The High-End Makeup Starter Kit

A while back I did a Drugstore Starter Kit and these days I feel like I've tried enough slightly more premium brands to be able to do a high-end equivalent. These are the first products I'd recommend to anyone looking to invest in some more expensive makeup and I've tried to pick things that would suit a variety of people.

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation | £31 | post

This is my holy grail foundation and I also chose this because so many people with different skin types seem to love it. It's also that perfect medium build-able formula; you can sheer it out for a more natural look or layer up the coverage. It gives a perfected look to the skin which I love and I think I'm on about my fourth bottle, which is saying a lot for a beauty junkie! It has what I'd describe as a 'satin' finish; not matte or drying but not dewy at all. It also lasts really well on my skin, which is a must for me. All-in-all it's the perfect 'balancing' base for my combination skin. It's the one foundation I feel I could recommend to just about anyone.

Sephora Pro Airbrush #55 | $36 | post

If you're looking to invest in a high-end brush then your money is probably best spent on one for applying your foundation. This has become one of my absolute favourites! Whilst I wouldn't really use it for a thick, high-coverage formula, it's amazing for light tinted moisturisers and medium coverage bases like the Sheer Glow. It just seems to apply everything so perfectly and naturally in a few seconds and a couple of swipes (and no brush strokes!)

Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer | £17.50 | post

This is one I deliberated over a little, as I do love my Nars concealer, however I feel this one has more universal appeal. It also works just as well under the eyes as it does on blemishes as the formula is light and fluffy whilst still providing medium-full coverage. It's so easy to blend out and doesn't look caky on my skin at all. It's also hydrating enough without being greasy in the slightest.

Becca x Jaclyn Hill Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Champagne | £32 | post

When it comes to premium highlighters, no one does it quite like Becca! My top pick of course has to be Champagne Pop. It's in their Pressed formula, which is a water-based powder that's so creamy in texture and blends onto the skin effortlessly. I think this suits so many different skin tones too! I've seen people with very fair skin and people with very deep skin wear this and they all look amazing. It's a gorgeous champagne-gold shade with a little hint of peach. It isn't for the faint-hearted as it's so pigmented but you can use a fan brush to get a more daytime-appropriate look.

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow | £49 | post

I have this in the Medium-Deep shade as that's obviously what suits my skin tone but if you're fair then go for the original Light-Medium version. For me, although I like the highlighter in the summer for a bronzed look, it's all about the bronzer and that is what I'm featuring this product for. It's just the perfect beginner's bronzer; it's nice and warming with a little bit of shimmer, adding subtle warmth to the skin. It's such a nice, easy-to-blend formula that's a dream to work with. It isn't too orange so does add a nice bit of definition at the same time. Plus the packaging is beyond beautiful! 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure | £32 | post

I'm pretty annoyed they hiked the price of this but it's still holy grail status for me! Let's start with the packaging; it's just so beautiful and luxurious, making it feel like a really special purchase. It's so effortless to apply and really adds such a beautiful, natural flush of colour to the skin. It's highlighting without being glittery at all. It's a plummy-mauve colour that's warm enough not to look  greyish on the skin and a lot more pigmented than you'd think. It's also so long-lasting on my skin, which usually leaves blushers looking patchy after a few hours.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade | £15 | post

This is a product I honestly had so wrong before I tried it for myself! I thought it was going to be way too dramatic and intense for my everyday look, however I apply this lightly with a winged liner brush and it gives me a really natural look. It's perfect if your eyebrows are naturally a bit uneven and you need to fake the shape a little. I also chose this as it comes in so many shades there's bound to be the perfect colour to match your natural brows out there. It's a really long-lasting formula too and doesn't smudge or smear throughout the day. 

Urban Decay Naked Palette | £38 | post

Sorry to be a cliche but it just had to be this! For me the original Naked is just perfect and contains everything you need to take you from day to evening. You can go from everyday matte nudes right up to a smoky gunmetal eye all with this one palette. Plus the formula is just the best; it's so creamy and pigmented, making these effortless to work with (both the mattes and shimmers). It's easily the eyeshadow palette I'd recommend for anyone's first high-end purchase.

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Carbon Black | £14.50 | post

This isn't the most pricey eyeliner out there but it's more expensive than the one's you'd find in the drugstore and one I think is worth that extra bit of money. I love this for a winged liner look; it's so pigmented and black but doesn't smudge or transfer on my oily eyes. I also love how thin but non-scratchy the nib is so you can be really precise with your application. It's also worth the investment because it stays fresh and doesn't dry out for absolutely ages!

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara | £19.50 | post

When it comes to high-end mascaras I think Benefit is the perfect place to start. Roller Lash has steamed into first place when it comes to my favourite and it's the one I'd recommend because it's such a great everyday option. Mascaras are the one product I tend to save on because they dry out so quickly but if you're going to splurge a bit then you're going to want something you'll get a lot of use out of and this is it! It doesn't give loads in the way of volume but it gives me great length, separation and curl.

Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Balm in Curviest Caramel | £17 | post

My first lip option is something that's very wearable for everyday. For me the original Clinique Chubby Sticks are nice but so easily duped! The more-pigmented Intense version is a little more special for me and this is the perfect everyday shade. It's a pinky-brown nude that's so nice and moisturising and would look good on so many different colourings.

MAC Matte Lipstick in Mehr | £15.50 | post

This is my option for a bit of a bolder lip and of course anyone's first high-end lipstick should be MAC! Again I think it's amazing on so many people. It's a matte formula but it's so creamy and comfortable on the lips whilst still having that longevity. The colour is a gorgeous deep, dusky pink that's one of those perfect 'more than a nude, less than a colour' shades.

What are your must-haves for someone starting out in high-end makeup? 

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