The ULTIMATE Makeup essentials for beginners

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This makeup essentials for beginners blog post covers:

• A basic run through on how I do my makeup
• Dupes for the high-end products I’ve used (I use all of these products so I know they work for me)
• The basic products needed

Makeup is a massive thing nowadays, and so is saving your money. I have put together a little run through tutorial with the makeup essential for beginners along with all the cheaper version of all the products. My sister did my makeup for this tutorial (as she knows her stuff).

I personal think I manage just fine with all the cheaper dupes. But I understand that buying the higher end products means slightly better quality and it lasts longer.

I have attached a clickable link to all of the pictures so you can find them!

This was the finished look:

Eyebrows

Starting off with eyebrows. I know a lot of people start with the face but I feel more comfortable doing my eyes first. Its definitely up to you and where you prefer to start.

So all we did here was brush them out with an eyebrow brush and then shape them with a pomade. If you’re not used to using pomade, don;t use it to completely fill your eyebrows in as they can look too harsh.

During this stage I also use a little concealer to underline the eyebrows. This is not necessary but its become a habit now that I do it.

(Yes I know my eyebrows aren’t perfect haha, but I had to pluck them so I just leave them natural and try and shape them the best I can.)

I used the Anastasia Beverly Hills DIPBROW Pomade for this look. A little goes a long way with the products so the pot lasts for ages. It is easy to apply and it lasts all day:

For a cheaper option, I recommend the Makeup Revolution Brow Pomade. Makeup Revolution is a drugstore brand that has loads of dupes in their collection. This product is waterproof and does not budge throughout the day:

Eyeshadow

Eye shadow can either go right or wrong for me. The best thing you can do as a beginner is to make sure it is all blended together and that there are no harsh lines. Using a fluffy brush can help with this. I went for golds and light browns for a neutral look. Use lighter colours in the corner of your eyes to brighten them up.

I have used the Fall into Frost Morphe Palette. “Rich metallic finishes in a spectrum of 28 super-creamy, blendable colors leave your shimmering lids satisfied. Pair with an entire row of 7 highly pigmented mattes and you’ll transition your way to endless eye-catching looks, just like that“. The shadow is really pigmented, its easy to blend so it’s a very high-quality palette.

There are so many dupes for this palette that are at a reasonable price. The Sleek palette below is one that I use. It is normally £8.99 but is on sale for £5.89! The colours are similar and the pigment is great and doesn’t fall off throughout the day.

Foundation

For foundation, I switch between using a beauty blender and using a brush. All of my makeup brushes are from Primark so nothing expensive. You aim here is just to make sure everything is blended in. I just use dabbing motions with my beauty blender.

TIP: Bring your foundation down your neck so you don’t get any harsh lines or 2 different skin colours.

I used the Nars foundation in the shade medium 3.5, Vanuatu Sheer Glow. It gives full coverage and stays on for a long time without cracking.

Nars is an amazing foundation but I have to say I do prefer my drugstore Collection Lasting Perfection Foundation in shade 2. Their products are 100% vegan and I actually swear by them.

It is definitely hard to find the right foundation colour and one that sits right on your skin. For me, it was just trial and error until I found the one that worked. If you have any tips on how to find a good one let me know!

Concealer

This was probably the second concealer I ever used and I have not turned back. I don’t even have an option for a high-end concealer because I think you can’t get any better than this. This is one of the best makeup essentials for beginners because of the cheap price and the quality of the product.

I use this in a shade 1 under my eyes to brighten them up and that’s all. If you have any blemishes I would recommend NOT to use the same concealer because you don’t want to be highlighting these areas. Instead use a colour more suited to your skin tone.

Powder

So I use powder for baking. This is where you use loose powder and just dust is onto on the concealer under the eyes, and below the cheekbones (below where the bronzer would go). I then dust it off when I have finished with the bronzer.

So here I have used the Laura Mercier loose powder. It is an invisible, weightless powder which is meant to minimise fine lines and wrinkles:

For the dupe version, I use the Collection powder which is only £2.98 how insane is that! For me it works just the same, I love this powder and use it alot:

Contour

So for contour, I use a brush and a cream contour. I use it on my cheekbones and to outline for forehead. you can also use it to contour your nose but i haven’t done this today.

This is the Zoeva cream contour spectrum palette which is currently out of stock. This palette is great for achieving soft shadows:

Therefore, I recommend the Revolution Ultra Cover and Conceal Palette for only £7.99, it’s such a good buy and it works just the same as any high end brand:

Bronzer

I use bronzer to add definition to my cheekbones and to give them a little bit of colour.

For my bronzer dupe I use the Summer of Love bronzer by Revolution beauty. I like this one because it gives a little bit of a shimmer.

Highlighter

My favourite part! The highlighter. I use a highlighter brush to just dust it on top of my cheek bones, on the tip of my nose, and under my eyebrows to lift them up.

I used the Anastasia highlighter palette (sugar glow kit). The colours are so pretty and you can use a different shade with each different makeup look, or you can use them all together if you like:

For my highlighter dupe, I’ve got the Makeup Revolution Highlighter in the shade Reloaded Just My Type. I absolutely love this highlighter and I use it almost every time I do my makeup.

Lipstick

Almost done now, a little bit of lipstick is a must on my list of makeup essentials for beginners! The next part is the lipstick. I used two different drugstore lipsticks here. On the outside of my lips, I used Sleek Lip VIP Lipstick in the shade show off. Then on the inside, I used Loreal in the shade Mova Chic.

Eyelashes

I can’t wear makeup without wearing eyelashes now. If eyelashes aren’t for you then you can leave this step and simply apply mascara instead. Here I am using some Superdrug eyelashes. However, the most regular pair of eyelashes I wear are from Poundland! I use the ones from the Ferne McCann brand called Calabasas Crush. I recommend these for beginners if you don’t want to spend lots of money but want to try out eyelashes.

Recommended: Duo eyelash glue which I buy from Primark, it is the best glue for the cheapest price I could find.

Thank you for reading my makeup essentials for beginners! I hoped this helped you in some way. If you want to find out more, check out my About me page.

You can check out some of my Lifestyle posts: 30+ EASY changes for a HEALTHIER lifestyle and CHEAP Amazon Gift Guide under £10