Before You Start - Prepping Is Important

Primer

Remember that your skincare routine is the first step of your makeup routine too. Applying makeup onto skin that isn’t well moisturised and primed will result in streaking, caking, flaking and makeup that melts away throughout the day.

A specialist makeup primer really helps improve your makeup look, finish and ‘slip’ - so making it easier to apply your makeup – and keep it looking amazing – but isn’t an essential when starting out. All you have to do is simply apply your usual moisturiser (or sunscreen) as this in itself is a great basic primer for face makeup. You can however add a primer to your kit for those occasions when you want your makeup to look extra special. 

Our product picks: Maybelline Baby Skin Pore Eraser Primer and Rimmel Fix & Protect Makeup Primer with SPF25.

Sun Screen

If you think you’re exempt from wearing sunscreen everyday you’re mistaken, especially in South Africa. The sun is one of the biggest causes of ageing and hyperpigmentation problems so be sure to cover up every single day, even when it’s overcast or you’re inside.

Invest in a non-greasy formula and you won’t even feel that you have it on. Even better, opt for a moisturiser with a minimum of SPF25 (preferably more) as the ideal budget friendly two-in-one.

Our product picks: Nivea Sun Shine Control SPF50 which is a two-in-one moisturiser and sunscreen, Neutrogena Bright Boost SPF30 Gel Fluid targeting dark spots and uneven skin tone, and Everysun Anti-Age Face Sunscreen SPF50.

Basic Beginner Makeup Kit Essentials – The 7 Must Have Products

1. Foundation

Having flawless skin is always in, making foundation a crucial part of your kit. It creates a smoother and silkier-looking canvas by evening out your skin tone and covering up small imperfections. Even if you aren’t someone who wears foundation every day it’s great for emergency skin situations, like covering up the odd blemish, as well as special occasions. If you prefer a more natural look then a BB Cream will provide lightweight coverage.

Pro tip: Using a damp beauty blender or a foundation brush will give you the most natural foundation application. Always apply in downward and outward strokes away from your nose (in the same direction as the fine hairs on your face), and don’t forget to blend along your jawline.

Our product picks: Catrice HD Liquid Coverage Foundation, Maybelline Fit Me Foundation Matt And Poreless, Garnier Skin Active BB Cream, Essence Soft Touch Mousse Makeup and Cala Makeup Blending Sponge.

Read More. Want The Best Foundation For Your Skin? All You Need To Know

2. Concealer

Foundation is amazing for evening out skin tone but sometimes you’ll have stubborn spots, under-eye circles that just won’t budge or bright red blemishes. This is when concealer becomes a makeup must-have. It is a more concentrated formula that will give you a good cover up for problem areas like this.

There are two basic types of concealers – one with shimmery pigments which is great for undereye circles as it bounces off the light, and the other with a matte opaque finish that is best for covering up spots and blemishes.

If you’re lucky enough to have near perfect skin, you can skip this step, and just use your foundation to spot conceal when you have the odd breakout.

Pro tip: When applied with your finger concealer tends to melt and not do its job so rather use a concealer brush. Dot a tiny bit of product on the area you want to cover up then blend outwards using small tapping motions.

Our product picks: Maybelline Fit Me Concealer, Rimmel Lasting Matte Concealer and LA Girl Pro Concealer which is great for under eye circles.

3. Blush

A lot of people skip blush but the subtle difference it makes is so worth it. Especially on days where you’re tired, sick or your skin is looking less-than-glowing, a touch of colour can totally add life to your face.

Pro tip: Sweep your brush onto your blush then tap the brush handle on your hand lightly to remove any excess product and avoid the way-too-rosy look. Find the apples of your cheeks by smiling then sweeping blush in light circular motions on the most raised part of your cheek.

Our product picks: Passion Pro Blusher and Yardley Stayfast Blusher.

 

4. Nude Eyeshadow Palette

Once you get comfortable with the basics you can start experimenting with colours and shimmery shades but for starters you can’t go wrong with a nude palette. For an everyday look just sweep a tone that is one shade darker than your skin colour onto your lids, and dot a little bit of light shimmery shadow on the inner corners of your eyes to open them up.

Pro tip: A smoky eye is a good go-to and can easily be achieved with a nude palette. Use a light matte shade along the area between your lid crease and eyebrow, a medium shimmery shade on your eyelid and then a dark matte shade in your crease, the outer corner of your eye, and underneath the outer edge of your bottom lashes. Then take a clean eyeshadow brush and blend the edges of the shades together. Super easy!

Our product picks: Maybelline The Nudes Eyeshadow Palette, Yardley Eyeshadow Quad, Essence The Brown Edition Eyeshadow Palette and Revlon Colorstay Eyeshadow Palette in Maverick.

Read More. Simple Insider Secrets on Exactly How to Apply Eyeshadow Right

5. Eyebrow Pencil/Eyeliner

Brows are sometimes neglected which can be a mistake as they create the perfect frame for your face. A simple brown pencil that is a shade lighter than your brow hairs is ideal for filling in and neatening up brows, plus you can also use it as an eyeliner. Brown is less dramatic than black eyeliner making it more ideal for daily wear.

Once you have you have all your basic makeup products in place, you can explore other brow products such as brow powder kits or gels, and invest in a basic eye pencil or liquid eyeliner depending upon which look you want to achieve.

Pro tip: You could also use the darkest shade of brown in your nude eye palette to fill in your brows. You will just need an angled brush and use short, sharp strokes in the same direction as your brow hair growth. Similarly, an angled brush dipped into water and dark brown shadow can also double up as an eyeliner.

Our product picks: Essence Eyebrow Designer or Catrice Kohl Kajal Waterproof.

6. Mascara

Arguably the most essential part of anyone’s makeup bag, mascara instantly opens up your eyes and just one slick of the stuff can totally transform your face. While it might be tempting to grab that exciting-looking electric blue, for your core kit a black mascara is non-negotiable.

Pro tip: If you struggle to apply mascara without clumps don’t stress; you can always comb them out with a clean spoolie brush afterwards. Remember when choosing a mascara, a volumizing formula is going to thicken them, a lengthening mascara will give you longer lashes, and if you want a bit of both you can totally combine two products.

Our product picks: Maybelline Volume Express Colossal Mascara, Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara, Rimmel Scandaleyes Mascara Wow Wings and for your spoolies, Basics Disposable Mascara Wands.

Read More. 5 Easy Steps On How To Do Awesome Eyebrows At Home

7. Lipstick/Lip Gloss

Every makeup bag should have a classic red lipstick as well as a more day-appropriate lip colour or gloss in a nude shade that matches your skin tone. If you’re on a budget, lipstick can double-up as a cream blush by dotting it lightly on the apples of your cheeks and blending with your fingertip.

Pro tip: The fail-safe way to apply lipstick is to begin at the two peaks on your top lip. Make an X with the peaks of the X matching up with your lips’ peaks. Fill in the rest of your lips from the centre outwards then do your bottom lip. Don’t rub them together as this will shift the product. Before you leave the house, close your lips around your finger and pull it out to avoid any lipstick landing on your teeth.

Our product picks: Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte Lipstick, Essence 8H Matte Liquid Lipstick, Yardley Stayfast Liquid Matte Lip Vinyl and Essence Juicy Bomb Shiny Lipgloss.
 

Intermediate Makeup Product List – The 5 Nice To Haves

1. Highlighter

Skin that is luminous always looks gorgeous, making highlighter one of the most important pieces you can own. The results are subtle yet will be the difference between an average face and one that looks dewy and Instagram-worthy.

Pro tip: The crucial spots to put highlighter are on your brow bone (that’s the spot just under the arch of your eyebrow), on your forehead between your brows, on the bridge of your nose, dotted in the inner corners of your eyes, along to top of your cheekbones and dusted on your Cupid’s bow (the middle part of your top lip).

Our product picks: Maybelline Master Strobing Stick, LA Girl Lite Strobing Powder, Essence Make Me Glow Baked Highlighter and Catrice All Over Glow Tint Liquid Highlighter.

2. Bronzer/Contouring

Bronzer is great for warming up your face, and when used correctly you can use it to contour and give your face gorgeous angles you never knew you had.

Pro tip: The easiest way to apply bronzer is to make a ‘3’ shape on either side of your face. Start along your hairline, bring the middle of the ‘3’ in at the hollow of your cheek, and finish the shape along your jawline. Blend well and ta-da: you’ve just done some basic contouring!

Our product picks: Palladio Baked Bronzer or Catrice Melted Sun Cream Bronzer Pretty Tanned for warmth, or if you don’t want any sparkle (better for contouring), try Catrice Sun Glow Matt Bronzing Powder.

If love the idea of regular face contouring but don’t want the hassle of choosing the right shades for your skin tone, opt for a budget friendly combo highlighting/contouring kit like Catrice 3 Steps To Contour Palette Allrounder or Palladio Contour & Highlight Palette.

Read More. A Fail-Safe Guide On How To Use (And Apply) Bronzer Properly

 

3. Powder

If you struggle with makeup meltdown during the day, then you should invest in a setting powder to fix your makeup into place. Makeup slippage can easily happen if you have an oily skin or live in a hot climate. It’s best to choose a translucent powder, which has no colour so won’t overpower the rest of your look.

Be aware that there are two different types of powders which can get confusing. A setting powder helps you get more hours of wear out of your makeup while a finishing powder is all about a look – it softens pores and skin texture, and gives off a gorgeous light glow – but doesn’t help wear.

Pro tip: For the best long wear results, apply a light dusting of setting powder where you either have excess oil or under your eyes to set your concealer, and leave on for about 10 minutes to allow the warmth of your skin to ‘bake’ your makeup into place. Then using your powder brush, lightly sweep off any excess powder.

Our product picks: Yardley Absolute Translucent Loose Powder and LA Girl Pro Setting Powder Translucent for setting your makeup, LA Girl Illuminate Glow Powder and LA Girl High-Definition Pro Setting Banana Powder if you are looking for a glowing luminous face finish.

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4. Lipliner

Often overlooked and neglected, a lipliner can help reshape your entire lip, create clean, crisp edges and stop creamy lipstick from bleeding outside your natural lip line. To start out, you only need one - a nude lipliner to match your lip tone which you can use with any lipstick shade.

Pro Tip: For super long lip wear, fill in your entire lip with lipliner before applying lipstick. You’ll be amazed at how much it helps.

Our product picks: Essence 8 Hour Matte Comfort Lipliner and Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipliner.

5. Brushes and Tools

Don’t rely on the little brushes that come with your products or your fingers if you’re wanting an easy and seamless application. You’ll need a foundation brush, a powder brush (for bronzer and highlighter), a blush brush, a concealer brush and a fluffy eyeshadow brush in your basic makeup kit. It may sound like a lot but if you care for and wash them regularly your brushes should last you a long time.

You may prefer a sponge blender rather than a brush to apply your foundation. They are easy to use and give an amazing finish but tend to use up more product than a brush.

Another absolute must-have tool is an eyelash curler. Invest in a good one and both you and your lashes will be hooked for life. And don’t forget a pair of tweezers to keep your brows in shape.

Our brush picks: Cala has a great range of individual brushes – a foundation brush, powder brush, an angled blush brush, and eyeshadow blending brush or for real value for money, the Cala Brush Face & Eye Brush Set, which has all the brushes you need.

Our tool picks: Tweezerman Classic Lash Curler and Tweezerman Slant Tweezer. Both are pricy but absolutely worth the investment as they will last you for life. However, Dis-Chem offers a good budget friendly basic blending sponge.

Read More. An Easy Guide to The Brushes You Need to Use for Perfectly Flawless Makeup