Beauty | High End Makeup for Beginners

Have you ever wondered how life would've been if someone had given you a helping hand into the beauty world when you were a teenager? I have many days where I look back over old Facebook pictures and think to myself 'what the hell were you thinking?'. I struggled with getting to grips with the art of subtlety when it came to applying makeup for school and definitely had some difficulties with knowing what to buy. Liquid glittery eyeshadow sticks, thick black 'skunk' eyeliner and Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse 3 shades two dark for my skin are just three examples of my teenage makeup collection. These are also examples of where I could have done with so much help. After thinking this and also having a couple of people at work asking about what makeup is best to start off with, I've decided to do a 2-part series on 'Makeup for Beginners'. This post is all about High End makeup and my favourite high end staples that I think would be perfect for a beginner's makeup bag!

Giorgio Armani Fluid Master Primer | £35 | Link

Primer is something that I believe every girl should have within their makeup collection. For years I managed without primers but after trying them now, I think that they are such a staple. I've tried many since stumbling across them originally and now have a couple of favourites that I like to switch between every now and again. My all time favourite is most definitely the Fluid Master Primer from Giorgio Armani. I love the clear formula and the gel texture and have really seen a difference to the longevity of my foundations when I use this. For £35 it's up there with the high-end prices, but I think it's really worth the money and does last a long time.

Benefit Boiing Industrial Strength Concealer | £17.50 | Link

A lot of you may know that Benefit is one of my all time fave premium beauty brands. I own a lot of their products and adore 90% of them, one of those right at the top of my list is their Boiing 'industrial strength' concealer. I use shade 01 and like to apply this with a flat foundation brush to brush it over my problem areas - I only use this when I need to and not as an everyday staple but I think that this concealer would be the perfect one for somebody starting out. It's 'Industrial strength' label may be a little out there, but it does do a great job and has the staying power to rival such a name!

Clarins Everlasting Foundation+ | £27.50 | Link*

I've written a review on this foundation previously here; I absolutely love this foundation and even though I'm not a huge liquid foundation lover anymore, I know that a lot of people are and it's what a lot of people look for. This foundation is my favourite on the high-end spectrum; the formulation is gorgeous and the dewy finish to this look is brilliant. It's a really light weight foundation and I think this would be perfect for any first time makeup user.

Benefit Brow Zings | £24.50 | Link

Brows, Brows, Brows! I absolutely love working with my brows and really do think that they make my face. Now this product isn't necessarily a necessity in your start-up kit, but to me, it's one of the important ones. Brow Zings to me is my holy-grail brow product, I've tried lots in the past and still always find myself going back to my trusty Brow Zings. To me, this is the perfect brow kit and I love how the wax tints and sets the brows (sometimes this can be enough for me) and I also really like the powder colour too. The kit comes with a mini pair of tweezers, (which are really good) and also a mini angled brush and powder brush. The kit is compact and perfect for travel and has so far lasted me just over a year and it's still going! Definitely one to pick up!

Clarins Instant light Eye Perfecting Base | £22 | Link*

This product is a favourite of mine! I had only ever tried samples of eye primer before and never really thought much of it, but then again like with a normal foundation base primer, I have seen definite differences since using it. I think that an eye primer is a great purchase if you're going to be using more expensive eye-shadows as it does make a noticeable difference with the longevity and lasting power of your eyeshadow. This Clarins Eye Perfecting Base is my go-to and even though it's only 10ml lasts absolutely ages!

NARS Laguna Bronzing Powder | £27.50 | Link

This is a bronzer that had been on my wish list for a very long time and when I was given this for Christmas this year it took pride of place in my makeup collection. NARS Laguna is the perfect bronzer for me; I really love the shade of this bronzer and how well pigmented it it. It's really easy to apply and easy to build, rather than it being over-whelming from the get go. NARS is a brand that I love and trust and their powder formulas really are amazing. This would be a great bronzer for a first makeup collection.

Benefit Dandelion Blusher | £23.50 | Link

If I'm honest, blusher isn't always something that I reach for when applying my makeup of a morning. I have a natural pinky flush to my cheeks and as I usually use a powder foundation, my natural blush comes through easily and so there isn't really a need for me to apply anything else. However, when I do apply a blusher on top of a liquid foundation, Benefit box'o'blush's are my go-to and Dandelion is my favourite as it's a beautiful pale pink which is lovely for a fresh, natural look.

Benefit High Beam Highlighter | £19.50 | Link

Highlighters are very important to me and I think that using a high lighter is a great step within a makeup look. I love to apply this to my cheek bones, my forehead and also my nose and chin, I think it gives a lovely natural glow and really sets off the face. I've tried many highlighting products from powders to creams and liquids like this, but this one has been my favourite from the start and has continued to be my daily highlight product.

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette | £38 | Link

Naked palettes have had a massive hype around them since day one, they've had a lot of mixed reviews but over-all they're a cult beauty product and absolutely my favourites. The Naked 3 palette is a gorgeous rose gold and pinky palette that has 12 shades from a neutral beige, to a light shimmery pink, to a rose gold, to deep purpley-browns. I am in love with this palette and it is my favourite from the 3 in the UD collection. The Naked 3 is a perfect combination palette if you're starting out, it's got a lovely array of colours and shades for multiple looks and with such pigmented shades it's a great start out palette.

Bobbi Brown No Smudge Mascara | £19.50 | Link

Mascaras are an absolute in my makeup routine, I really cannot go without putting on a little Mascara  even if I'm not wearing a lot of makeup. I've tried a lot of mascaras and I've loved quite a few and I've hated quite a lot. I can be really fussy when it comes to Mascaras because it's something that I'm putting near my eyes, this Bobbi Brown Mascara is one of my favourites and like many of the other products in this post, it's one that I have kept going back to. There are a lot of other that I like and would recommend, but I just love how this one catches every lash as you brush and elongates it, making your lashes look bigger and fuller.

Charlotte Tilbury Sexy Sienna Matte Revolution Lipstick | £23 | Link

Once again I have recently reviewed this lipstick here, it's one that I picked up a couple of weeks ago when in London and I've absolutely fallen in love with it. I think that every girl should have a matte neutral lipstick in their collection and although I have quite a few of them, this is my favourite high-end one. Charlotte Tilbury is a well known makeup artist within the beauty industry and her highly coveted makeup range has made a massive splash in the market. I can't wait to try more of her products, but for now, I am in love with this Lipstick!

I've really enjoyed putting this post together and hope that it might help some of you - even if it's not for a makeup newbie, but for one of you wanting to try some new products? I understand that not everyone starting out with makeup may be able to afford all of these products, but don't worry, this is just a high-end list and I will be posting a 'drugstore', affordable starters guide too! I hope you enjoy! Let me know if you have any additions to this stash or if you'd change anything!

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