Article by BR Amelia
While some people dive into the open arms of makeup and embrace the different colours and formulations others take a more softly softly approach. Or even a ‘not at all’ stance. Of course people change and over time makeup with its skin-clearing eye-opening flush-giving properties can have an allure. But what if you’ve never dabbled? Where do you start?
We’ve put together a simple guide to creating a makeup bag for beginners, with particular attention being paid to a) price - because if you’re new to makeup you don’t want to spend a bunch of money only to decide you hate it – and b) quality – just because something is cheap it doesn’t mean it can’t be good.
How have we decided what should go into this virtual makeup bag? Naturally, we’ve left it up to the experts – our Beauty Review beauties*!
Before you even put a lick of product on your face you’ll need to give it a good priming so that your makeup has a great base to adhere to. There’s a huge range of primers out there and you’ll want to take into account the kind of skin you have (dry, oily, combination)… but the BR ladies have raved about e.l.f’s Mineral Infused Primer. Around $15 to buy locally it could well be the perfect and most affordable starting point for your makeup kit.
If you want to create a lovely even base for your skin a foundation is a must. Of course, if you’re new to makeup foundation can be a super scary place to start, in which case a BB Cream is a great baby step. Check out Za’s Total Hydration BB Cream – not only does it provide great coverage but it also has the added bonus of SPF43.
Keen to hide blemishes? Disguise dark circles? You require a good concealer and with 183 reviews and an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 Collection Cosmetic’s Concealer looks to be the winner. It promises to conceal flaws, blemishes and imperfections up to 16 hours, not only that it’s water resistant and transfer-proof too!
Want to open up your eyes while giving your lashes some oomph? You can’t beat a good mascara and Covergirl’s Lashblast Volume mascara is a clear fav and is loved for its non-clumping formulation as well as its ability to create a natural daytime look or a va-va-voom OTT style.
A natural looking eyeshadow is another must for a beginner’s makeup bag. But which to choose? There are some fabulous and affordable options out there – especially if you pick up a palette, which will give you a range of colours to experiment with. Maybelline’s The Nudes is a portable palette and a favourite at BRHQ. Another product that gets the big tick is Chi Chi’s Glamorous Eye Palette – Nudes, with users loving how easy it is to use, making it perfect for those starting out.
Want to sweep a little colour over your cheeks? Check out Jordana Powder Blush. This product gets rave reviews and it’s only a couple of dollars! It’s mostly available at $2 type stores, so if you’re struggling to find it another option available online at www.makeup.co.nz is the Milani Baked Blush with the shade Luminoso being a big favourite amongst beauty bloggers and vloggers and beauty addicts alike.
Not sure you want to delve straight into lipstick? Get used to wearing something on your lips by trying a little tinted lip balm. Hurraw’s lip balm is a great place to start. Not only is it certified vegan it also comes in a fab range of flavours and Black Cherry with its ruby red colour gives a beautiful subtle tint to your lips.
There you have it a simple and affordable guide to creating a makeup bag if you’re starting out. Is there anything we missed that a newbie might need? Any other suggestions you’d like to add for must-have beginner beauty products? Chat away…
*All products mentioned have been rated by at least ten members and fall into the ‘affordable’ category.
A nice affordable guide. I would also add a black eyeliner as an essential in my make up bag. Chi Chi's automatic liner would be my pick.