The Splurge-Worthy Basics

If you’re just starting out with make up, it may be a little bit hard to distinguish the basics from all of the additional products you see in stores, magazines and beauty blogs. There are some basics that I think everyone who’s interested in make up should have; products that are expensive, but do everything they claim to do and more and never let you down. I think it’s worth investing in make up; quality over quantity, definitely. In most cases, you usually get what you pay for in a product, but of course there are a few exceptions (but that’s what beauty blogs are for, right?). These products are the core of your make up routine, so read on for my rundown on those basic products that are worth investing in….

First things first; you want a good base. Your face is your canvas, and you need to have a good base if you want your make up look to succeed. Diorskin Nude, Dior’s latest foundation offering for glowy skin, is one of my favourite foundations ever. It’s quite expensive, but in this case you really do get what you pay for; a second-skin effect with a nice radiant but not dewy finish. It can be quite hard to find what you want in a foundation, be it the colour or the finish, so I would recommend going to Lisa Eldridge’s YouTube channel as she has recently done a marvellous series on foundations.

You also want to invest in a good concealer. A concealer that has full coverage, but doesn’t look too cakey and is really easy to blend out should be in everyone’s make up bag. My philosophy with make up is that you should only use a foundation to even out your skintone and not for hiding imperfections, you should use a concealer for that. Estée Lauder’s Double Wear concealer is my absolute favourite, and I’ve already raved about it numerous times on my blog.

For the cheeks, I think you could never go wrong with a subtle contour. My favourite of the bunch is the Clarins Bronzing Duo in dark; it doesn’t look either too orange or too muddy and it’s really pigmented. A nice contour looks good on everyone and is hard to go wrong with, unlike some blushers that can look either too pink or too peachy or someone.

For the eyes, Clinique’s High Impact Extreme Volume is the one. It lengthens, separates and gives lots and lots of volume to your lashes. Depending on how short or long, how curly or volumized your lashes are, there are lots of drugstore mascara offerings that also work really well, but this Clinique mascara only costs a little bit more than most l’Oréal or Maybelline ones and is just that tiny bit better.

To finish this back-to-basics look, a nice lipgloss is needed. The Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfectors are often claimed to be ‘the best lipglosses ever!’ by many a beauty bloggers, and I would say that this is one of those products that are really worth the hype. They’re non-sticky, not too thick and really moisturising on the lips, and with Clarins bringing out three more shades of these this spring, the colour range is really beautiful and I think there’s something there for everyone.

Brush-wise, I think it’s wise to spend a little bit more on face brushes, since they guarantee a flawless application. The MAC 187 stippling brush is an absolute lifesaver for me; it applies foundation beautifully and makes it look really natural, but you can also use it to apply blusher or bronzer.

Stripping make up to the core, these are my picks for splurge-worthy beauty products. I think it’s smart to invest a little bit more in those basic products, and then, just like with clothes, you can save money on the little extras. Combine these products to look fabulous all day, everyday. You can thank me later…