10 Makeup Products You Need To Start Your Makeup Bag

10 Necessities to Start Your Makeup Bag 

There are so many different makeup products out there, some great, some unnecessary when starting out. We know how expensive it can be when you are new to the game so here are 10 things to get you started. 

  Well, you are going to need something to apply your makeup. Hands are NOT an option (in most cases).  There are lots of companies out there that offer great prices on makeup brush kits.  When searching, make sure the brushes are of good quality and do not have ragged, jagged edges. They should feel soft and secure to a metal ferrule and not shed when you use them. There are brushes out there using real animal fur, so make sure when shopping your brushes are cruelty-free.  Your makeup brush kit should include a broad fluffy brush for face powder, a large flat brush for foundation application, a small flat brush for concealer, a small slant brush for eyebrows, a medium-sized round brush for contour and a variety of small flat and fluffy makeup brushes for eyeshadow. A high-quality brush set should be able to get wet and still maintain their shape, allowing you to sanitize them properly.

Primer is a great product to have in your makeup bag. Depending on your skin type, there are different primers out there to suit your needs. Primer is a base where your makeup starts. Primer smooths your skin, diminishes pores' appearance, and gives your face a nice clean slate to start your makeup. If you have any flaky, dry patches, the primer helps make sure your foundation doesn't stick to them and leave you with a blotchy foundation.  If you suffer from oily skin, some primer even absorbs oil that helps your foundation stay smooth throughout the day. You can see why this is a must. 

The first step in choosing the right foundation is finding out your skin type. If you have oily skin, you will want to stay away from cream foundations and go for a powder or liquid. If you have dry skin, stay away from powder foundations and stick to cream foundations; if you have normal skin, well, lucky you! You have even more options.  The next step is deciding what kind of coverage you like. You can choose from a BB Cream, a minimal coverage foundation mixed with moisturizer, or a variety of other sheer coverage foundations, medium coverage, and extreme coverage. Your foundation coverage depends on the look you like to go for, time of day and what you are comfortable with. There is another step to choosing what foundation. What kind of finish do you want? Foundations range from dewy, luminous and matte. Again, all a personal preference, but if you are someone that struggles with oily skin, I will avoid a luminous finish as this will only add to your shine.

  Concealer does precisely its name, "conceal".  When looking for a concealer, search for a shade that is two shades lighter than your foundation.  Concealer covers up any little "spots", pimples, scars, discolouration, and my favourite thing to use it for is covering up the dark circles under my eyes.  Concealer also has different consistencies. A cream concealer generally has more coverage than a liquid concealer, its all preference. Concealer can also act as a sculpting tool if used on top of cheekbones, down the bridge of your nose, emphasizing favourable parts on your face.  If you put your concealer on top of your eyelids, it helps bring out the pigment in eyeshadows as well! So many different uses with one product, indeed a necessity.

 Loose powder! Preferably, a translucent loose powder because your foundation and concealer have already done all the work covering up your blemishes. Loose powder is fantastic to set your foundation, so it stays all day and soaks up and oil (sebum) that naturally secretes from your face throughout the day. Use minimally to avoid a "cake face". Brush it on loosely on your t-zone, around the nostrils, and anywhere you tend to get oily. Loose powder is also amazing to put under your eyes before applying a dark eyeshadow because it collects any extra fallen powder then can easily be brushed off. Loose powder is great to carry in your purse throughout the day; if your makeup needs a touch-up, dust a bit on where your face is getting sticky, and it will look good as new.

  After using your foundation, concealer, and loose powder, you have created an even-toned face. Blush is a great way to add some colour to make you look more lively. Don't go too overboard; you don't want to look like a clown! Depending on your face shape, blush can be applied to different areas, giving your face a different shape. I like to stick to the apples of my cheeks with a slight stroke up my cheekbones.  There are different types of blushes out there—liquid, cream, gel, and powder.  If you like minimal coverage, apply a liquid, cream or gel blush before your loose powder; if you want more pigment, use a powder blush on top of your loose powder.  When choosing which colour of blush, there are thousands; find out what skin tone you are.  If you have a warm skin tone, stick to blush with a red undertone. If you are a cooler skin tone, stick to blushes with a blue undertone. Sticking to this rule with help compliment your skin colour and give you the best looking results.

  Eyebrow pencils are so great for a variety of reasons. They add so much dimension to the face and allow for expression to shine through. As we get older, or if we have any scaring, we can lose many eyebrow hairs. Eyebrow pencils are great for filling in and sparse spots. They are also great for adding shape to your eyebrows. That beautifully arched brow that you see in magazines? Those brows don't come naturally, even with a proper waxing, unless they are tattoos.  You can change up your look so much with an eyebrow pencil. If you want a thinner, more precise brow or a large, feather brow, the options are all yours. When looking for an eyebrow pencil colour, match it to your hair's root for best results.  There are other kinds of eyebrow products from pomades, gels or powders, but I find the eyebrow pencil is most comfortable to use and allows for various looks. 

An eyeliner is perfect for defining those gorgeous eyes! They say your eyes are the window to the soul so let's get them as much attention as possible. There are a few different types of eyeliners, gels, creams, liquids, stamps, pencils.  There are also so many different looks that you can do with eyeliner. You can line the top of your eyelashes, bottoms of your eyelashes, inner eyelids; you can also extend your lash line with a wing for the infamous "cat eye".  When looking for eyeliner, I recommend using waterproof eyeliner, so you don't have to worry about it smudging throughout the day.  I recommend First Class Beauty Co's winged eyeliner stamp. It has two products in one and is perfect for beginners. One end has a precision tip if you want to line the top of your lash line or inners. The other end of the eyeliner stamp has a winged stamp, so all you need to do is stamp the wing on, and you have immediately elongated your eye and gave yourself a cat-eye. 

  Some people say that if they were only allowed one makeup product, it would be mascara. Mascara can do different things from adding fibres to your eyelashes and make them longer, fuller and curlier. Bonus if you have an eyelash curler to use before you put your mascara on as this will help your eyelashes curl, and the mascara will help keep them in place. Mascaras come in a variety of colours, but the most common is black and brown. If you want your makeup to stay on the natural side, if your hair is darker, use black mascara and if your hair is lighter, use brown. I highly recommend using waterproof mascara. You never know when your eyes might tear up, and you don't need mascara running down your face.  Want to go one extra step from a mascara? Try out some First Class Lashes from First Class Beauty Co to glam up your natural lashes!

  Lip Liner. Ugh! I love it! I would say lipstick, but First Class Beauty Co has come out with the ultimate "All In One Lip Colour," in their First Class Lips Collection which gives you more control with the application process. Lip liners can help achieve many things. You can make your lips larger, smaller, or even balance them if they are uneven. Make sure your lips are exfoliated adequately before applying a lip liner, so they have a smooth surface. When searching for the perfect lip colour, it's all about preference; you can be as bold or as minimal as you want.  I like to stay to the same rule as my blush—blue undertones for cool skin colours and red undertones for warm skin colours.  

I could go on and on forever with this list because I love makeup so much. There are so many products out there to choose from, but I wanted to give you guys the right place to start, so it's not too overwhelming. Once you have these necessities, the doors open up to a whole new world of creativity and art. 

If you have any questions at all about makeup, I'd love to help! I want to know which makeup products you can't live without! Comment in the comments section below.