If you’re anything like me, you probably have a huge collection of makeup products and no idea how to use them. It seems like no matter how much time I waste watching makeup tutorials on my Instagram feed, I can never get it right. When you have no idea what you’re doing, it’s best to stick to products that are simple, easy, and not ridiculously expensive. Here’s a list of five makeup products which have never failed me, no matter how badly I mess up.
Primer
Everyone tells me that I need to use primer before putting on makeup. I don’t know why, and I honestly don’t even notice that much of a difference, but all the makeup gurus on YouTube do it so it must be important. I like The POREfessional by Benefit because it smells nice and it makes my skin smooth without feeling too greasy. I also like it because for some reason I keep finding sample-size bottles of it in my room, so I’ve never actually had to pay for it.
Concealer
What’s foundation for? I don’t know and I don’t care. I only use concealer because I suck at blending foundation and I’m even worse at finding a shade that matches my skin tone. After cycling through every drug store concealer in existence, I decided to venture outside of my comfort zone and step into the black hole that is Sephora. Naturally, I bought the cheapest concealer I could find because I’m a broke student and I don’t understand makeup. I was actually surprised by how well it worked, so for now the Sephora Collection is my go-to.
Eyeshadow
I’m always getting compliments on my eyeshadow, and I feel like a fraud because I have no idea what I’m doing. I literally just blend random colours together until it looks acceptable enough to leave the house. I’ve tried all of the cult classic eyeshadow palettes like Urban Decay Naked or Anastasia Modern Renaissance, and they’re all more or less exactly the same to me. If you aren’t a professional, don’t waste your money on an $80 palette no matter how pretty it looks! All you need is a few simple shades to blend together to make it look like you actually know what the words “smoky-eye” mean. Lately, my favourite has been the eyeshadow trios sold by Smashbox.
Eyeliner
Eyeliner is the only product that I’m picky with as a result of years of trying (and failing) to perfect my winged liner technique. I find that liquid liner is the most forgiving when you’re in a rush, and the easiest to touch up when you inevitably mess it up. My go-to liquid liner brand is NYX because I find the brush easy to use, and the formula is long-lasting without being impossible to take off at the end of the night.
Mascara
Here’s the deal with mascara: they’re all the same. I have tried $5 mascaras and I have tried $50 mascaras, and I have yet to be impressed by the quality or the application. Maybe I’m just not doing it right, but no matter how good the reviews are, I’m almost always disappointed. Truthfully, any drugstore brand will do the trick, but right now I’m using Benefit’s Roller Lash. The curved brush makes it almost impossible to mess up, which is the only thing I care about when I’m putting on makeup.