Let’s say you want to start a makeup collection, you’re probably thinking:

“Where do I start?!

“What do I need?”

“Where should I splurge?”

I don’t know about you, but I’m easily distracted. Going to a store, I can make a list, walk in and still walk out without a thing on my list!!

I look at bronzer, before I know it, I’m convincing myself that I need these lipsticks, my eyes would look legit if I had this and I’m immediately sold.

Before you know it, you look in your cart and you start to panic and that is when the good ole life decisions in the makeup section begin!

Back to the problem at hand – Starting your makeup collection!

WHAT DO I NEED TO START A MAKEUP COLLECTION?

Here are some makeup staples to add to your collection, lets get started.

Foundation:

Assuming you know your skin tone and type the first thing I would recommend is a good foundation or BB cream (Beauty Balm).

Foundation comes in different ways these days and you know more choices, more problems! This is where knowing your skin type comes into play.

If you have oily skin you’re not going to want to jump at the foundation that’s made for dry skin and vice versa.

ALWAYS CATER TO YOUR SKIN!

You have the following types of foundation:

1. Tinted moisturizer
2. Liquid foundation
3. Cream foundation
4. Dual finish foundation

The main go-to foundation is liquid. Now, let me hit you with this…

Liquid foundation has different finishes. Don’t become discouraged, its not difficult with a few tricks in your bag.

Finishes range from light to full coverage and dewy to matte, see that wasn’t so bad.

If you just want to even out your skin tone, the light coverage will work for you.

Now, if you want that flawless face and need to cover some imperfections, grab a full coverage foundation.

If you want the matte flat look with little to no shine, grab the matte foundation. Or if you’re going towards more of a youthful glow, try the dewy.

Concealer

Concealer is and can be a lifesaver for many reasons. If you don’t sleep, staying up late watching Investigation Discovery like myself, this is a must!

Don’t let this be a tricky purchase because many people think you need to go a million shades lighter than your skin tone. This can lead to disaster and will quickly make you throw a fit in the morning.

Avoid that and go for something that is ONE shade lighter.

Now there are also color correcting concealers. I’m sure you’ve seen the cream palettes with green, purple, pink and yellow. Color correctors are for just that, correcting color. They can be a little intimidating at first, but if you’re comfortable giving them a try, it might be worth looking into.

Remember this line up and you’ll be golden:

• Green- For extreme redness on all skin types
• Purple- Lightens dark circles and can also brighten dullness on medium skin
• Pink- Also lightens dark circles and brightens dullness, but on light skin
• Peach- Cancels dark circles and fights dark spots on both light and medium skin
• Orange- For dark circles on deeper skin tones
• Red- Cancels dark circles on deep skin tone
• Yellow- Calms mild redness all over the face for all skin tones

Powder

The powder will set your foundation allowing for a more finished look.

If you’re wondering if you really need a powder, STOP THAT RIGHT NOW, yes you do. The tricky part here: there are different types of powders.

What Powder is best for you?

Loose Powder

This is my preference, I find it gives a better finish and lasts much longer than a pressed powder. I forgot to mention, it feels like a million bucks on my face! It feels silky and smooth, shrinking my pore’s appearance. These powders are a bit messy, so this is a stay at home powder.

Note- If you notice that the powder is giving you a powdered donut effect on your face, a loose translucent powder may be the fix to your problem. Colored powder is just adding another layer of color on top of the foundation. To get more of a natural finish translucent is the way to go!

Pressed Powder

Now these bad boys can be taken out of the house with little to no worry. You can also get away with a pressed powder as the ONLY powder in your makeup collection.

Blush

I LOVE blush! They come in so many fun colors and can really transform your look.. FOR REAL! You can easily go back to the 80’s if applied heavily, or you can look simply darling with those peachy cheeks.

Now it wouldn’t be the same if I didn’t tell you, there’s (OF COURSE) different types out there.

Which is best for you?

Powder Blush– Most common- Comes in a variety of shades and is great for all skin types.

Cream Blush– Less common- Will give a dewy finish, easy to use, and comes in many colors! If you have oily skin, approach with caution.

Gel Blush– My go to for the summer months! It gives a glow with little effort. The thing about gel blush is it tends not to show up on deeper skin tones and DOESN’T last long.

Stain Blush– This is going to give a long lasting dewy look. APPROACH WITH CAUTION this is hard to blend out (I’ve learned the hard way, there’s nothing like walking around looking like you were hit with a sack of nickels!)

Eye Shadow

This is MY FAVORITE thing when it comes to makeup. Just writing about it puts the biggest smile on my face. 🙂

Funny story, my sister would use our mom’s eyeshadow to create bruises on her skin. I have no idea why she did, but they looked amazing which sounds silly, however that goes to show that eye shadow can be for everyone. If you don’t stop me, I can go on all day about eye shadow, but for the sake of your eyelids, I’ll get to the point.

You can get eye shadow in different finishes. Yes, you guessed it, but for this post I will keep it simple. The good thing is you can easily get a palette at a decent cost!

Liquid Eyeliner

Line those eyes baby! Time for eyeliner, this is such a simple one thank goodness, however you do have many colors to choose from, and do you want, wait for it…

Liquid, pencil or gel? : )

Pencil- This is going to be your most common liner out there. You can get these in the retractable or the one that needs to be sharpened. Depending on the look you’re aiming for, you’ll have many colors to choose from. This is also going to be the easiest to apply, and is more versatile in the way you use it. You can line the top, bottom, and your waterline with this one.

Liquid– When you’re wanting to line those eyes and get a wing that can cut! This will give you a more precise look and will look more glossy. Liquid eyeliner usually comes with a felt tip and will require a little more patience than the pencil. These come in different colors as well depending on what you’re looking for. *Ideal for the top lash line

Gel liner- These little guys come in a pot and will require a brush to apply. Don’t be fooled, you can also get a sharp clean look with gel liner as well.

Mascara

I gotta testify, I love my lashes to touch the sky, do you know what I mean?! With the power of mascara this is possible to a certain extent of course. : ) Are you going to wear lashes today or are you in the mood to go bare lash?

Whatever you do, dress those lashes in some mascara, it will step up your eye game, I promise.

So what is best for you?

Lengthening – Short or straight lashes, this is for you. The brush on this type of mascara has more dense bristles for a thicker application.

Thickening/Voluminous – Use this one for thin or limp lashes. This will add volume without the heavy look depending on how you apply it. These mascaras use use a darker pigment for a denser look.

Waterproof – In my opinion, this is for everyone, but can be hard to take off. These mascaras will get you through the day even if you want to cry your eyes out. The con to this is it can be hard to take off, so you will need an oil based remover to clean your lashes. You can try coconut oil if you’re feeling a little more on the healthy side, however baby oil will work just fine.

Lipstick

Let’s dip into the lips. If you’re anything like me, you want those crazy dark burgundy shades in a matte finish. Yes please!!

Guess what…

You guessed it! A ton of options to choose from, which is best for you?

Cream- This is the most common and can range anywhere from glossy to matte depending on preference.

Matte- NO GLOSSY look with these lippies. Be warned these can dry the lips and can look like you’ve been chewing on your lips if you don’t scrub your lips before applying.

Gloss- Lip gloss be poppin’, lip gloss be coooo. The gloss is straight anti-matte and can be found in almost any shade.

Makeup Brushes/Sponges

You will most def need some brushes for your application. This can get expensive especially since there are so many brushes with so many different functions.

For those of you just starting out, what I would recommend is to GET A SET, you can get sets almost anywhere that sells cosmetics.

My first makeup set brush set came from BH Cosmetics. You can get pretty much any brush you need for a reasonable price and I still use them to this day.

This post should help ease any anxiety when it comes to wanting to start your makeup collection. I promise you’ll become addicted! I’m pretty sure I need to go through rehab.

I hope you enjoyed this and you’re ready to start your ultimate makeup collection. I have included some of the products I have tried and would buy again without question. Let me know what you think!

Until Next Time,