Teen makeup starter kit ideas

Hi pretties

I've been doing a lot of reminiscing lately about being a teenager, specifically around 13/14 years old and it got me thinking.  If I knew then what I know now, what would I do differently?  Being a beauty lover, of course my mind turned to makeup.  So I thought while it was on my mind I would compile a list of products I wish I had the sense and knowledge to buy back then.  You may be a teen reading this, or a parent looking for ideas for your teen, or just someone who reads my blog (thank you) but hopefully you will get something out of my ideas and experiences.

1.  Tinted moisturizer or a light foundation


When I was around 12 or 13 a neighborhood friend held a mother/daughter Nutrimetics party for the girls in our area.  There were around 6 of us in the street all around the same age.  The idea was we were starting to get an interest in make up so a beauty consultant could show us a few simple ideas to stop us looking like clowns when we started experimenting.  The first thing the consultant did was colour match us with a foundation or tinted moisturizer.  I highly, highly recommend getting colour matched for your first 'base' and investing in a quality product.  A foundation or tinted moisturizer can last you around 6 months and a  quality product can cost you around AUD$50.  If you wear it 5 days a week that equates to around 40 cents per application and the investment can be well worth it.  If you are a younger teen without an income, ask one of your relatives to get you product for a present :)

I highly recommend, however, if you don't need foundation that you stick to tinted moisturizer.  Keep your skin as fresh as you can for as long as you can.

2. Concealer


I am not a concealer wearer and I never have been.  Although when I was covered in hormonal pimples and spots I wish that I was.  Unfortunately my mother does not wear concealer and I have no older sisters who could show me the concealer ropes so I went without.  Concealer is another product I recommend getting colour matched at a counter for, but not necessarily paying a lot for either.  It can be a tricky thing to find a concealer that works for you so trying out a few inexpensive products and finding a formulation that works for you might be best.

Your under-eye concealer is generally a different product to your spot concealer so keep this in mind.  Again, if you can go without, please do.

3. Setting powder for oily skin


Many teens have oily skin and a mattifying setting powder can be very helpful keeping oily skin at bay.  This is one of the only times in this post I will recommend an actual product, but I am in love with Rimmel Stay Matte translucent powder.  I still use this product and can't rave about it enough.

4. Clear or brown mascara


Mascara can really make your eyes stand out and look great, but black can be quite a harsh look on young teens so stick to a clear or brown mascara.

5. An eye shadow palette


If you're just starting out with make up or looking for an essential product for your collection I recommend investing in an eyes shadow palette.  Coastal Scents have some great deals on their website.  The great thing about being a teen is you get to experiment so experiment away!  You can also get away with shimmers as you don't have any fine lines for those glittery colours to settle into you.  I recommend the 88 shimmer palette and the 88 neutral palette from Coastal Scents.  You can get them for around AUD$15 on special every couple of weeks and they are full of a variety of colours to try out and decide what you like and what suits you.

6. Blush or bronzer


To be honest I didn't really start experimenting with bronzer until I was about 17, and blush until I was 24!  I think just one blush or bronzer is more than enough as a young teen and I wouldn't wear it every day.  Maybe save that one for a special occasion and get either a pale pink or coral blush (very hard to go wrong with either of those), and a mildly shimmery bronzer.  Just don't go overboard with either.

7. Lip gloss

Skip the lippy and invest in a clear or pale pink lip gloss.  This is a much fresher look for a teen and much easier to apply.  Ah my teen years were filled with 'Lip Smackers' and that sickly sweet smell still pops into my thoughts sometimes.

8. A decent brush set


Your brush set can make or break your makeup application and I recommend asking for a decent brush set for a Christmas or Birthday present as they can get quite expensive.  For a great kit at a great price I recommend the Coastal Scents 22 piece brush set (I promise Coastal Scents do not sponsor me I just think their products are great for starters and basics!), EcoTools brushes or Furless Cosmetics brush sets.

I honestly don't think a young teen requires any more makeup than this to start with and you can request product you may like to try out for birthdays and Christmas.

I hope this post has been helpful and if you have any questions please leave me a comment below :)

Caitlin xoxo