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The Best Beauty Buys

Makeup Essentials Checklist

These basics should be the foundation of your beauty arsenal. Consider this the ultimate everyday makeup kit.

  • Concealer. Choose a creamy formula that can hide under-eye circles and cover blemishes.
  • Foundation. You don’t need to slather it all over your face—just in places where you see uneven skin tone or discoloration. If you don’t need as much coverage as foundation provides, consider a tinted moisturizer instead.
  • Blush. Look for a warm tone to add a pop of color to the apples of your cheeks.
  • Translucent powder. A quick, light dusting of powder sets makeup and controls shine.
  • Mascara. There’s no better way to define your eyes than by enhancing your lashes. Stick with basic black (or dark brown if you have light hair and lashes).
  • Neutral eye shadow. A neutral beige or taupe is an instant brightener when swiped all over the lid.
  • Defining eye shadow. Choose a medium, neutral shade like a warm brown or charcoal gray. Brush it in the crease of the eye, under the brow bone, to add depth.
  • Eye liner. You can use your darker shade of eye shadow as a liner along the lashes—or use a dark brown or black pencil to create a thin line that will define and enhance your eyes.
  • Lipstick. How about some color? Lipstick (or gloss, if you want a more casual look) is the perfect antidote to the blahs.
  • Fluffy powder brush. Have one big, rounded brush to dust on powder once you’ve finished your makeup.
  • Blush brush. This brush is a bit smaller than your powder brush and is the right size for dabbing the cheeks and blending along the cheekbones.
  • Eye shadow brush. An all-over brush that gets your lid covered in one swipe.
  • Crease brush. This smaller, rounded brush will get into the crease when you add a darker shade for definition.
  • Eye liner brush. A small, flat, angled brush can be used to line the eyes or add a bit of brow powder to thin eyebrows.
  • Tweezers. Clean up any stray hairs around your brows that sprout up in between brow appointments.

Did we forget anything on this checklist? What would you add?

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