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From matte liquid lipsticks to metallic eyeshadows and everything in between, many of us ladies love our makeup products.
After all, they accentuate our features, conceal any flaws and provide us with the confidence we need to tackle a busy day ahead. Right?
Having said that, we’ve noticed that as you get older, you start to rely on the same failsafe items. (You know, the ones that you consider life-savers when you wake up in the morning adamant that you resemble a human Chewbacca. Spoiler: you don’t.)
Speaking of, we’ve curated a list of the makeup products you need in your everyday collection that can’t be beaten in terms of quality, look and feel.
1. Foundation
Makeup products you need 101: foundation.
Why? Well, foundation can hide a multitude of sins and skin issues such as redness, blotchiness and breakouts. It can also even your skin tone to provide you with a smooth, flawless complexion.
M.A.C Cosmetics is one of the highest-quality cosmetics brands currently on the market, hands down. Their foundations are on another level, especially the Studio Sculpt (*) with SPF 15.
As well as being a dream to apply, it provides a solid amount of coverage without feeling too cakey – and lasts all day long.
2. Primer
Primer is a game changer when it comes to easier application of other products like foundation. It fills in pores, blurs out spots and blemishes and creates a polished, even canvas.
It also stops any dry patches from causing problems with your base and can help your foundation to last longer. Win-win.
In particular, we love how Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Face Primer (*) smoothes, hydrates and brightens the skin. It glides onto the surface perfectly, evening it out and adding a dewy glow before you even apply your foundation on top.
3. Under Eye Concealer
Dark circles under the eyes can make us look tired. They can be genetic, related to lifestyle or just a part of getting older.
Finding the right under eye concealer can take a bit of work as some can be drying and tricky to work with, especially if you have fine lines or wrinkles around the eyes.
Tarte Cosmetics Shape Tape Concealer (*) is a cult favourite, and we love it too! It gives full coverage, smoothes, brightens and blurs. It doesn’t settle into any fine lines either, which makes it perfect for long-lasting all day-wear.
4. BB Cream
A BB Cream is ideal for those occasions where you don’t want to go full-coverage with your foundation but still want a little boost to your natural skin.
Tarte Skin Treat Poreless Tinted Moisturiser (*) is a great BB Cream for evening out skin tone and hiding anything you want to keep under wraps, without it looking like you’re wearing a full face of makeup.
You’re basically tricking people into thinking you have flawless natural skin, which we’re all for!
5. Blusher
Blusher is used to add a flush of colour to your face for a youthful look that adds dimension to the face. If you’ve ever forgotten to apply it after foundation, you’ll have noticed how flat and unnatural your skin looks.
The truth is, you can get loads of different types of blusher including liquid and powder.
There’s a reason that NARS Cosmetic Blush (*) in Orgasm is one of the most popular blushes around (and a reason why it’s our fave too!). It’s buildable, blendable, has the tiniest hint of shimmer and suits almost every skin tone out there.
6. Bronzer
Bronzer is used to fake a sunkissed glow on your face or body.
You use it where the sun would naturally hit and tan your skin. This gives off a gorgeous glow, making you look healthier and your skin more radiant (especially if it feels like you haven’t seen the sun for a while!).
We love Collection Bronze Glow (*). It’s a budget-friendly option that still delivers rich pigment, lasts on the skin and achieves a natural bronzed aesthetic. And it’s great for contouring for a night out too!
7. Highlighter
Highlighter is a wonderful tool to bring out certain areas of your face and add depth. It can also be teamed with a contouring product that pushes back other areas of your face.
One way you can really get those cheekbones poppin’ is by using Benefit High Beam Liquid Highlighter (*). If you haven’t yet heard of High Beam as one of the makeup products you need in your life, then you seriously don’t know what you’ve been missing. It’s satiny pink goodness that honestly makes your cheekbones glow like a lightbulb.
Simply apply it with your finger on your cheekbones, cupid’s bow, down the centre of your nose, your eyebrow bones and maybe even in the centre of your forehead and chin for an Insta-worthy makeup look.
We also love the Kylighter by Kylie Cosmetics (*) in “Salted Caramel” for a toned-down, more natural version for everyday occasions.
8. Spot Concealer
Full disclosure: I’ve used Estee Lauder’s Double Wear Concealer (*) since what feels like the beginning of time (JK, it’s more like since I was a teen) and it properly gets the job done.
In fact, it’s kind of like a magic tool.
How come, you ask? Well, because I start with a face of pesky spots, and then they miraculously disappear once this concealer has been applied. It lasts all day and comes in various shades for all skin tones.
One word: obsessed.
9. Eyeshadow Palette
There’s no doubt about it, eyeshadow palettes are so pretty! They definitely appeal to our inner magpie and we totally get why people collect the latest releases and designs.
Eyeshadow palettes are practical too, meaning that you get loads of different shadow shades that work together in one place.
The Urban Decay Naked 3 Eyeshadow Palette (*) is an absolute dream. It’s a twelve-colour eyeshadow palette that’s filled with wearable, natural rose-toned shades. As well as featuring matte and shimmer finishes, the shadows last forever and the texture is the best.
Plus, the palette itself looks beautiful (there’s that inner magpie again).
10. Liquid Eyeliner
People have been wearing liquid eyeliner for literally thousands of years. You can use it for wings, flicks, clean lines, designs and to make your lashes look even longer.
You usually apply liquid eyeliner to your upper lash-line to elongate the lashes and add definition to your eyes.
That said, choosing the right eyeliner isn’t always easy – do you go for a pen? A pot? A stamp? Something else that you’ve never even heard of until you find it during a late-night internet browsing session?
Let me make it easy for you: Rimmel London Exaggerate Liquid Eyeliner (*) in black is my go-to. It’s super-pigmented, straightforward to apply and (best of all) it’s smudge-proof, flake-proof, smear-proof and run-proof. (No-one wants to glance in a mirror part way through the day to realise their liner has migrated onto their face!)
11. Mascara
Even if you haven’t separated your lashes with a lash wand or volumised them with an eyelash curler, the Too Faced Maneater Mascara (*) looks incredible with every application.
All you have to do is apply one coat for all-day coverage. Alternatively, you can apply a few coats if you’re heading OUT out and want to amp up the drama.
Comb through with an eyelash comb like the Tweezerman Ilash Foldable Comb (*) if you want to look like you’re wearing false eyelashes. It separates each lash without stripping away your mascara.
Either way, this mascara is something special and easily earns its place as one of the makeup products you need in your life! Just wait until you try it for yourself.
12. Brow Gel
One of our most favourite makeup products you need in your daily collection is brow gel.
At the end of the day, your eyebrows frame your face. They can also bring out your eyes and enhance your overall appearance. In other words, they need to look half decent. Right?
Step forward, Anastasia Beverly Hills, the holy-grail brand for brow products.
Honestly, we don’t know what we did with our brows before the wonder that is Anastasia Beverly Hills came onto the scene. As well as the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade (*), we’re also a little bit in love with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Gel (*).
Both the brow powder and gel we mentioned are super pigmented, look proper professional when they’ve been applied and adds flawless definition to your brows.
To put it plainly, it’s a big yes from us!
13. Lip Balm
Let’s go back to basics with this one.
Lip balm is absolutely essential for smooth, flake-free lips. Keeping your lips hydrated and moisturised not only looks and feels better, it also makes lipstick and other products go on more smoothly and evenly.
Sometimes there’s a reason why products have been popular for years (hint: because they work) and our fave lip balm is none other than Vaseline Lip Therapy (*). It’s clinically proven to help heal dry lips and locks in moisture for healthy-looking lips.
If it ain’t broke, why fix it, we say! Plus, it comes in different flavours and tints if old-school Vaseline really is too basic.
14. Nude Lipsticks
A good nude lipstick is an absolute makeup bag staple. You can wear it anywhere – during the day, paired with a dramatic smokey eye at night, in the office.
We love nudes (obviously we’re talking about lipsticks).
If we’re being specific, you need to check out M.A.C Velvet Teddy (*). It’s a light brown colour with the slightest red undertone to it which stops it from being too flat or too pale. Amazing in quality, it comes in a few different finishes, depending on your preference.
Velvet Teddy is ridiculously popular for a reason – it’s pretty universal and suits everyone. Plus, it looks subtly different depending on your natural lip shade.
15. Translucent Powder
Last, but absolutely not least, we have translucent powder. This is used to ‘set’ your makeup in place once you’ve done your full face, keeping shine at bay and adding that final touch for flawless skin.
Usually sheer and colourless, translucent powder gives a mattified finish to the skin and should be applied lightly across your face using a large powder brush.
Our fave translucent powder is none other than Laura Mercier ‘Loose Setting Powder’ (*) – this comes with so many recommendations and has won several awards in the beauty industry.
In fact, one of these powders is supposedly sold every 20 seconds! It’s also available in different colours so you can effortlessly find your shade.
The best thing about this product is its blurring effect that lasts for up to 16 hours of wear. And you don’t have to worry about that pesky flashback from camera flashes in photos. Result.
Dressing Up These Makeup Products You Need
The abundance of choice can be overwhelming in the makeup world, but don’t worry – these products have got you covered for every occasion.
Once you’ve tried them out for yourself, you’re never going to want to go back to a time where you didn’t have them in your life. Trust us.
Which is your favourite out of these makeup products you need?
Katie Davies is the Yorkshire-based freelance writer who founded Trendy Tourist. Since 2017, she has written for over 100 companies on a range of subjects, from fashion to marketing. When she’s not producing content, you can find her shopping, exploring a new place or sitting somewhere having a cup of builder’s tea.
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