I’ve noticed that a lot of ladies want to beat face but don’t know where to start. Here is a compiled list of products that should be in your makeup starter kit. In this list, I will include some great brands to buy and my recommendations, I hope this helps my beginners!

Primer

Although a primer is not a necessity, it’s nice to have one for your face and eyes. Primer will help your makeup apply smoother and stay on longer. When I use a face primer, I only use it when I wear liquid foundation and it’s the first thing I put on my face besides a moisturizer. When choosing a primer take into consideration the type of skin that you have, if you have dry skin get something that adds moisture and if you have oily skin something that will matte your face and control the oil. I love the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer, it’s a little pricey at $36 but it’s velvety smooth and does wonders for my face. On eyes, concealer can act as eyeshadow primer, but I prefer to use NYX Eyeshadow Base which can be copped for about $7.

BB Cream 

If makeup is really not your thing and you aren’t used to wearing a heavy foundation I would start off wearing a BB Cream. It’s light coverage and can help transition you into wearing a heavier foundation. Maybelline has a nice BB Cream, personally I use the Smashbox BB Cream. This is a must for your starter kit and even if you already wear foundation BB Cream is great to use to let your skin breath while still having some coverage.

Foundation

For foundation, I recommend buying a liquid and powder foundation. The liquid foundation is great for more coverage and the powder foundation is perfect for dusting something on your face. In the summertime, I like to use a powder foundation because I sweat a lot and don’t want my face to melt off. In the winter I use BB Cream and I save my foundation for special occasions, or sometimes I’ll mix the two it’s really a preference type of thing.

Eyebrow Pencil or Gel 

Depending on your eyebrows will determine the type of product that you’ll want to use whether it’s a brow pencil or gel. I have thick eyebrows and only need to fill in spots so I opt for a pencil, I wrote about the pencil I use in #HolyGrail Brows Baby! Your eyebrows really frame your face, so find the right product to define your brows.

Concealer

Find a concealer that’s good for multiple things including covering any blemishes, acting as an eyeshadow primer, cleaning up your eyebrows and highlighting. I use L.A. Girl Pro Concealer, I bought mine on Amazon but you can also grab this from Ulta or Walgreens. What’s great about about using a concealer like L.A. Girl is the applicator comes with an attached brush so you don’t have to buy one. When you’re highlighting with concealer, be sure to graze the center of your forehead, the bridge of your nose, make a triangle shape under your eyes, and don’t forget to apply product to your cupid’s bow,  and chin.

Contour

Chisel those cheeks by contouring. I alternate between liquid and powder contour and sometimes I want to look OVAA and I do both. When I do liquid contour I use Maybelline Fit Me Foundation Stick but L.A. Girl also has nice contour colors. When I’m using powder contour, I use Anastsia Beverly Hills Contour Kit and what I love about ABH is there’s a kit to accommodate for skin complexions ranging from light to deep.

Blush

Blush is my favorite step of the makeup process, I’m the one that says you can never have enough blush. It’s great to have some blush in your starter kit because it warms up your cheeks and can take down the depth of your contour. The day you put too much contour on your cheekbones is the day you’ll understand what I just said. Depending on what’s most flattering on you will determine which shade of blush you buy. Just don’t be that girl that puts the brightest pink on knowing that ain’t for you. Seriously if you’re having trouble finding shades that complement you, don’t be afraid to ask makeup consultants that work at Sephora, MAC, Ulta or any other beauty product store, they are trained to help color match you.

Highlight/Bronzer 

To find out where to highlight, read Where To Highlight. Find some shimmery goodness to dust on those target areas and get your glow on. For highlight I use, MAC highlighters, Becca highlights and this other #HolyGrail.

Setting Powder

It is very important to set your makeup so that it stays in place and lasts all day long. There are plenty different types of setting powders to use but I like to use NARS Translucent Setting Powder because I can put as much of it as I want on and I never get the white cast that many are afraid of. If you don’t have that many brushes, use your powder foundation brush to dust your setting powder on.

Neutral Eyeshadow Palette

If you’re not ready to take on the colorful wonderland of eyeshadows, start off with a neutral eyeshadow palette that you can work with until you get comfortable incorporating other colors. Neutral eyeshadows are great all year long and flatter many different looks and faces. Urban Decay Naked Palettes are very popular and give you a range of colors to work wih, but you can find a neutral palette just about anywhere or you can go somewhere like MAC and create your own palette with colors that you want to use.

Eyeliner

Eyeliner makes your eye makeup pop if you ask me. I suggest a pencil liner if you’re starting out but it’s also a good idea to have a liquid liner that you can learn to use. A lot of people resort to a black liner, sometimes black looks harsh to me so I use a very dark brown eyeliner. You might even catch me using a black liquid liner on top and a dark brown pencil on my waterline.

Mascara

Mascara puts the finishing touches to your eye makeup and even if you have no eyeshadow on, just a little mascara can add a little oomph to your face. You can get any kind of mascara and if you don’t get a single thing off of this list, grab some mascara!

Finishing Spray 

Not necessary but nice to have is a finishing spray. Some really like MAC’s Prep and Prime Fix + Spray, I like NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray, using one of these products again help keep your makeup in place. You just did a lot of steps, primer, foundation, eyebrows, highlight and contour, blush and eyes, so get a spray to hold all that right where you placed it.

Lip Liner

Coming soon I’m writing an article about the power of lip liners. But I recommend getting a few lip liners that match well with different lipsticks and lipglosses. There’s not one shade that I can say is best, but I love Chesnut, Cork and Nightmoth from MAC.

Lipstick/Lipgloss 

So many brands have great lip colors, the new trend is liquid lipsticks. Try to find a nice nude lip, a red, a purple and maybe even a pink shade. Some of my favorites are Yash, Velvet Teddy, Ruby Woo, Heirone and Angel all from MAC.

Brushes

In order to apply all these products, you need brushes. You don’t have to have super expensive brushes to create sultry makeup looks, you can find reasonably priced brushes at Ulta, Sephora or online. My mother taught me a trick a long time ago which was to use paint brushes as makeup brushes and I have to say I still have a few that I use and they place product nicely. Here’s a list of brushes you’ll need:

  • Powder Foundation Brush
  • Liquid Foundatiion Brush
  • Concealer Brush
  • Eyebrow Spoolie
  • Blush Brush
  • Contour Brush
  • Eyeshadow Brushes
  • Fan Brush (To apply highlight)

I hope this list helps everybody get their makeup kits together, if you have any questions leave a comment or mention me on Twitter @skylarcoleman_

Keep your eyes on Sky for more insiders!