Beginners Makeup Kit Essentials

Creating a make-up kit can be very daunting when you are starting out with make-up. I have created a very basic guide that can hopefully help you pick what you really need to start your make-up collection. When I was younger I hadn’t a clue about make-up but really it is all about trial and error. Staying true to my roots I have only included drugstore beauty items so you won’t be spending loads of unnecessary money.

First things first you need some good make-up brushes. Good quality make-up brushes are an essential for any makeup kit. My favourite from the drugstore have to be real techniques. These brushes are sold both separately and in packs. I would recommend buying the core collection to start off with. This set retails for around £20, but is well worth the price for the quality. The core collection which has orange packaging includes a detailer brush, pointed foundation brush, buffing brush and contour brush.

Next I would recommend buying a foundation and concealer that matches your skin perfectly. When starting out with make-up concealer in particular will be your new best friend, its great for concealing imperfections and dark under eye circles. My favourite for foundation has to be the l'oreal true match as it comes in a variety of shades and you'll easily find your shade. What is also great is it works with a variety of skin tones and textures, and has fantastic coverage. For concealer definitely try out the Collection lasting perfection concealer.

To set ensure your foundation and concealer will last all day you will need to use a powder. As you may know already if you have been following my blog for a while I swear by Ben Nye's colourless setting powder, however before I discovered this powder I used to use the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder. This is a fantastic little product from the drugstore. It's great if you are super oily or super dry skin as it works well with both skin types.

Next is my favourite beauty item of all due to how much it can transform your overall make-up look- mascara! From the drugstore Maybelline really step up there game and take the show for me. Although I would recommend any of their mascara's, if I had to choose just one it would have to be the Lash Sensational. Be careful when you are applying if you are new to make-up, mascara can become very messy quickly. For a more natural look opt for brown mascara, and to really make those eyes pop go for black.

Blush is something I feel brings life back into the face! Choose a colour you enjoy and apply it with your new brush! I would recommend trying out the new Blush by 3 blush palette by Sleek make-up. For only £9.99 you get three beautiful blush colours that are highly pigmented and blend nicely into the skin. I particularly like pumpkin and sugar. Swirl your brush into the powder and tap off the excess. Gently sweep the colour onto your cheeks, starting from the apples brushing back into the hair line.      

Finally, to finish off your look you'll need some lippy. I feel like adding some colour to your lips just pulls the entire look together. I would try the Maybelline Baby lips lip balm in cherry. Not only does it smell great and hydrate your lips, it looks great and suits a tone of skin tones. This product is highly under rated for being only £2.99.

And that concludes my make-up essentials for beginners! Remember, make-up is meant to be fun, so experiment as much as you want to find what suits for you. Until next time,

How to: Contour and Highlight

Recently, contouring and highlighting has become a massive craze, and once mastered can transform your entire face. Applying foundation to your face creates a blank canvas, so to add dimension back in we use contouring and highlighting. Let's go back to basics: in art class darker colours would be used to push areas back, whereas light colours would be used to bring areas forward. Essentially this is what is being achieved by contouring (pushing parts of your face back) and highlighting (bringing areas of your face forward).

Both cream and powder products can be used to create the desired look, however for all my beginners out their I would stick to the powder products, as they are easier to blend and wont leave you with any harsh unblended and unnatural lines.

Here comes the harder part. To achieve the best contour and highlight that would suit you, you should work out what face shape you have. Shown below are the best ways to highlight and contour your face depending on the face shape you have. If you are struggling to work out which of the face shapes you have, I've added a link to help you work out which you have. 

http://thebeautydepartment.com/2012/11/finding-your-face-shape/

Below I have also gathered a few of my favourite products for contouring and highlighting, both higher end and those that are on a budget! Depending on your skin tone, these may not be suitable for yourself, but I would recommend for contouring to stick to a product which looks ashy (has a grey undertone- mimics shadows better) and matte.

Contouring

Splash the Cash:

Hoola Bronzer £24 https://www.benefitcosmetics.com/uk/en-gb/product/hoola-matte-bronzer

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit Light £39 http://www.beautybay.com/cosmetics/anastasiabeverlyhills/proseriescontourcreamkitfair/

Stash the Cash:

Sleek contour kit £6.49 http://www.superdrug.com/Sleek/Sleek-Face-Contour-Kit-Medium/p/608335

Highlighting

Splash the Cash:

Becca Cosmetics Jaclyn Hill Skin Perfector Pressed Champagne Pop £30 https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/becca-jaclyn-hill-shimmering-skin-perfector-pressed-champagne-pop.html

Stash the Cash:

Revlon Highlighting Palette £9.99 http://www.boots.com/en/Revlon-Highlighting-Palette_1416321/

STEPS:

1.     After you’ve applied your foundation all over your face and neck, set with a powder, this will create a canvas for your powder contour and will be easier to blend.

2.     Depending on your face shape, start with contour. Follow the guide above to see where to place the darker colour to add more structure. For example, sweep the brush underneath the cheekbone to hollow it out and look more structured. Always start with a little product and build it up: it is easier to add colour than to take away!

3.     Next take your highlighter and add to the face with a separate brush. It is important to use these products with different brushes, otherwise the desired look may not be created.

4.     To ensure everything is blended, take your powder brush and sweep over these areas, to ensure a natural finish.

Hopefully these quick tips help you achieve flawless contour and highlight! Good luck babes and I'll see youse in my next post,