Starters Kit: Budget Edition

I started doing makeup when I was about 12 or 13 years old. I started off with an old mascara my sister gave me and a way too dark foundation. Gosh I wish I had discovered beauty blogs by then. It would have made such a difference and it would have protected me from all the mistakes I made. Because of that I thought it’d be fun to show you guys a starters kit for those of you who are starting off with makeup. The kit includes everything you need for a full face of makeup using all budget products. If you’re interested in finding out what I put in it, make sure you keep on reading!

Let’s start off with primer. Priming the face is an optional step in your makeup routine, but to me it is essential. I really enjoy using the well known and loved Nivea Men Aftershave Balm. It’s thin, you get a lot of product for a small amount of money and it works like a charm. It’s a great product to start off with, but it’s a great product for experts as well. I really enjoy using it.

Another primer I’d recommend is the Rimmel Stay Matte Primer. This one is a little thicker in consistency and is a little bit more expensive because it’s an actual primer, but it works really well too. It’s a great primer for oily skin because it mattifies the skin and keeps the oil under control all day.

Onto foundation. Lot’s of people tell starters that if you have good skin you shouldn’t use foundation. They tell you you should use a bit of concealer instead, but I don’t agree with that at all. If you use concealer only you will have some spots on your face that are flawless and some not so flawless spots. I think that looks a little strange.

Instead try using just foundation and apply a little more on problem areas. My favourite ones are by L’Oreal. The Infallible one is perfect for greasy skin and the True Match is amazing for everyone. They aren’t too heavy or thick but do give you a really flawless looking finish.

If you do feel like you need some concealer there are two I highly recommend. First of all the well known Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. How I love this stuff! I has amazing coverage and is super affordable. It’s perfect for under the eyes as well as for covering up blemishes all over the face. It’s a perfect all round concealer to have in your starters kit.

I also really like the Catrice Camouflage Cream. This is a little thicker and therefore I do recommend applying it using your fingers. I like using this underneath my eyes as well as on spots. Do keep in mind that if you use it underneath your eyes you do really need to set this, otherwise it will crease!

To set everything I recommend using a transparent powder, this could be a loose powder as well as a pressed powder. I recommend getting a transparent one because than you don’t have to worry about the colour and it won’t get cakey as easily. My favourite one is the Essence All About Matt loose powder. This one is discontinued but they do have a new one in their new range which is pretty much the same thing.

If you prefer using a pressed transparent powder Essence has a great option for you as well. I have to say that I’ve never tried it before but I did read lots of good things about it, so you could give that a try as well.

Onto the brows. My favourite fool proof eyebrow product is, as most of you guys know by know, the Maybelline Brow Satin. I like using the pencil side first to make sharp lines and fill them in a little and when that’s done I like using the powder side to soften the look a little. If you use it like that it works perfectly and there’s pretty much no way you can mess it up.

If you have really thick brow hairs you might want to set your eyebrows in place using a brow gel. You can also use a brow gel if you don’t feel like your brows need to be filled in using a pencil or a powder but you do want to add a tad of colour. My current favourite is the P2 Eyebrow Gel. This one is tinted and makes my brows stay in place all day.

For eyeshadow I highly recommend using a cream shadow as an eyeshadow primer. Actual eyeshadow primers never really worked for me but this Maybelline Color Tattoo really does. If you use this your eyeshadow will stay in place all day and it will look super intense.

For  eyeshadow I recommend the Collection Eyes Uncovered palette. It has some similar shades in it as the Naked 1 palette by Urban Decay. The colours are really pigmented and super easy to work with, I really like this little palette!

Mascara is a really personal thing. It really depends on which formula you like and what kind of bristles you like which mascara will work for you. My personal budget favourite is the L’Oreal Volume Million Lashes mascara, especially the Extra Black version, but this normal version is great as well.

Maybelline also has some great mascara’s, I’ve used those for ages!

Lastly you might want to have a nice blush and highlighter in your collection to add a little more colour to the face and create some demention. My favourite blush is the Alverde powder blush in Flamingo, but the colour Pretty Terra is also really pretty and wearable for everyday.

For highlighter I highly recommend giving the MUA Undress Your Skin highlighters a try. They’re pretty intense, but not too intense, and add a gorgeous looking glow to the skin, absolutely stunning!

And that was it. Those were all of the products I’d put in a starters kit. I hope you enjoyed reading today’s post and let me know if you’re already a makeup-pro and if so what you would recommend putting in a starters kit and if you’re a starter, let me know if this post was helpful to you in any way!

XOXO, Nicole.