So, my friend Kat asked if I had a post on makeup products for people who are just starting out with makeup, and I thought, “Hey! That’s a cool idea,” so now here it is.

Personally, my transition from buying n00b-friendly (that’s newbie-friendly to you!) products to more upscale and high-end ones wasn’t a long time… I was an obsessive beauty blog trawler before I became an obsessive makeup purchaser, but I think that’s OK because my decisions have been fairly educated thus far.

Now, onto the post! I made a video for this, but of course I have a text-only breakdown of the products for those who don’t want to watch a video. I tried to make it fairly, short though. It’s just under 4 minutes. 🙂

I tried to just use drugstore brands and mid-range brands, because it’s a little nuts to buy high-end products if you’re just starting out and exploring options. However, I stand by my belief that you should always pick the best products for your face—especially when it comes to bases like primers and foundation. It’s always better to prevent breakouts than to break out and have to correct your face until the day you die, because of an unreliable product that you used because it was cheap.

Sorry if it turns out long! Here’s a list of products, if you’re not in the mood to read!

• The Body Shop BB Cream
• Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer
• e.l.f. Non-Stop Eye Color in Butternut
• Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Frame Plus 12 Mascara
• Revlon Color Stay Mineral Blush in Roseberry
• Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm
• Revlon Lip Butter in Sugar Plum
• Maybelline Color Sensational Moisture Extreme Lip Color in Angel Rose
• Gatsby Powdered Oil Clear Paper

Face products:

The Body Shop BB Cream. There are probably better, less expensive (ahem, Korean!) brands for BB cream out there, but this is the one I have. Let’s be real—I was awed at how the cream starts out white, then blends into your skin tone due to small beads of pigments that get crushed into hue-y submission.

BB Creams vs. Foundation vs. Tinted Moisturizer
I prefer the BB cream because it’s more lightweight than foundation, which should be used when you need fairly high coverage. If you have fairly smooth and clear skin, BB cream is probably all you need. No need to go clogging up your pores for no reason!

Some people don’t like BB creams because of the alleged grayish/whitish tint that they leave on the face. If you’re one of those people, try a Tinted Moisturizer. I have tried NARS Pure Radiant (it was good, but it broke me out a little) and Benefit’s YouRebel Lite, which is also good and has sunscreen, but it was a bit too oily to use on humid days.

I don’t use powders, so I can’t comment on that, but those are used to “finish” and “set” your look. It has sort of a mattifying effect and cuts out the oiliness. For this, I sometimes just use Gatsby Powdered Oil Clear Paper.

Eye Products:

Semi-Optional, Not in Video: Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer. This seems like an affectation, but eye primers are important, I find! Many times, I have lamented the quality of eyeshadows, but when I applied them over a primer, it’s like they’ve breathed new life. Sweep this all over the lid before you put on eyeshadow, and the colors will pop a bit more and last a bit longer.

e.l.f. Brightening Eye Color in Butternut. It’s tempting to hoard! All! Colors! when it comes to makeup, just because the drugstore has a lot of those, but sometimes it’s a bit more prudent to stick to neutrals first. 🙂 This is a good quad from e.l.f. and it’s super cheap. There’s not a lot of product per shade, but I think it may last you a long time, if you want to practice. If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, grab two quads and start practicing before you splurge on better brands!

Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Frame Plus 12 Mascara. Miracle mascara with lash-extending fibers! But it’s quite difficult to remove. For drugstore alternatives try Cover Girl or Maybelline.

Cheek Products:

Revlon ColorStay Mineral Blush in Roseberry. I like this one because it’s fairly matte and not shimmery! When I started exploring blushes, I really gravitated towards Revlon because they made matte blushes. The first blush—Revlon, of course—I bought has been hijacked by my sister and she loves it more than NARS Orgasm. This one’s pretty good, too.

Lip Products:

Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm. Just your general lip balm. Lip color always look better when it’s applied on smooth lips, so make sure you get rid of all the dry flakes.

Revlon Lip Butter in Sugar Plum. Ah! You know how much I love this product. My friend Macy bought a tube of this after reading my review, and phew!, she loves it. 🙂 Lip Butters are kind of a variation of tinted lip balm that’s closer to a lipstick. It’s a bit on the darker side, but it’s great for everyday use because it’s only semi-opaque.

Maybelline Color Sensational Moisture Extreme Lip Color in Angel Rose. This is a pretty good range of lipsticks to explore if you’re not ready to drop 1,000 Gs on a single lipstick yet. The formula is pretty good, and they have a great selection of colors.

There you have it! I hope that helped. Of course, you can ask me stuff and I’ll do my best to answer. 🙂 Any help for makeup newbies would be appreciated, so post a comment if you have a tip or product to share!