But not everyone is as makeup-crazed as I am. If you're not really the makeup type but have recently decided to give it a go, it can be tricky to know where to begin. Walking through drugstores, department stores and full-on makeup stores like Sephora can be super overwhelming. With billions of tools and products out there, what do you really need?
Think of this kit as a starter kit. You can always add to it in the future, but what you need to begin with are basics. I suggest moisturizer, concealer, eye shadows (two should work just fine), eyeliner, mascara, blush, and lip gloss.
Here's what to look for with each:
Moisturizer- You want something that's light and can be used daily. One with SPF is great (you should wear something with SPF daily). Olay's Complete All Day Moisture Lotion SPF 15 ($11) is perfect for this.
Concealer- For this, I suggest going into a store where you can try on different shades. Makeup stores like Sephora are great for that because the salespeople generally leave you alone and you can just try on their sample products and see what works. Creams cover up the most, which is generally what I suggest for people. I like the High Definition Concealer by Smashbox ($18).
Eye Shadow- There are a lot of great shadow duos out there, and that's generally the way to go for your basic kit. Everyone's skin has at least a hint of brown in it, so brown eyeshadow never fails. American Beauty's Luxury for Lids Eyeshadow Duo in Afternoon Tea is great. The shades blend well together and are silky smooth, so they apply easily.
Eyeliner- For most people, I suggest a simple pencil liner. Black if you have anything above a medium-hued skintone, and brown or charcoal if you're fair-skinned (or transparently white like me). You can find these cheap everywhere, though don't go for the 99 cent ones...Stay somewhere around the $3-5 mark. Milani's Easyliner ($4.50) comes in all three of the colors I mentioned and as an added bonus, it's self-sharpening so you don't even need to buy a sharpener!
Mascara- The same rules apply color-wise here--so you're looking for something that's either black, brown or gray. There is no magic mascara. That said, CoverGirl's LashBlast ($8) is pretty great. I use it if I'm in a hurry and a couple swipes of this look fab. It also comes in a waterproof version if you're prone to having that raccoon look we love so much in the middle of the day or are prone to random crying outbursts.
Blush- Powder formulas are best for everyone, I think. They're the easiest to apply, and the easiest to fix if you've put on too much or not enough. A light pink or peach generally works for everyone. Neutrogena's Healthy Skin Blends Sheer Highlighting Blush ($13) does the trick. It's made up of different little squares of color that blend together to make a great blush that also highlights. The result is utterly gorgey. A little advice--never use the brush that is supplied. You need a larger fluffy brush like this to avoid looking streaky.
Lip Gloss- This is kind of up to you. There are tons of options; just go to your local drugstore and grab a couple different varieties (even the 99 cent ones are fine!) and have fun playing around!
Lastly, make sure to get yourself an adorable makeup case to put everything in. Sonia Kashuk always has so many cute, affordable ones to choose from.