Curating a personal makeup kit can be daunting especially as a newbie. When I was a beginner in makeup artistry, I struggled with creating a personal makeup kit. It was even more difficult being a resident in Russia who’s on a budget to have easy access to make-up stores that cater to women of color. I’m so thankful that a lot of that has changed in the last few years with the provision of more stores and brands that provide great makeup products for a pocket-friendly price.

In this post, I’ll be sharing with you 8 basic products that you need to curate your makeup kit. Most of the products and brands I’ll be recommending have been tried by me at one time or the other.

So I’m not just here to bore you with theories but practical ways to achieve this the look you desire!

Fun fact: The first time I wrote about this was in 2018 when I started my first blog. 

8 Basic products you need to create your personal makeup kit.

1) MAKEUP BRUSHES

Before we go on to powders, eyeshadows, blushes,  it is crucial to discuss the most important blending tools you can use (besides the sponge for blending on foundation)—brushes. Brushes are simply the best way to apply almost all types of makeup, and you’d hardly find a makeup artist anywhere who disagrees. Moreover, nowadays we have a profusion of brushes to choose from. Varying they’re from Real techniques, ELF cosmetics, Milani, and even brandless brushes. As with anything related to cosmetics, a high price does not always mean superior performance, and having more brushes does not mean you will be able to apply your makeup better. As a general guideline, you can ask yourself how many and which brushes do I need?

A full makeup application can require three basic eyeshadow brushes:

• An angled brush (for brows and liner )
• A spooley / brow brush (an old clean mascara wand/toothbrush will do nicely) a large powder brush,
• A blush brush,
• A contour brush,
• and lip brush.
• It’s preferable to get a set that comes with all these essentials; that will save you money. I  recommend this one for a beginner. It’s a bamboo kabuki brush set and comes with all the essentials you need for a full face makeup application.

2)PRIMER

This serves as a makeup base and helps in controlling oil thereby allowing your makeup to last longer. It is optional depending on your skin type. If you have normal skin it’s not needed as you have normal oil production but for people with oily-combination skin, it’s advisable to get one.

These are some of my favorite good and affordable brands. La girl primer and  T.m essentials. The La girl primer is suitable for all skin types but preferably normal-dry skin. The T.m essentials primer is also suitable for all skin times and I love the infusion of Vitamin E.

3)CONCEALER

This is used mainly for hiding under-eye circles, highlighting, and contouring. There are many affordable and quality brands but the popular one is the la girl high definition concealers.

They are crease-resistant, opaque coverage in a creamy yet lightweight texture and provides complete, natural-looking coverage, even skin tone covers dark circles, and minimizes fine lines around the eyes.

4) SETTING POWDER

This locks in your foundation and concealer so that there are no cracks or ripples on your skin. The most popular one used by women of color is the Sacha buttercup setting powder and I understand not everyone can afford it as a beginner so I’ll recommend an alternative that works and is quite affordable.

This is the revolutions setting powder. It’s lightweight and very affordable. It comes in 3 shades white, banana and topaz it’s a perfect dupe for the Saccha or Ben Nye setting powder.

5)Face powder

It applied to the face to set a foundation after application.it can also be reapplied throughout the day to minimize shininess caused by oily skin and they come in different forms, compact, mineralized, etc depends on your preference.

Milani compact powders have been a favorite of mine for years. I love the coverage that it gives.

6)Contour kit

This helps to add structure/definition to your face by playing around with light and shade (highlighting and contouring), whether it’s a slimmer nose or a more defined jawline. If you want to step up your makeup game this is definitely one product you don’t want to miss out on. They mostly come in a set but there are also those that come individually, you can get any affordable brand depending on your preference and shade. The very affordable one for women of color is the sleek contour kit, but you can also get face powder in a darker shade for your contour.

 

7)EYESHADOW

Eye shadows are totally optional in a personal kit. It can add depth and dimension to the eyes, complement the eyes, complement the eye color, make the eyes appear larger, or simply draw attention to the eyes. They come in many different colors and textures so there’s a variety to choose from but for a personal kit most times I advise beginners to get one with cool tones. I recommend the ones from morphe and BH cosmetics they are very affordable with an amazing quality.

8)SETTING SPRAY

Helps your makeup last longer, it’s something you should make room for in your makeup kit. You are probably familiar with primers, which you apply before your makeup to keep it in place. A makeup setting spray is quite similar to a primer, except they are applied after your makeup. Think of them like the topcoat to your makeup. They come in a spray or mist form they are also transparent and don’t change the color or texture of your makeup.

Other optional tools and products you can add to your personal kit are:

• An eyeliner
• A blush
• Lip pencil
• Lipstick of choice.

Building a personal kit is not as difficult as it looks. Not every product you see is what you need. It totally depends on your preference. When it comes to your makeup application be sure to apply well with the right techniques that work for you. These are tips I used in creating my personal kit and I hope I was able to help you create your own personal kit on a budget.

Here I shared what’s inside my personal makeup kit in a video. If you can have just 5 products in your makeup kit which ones are you choosing and why. Looking forward to hearing from you in the comment.