The Ultimate Basic Makeup Kit For Beginners on a Budget (Full Guide)

starter makeup essentials

The Ultimate Basic makeup kit for beginners on a budget!

Here I will show you the complete makeup kit for beginners with Makeup products that are completely budget-friendly, and you will learn what you really need to start using the best makeup techniques.

Makeup kit for beginners, the starter makeup bag best drougstore products

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What makeup should I buy for a beginner?

The world of makeup is pervasive and can be overwhelming, you do not have to start with the most extensive collection of makeup, but suddenly form the makeup kit that leads you to collect the best products for your skin and face!

That’s why I created this complete but Basic Makeup kit for beginners on a budget.

Buy only some essentials that I show you below, and as you feel more confident in your skills, start investing a little more in makeup.

As a Makeup artist, I always seek the best Makeup products for my clients, and this doesn’t have to be the most expensive ones. So I’m a true believer that you can build your own Affordable Starter makeup kit on a budget without losing the quality of the products.

So let’s begin.

Should I buy drugstore or expensive makeup?

The short answer is DRUGSTORE.

However, for beginners, it is best to buy Drugstore makeup or inexpensive makeup since you do not want to start with high-end makeup to practice.

Although saying cheap makeup is not synonymous with makeup that doesn’t work very well, there are plenty of drugstore makeup products that do a great job on your skin even more than some high-end ones!

Is expensive Makeup better than drugstore Makeup?

So, quality is not defined by price or brand name at all.


There are excellent brands of drugstores as well as high-end brands that do not have quality products.

RELATED: 25 Best Affordable but High-quality Makeup products!

What are the best Makeup brands on a budget?

I have tried many drugstore or affordable brands for different types of products, and I have my roundup of the best drugstore makeup products for you to include in your beginner makeup kit.

  • Maybelline
  • Wet and wild
  • Milani
  • Loreal
  • Neutrogena (oh, I love this one!)
  • Hard candy
  • Rimmel London
  • Nyx

Other best economic brands:

  • Beauty creations
  • morphe
  • makeup revolution
  • beauty treats
  • Beauty glazed

These brands have tons of products, most of them with good quality, that’s why they are on this list.

But of course, it depends on the type of product, and each one has at least one bestseller!

I show you the list of essentials for your makeup kit with the best economic brands.

What is the Basic makeup kit for beginners on a budget?

Not your typical lip gloss, mascara, and go. I show you the complete list to start in the makeup world. The complete Drugstore and affordable Basic Makeup kit for beginners

PRIMER 

The primer is essential for the makeup routine! 

This minimizes your pores, makes the texture of your skin unify, and prepares your face for makeup.

If you have to pick some products from this kit, this one should be one of them!

Because it makes a lot of difference when you apply foundation with your primer then applying foundation alone.

If you have oily skin, try this primer from Maybelline, and for dry skin you should try this Hydration Oil primer by Nyx.

For general recommendation check this bestseller from the WET and WILD brand is this cucumber primer and setting spray. Apply the primer and let it sit for at least 5 minutes so that your face absorbs it very well.

FOUNDATION

This next makeup essential for beginners on a budget is a good foundation, according to your tone and subtone, with a natural finish that is buildable at medium or full coverage. How to find the perfect foundation for your skin? Check this Foundation guide where I share all the steps to find the perfect match (even online)

Basically, the goal with a foundation is to use it for your day-to-day makeup routine, and on those days where you require more full coverage, and with the possibility to apply more foundation coats and create more coverage when is necessary.

Here I recommend you this foundation of beauty creations! It has left excellent reviews for all corners of beauty bloggers and is at a very affordable price. I have try myself for a while and I just loved it!


But for heavy oily skin you have to be cautions with this one, if you have this skin type I recommend you this beautiful Foundation for oily skin by Maybelline.

Related: How to find the right foundation for your skin

CONCEALER

Seek for a good liquid concealer that allows you to cover dark circles and some impurities on your face that come out in your daily life.


A concealer with medium to high coverage would be an excellent option.

If you have mature skin, look for liquid concealers that moisturize your skin.

The best Makeup concealer on a budget is this one from maybelline – age rewind!

But I have to add this other AMAZING concealer dupes and options for build your basic makeup kit for beginners on a budget the right way.

Related: TOP 10 Best Cheap Concealers (guide and reviews)

BLUSH

Find the shade that best suits your skin tone and your skin undertone and add it to your beginner makeup kit! This is a fundamental Makeup step to complete your kit.

I recommend you to have atleast 3-5 different Blush shades or a Blush palette like this one from L.A. girl . Because blush is a dinamic makeup step that will depends on the eye makeup look, the wheather and your mood.

Milani has incredible blushes, like this one!

HIGHLIGHTER

The highlighter trend came in the beauty industry to stay! This Basic Makeup product is essential to complete your makeup kit, and it gives a light and natural finish to your look.


I just can’t live without highlighter and I specially recommend  this one from wet and wild because I’ve been try it for a while and it’s glow is super impresive comparation with its price. Just a must-have for every beginner!

You can either opt for a powder higlighter or try out a liquid highlighter like this one from loreal for a more natural finish.

BRONZER

The bronzer in your makeup kit is an element that allows you to go from a natural day look to a more elegant look with more depth. This one by Maybelline is great option to build your starter makeup kit!

BROW GEL

Because there is no complete look without having your eyebrows defined, you will need the right product for your eyebrows to be on fleek!

or you can opt for natural-looking eyebrows but with some color added.

I recommend an eyebrow gel like this one from L’oreal that came with a small brow brush for more precison.

You can also use a powder brow kit for a super natural brows, this one from Nyx came with a brow wax that will turn the brow powder into a pomade.

I love that!

Maybelline’s brow products are perfect for any beginner!

RELATED: Everything you need to know to shape eyebrows at home

MASCARA

The right Mascara for you will depend on your makeup mood, but I recommend a waterproof mask, since it will allow you to have your curled eyelashes all day.

The only problem is that it is more difficult to remove from your eyelashes.

Maybelline has some excellent economic mascaras!

You also need a good eyelash curler! Since your look will not be the same without first having a good eyelash curl that opens your eyes and your eye looks awake.

EYELINER

For those days where you want a more daring look and come out of the natural, you need an eyeliner in your basic makeup kit.

To start, get a black eyeliner in a pen version. This version is the easiest one to work, and when you gain experience, you can use the technique with any eyeliner.

This liner has been a bestseller for years! It is the best waterproof black eyeliner.

RELATED: Pro hacks to get the perfect winged eyeliner in 5 minutes

EYESHADOW PALETTE

To get started in your beginner makeup kit, you need one or two eyeshadow palettes, one with natural, warm colors and one with cool, colorful shades.

So you can play with the tones, and you will have variety.

The best affordable eyeshadow palettes are, without a doubt, those of the MORPHE brand! They have an ideal texture and pigmentation, at affordable prices!
This eyeshadow palette from beauty glazed is insanely cheap, check it HERE.

Related: Epic Eye makeup tips to lift Hooded Eyes (with pictures)

LIPSTICK

There’s a lot of lipstick palettes in the beauty market, but I recommend buying some liquid lipstick, some with a matte finish, and others with a satin finish. 

You will need basics colors of lipsticks, like tones of red, rose, nudes, but it will depend on your preferences. Buy a clear gloss that you will match with almost any lipstick that you have and get them a glossy finish. 

SETTING POWDER

You will need to set every layer of liquid makeup that you put on your face, and a good one for that job is a translucent powder! 

Translucent powder is a powder with almost no color that allows you to set you liquids makeups without adding another coat of color and without making your makeup thick and heavy. 

The Affordable setting powder best seller is this one from Airspun!

MAKEUP BRUSHES

Lastly, it is not essential, but very useful, to have a kit of brushes for different uses. Buy a kit with thick, fluffy brushes to apply powders, small brushes to blend, and a few thin ones for details.

Check the Ultimate Makeup brushes guide of 21 different types of Makeup brushes and their uses (+ free printable checklist!)

This set of brushes is fantastic!

Final Thoughts on Basic Makeup kit for beginners in a Budget

Building your Makeup kit is now a possible option, even on a budget. And this is because every makeup brand has improved the quality of their products and has more competition, and as a consequence, the prices of the quality products have been more affordable every time!

Dare to try different products and Budget-friendly Makeup brands, until you find your own favorite products!

Am I missing an essential product for the basic makeup kit for beginners on a budget? Please comment below what you think about it, I’d love to read you.

Make up kit for beginners, the complete starter makeup kit

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The Ultimate Makeup Kit For Beginners (according to a Makeup Artist)

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