Whether you’re on your very first steps into the world of beauty and makeup or you have been experimenting with cosmetics for years but would like ideas to help you create a basic makeup kit for beginners on a budget, you’ve come to the right place!
When building a personal makeup kit, it’s important to have a collection of makeup essentials that will allow you to create a quick but gorgeous everyday look.
To do this, you first need to start with the makeup basics before you can scale and experiment with trendy makeup products or add more exotic products to your beauty arsenal.
Contrary to what most people think, you don’t have to blow out your entire paycheck or go into depth just to put together a reliable makeup kit, although it can be tempting to do this.
If you go about your makeup kit building the right way, you’ll get just the right and most essential products you need.
Besides that, you’ll also avoid drilling holes in your pocket, and save yourself the misery of putting a huge dent in your bank account, not to mention setting yourself back from your financial goals! Now you wouldn’t want that, would you?
From primer and concealer, eye shadow palettes, to eyeliner and mascaras, contouring and highlighting, we’ve rounded up the essential makeup products you create a glamorous you. You’ll be amazed at how much you can do with our list of makeup essentials.
So, grab your favorite beverage, relax and keep scrolling to uncover the complete list of basic makeup kit for beginners on a budget for your face, eyes, and lips, including essential tools for applying your makeup.
Most Essential Face Makeup Products You Should Have in Your Makeup Kit
Prep Mist and Face Primer
One of the tricks of getting a beautiful makeup is by prepping your face by first making sure that your face is freshly cleansed and moisturized.
And the ideal way of doing this is by using a hydrating face mist and even further to smoothen the skin’s canvas and add a hint of radiance with a face primer.
The right prep mist and face primer formulas will help reactivate your skin, moisturize dry and parched skin, minimize the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and imperfections and generally smoothens the skin for an even makeup application.
Also, make sure you let your primer sit for a few minutes before moving on to the rest of your makeup. This is an important one in the basic makeup kit for beginners on a budget.
Concealer
Concealers are designed to mask any form of imperfections on the face like; acne, dark circles, or any discoloration.
Concealers come in full-coverage, and sheerer-coverage formulations, whichever one you choose depends on how much you’re trying to cover up.
Dark circles and discolorations are a bit more tricky to conceal since there is so much variation in their shades, and they look on different across different skin tones.
However, as a general rule of thumb, peach or pink-toned concealer are the best for covering them up.
When choosing a concealer for acne and discoloration, find a shade that is as close as possible or matches well with your foundation/BB cream, because this will give you a more natural look.
BB cream
A BB cream is a good alternative for a regular foundation because they have the most natural look. And if you want something which has some skincare benefits like moisturizing and priming, then this is an even better option.
If you are really new to the makeup world, then a good BB cream is an even better place to start than a foundation, as it feels lighter on the skin, you can be applied with your fingers, and it’s rare to overdo it which is very unlike regular foundations.
One major downside of BB creams is the limited shade ranges they usually come in, and it can be a little challenging to find one form of darker skin tones.
Powder
Next to your concealer and BB cream is your powder. A finely-milled loose powder will help you make sure things are set in place before working on the rest of your face.
Applying with a fluffy, over-sized brush will help set your foundation and concealer for the rest of your face makeup application, it’ll also make sure that foundation and concealer stay in place all day long.
You can also use a setting spray to set your makeup and help them stay in place for as long as you want. Just like every other makeup product, there are different formulations of setting spray, and you’ll have to choose a product that matches your expectations.
Various formulations of powder and setting spray have different types of finish (it could be matte, radiant, or any other finish) and what skincare benefits you’re after like moisturizing, oil-absorbing, etc.
Highlighter
The highlighter comes in different forms, just like many other beauty products. You can find highlighter products in powder, cream, liquid, stick, and powder/cream hybrid form.
Each of these forms has its unique benefits, but if you’re a beginner, then it’s better to a powder or stick highlighter because these are the easiest to work with.
When buying a highlighter, make sure the product you end up with has the perfect shade for your specific skin tone or complexion.
A simple trick for applying highlighter is to lightly use it along the bridge of your nose, the tops of your cheekbones, your cupid’s bow, and just below your eyebrows.
Blush
Many people don’t give much thought to blush, but using it has a huge effect on your overall look. If you’re wearing a foundation with opaque coverage, then it becomes even more important to push on a Blush so your face won’t look dull and flat.
Blush also comes in different formulations, the most popular Blush formulation is the powder blush, though you can also find the gel and cream formulations.
When choosing a blush color, you want to go for something that’ll give you a natural flush. This is very important, regardless of your skin tone.
You have to be careful not to go too bright or to use too much product one on the area, so you don’t look like a clown.
When applying your blush, applying on both the apples of your cheeks and diagonally up towards your hairline.
This works well, regardless of face shape. It will emphasize your cheekbones, give your face a healthy wash of color, and highlight your natural facial contours.
It also looks more natural than merely applying blush to the apples of your cheeks, as long as you blend well. As a general rule, pink and peach toned blushes work best on fair-to-medium skin, while mauve, purple, and maroon shades are best suited for darker skin tones.
Most Essential Eye Makeup Products
Eyebrow kit
An eyebrow kit is a must-have in your basic makeup kit for beginners on a budget because the beautifully shaped and well-done brows will completely change your face and instantly make you prettier.
You can get a single brow kit which contains all the essentials for crafting beautifully shaped eyebrows. But, if you are keen on your brow game, you can get different individual eyebrow products out there to make them stand out.
Eyebrow products come in various forms, including pencil, powder, gel, and pomade wax, which one you choose will depend on your needs.
Whether you’re going for a natural look or are going for something a little more dramatic, doing your brows will instantly give your face a lift.
Eye primer
A good eye primer will generally determine how long your eye makeup will stay put. Without this, you can expect your beautifully crafted eye makeup gradually start to disappear after a few hours.
Great eye primer will not only prevent your eye makeup from sliding off, fading, and creasing, but will also be in a formulation that keeps colors looking true to how they’re supposed to all day long.
It’s also important to note that eye primers aren’t just for those with oily skin; there are many formulations available with moisturizing, color-correcting, and anti-aging benefits.
Eye shadow Palette
Eye shadows come in so many different colors and finishes and can be used in so many different ways. And the best way to have many colors available to you is by getting an eye shadow palette, and this will ensure that all your bases are covered when it comes to creating a gorgeous eye makeup look.
It’s also more budget-friendly to get all the colors you’ll use in one palette instead of buying them separately, which comes at a higher cost.
With a bit more experienced, you can start purchasing single eyeshadows rather than palettes, especially if you have only a few favorite colors and shades.
Eyeliner
Using eyeliner is one sure way to get instant eye lit, they certainly do add that little extra something needed to make your eye look pack a punch. Eyeliners usually come in black color, but others are brown, dark gray, and other shades, which are great if you have a very light and pale skin tone.
These products come in both liquid and dry form as a pencil. The latter is the best option for beginners.
You can also first line your eyes with a pencil liner, and then trace it with a liquid liner, this will make your lashes look thicker while letting you prevent smudging due to unsteady hands.
You can also practice creating a perfect winged eyeliner for a cat-eye look with a pencil liner.
Mascara
Putting on mascara is an excellent way of pulling your eye look together. Mascaras come in countless different formulas, some are designed to lengthen your lashes, some make your lashes look thicker, while others curl your eyelashes.
Black mascara is the most common, and it’s pretty fine for most people, but if you have light-colored lashes, then you should look for a brown or a lighter mascara shade for a more natural look.
Most Essential Lip Makeup Products For Your Makeup Kit
Lip liner
You don’t this product missing from your makeup kit, having a lip pencil that’s the color of your lips, nude or clear is essential. You can use a lip liner that highlights your lipstick.
This will provide an even base for your lipstick and prevent it from bleeding or feathering outside the lip line.
Lip balm
Lip balm is a makeup product that you will find in every girl’s purse. These lifesavers are almost certainly a mainstay in your routine, and no makeup bag is complete without them.
Whether you prefer a glossy lip balm, a tinted formula, or fragrance-free balm, you can’t expect to get through winter winds or scorching summers clear of cracked and chapped lips without a trusted lip balm.
Lip gloss
If you’re in a bit of a rush or don’t have access to a mirror, you can quickly swipe this guy on your lips and trust it to give you a fabulous pout.
Lip glosses are also handy when you don’t want to wear lipstick but need a little something on your lips.
These lip products are great for keeping things simple and subtle, and you can find them in an array of colors.
Lipstick
The lipstick is an essential part of a basic makeup kit for beginners on a budget. You certainly cannot have a complete collection of makeup and beauty essential without a few shades of these lip formulas.
A good lipstick makes a world of difference, and you can instantly see the dramatic in your look.
An excellent way to wear these guys is to contrast your lipstick with your makeup. For beginners, it’s best to start with a color that is close to your natural lip shade, because this is the easiest to put on.
Once you become more comfortable with them, you can then go for bolder colors. You can also experiment with a glossy formula or a lip balm for a softer look or a matte formula for a more glamorous look.
If you have a natural or nude makeup on or even no makeup at all, you should go with a bolder lipstick shade like a classic red, and a more intense makeup look is best paired with more natural or subtle lip shade.
Makeup Tools – Brushes and Applicators
Makeup tools are indeed a significant part of your makeup collection since you literally cannot put on makeup without brushes and applicators. And you need the right tools to apply your makeup correctly.
From concealer to brow definer to highlighter, there are a lot of different makeup brushes you need to make up your face.
Buying these brushes separately can be a little expensive, but if you buy them as a set, you can save some bucks. A complete brush set to your list of must-haves when creating your makeup kit for beginners.
A sponge or makeup blender is also great for effortlessly blend your foundation and concealer, so it looks flawless before you apply your blush, bronzer, and highlighter.
You can use the rounded sides to blend your cheeks, forehead and the tip to cover blemishes, imperfections, and under-eye circles. The flat edge is good for contouring around the eyes and nose.
Makeup Removers (Wipes and Face Cleansers)
The last on my list of basic makeup kit for beginners on a budget is a makeup remover. Putting on makeup is one thing, getting rid of them is another.
And if there is one important tip for maintaining healthy and radiant skin is to never go to bed with makeup on your face.
Therefore makeup remover wipes and face cleansers are makeup and beauty essentials.
You should also note that cleansing your skin and removing your makeup are two different things because a typical facial cleanser will not clean off your makeup.
While a makeup remover will get rid of that stubborn foundation, it won’t cleanse your pores and get rid of the remaining toxins from your skin.
So, after a long day, always use a makeup remover first to clean off the makeup then use a reliable face cleanser to do the final cleansing. This will leave your skin feeling soft, fresh and radiant.
Conclusion
Building a makeup kit with all the basics and makeup essentials is no small feat. But with the above list of everything you could need to transform your naked face to a glamorous face, you can build a makeup kit that would take you from novice to a pro.
With this simple guide, you can put together basic makeup kit for beginners on a budget, now what is better than that?
