No matter if you’re a novice makeup lover or a seasoned beauty enthusiast, shopping for makeup can be so overwhelming sometimes. Now throw in wanting only cruelty-free and affordable products and you will really feel lost because of the vast selection you have! Today, I will walk you through the makeup products that will make your perfect Cruelty-Free and Affordable Makeup Kit. I have curated a makeup kit that will give you a full face of products from top to bottom AND it won’t break the bank!
Why cruelty free?
I have been on a cruelty-free makeup journey for the past couple of months and have learned so much about the cruelty-free makeup world! I have decided that I no longer want to use products that test on animals because these products are pure luxury, not necessity, so I don’t want an animal to be harmed in the making. I always encourage you to do your own research on these kind of topics so you can form your own opinion. There are a few brands that I will discuss today that are indeed cruelty free per the brand’s statements however, Cruelty Free Kitty (a great site dedicated to informing people on CF products) goes further into the definition of being “cruelty-free” and may deem a few of these brands NOT cruelty-free. Again, this is why I encourage you to do your own research on this topic to form your own opinion. I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
I will be discussing each product in depth and will also mention where you can purchase each one. I currently have a combination skin type, so I am mainly oily in my t-zone and dry in a few other places. All of the products mentioned today work best for my skin type so results may differ dependent on your own skin type. Alright, let’s jump into the makeup!
Primer
I used to be a mattifying primer kind of girl but have found with my combo skin, this was just too drying. I love using a hydrating or pore filling primer and feel that it preps my skin best for my base products. The E.L.F Poreless Face Primer ($6 at Ulta) is an oldie but a goodie! I focus this product in my t-zone as that is where I have the largest pores.
Foundation
If you know me, you know I am a full coverage queeeeeen! I have very acne prone skin and a lot of scarring that I like to cover, so full coverage is the only coverage for me. This Wet N Wild PhotoFocus Liquid Foundation ($6.49 at Ulta) has a medium coverage that can be built up to full coverage and gives a satin matte finish to the skin. Even though this has more of a matte finish, I don’t find it extenuates my dry spots at all!
Concealer
Can you guess what kind of coverage I prefer in my concealer? YUP, full coverage! Y’all… I’m a mama and have permanent dark circles haha The Covergirl TruBlend Undercover Concealer ($11.99 at Ulta) has amazing coverage and doesn’t dry out my under eyes at all. I have never been one that thinks a certain concealer causes less creasing than another because I have fine lines under my eyes that will never go away so this isn’t something I can speak to. I have also been told this is a dupe for the Tarte Shape Tape Concealer that so many people love!
Undereye Setting Powder
I go through phases of being super into baking my under eyes and phases of just wanting to set them normally. I am currently in a “in between” phase… I kind of bake and I also just set them! Regardless, this Makeup Revolution Loose Baking Powder in “Lace” ($8 at Ulta) has been my go-to for setting my under eyes! The packaging it comes in isn’t great, so I put this powder into an empty larger loose powder container with a sifter and just refill it as I need!
Face Powder
Now you know I need allll the full coverage I can get so I need to have a tinted pressed powder to set my face in order to offer a bit more coverage! I have really fallen in love with the CoverGirl TruBlend Mineral Pressed Powder (About $7.66 on Amazon dependent on the shade)! I don’t need to blot my face at all throughout the day when I use this powder but, I don’t have extremely oily skin so just keep that in mind. This powder leaves my face looking flawless and I cannot put it down!
Bronzer
Bronzer has been a product that I never kept in my normal rotation until recently and boy oh boy, my round face missing was out!! I was always scared that I would look too orange or too dark with bronzer but that’s because I was never using a right bronzer. The Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer ($15.99 on Ulta) is the perfect bronzer for me! This bronzer is pretty pigmented so a little bit goes a long way, but it always leaves my skin looking sculpted and bronzed and I can’t live without it. This bronzer does have a slight coconut scent but only in the pan, I cannot smell it once it has been applied to my face!
Blush
Blush was another product I never used on a daily basis, but I have come to love how it brings the perfect flush look to my face. The Wet N Wild Color Icon Blushes ($2.99 at Target) are crazy cheap but seriously ahhh-mazing! My favorite is the shade “Mellow Wine”, it’s a great mauvey nude shade.
Highlighter
Okay, we have come to probably my favorite part of my routine- highlighting! I like to be beaming but I also don’t want to look like I have landing strips on my face haha The Wet N Wild MegaGlo Highlighter($5.99 at Ulta) in “Precious Petals” is beautifully glowy but not glittery, which is what I love!
Brows
I wish I could wake up with perfectly shaped brows every day, but I over plucked one too many times and my brows have reaped the consequences… maybe I will get them micro bladed one day but your girl is ballin’ on a budget so these are my go to products for the perfectly shaped brows while not making them look completely painted on! I first go in with my E.L.F Ultra Precise Brow Pencil ($5 at Ulta) and draw the tail end of my brow on since I lack the most shape there. I also outline the bottom of my brows in the front and fill in the tail end to the middle of my brow lightly. To fill in the remainder and set my brows, I use the NYX Tinted Brow Mascara ($5.62 at Ulta). This combo is legit waterproof so you can go swimming and your brows will still be in tact!
Eyeshadow
The most fun part of my routine is eyeshadow because you can get so creative and have so much fun with it! There are so many great affordable palettes out there nowadays but I personally love the Makeup Revolution Reloaded Palettes ($8 at Ulta) because they are so cheap and have quite the range of shades! These palettes are super blendable and easy to use regardless of your makeup skill set!
Eyeliner
There are so many options out there for liner, but my ideal liner is a felt tip applicator that applies a dark black matte line. The one liner that checks all of those boxes is the NYX Epic Ink Liner ($9 at Ulta). It helps me create the perfect wing!
Mascara
When it comes to mascara, my lashes need all the help they can get. I am usually wearing falsies and I really do think that has made my natural lashes not so great. I still haven’t found a mascara that keeps my lashes curled throughout the day but the Essence Volume Stylist 18hr Lash Extension Mascara ($4.99 at Ulta) is the best I have found to give my lashes the extra volume they need!
Lashes
You will see me wearing lashes more times than not! I would love lash extensions so I can wake up with beautiful, full lashes every day, but that seems like too much money and maintenance for me! My favorite lashes, by far, are the Ardell Wispies ($11.99 multipack at Ulta). These lashes give you the look of lash extensions and are the perfect everyday lash for me. However, you could have the best lashes ever but if you don’t have a good lash glue then your lashes won’t even stay on throughout the day! My favorite lash glue is the Kiss Ever EZ Lash Adhesive ($4.99 at Ulta) because it doesn’t have a nasty odor and is basically super glue for your lashes! The brush applicator makes it extremely easy to apply as well.
Lips
You will likely always catch me in a nude lip combo! I love a nice matte lip that will last throughout the day, but I don’t like the drying feeling of a matte lipstick so I always add a gloss of some sort over top. My favorite combo is the NYX Lip Lingerie Liquid Lipstick in “Bedtime Flirt” ($7 at Ulta) topped with the Wet N Wild High Shine Liquid Lipstick in “Send Nudes” ($5.49 at Ulta).
Setting Spray
Last, but certainly not least we have setting spray! The right setting spray will help the longevity of your makeup and the Milani Make It Last Setting Spray ($9.99 at Ulta) is my favorite for this!
So, let’s take a deep breath because that was a lot of information to process! Who knew makeup could be so in depth… that’s why I wanted to break down each product you need to create a full face of makeup while still being cruelty-free AND affordable. I will have everything linked for you to shop below, just click the product to shop! Happy Shopping!
*If you shop through my links, I do receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!*
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