Face Forward: Makeup Kit Essentials

Makeup is an essential part to every look. Whether you’re going to work or preparing for a night on the town, makeup is what completes’ every outfit. Therefore every girl should have a basic makeup kit and here are the items no kit should be without.

1. Moisturizer

2. Primer

3. Concealer

4. Foundation

5. Mascara and Eyeliner

6.Lip Gloss/ Lipstick

1. Moisturizer: The key to flawless makeup is flawless skin. This is why moisturizer is so important. When your skin is healthy your makeup covers better. The type of moisturizer that works for you is dependent on your skin type. It should include SPF and be oil free. For younger skin or acne prone skin make sure that your moisturizer has acne treatment and for older skin make sure that firming and age fighting ingredients are included.

2. Primer: Primer is used to protect your skin from the makeup. It also gives your makeup a much smoother finish. It fills in big pores and gives you skin a radiant finish. A good primer is MAC's Prep + Prime which cost about $25 a bottle (www.maccosmetics.com)

3. Concealer: Concealer is used to cover up imperfections such as scars, blemishes, pimples, and dark spots. It can be applied before or after the foundation. When using a concealer you need to make sure that the color is not too dark or light but that it matches well with your skin. A concealer that I like and found to work really well is Poser Cover Creme. It cost about $8.99 a jar and can be bought at your local Walgreens. (www.walgreens.com)

4. Foundation: Foundation is a must for even the most perfect skin. Its purpose is to even out the skin color. For this reason it is not always necessary to apply foundation to the entire face. It should match your skin color and only be applied where needed. It should also be applied in layers. Start off with just a little and build in the areas where you need more. This keeps your foundation looking natural. Some of the foundations I love are MAC Studio Sculpt which is $29.50 a tube and provides a very natural finish, MAC StudioFix Powder Plus Foundation which has a matte powder finish and cost about $26 a compact, and Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse which has an airbrush finish and can be found at your local drug store for about $8.99 a bottle.(www.maccosmetics.com and www.cvs.com)

5. Eyeliner and Mascara: Eyeliner and Mascara go hand and hand. They are needed because they make your eyes pop. They both can make tired eyes look lively and have a way of enhancing the face. When you're going for a natural look or don't feel like applying eye shadow these two products are key. My favorites are MAC Zoom Lash which is $13.00 and NYX Automatic Eye Pencil which cost about $3. (www.maccosmetics.com and www.nyxcosmetics.com )

6. Lip Gloss/ Lipstick: The lips complete the look. It's what pulls the entire face together. Therefore your makeup kit should include a good Lip Gloss or Lipstick. The color is totally up to you but make sure that it.

Honorable Mention - Blush: This is useful when you need to add a little color or glow to your face. A nice shade of pink will work with almost any look or face.