The Ultimate Starter Makeup Kit!

by BR Tabatha

I feel for anyone getting into cosmetics in this day and age. When I first started out my beauty loving baby steps were simple due to minimal products being on the market. These days though, there's a veritable feast! Not only that, you've YouTubers showing off massive must-have collections that a small country's inhabitants couldn't get through in a lifetime. Not to mention articles coming out saying 'you need this' left, right and centre.

So it got me thinking... If I were to create a basic cosmetic kit for a beauty newbie, what would I put it in? What would create a simple, but stylish look with minimal effort? Here's what I came up with...

Tinted Moisturiser

If you're new to makeup a full coverage, or even medium coverage foundation can be a lot to get used to, so starting out a tinted moisturiser, BB or CC cream is a great way to go. It will help even out skin tone without creating a mask effect. Even better, due to the sheer formula finding the perfect shade isn't as big a deal as with a fuller coverage product, so a colour that's a touch too light or dark won't be as noticeable, if noticeable at all. My picks? Covergirl Clean Fresh Skin Milk, or Flower Beauty Get Real Serum Foundation.

Concealer

While a sheer coverage base is great, sometimes we need a little help with covering up the odd pimple or scar. In that case a little concealer will go a long way. Once again, you don't want to go too heavy in formula or you'll have obvious patches on your face, which is why Maybelline Fit Me Concealer is perfect for dealing to imperfections without being obvious.

Blusher

If you've a natural flush coming through when wearing a light coverage foundation or BB Cream you can skip this step. If things are looking a little one dimensional, then blush is a must. Keep it natural, keep it simple, and choose a product that is buildable rather than heavily pigmented so you don't end up with a case of the clown face. If you've money to spend, Hourglass blushers are hands down the best I've found, but if you're on a budget then Mellow Cosmetics Blush is great, as is the Essence range of blushers. 

Neutral Eyeshadow Palette

When starting out, you might want to keep things simple with a single sweep of colour over the eye before building up to a three or four layer eye-opening wonder. While a single shade will do, a good neutral eye palette will give you options in colour, and will be perfect for when you're ready to start getting creative with your colours. Not only that, darker shades in a palette can also double as an eyeliner when you're ready to really make your peepers pop. If I were staring fresh I'd start with the e.l.f Bite-Size Eyeshadow Palette's. Around $7 each they're good quality, and not remotely overwhelming to use.

Mascara

One look at the Beauty Review Top Rated list of mascaras tells you where my pick for a first time mascara user would be. If it's Maybelline, it's a win. Affordable, great quality, easy to use, not going to leave you with panda eyes - they've got the formula sorted. Perfection in a tube!

Lip Gloss or Balm

Lastly, to finish off a look a little lip gloss does not go astray. Or if you're not a fan of gloss, go for a tinted lip balm. That little bit of colour on your lippy loos will go a long way! My personal fave, that I have multiples stashed all over the show, is the Nivea Lip Balm. It adds colour, is easy to apply without a mirror and keeps lips hydrated.

And there we have it! A cosmetic kit that's simple, easy, basic, and not remotely scary!

So, my beauty lovers... What would you put in a basic beauty kit? Did I miss anything that you think is a must? And what were your starter cosmetics? Chat below!