The perfect bake: How to achieve a full face of makeup for under $100
Riley Belle Kinard, Visual Arts Editor
Imagine everything that you could buy with $400. For some of us, that could be a car payment, a month worth of groceries for a family or even invest it into your college education.
Recently, a TikTok video got lots of attention for a girl spending $400 on her makeup routine. She was away for a wedding and realized she had forgotten her entire bag of makeup. Instead of going to Target, Ulta or even a drugstore, she chose to go to Sephora and spend $400 for an entire face of makeup just for one day.
As a college student, this just isn’t realistic. As someone who loves makeup and trying new products on a budget, my entire makeup routine can be found at Target. Here is how you can achieve the same makeup look for under $100.
When shopping at Sephora, you can spend anywhere from $5 to $68 for one product. If you choose your local drugstore, you could get a whole face of makeup for $68.
Viral makeup artist, Mikayla Nogueira said on TikTok, “The drugstore is owning the makeup industry.”
e.l.f. (eyes, lips, face) cosmetics has a great variety of makeup dupes for high-end products. Their mission is to “create a different kind of beauty.” With that, they strive to sell makeup affordable for everyone. You can trust that all their products are 100% cruelty-free and vegan. Plus, if you are a student, they offer students a 20% discount code to use on your orders with them. What student wouldn’t want to save a few extra dollars? Every penny counts, right? Celebrities such as the Kardashians and Kylie Jenner are known for loving e.l.f. products. You can find e.l.f.’s makeup sold at drugstores, Target and Ulta.
Celebrity makeup artist, Kelsey Deenihan Fisher is known for doing makeup on stars like Reese Witherspoon, Mandy Moore and Kelsea Ballerini. Ballerini is currently on tour and rocks drugstore makeup products each night. Kelsey Fisher uses only Covergirl makeup on Ballerini for each show and even when she made her appearance at the Grammy’s.
Fisher states on her Instagram, “Kelsea’s lashes look reaallllll good thanks to the new @covergirl Eye Enhancer 3D Mascara which gave her a Curl+Lift+Fan look without a lash curler on her Met Gala debut.”
The e.l.f. Whoa-Glow Sunscreen ($14) can double as a SPF and a primer before you put on your makeup. This sunscreen is SPF 30 and will keep you looking youthful as it protects you from sun damage.
A common misconception is that you need 15 different brushes to complete your makeup routine. One double-sided brush at Sephora can range anywhere from $25 to $50. Instead of buying multiple brushes, you can purchase the Real Techniques Beauty Blender ($5.49) to blend all the products together. If you aren’t a fan of the beauty blender, you can find a 10-piece brush set for $25.
The e.l.f. Halo Glow Foundation ($14) will leave your skin glowing all day long. It is a dupe for the Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter which is $50 at Sephora. This product isn’t full coverage, but if you are looking for a foundation that is light to medium, this is perfect. There are 12 different shades, so you are guaranteed to find your perfect match.
e.l.f. Hydrating Camo Concealer ($7), whether you are a college student who is up all night or a new mom who never sleeps, will cover the darkest circles under your eyes. Or maybe you just want to cover up blemishes. It’s got you “covered.” It does not crease and goes on like butter.
e.l.f. Putty Cream Blush ($7) comes in six beautiful colors, perfect for every skin tone. If you have more oily skin, you may find yourself reaching for powder products. You can trade any of these cream/liquid products for powder for the same price, if not less.
If you are looking for a sun-kissed look, the Milani Cream Bronzer ($11) is the perfect addition to your makeup bag. It adds color to your face and the cream product makes it easy to blend against the liquid foundation.
For only $5, e.l.f. Brow Enhancer gel serves as an eyebrow brush, tint and gel. The wand brushes your brows up when applying the product, while giving them a hint of color for definition. [RBK2] [RBK3] Whether you love or hate your brows, there are plenty of products to help you enhance the look of them.
One of my favorite hacks is to use ColourPop Highlighter ($7.65) as my eyeshadow as well. For an everyday makeup look, I don’t typically apply eyeshadow, so I don’t like to spend lots of money on palettes. I can use this product to highlight the high points of my face and as shimmer when I want to apply eyeshadow.
After I finish using all the liquid and cream products, I like to use the translucent Fit me Matte Powder (8.69) to set everything. To achieve a glowy look, I try to avoid putting it all over my face, and instead I just apply it to my t-zone.
The Telescopic Mascara ($11) will have you catching eyes from everyone. If you are looking for a mascara that lengthens your eyelashes and doesn’t clump [RBK4], this is the perfect product for you. I have tried many mascaras, some being $28-$30 and this $11 mascara is the one I always go back to. It is my favorite. It builds so nicely allowing you to layer as you wish.
Did you leave the store without dropping $100? Yes, you did. Drum roll, please . . . Your grand total for a full face of makeup is $90.83.
When shopping for makeup, you do not have to spend a fortune to achieve a flawless look. Brands such as e.l.f. have created many dupes for high-end makeup products. They give college students a chance to buy good makeup on a budget. Of course, not everyone has the same skin texture, so some of the products may not be perfect for you. Have fun just trying out cheaper brands and see what works well for you.
If you love trying different makeup products like I do, you can do it without spending $400 whether you have that kind of money or not. Next time you go into Target, check out these products and watch your makeup routine (and wallet) shine.
Photo courtesy of Rosa Rafael
