This week You! takes the guesswork out of makeup shopping witha list of absolute must-haves for your beauty kit...
beauty
This week You! takes the guesswork out of makeup shopping witha list of absolute must-haves for your beauty kit...
One of the most exciting parts about the ever-expanding beauty market is finding new makeup treasures to add to your collection. Whether it’s an eyeshadow palette or a brand new foundation, makeup enthusiasts are drawn to new releases like moths to flame.
However, with so many options out there, it is not easy knowing exactly which beauty products you should spend your hard-earned cash on. If you’re not exactly sure where to begin in the makeup department or beauty aisle, we have a list of essentials to help you fill up your collection.
While some days call for a face full of perfectly applied makeup, others only offer about a five minute window for pampering. Keeping these basic makeup must-haves at an arm’s reach will give you just enough to create any look, accentuate your beautiful features or look presentable in a flash.
Skincare
First and foremost, we need skincare. Whether it’s high-end makeup or a cheaper brand, exfoliating and prepping your skin is a must for best results. Applying a good moisturiser like St Ives, Dove or Nivea during the day and a deep cleansing cream at night is one way to go about it. For moisturising, look for words like ‘hydrating’ and ‘replenishing’, and if you have really dry skin look for the words like ‘deep moisturising’.
Primer
Ever since primers have hit the market, makeup has never been the same. This little liquid is used to help makeup last longer, smooth the skin’s surface and even out the skin tone. If you have oily skin, go for mattifying gel-based formulas such as L’Oreal Infallible primer, Smashbox Photo Finish or Benefit POREfessional, so you don’t have to powder your t-zone more than necessary. Also, primers are a great way to avoid clogged pores, which is a common complaint of makeup users. And, applying an eye primer before eyeshadows gives amazing colour payoff and avoids creasing.
Foundation
This seems like a no-brainer for anyone who knows makeup. If you want a little coverage for a daily-base use, a BB cream with natural extracts (such as Bodyshop’s tea tree oil BB cream) is suitable. But, if you want something from medium to full-coverage, go for NARS, L’Oreal Infalliable or Maybelline Fit Me. Also, a liquid foundation is a better choice over sticks. To get the right shade, you need to figure out your undertones. One trick is to look at the veins in your wrist - if they appear blue or purple, you’re cool; green or olive, you’re warm and if they’re a mix of both, you’re neutral. Before purchasing, always do a swatch on your cheek or near the jawline rather than your wrist to match your skin tone.
Concealer
If you find yourself plagued by dark circles, blemishes, pimples, and redness on a regular basis, a concealer is you go-to for masking your minor imperfections. This should be a luminous pigment that brightens up your skin, and can be doubled up as a highlight on cheek and brow bones, too. Tart Shape tape, L.A. Girl and Maybelline Age Rewind are a popular choice among makeup gurus.
Brow kit & mascara
You may not realise this, but when done properly, eyebrows can make your face look symmetrical and add definition to your features. Same is the case with lashes, longer and fuller lashes can really pull your look together.
For brows, you can experiment with pencils, pomades, powders and gels. Brow pencils allow you to sculpt them while powders and gels are more for filling them out. The best product to start off is with the Luscious Brow kit which covers everything. However, working with a powder is easier because, with a light hand, you can gradually build up the colour. When choosing your product, find the one that’s a shade lighter than your perfect match.
As for your lashes, L’Oreal’s Lash Paradise is great but also look for the words ‘volumizing’ and ‘falsies’ that you may find in Essence or Maybelline very easily.
Face powder
The best thing about face powder is that it can be worn both, with or without foundation, depending on how good your skin is and what coverage you want. Rimmel Stay Matte is a good choice for a matte finish but if you want something to wear alone, Maybelline Dream Velvet or Super Stay 24-hour powder is your go-to. Moreover, having a translucent powder at hand can help putting the oil at bay if while wearing foundation.
Palettes
This is probably one of the hardest items on the list. They are really pleasing aesthetically which is why one may have the urge to splurge on every new launch of the season. But, you shouldn’t, though. Be it eyeshadows, bronzer, blush, highlight or contour, the best part is that you can use them for more than one purpose. You can use a face palette to not only highlight and bronze, but to also create a cute eye look with it. Same is with an eyeshadow palette; you will have a selection of hues that can be used for more than one purpose. Although, while the glitters may attract you for the eyes, make sure that you have a palette with a good mix of neutrals and shimmers. One or two palettes are enough to last you years like something from Urban Decay, Makeup Revolution, Too Faced or The Jaclyn Hill Palette.
Brushes & sponges
While some products apply better with fingers or a beauty blender (which you also need), good quality makeup brushes are just as important as the makeup itself. Moreover, the perfect makeup brush will blend your powders and foundations seamlessly. Look for brush sets that have a good mix of face and eye brushes such as a fluffy brush, contour brush, flat eyeshadow and a blending brush.
Lipsticks
Much like your signature scent, every girl needs her go-to shade. When it comes to lip colours, we are spoilt rotten for choice. Color Studio and Luscious offer a great variety of colours from nude pinks to bright reds and plums.
Makeup wipes
Last but not least, makeup wipes are absolutely necessary. When you’re too tired at the end of a happening event, the last thing you want to do is remove your heavy-duty makeup. Sleeping in your makeup is a cardinal sin for your skin’s health and appearance. So, before you drift off into la-la land, the least you can do is quickly remove it with the wipes. Here’s a quick tip: Store a pack in your nightstand so you don’t have an excuse.
