Hi all! So for today I thought I would share my cruelty free highend beginners guide! Whether you are a teen and just starting out with makeup or are older and just starting out with (or getting back into) makeup I hope my suggestions will help you through the crazy world of Sephora and Ulta! (an * denotes a category that I personally did not use for some time when I started wearing makeup)
*Primer (face and eye)
Starting off with a face primer I really like this for dry skin
Urban Decay Brightening and Tightening Complexion Primer Potion ($31) and I have heard good things about the
Becca Ever-Matte Poreless Primer ($36) for oily skin. The Urban Decay primer feels and looks like a thicker conditioner and does not seem to have a smell. The Becca Ever-Matte primer is very thick and has a fresh scent. It is not a typical silicone primer, it is more of a thick, tacky gel but quickly dries down to a smooth (and very slightly tacky), but not slick, almost powdery finish. This primer really adheres your makeup to your face and provides good longevity in terms of wear time.
For eye primer I have really been liking the
Too Faced Shadow Insurance ($20)! It is a translucent, very basic but good, primer, I haven't tried any yet that have color in them, so I will let you know once I try one I like!
*Foundation
Foundation is a little bit trickier to recommend, because I typically only buy foundations that will work for my skin type, which is dry - drier than the Sahara Desert. But I have 2, kinda 3 options for you.
First, if you know you only want a full coverage foundation - and you don't have sensitive skin I recommend the
Urban Decay All Nighter ($40), I received a sample of this and while it was very full coverage and looked gorgeous on the skin, my sensitive skin hated it and my whole face started to itch.
If you do have sensitive and dry skin I really have liked the
Laura Geller Baked Liquid Radiance Foundation ($38), it covers without making you look flat or matte or cakey! Also, bonus, it has color correcting pigments - whatever that means
Second, if you want both a full coverage foundation but also a tinted moisturizer, I recommend getting a full coverage foundation like the All Nighter or the Laura Geller one and for a tinted moisturizer just mix a small amount of foundation with your favorite moisturizer!
Third, if you know you only want the very light minimal coverage of a tinted moisturizer I recommend the
BareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream ($29)! This stuff has a light almost mousse-y texture and has SPF 30, which I always like it when everything I put on my face, especially in the summer, has an SPF in it. Now this wont cover hardly anything, but it does even out the complexion in a way that makes it hard to tell if you are wearing any base makeup.
Concealer
My favorite concealer is the
It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eyes concealer ($24). The smallest baby pea sized amount will easily cover both under eyes with some to spare. This concealer has a thick consistency, but I have had no issues blending it out with a beauty blender. The Bye Bye Under Eyes, like all under eye concealers, should be set with a powder to avoid creasing.
For general face concealing I really like the
BareMinerals Correcting Concealer with SPF 20 ($21). It comes in a pot and has a very thin consistency, but it packs a pretty good punch, in terms of coverage. The concealer blends out easily with a brush, beauty blender, or even a finger.
Powder
I have two options for you, the
Too Faced Cocoa Powder Foundation ($34) and the
It Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores loose powder ($24) (although they make a pressed version which is also good!). I really like the Too Faced Cocoa Powder foundation in the summer when I am more oily, I think it gives a beautiful finish too the skin. Unfortunately like all powder foundations, if you use too much it can get a little cakey and powdery looking. This can also be lightly used as a setting powder too. Now if you just want a setting powder, I really recommend the It Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores loose powder, it makes my skin feel so smooth and sets any creams really nicely. This is a translucent powder but if you want a loose powder with color I recommend the
Urban Decay Naked Skin Ultra Definition loose finishing powder ($34) (holy super long name Batman!). I have a review of it here.
*Blush
One of my favorite multitasking blushes is the
Japonesque Velvet Touch blushes in the shade 03 ($22). This shade is a beautiful peachy pink with a golden sheen. It reminds me of
Nars Orgasm ($30) but lighter and without the chunky gold glitter. The reason I called this blush a multitasker is because there is a golden sheen, you would not necessarily need to use a highlighter. This can save you both time and money. However, if you want a matte blush I really like the
Tarte Amazonian Clay blush ($28) in Prim, it is a neutral mauvey nude shade that goes with just about any makeup look.
*Bronzer
Bronzer is something I didn't use until way after I started the makeup game and even now I'm still not someone who uses it all the time. For this category I would recommend one of the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzers ($30) (there is
Milk Chocolate for fair-light skin tones, the regular
Chocolate Soleil for light-medium-tan skin tones, and
dark chocolate for tan-deep skin tones). These are buttery smooth bronzers with good blend-ability and longevity. Plus they are matte, which are way easier to work with when you are first starting out (and if you want you could use them to contour).
*Highlighter
Again this is I didn't start off with but I do really like
Becca highlighters ($38), they have a nice range of super smooth powders that can work for every skin tone. I personally like Moonstone and Champagne Pop. The two downsides of these are 1. they can shatter pretty easily and 2. they tend to emphasize pores and texture on the cheek bones. So for those of you with texture on your cheeks I recommend the
Laura Geller Baked Highlight in French Vanilla. It is a beautiful beige vanilla shade with a nice sheen and no glitters. It is on the more natural end of the highlighter spectrum though, so be aware.
*Eyeshadow
While I didn't use this for some time, this is something I would recommend using first before you start using eyeliner, but that is just what I have come to realize looking back. My favorite eyeshadow palette is the
Tartelette In Bloom Palette ($46)! It has a nice variety of matte shades and three shimmery eyeshadows in the perfect shades. The shadows are lined up in four rows each containing four shades that would look good together. This palette is nearly foolproof, it has large shadows and I would consider it a pretty good deal at $46. However, that price can be brought down if you buy it during the VIB sale at Sephora, or through Dermstore.com they have a lot of really good sales throughout the year.
Eyeliner
The absolute best black eyeliner is the
Highliner Gel Crayon from Marc Jacobs in Blacquer ($25), it goes on so smoothly and so pigmented. It also has a really good wear time. For a brown eyeliner I like
Laura Geller i-care waterproof eyeliner in Caffe Mocha ($20), it smudges really well and creates a perfect, natural smokey eye. It lasts well throughout the day, and even though it is waterproof I haven't had any trouble getting it off!
*Eyebrows
I really like the It Cosmetics Brow Power, I reviewed it here.
Mascara
The
Tarte Lights Camera Lashes ($21) is one of my favorites and good for those with sensitive eyes, like myself. It creates beautiful fluttery lashes with some volume. It is a really good mascara. However, be careful of the waterproof one! That one is super hard to get off!
*Lipliner
Lip liners are a very personal thing, the formulation and whether it feathers or not people tend to be really picky about. I have two that I personally really like and they are the
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil in Ozone ($18), which is a clear lip liner that will stop feathering without changing the color of the lipstick, and the
Marc Jacobs Poutliner Longwear Lip Pencil in Primrose ($24), it is a beautiful everyday deep neutral pink. Both do a great job at lining the lips and keeping things from feathering or traveling outside of the lip line!
*Lipstick
For a sheer nude I recommend the
Too Faced La Creme Lipstick in Naked beach ($22) or the
Nars lipstick in Dolce Vita ($28) for a more sheer rosey nude. Neither will last long but they will be hydrating on the lips and be a super easy, no mirror touch up kind of lipstick. Which I think are perfect for everyday wear.
Now for high pigment and matte lipsticks I recommend Bite Beauty. All of there lipsticks are food grade and beautiful. I haven't hated a single formula I've tried. Their lipsticks wear well on the lips and fade off beautifully. I like the
Amuse Bouche ($26) ones and the
Matte Creme Lip Crayons ($24) as well. None of the lipsticks I've recommended claim to be long wearing so you likely will need to reapply, but the Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayons last for about 4-5 hours on the lips with snacking and drinking water.
Let me know if you see any of your favorites or what you are going to pick up!
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