As someone who has way too much makeup for one little lady, (sike, no such thing), I always get asked where to start. When I decided to launch my own blog platform, I wanted my first post to be a useful one, which brings us here.

This post is inspired by my roommate. See, she has what looks like a hefty makeup collection and little knowledge on how to use it. So of course I told her I’d help her out. Come to find out she had a bunch of products the industry wants you to lust over, and few of the fundamentals for a flawless face.

For a while I let her use my collection which was fine because I have plenty to go around but I realized soon enough that she wouldn’t go out and buy her own because she had no idea what to look for and where to find it. Lucky for her it was around Christmas time and I’m a good friend (kidding….kind of). I wanted to get her everything she would need for a solid collection but did not want to go broke over it either. It didn’t take long for me to realize most of my staple products are from the drug store. There it was, an awesome Christmas gift and my first blog post: a kickass makeup collection without breaking the bank.

Like my roommate, not everyone realizes how much goes into a solid collection, so throughout the post break it down as much as possible. Keep in mind, these are my go to products. I’ve used both drug store and high end and these are still staples in my collection. In addition, these are the “essentials” to a collection, of course there is a ton more you can buy, but we all have to start somewhere!

Face:

Foundation: L’oreal Infallible Pro-Glow $11.99

This is my go-to for all occasions. Even over my high end foundations. Be careful when purchasing as the shades do run a bit dark.

Concealer: Maybelline Fit Me $5:99

I’ve been through at least 50 tubes of this, enough said. Keep in mind if you are using to highlight you’ll want a lighter shade than your foundation.

Bronzer: Phsyician’s Formula Butter Bronzer in the shade Bronze $11.99

Smells and bronzes like a dream.

Under Eye Powder/Contour: Wet and Wild Contour Kit in Dulce De Leche $4.99

I almost hate how much I love this product because since I’ve been using it I have not touched my other contour palettes.

Blush: Wet and Wild Blush in Apricot in the Middle $2.99

This blush is just pretty and super natural.

Highlight: Wet and Wild Highlighting Gold Bar (see shadows for picture)

Brushes:

Amazon set $11.99

This is the set I bought for my roommate. The quality is great and it has everything you need to start off with for both face and eyes!

Eyes:

Shadows: Wet and Wild $9.99

Shadow is something I will usually splurge on because I can’t help myself but I do  prefer to travel with my Wet and Wild shadows because they’re so compact.

Brows: NYX Micro Brow Pencil $9.99

Total dupe for the ABH pencil, just saying.

Mascara: **See Wet and Wild Set**

BUT if you have a favorite already, stick with it!

Liner: $2.99

Same thing as the mascara, if you have a liner you can work with, don’t switch it up.

Lips:

ColourPop over everything!!!!!!

Colourpop is my favorite brand for lip products by far. They range from $5-$6 USD and come in every shade and style you can think of!

I had a lot of fun gathering all of these items and hope that this post helps someone get their collection going. Having the right makeup is definitely a process that takes time but don’t let social media fool you into thinking you need “high end” brands/products to get the job done.

Share your staple products in the comments below!

Until next time,

xo Rickie

 

 

*Disclaimer* The photos used in this post are not my own.