Makeup for Beginners: The 5 Products You Need (and 10 You Don’t)
Skip the 30-shade palette. The five products that make the biggest difference, how to put them on in order, and the hygiene rules most beginners never hear.
In this guide
Makeup videos make it look like you need 25 products and an hour. You don’t. When you’re starting out, five products and about five minutes are enough to look like you, just a little more awake.
Here’s what to get first, what to skip, and how to put it all on.
The 5 products you actually need
1. Something light for your skin
A tinted moisturizer or skin tint evens things out without looking like a mask. Heavy, full-coverage foundation is hard to match and blend when you’re new, and it can look cakey on teen skin. If you have breakouts, look for labels like “non-comedogenic” or “oil-free.”
How to match it: test on your jawline, not your hand, and check it in daylight. The right shade disappears.
2. Concealer
One small concealer handles a pimple, redness around your nose or dark circles. Pick one that matches your skin for spots, or one shade lighter for under your eyes.
3. Mascara
The biggest difference for the least effort. Brown or brown-black looks softer than jet black for everyday. Not sure which one to buy? Here are the best drugstore mascaras by lash type.
4. Brow gel
Clear or tinted brow gel brushes your brows up and holds them. It frames your whole face, and it’s almost impossible to mess up.
5. A lip and cheek tint
One cream or liquid tint you can dab on cheeks and lips. It gives you a fresh, slightly flushed look and keeps everything matching.
How to put it on, in order
- Start with clean, moisturized skin. Makeup sits better on hydrated skin. Need a routine? See our skincare routine for teens.
- Sunscreen in the morning, then let it sink in for a minute.
- Skin tint. Dot a small amount on your forehead, cheeks, nose and chin, and blend outward with clean fingers.
- Concealer. Tap a tiny bit on spots or under your eyes and blend the edges by tapping with your ring finger. Tap, don’t rub.
- Brows. Brush brow gel up, then slightly out.
- Mascara. Wiggle the wand at the base of your lashes, then pull up. One or two coats.
- Tint. Dab on the apples of your cheeks (the round part when you smile), blend upward, then a touch on your lips.
That’s it. Once this feels easy, you can add one new thing at a time.
10 things you don’t need yet
- Primer. Moisturizer does the same job for most people.
- Full-coverage foundation. Hard to blend, easy to overdo.
- Color correctors. Concealer is enough.
- A contour kit. A pro-level skill that can look harsh in daylight.
- A giant eyeshadow palette. You’ll use three shades.
- Setting spray. Nice to have, not a need.
- Baking powder. Made for stage and camera lighting.
- False lashes. Fiddly, and glue near your eyes takes practice.
- Five lipsticks. One tint you love beats five you don’t wear.
- A 20-piece brush set. Your fingers are great tools for cream products.
Hygiene rules nobody tells beginners
This part matters more than any product. Eye makeup sits right next to your eyes, and bacteria in old or shared products can cause infections. The FDA’s eye cosmetic safety tips say:
- Don’t share makeup, especially eye makeup. Another person’s bacteria may be hazardous to you.
- Replace mascara every few months. Manufacturers usually recommend throwing it out two to four months after you buy it.
- Never add water or spit to dried-out mascara. Bacteria from your mouth can grow in it.
- Don’t put on eye makeup in a moving car. One bump and the wand is in your eye.
Two more from us: always take your makeup off before bed, and wash your hands before you start. If a product makes your skin itchy, red or bumpy, stop using it. For breakouts, see how to get clear skin and whether pimple patches work.
Find your colors
Not sure which lip and cheek shades suit you? Our color analysis quiz suggests blush and lip colors for your season.
2-minute quizAre you a Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter?Take the quiz
