Wednesday, January 13, 2010

9 Essential Pieces For Your Makeup Wardrobe

New year, new decade. We've been cleaning out all the old, icky makeup that we have no more use for...
So now its time to make a list of the basic products a girls needs to build her makeup wardrobe from the ground up. Most of you wont need all new products. Use this list as a guide to fill in the missing links.

Look at building your makeup wardrobe the same way as you build a really fabulous clothing wardrobe.
Select great quality, well made products that will serve you well for a long time, not just a season.
A few key pieces can take you beautifully through any event.
The following list makes up the staples for your collection. Think of them as the LBD and black high heels of makeup...

1) Primer.
This is going to give you a pre-makeup base for your foundation to adhere to, to help it stay even, keep it matte, and in general will make your makeup look beautiful, longer.

2) Concealer.
I'm loving Makeup Forever's HD concealers and Julie Hewett's Omit concealers.
I wear one of these two brands every day.
Make sure the concealer you buy can be applied super sheer, so you don't have creasy, gooey or crepey looking concealer showing through your makeup.
Not a good look.

3) Foundation.
Buy the best that you can afford. If you can do a flawless base your makeup will always look great. Try to buy quality.



I normally have a slightly fuller coverage foundation for going out at night, and a lovely sheer, fresh base for day to day.
Be aware too that most of us are a different color during the winter than we are mid summer, so be prepared to have a couple of different shades as well as formulations in your makeup arsenal.

4) Powder.
You need two powders, one loose to set your foundation, and one pressed to do touch ups with.
Ideally get a powder that is colorless and translucent.
When buying powder one of the most significant factors is how finely milled it is.
The smaller the particles, the less you will see on the surface of the skin.
A good powder will be colorless and very finely milled, and will disappear into the skin when applied.

5) Highlighter.
Somewhere along the line its nice to add a highlighter to your product list.
Create a little sheen to the upper cheekbone, keep the skin looking dewey and healthy.


6) Blush.
Invest in a beautiful, soft blush.
This year we will be seeing a lot of soft, beautiful cheeks, so look for gentle hues rather than intense colors that deliver a more angular, defined cheek.

7) Brows.
The look for brows right now is soft, natural and unstructured.
Put brow pencils aside and move into a soft shadow for your brows.

8) Mascara.
I'm not a fan of drug store mascaras.
You dont have to spend a lot of money on mascara, but do get a quality one.
MAC has several that are inexpensive and good.
If you're not going to be swimming or crying, avoid waterproof.


9) Lip Balm.
Every night, every morning, keep your lips luscious.



Eyeshadows and lip colors are more seasonal, so I'll be showing you different products as they come along, but this list should get you started on building a makeup wardrobe that will take you through any season, to any event, or just day to day wear.

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