brands - Rimmel, Bourjois and I am currently using L'oreal Paris. Like I said, all in the same price range and good quality.
My first foundation was the Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation and it is so, so nice. Good coverage and glowy, natural skin. It is a really good option.
After this one, I tried the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation and it is really good too. Better coverage than the Rimmel one, easy to blend and, again, you look very natural and still flawless. That is something that I really appreciate.
My favourite foundation at the moment is the L'oreal Infallible Lasting Perfection Foundation. If you like a medium to full coverage foundation, without looking fake, this is the one! It is perfect and it lasts forever.
So, here you go. Three brands, three foundations that will do their job perfectly, for a good price!
4th Concealer
For me, concealer is a must due to my beautiful under eye dark circles (not). But if you think that foundation is enough, skip this step. If you are like me and every morning it looks like you were punched in the eyes, you need concealer in your life. I have only tried one and it is working so well until now that I don't think I will ever change. I am talking about the Collection 1000 Lasting Perfection Concealer. Say goodbye to your dark circles with this one, trust me. I love it. You can either buy one the same shade as your foundation or if you want, one that is one shade lighter to use as an highlighter too. But if you buy it lighter you shouldn't use it on your spots as it will draw the attention to them instead of doing the opposite.
Questions? No? Let's carry on then...
5th Setting Powder
Now, you will need a powder to set your foundation if you don't want it to melt throughout the day. And I will keep this short because I love my one and only Rimmel Stay Matte Setting Powder. He is the one for me so that is the one that I suggest to you. But, again, see what will work the best for you as our skins are all different and what is good for me might not be good for you.
6th Blush
After all of this you can apply a little bit of blush on your cheeks to give you some natural color. I love this step. Again, I have not tried many but the shade that you will choose will depend on your taste and skin color because not every blush will suit you. Again, you can search on YouTube and you will find many advise about this. But you will definitely need some blush. At the moment I am using the L'oreal Le Blush in the shade 120.
7th Eyebrow Shaping Kit (optional)
If your eyebrows are full and perfect, skip this step and be thankful for it. If they are not and you want to fix them quite easily, you can try and eyebrow shaping kit. There are many out there but I can only advise you what I know and used previously. So, if you are on a budget and want to save but still have perfect eyebrows, you can go for the Make Up Revolution Focus & Fix Eyebrow Shaping Kit. I have been using that kit for a long time now and I really like it. Sleek has one too and it is as good. So, go for it!
8th Eye Shadow Palette (optional)
If you like to had a little bit of sparkle/color to your look, you can add an eye shadow. If you want to buy your first palette, there are many in the drugstore that you can purchase. Sleek, Makeup Revolution, Barry M., L'oreal. Collection 1000, etc.. There are many out there for you so look for them. At the moment I have two Makeup Revolution Eye Shadow Palettes (Essential mattes and Iconic 3) and I have the No7 Mini Eye Palette that I have been loving. So, why don't you give it a try?
9th Mascara
Now we are getting to the end. I think that an eye look is never finished without some mascara or even a beige/white/black eyeliner on your waterline. It makes your eyes pop, I love it.
I think that almost every woman has at least one mascara so just pop it on and you will see the difference. At the moment I have the Rimmel Scandal Eyes Mascara by Kate Moss, you can read more about it on my January favourites here.
10th Lipstick/Lip gloss/Lip balm
Lipstick is my favourite part off all the makeup that I apply on my face. It makes a huge difference and you can be as brave as you want and wear any color that you love. From nude to dark plum, the choice is yours. I love Rimmel lipsticks, they have a great variety of colors and the quality is so good! Also you have L'oreal, MUA, Sleek, Barry M. and many, many others. Be brave, go for it!
So this is it lovelies, a full on Make Up Starter Kit guide for all of you that are struggling to know everything you need to have a flawless makeup look - day, evening or night - and the best thing is that it was all drugstore.
I really hope you enjoyed this post and that it helped you in any way.
Love,
