Mid-range Beauty Products for Makeup Beginners

A couple of weeks ago, my dearest Ange visited me in Dublin all the way from Canada. Although it wasn’t a surprise, he had come bearing gifts! When it comes to makeup, I actually don’t really mind the lack of surprise because the products in question aren’t exactly cheap so it’s a good idea to be consulted first.

So in this article, I’m gonna be showing you (mostly) my boyfriend’s beauty product haul (lol). I think that these products are suited for beginners to the world of mid-range makeup like me; so if you think that that sounds like you too, keep on reading!

Before we get into the actual makeup products, I want to start with this pair of makeup bags that he got me from Matt & Nat that I am absolutely in love with. I find the orchid and cardamom (soft gold) colors on the leathery exterior very classy. The cool thing is that these two are actually purchased together and the one on the right is smaller than the other which makes it perfect to keep in your purse to store your beauty essentials on the go! Get it here.

The five-piece Sephora Eyes: Uncomplicated brush set pictured above is super handy because it comes with a little tan-hued pouch. I personally don’t carry it around in my bag while I’m out but I think those of us who like to retouch their eyeshadow throughout the day would like the slim design of the pouch as it would fit easily in most purses. Get it here.

The set contains a tapered crease brush, an all over shadow brush, a shader brush, a small shadow brush and an angled liner brush. I love the muted brownish-grayish color of the handles as it gives the set a very sophisticated look. Granted, I don’t have a lot of other brushes to compare this set’s performance with but I find the brushes fairly easy to use. I still use my Ecotools double-ended brushes from Boots though because I actually don’t find them to be that much worse; in fact, they’re actually pretty soft on the eyelids.

After watching a lot of Youtube videos and reading makeup advice, I became pretty convinced that I wanted to own Tarte Cosmetics’  Tartelette In Bloom. As you can see, the packaging is both fun and exquisite and its size isn’t a hassle to carry around in your purse. The palette also has a secure clasp so I don’t really worry about it accidentally opening and leaving a mess in my bag, so that’s another plus!

What I love about the colors in this palette is that they are all wearable for everyday use. Obviously, you can create some darker, more dramatic looks with it as well using the deeper shades of brown and packing that gorgeous shimmer shade “Firecracker” all over your lids. As a beginner, In Bloom is really fun and easy to work with because the colors aren’t very shocking so it makes you a bit more comfortable to play with color combinations.

Overall, I think the pigment is supreme. It’s a massive step-up from my Revlon Eyes, Cheeks + Lips Romantic Nudes palette which has really not prepared me for how much more vibrant the colors would show up on my lids with higher-end brands.

The Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette is another cult favorite. One of the reasons why I wanted it was because of its signature chocolatey smell. Unfortunately, and this is really the only disappointing thing about this palette for me, the chocolate smell in my palette has already worn off (although this doesn’t stop me from sniffing it every time I open it).

Nonetheless, I think this palette is phenomenal and is also great for beginners mostly for the wearability of the colors and also for the palette’s versatility. In my opinion, it has a pretty solid selection of shimmer shades – my current favorites being “Haute Chocolate” and “Amaretto”. Many beauty gurus have described this palette as fitting for both warm and cool-toned individuals and I must say that it flatters my warm-toned complexion.

The pigmentation, as already widely praised by others, is very good. People who are transitioning from eyeshadows that do not have very good color payoff must be warned that you won’t have much of a problem getting the colors in this palette to show up on your eyes so don’t dip your brush in the pan too hard (trust me)! Although, the shimmer shades show up better when you apply them with your fingers but I think this is true for most shimmer shadows.

After visiting their shop right in Dublin’s city center many times, Urban Decay has become one of my favorite beauty brands. I knew that I wanted to own one of their famed Naked palettes and pretty much all advice I’ve read implied that I should go for the original palette. However, I had a stubborn feeling that insisted I get the Naked 3 despite popular belief that it is best suited for those with fairer skin. After watching fellow Filipinas on Youtube, like beauty guru Michelle Dy, create stunning looks with the palette, I decided to go ahead and purchase it.

The theme of the palette is “rose gold” so there are a lot of pink mattes and shimmers. Many of the lighter shades don’t show up too well on my lids as they just blend into my medium skin tone – and I think this is one of the things people were warning medium-skinned individuals like myself about. Following advice I found on Reddit, I purchased Urban Decay’s Eyeshadow Primer Potion to make the colors appear more pronounced and I think it’s helped the lighter pink matte shades show up on my lids better. I don’t think this would be an ideal purchase if you’re looking for your first mid-range palette because it has a very specific theme to it but I think it is a nice addition to one’s collection.

I’m thinking of doing a post showcasing looks I’ve attempted to create with these palettes so stay tuned for that! Thanks a lot to Ange for literally walking into Sephora and asking salesladies for these products so that I can enjoy them haha! I also want to thank him for the gorgeous photos used in this article which he took in our airport hotel room. What a sweet, talented boy. :’)

Thanks for reading and be sure to let me know if you’ve tried or want to try any of the products featured in this article!

Photographs by Ange Yaghi