15 Make up Essentials For Beginners

If you walk into a store like Mac, Sleek or Maybelline and find yourself overwhelmed, especially if you’re quite new to the makeup world. For a beginner, makeup can be quite intimidating. Today there’s such a huge selection of products available which often makes newcomers feel pretty confused. “What does that do?” “What do I need this for?” The choice seems endless. And more often than not, you end up buying something that doesn’t work for you. Don’t worry. Makeup, like many things, involves trial and error and lots of practice, but a little help never hurts. I cannot say i am a professional, but i have been doing it for quite a while and thus compiled a “makeup starter kit” of  essentials that every newbie needs in order to fully dive into the realm of makeup. Hope it helps you embark on this journey well

Lots of Love

Kadenyi

Photographer: Vince Oyolo

Moisturizer

I wouldn’t know if Moisturizer is considered a make up essentials, but its important to keep your skin moisturized. There are plenty of other options, but I use Bio oil due to my sensitive skin and  it works out perfectly.

1. Primer

A primer, That little liquid so many of us skip, yet if we took time to smooth it on, our makeup would anchor down. And who doesn’t want their face base to hold on for that extra mile? Especially as these magical creams lend skin benefits, too.

When choosing a primer, it’s important to take your skin type into consideration. If you have dry skin, you’ll want something hydrating and brightening. If you have oily skin with larger pores, you’ll want something mattifying and blurring.

2. Brushes

Any makeup product can look good with the right tools. Having good quality brushes is essential if you really want your makeup to apply correctly and stay looking good throughout the day. While some products, like foundation and concealer, can be applied with your fingers, sometimes a brush is absolutely necessary. You’re going to need a brush for powder, blush/bronzer, and a few for eye shadow.

lol, you can tell how much I love them 🙂

3. Foundation

You don’t need to slather it all over your face—just in places where you see uneven skin tone or discoloration. If you don’t need as much coverage as foundation provides, consider a tinted moisturizer instead (BB cream).

4. Concealer

Even if you’re hesitant about using face makeup for the first time, a concealer is a must. Choose a creamy formula that can hide under-eye circles and cover blemishes. Concealers contain more pigment than foundation and allow you to cover up things like dark circles or any unwanted blemishes.

For a beginner, use a liquid concealer, for underneath your eyes, try a shade that’s on the orange side, which will help cancel out any dark tones, while for blemishes, try one with a yellow tint, which will help conceal redness.

5. Powder

Powder is essential for locking in your makeup and making sure it won’t slip and slide around all day. If you have drier skin, you can usually get away without it but if you have combo/oily skin, it’s a must. The most important part of your face to set is the T-zone—the forehead, nose and chin—as this is the area that produces the most oil. Use a loose translucent powder as its lighter than a pressed powder and the transparent shade ensures that the color of your face makeup won’t be affected.

6. Contour Kit

7. Highlighter

It’s not a necessary step, but if you want to achieve that gorgeous, lit-from-within glow, you’ll need a highlighter. Highlighters are light, shimmery champagne or golden toned powders or liquids that are applied to the tops of the cheekbones, the bridge of the nose, the cupid’s bow and under the brow to attract light to the high points of the face. It’s important to remember that if you’re oily, a highlighter might make you look overly shiny, and if you have larger pores, it will emphasize them.

Ben Nye’s banana powder sets the highlight when using concealer. They have it  in various shades to blend with all skin tones that highlights without diminishing the natural glow of your complexion.

8. Bronzer

Bronzer allows you to fake that sunkissed glow all year round. It’s best to apply a warm shade in the shape of a “3” along the sides of your face, hitting your forehead, cheekbones, and jawline. You can also use what’s left on your brush and dust it across the bridge of your nose. Cool toned bronzers can be used subtly in the hollows of your cheeks to create a natural-looking contour. It’s important to remember not to be too heavy handed and to choose a shade that isn’t too dark for your skin tone.

9. Blush

Blush, when applied correctly, this product adds life to your face. A good way to choose a perfect blush is to select a color that mimics your natural flush. If you want to experiment with different colors, you should keep your skin tone in mind. Peachier tones tend to look best on those with warm skin, while pink shades flatter those with cool skin. Apply blush starting towards the back of the cheek and work your way forward towards the apples.

10. Neutral Eyeshadow Palette

Neutral eyeshadows are the most basic and essential thing a makeup beginner needs in their kit. A single eyeshadow palette, such as Urban Decay, The Nudes Palette, containing shades ranging from beiges to browns to blacks is the perfect way to start practicing and experimenting with eyeshadows. In general, light shades should be applied to your lid, inner corner and brow bone, medium shades to the crease, and dark shades to the outer corner and lower lashline.

11. Not so Neutral Eye shadow pallet

Once you master the nude eye shadow game ( which is quite fast) a colorful set is a must! investing in a few good makeup palettes is good so that you do have a range of colors that work well together when you do decide to wear makeup. Personally I have the Sephora Palette (forgive the mirror) !This little beauty is packed with all sorts of eyeshadows – so you can totally mix and match every single day!

12. Liquid or Gel Eyeliner
A liquid or gel eyeliner will add drama and is the perfect product to take your look from day to night. The formula you choose is your preference, however they both take some practice. Gel eyeliners tend to have a softer look while liquids are usually bold and precise.

Revlon Color stay Eyeliner is a great liquid liner with an extremely fine tip that is perfect for easy and precise application.

Sleek long Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner has a creamy, pigmented formula that doesn’t budge.

13. Mascara

If you could only buy one product on this whole list, mascara should be it. It’s amazing what long, full lashes can do for your face. I apply a few generous coats of Urban Decay Naked 4 mascara to both my upper and lower lashes which opens up my eyes, brighten up the face and making me look more awake.

14. Brow Gel or Brow Pencil

Your brows frame your face and can seriously change your entire look. That’s why it’s important to keep them looking groomed and neat. If you have unruly brow hairs, a brow gel is what is going to lock them in place and keep them tamed all day. They come in clear or tinted shades, depending on your preference, and can be swiped over bare or filled in brows for a quick fix.

Brow pencils are great for filling in any gaps or sparse areas in a natural way. Make sure you’re choosing a shade that isn’t too dark and using short, light-handed strokes to mimic natural hairs.

Lipstick And Lip gloss
For a makeup beginner, lipstick is probably the easiest way to really play with different colors and looks. There are a variety of finishes and shades to choose from, and really, it’s all about experimenting! My Sephora pallet has a ton of shades and finishes, from nudes to creamy mattes to sheers to vivids; try them all, you can’t go wrong with them!

Lip Gloss is a great way to add color and shine to your lips without dealing with the maintenance of a lipstick. The glossiness enhances your pout while the formula is perfect to throw in your bag and apply anywhere.

15. Setting Spray

Now you can see that all these layers of products have been put on your face, it needs to be set. Make up finishing spray sets and extends your make up. This means your face remains on that ‘just applied’, Anti-melt, anti-crack, anti-fade goodness

Well here is my Complete list, hope it helps you out.

P.S I have started a You Tube channel on Fashion, Beauty, Travel, Lifestyle and Make up so be sure to subscribe if you want a more detailed video and many other fun activities :).