Build Your Own Makeup Kit

Have you thought about building your own make up kit? Of course, make up kits are widely available on the market, but do you really need every piece of make up on a particular kit? A lot of brands offer travel kits and makeup kits that are almost complete from foundation to mascara, however, I almost always find these kits to be er, too good to be true.

How to build your own makeup kit:

1. Invest in a train case.

A train case, makeup bag, cosmetic case, of however you might want to call it, is not very affordable, but it is a good investment. You need a container to organize your makeup and having a train case would save you a lot of time in looking over your drawer for that tiny piece of eyebrow liner sharpened almost to its death. A train case would cost you around P1,000 to P2,500 ($25 to $60 USD). Choose one that would hold all of your important cosmetics, including your brushes. Smaller train cases are available if you have travel-sized brushes but I would recommend having a medium-sized train case to accommodate everything that you may need specially when you'll be going out of town for events of makeup sessions. Professional ones might use the trolley train cases but I don't recommend it for beginners, unless of course you want to become a hoarder of some sort. (^^,) A train case with a good-sized mirror is a plus.

2. Buy a good foundation.

A good foundation is one which is perfect for your skin tone. But honestly, our skin tone and skin color also changes as the season changes. Have at least two different foundation shades which are closes to your natural skin color. You can mix them up to achieve your skin tone at a given time.

Note that certain foundation types are more appropriate for specific skin conditions. An oily face is much likely to benefit from powder foundations since powder absorbs excess oil. Liquid and cream foundations, on the other hand, are good for dry skin since they provide moisture. If you've found the right foundation for you, then stick to it. It's not bad to explore but if you've found your perfect foundation match, you must always have it with you, having an extra bottle or pot is also good.

3. Invest in quality brushes and makeup tools.

You can still achieve flawless, airbrush finish with your affordable drugstore makeup and cosmetics if you use the proper tools. You don't need to buy the most expensive brushes but you should consider buying the correct brush for certain types of makeup. Aside from face brushes, you must also consider investing in eyeshadow brushes, concealer brushes, lip and eyebrow brushes. It's not a bad thing to have some extra disposable mascara wands in handy. A lip brush would be your best friend in conserving your lipsticks and in creating the perfect lip shape.

If you're using powder cosmetics, it is best paired with brushes made from natural hair. Natural hair brushes are porous and this means that they have tiny holes around then (you can't see them with your naked eyes) and the powder properties would hang on to these tiny holes which make the natural hair brushes more appropriate in applying powder foundations. For liquid and cream foundations, it is best to use brushes made from synthetic hair. Tip: Your fingers are also great for applying cream and liquid foundations, as well as cream concealers.

4. Get a concealer and/or a color corrector.

For ladies who want to hide some blemishes, a concealer is your best friend. A color corrector may be needed to defy dark eye circles and red blotches on the face. Use a green corrector for redness, and orange corrector to hide the blues. Tip: If you have green or orange eyeshadows, you can mix them up with your cream or liquid foundation and you've got yourself an instant concealer/corrector. 

5. Eyebrow Pencil or Powder (and don't forget the tweezers and mini scissors)

If you're a beginner, you must practice grooming your own brows. Brows wouldn't be a problem if you regularly visit a salon to have those bushy brows tamed but if you're on your own, tweezers and scissors would be of great help. Don't forget to use those kind of scissors that are rounded at the edge to prevent any injuries in your eye area. Slanted tweezers are also best in keeping those stray hairs away.

An eyebrow pencil must be in a shade not darker that your hair color. If you have deep black hair, you can use an eyebrow pencil or powder in a soft black shade, others prefer gray, and you wouldn't also go wrong with a dark brown or black brown. If you have colored, bleached, or blond hair, chose an eyebrow pencil or powder in the shade that is closest to your hair color to balance your look. If you have green or purple colored hair, well, you can just use neutral shades of either brown or black for your eyebrows.

Your eyebrow pencil might double as an eyeliner but just in case you're in doubt, choose an eyeliner that is soft enough so as not to irritate your eyes.

6. Eye shadows.

Buy whatever color you want but don't forget to always have neutral shades in your stash. Eye shadows can be matte, glittery, satin, or shimmery. Be careful in using these glittery and shimmery eye shadows, they do not quite sit well with wrinkled skin.

7. Lip Color.

Lipsticks also come in different shades and finishes, and you can have as many as you want but always keep 1 neutral "my lips but better shade," 1 red shade, and 1 pink shade. Neutral lip color is good for everyday look. You can mix your lip color shades to achieve the color that you want. Also keep a tube of your favorite lip balm and lip gloss in your makeup kit.

8. Blush.

Keep at least one blush in your makeup kit, the one that flatters your skin tone most. Choose a shade that will make you look flushed and happy but not too made up. You can also opt to use two blushes at the same time: use a lighter blush shade on the apples of your cheek and use a darker shade to contour. Blend well and you'll get that celebrity look!

Optional items....

9. Mascara and Eyelash Curler.
I don't usually wear mascara on a daily basis but it would be good to have one on your makeup kit. An eyelash curler would be great in opening up your eyes. If you don't want a heavy look, you can use a transparent mascara, which could also double in taming your eyebrows.

10. Contour Powder.
If you want to contour your cheeks, nose, chin, or whatever part of your face, you can use a contour powder. But this is not really necessary because you can also use a darker shade of foundation. And, be careful in contouring, practice makes perfect.

You can add any other item that you may need for your makeup kit. Some people like having primers for the face and eyes, and finishing makeup sprays but that's not really necessary unless your face condition really needs it. You can also keep a small bottle of moisturizer, some cotton buds, facial wipes, and whatever you need.

It's fun to create your own makeup it. But remember to keep in mind that you should always organize your makeup and update your stash bearing in mind the expiration dates of your cosmetics. Throw anything that is beyond the expiration date. When in doubt, use your sense of smell, if it smells yucky, throw it away.