$100 or less

Hi Everyone.

I've been a makeup artist for about 15 years, and without fail, one of the first questions I always get is: "I'm on a budget, what can I get for $100"?

To this, I've compiled a simple list of what every woman should have in her makeup arsenal for around $100 and how to make the most of it! Here are some basic points to keep in mind:

--Make sure you use products that perform double duty, like a cleanser/toner or a blush/bronzer.

--Make sure the items you invest in can all be applied in ten minutes or less

--Make a budget and stick to it. Don't be talked into something you can't afford by department store salespeople. If you're worried about having a problem saying "no", leave the credit cards at home and walk in with cash only.

With that said, here is a list of the seven, "basic" items not to skip. These affordable,  must-haves can be purchased for roughly one hundred bucks. Because you don't have to break the bank to look and feel great!

Step 1: Invest in a good, basic foundation or base product that does everything in one, fell swoop. Any easy way to go is to skip base in favor of tinted moisturizer, all-in-one, powder products, or BB Cream, all of which contain SPF and general skincare. I recommend Boscia BB Cream for most fair skin tones, available here and Becca Mineral Powder Foundation in Ravish or Enchant, available here for darker skin: These Retail for $39 and $38 respectively.

Step 2: Cream blushes are great for all skin types and tones. Try NARS the Multiple Stick in Orgasm, available here. You can use it for cheeks, lips, and eyes, so it performs triple duty. The peachy color makes it user friendly for virtually all skin tones. For a powder double agent, try NARS, highlighting bronzing blush duo in Sin/Casino, available here. Both retail at $39 and $40 respectively. And since you can wear them as shadows too, you save on an additional product!

Step 3: For a groovy drugstore brand, setting and blotting powder, try L'Oreal Translucide in light, medium, or dark, available here for $9.99.

Step 4: For Mascara, Rimmel Extra Super Lash, available here, Clinique Lash Doubling available here, or L'Oreal Voluminous available here, all do a great job from between $3.50-$14.

Step 5: For a cheap brow filler, try #648 from Wet and Wild, available here for $1.94.

Step 6: For lip-liners on a budget, try NYX.com's array in every color here for $4.50. For a lovely and inexpensive lipgloss/lipcolor combo, try NYX's wide array of hyper thick and shiny glosses, here. Combined with their retractable pencils, they make a great pairing and at $5.50 apiece, they can't be beat.

Step 7: Finally, for eyeliners in both shimmer, glitter and matte, try Sephora's house-brand pencils available here. For 8$ they seem to last for months, and they're waterproof and brightening. Plus they come in a wide array of colors and can be smudged all over the eyelid, making them another good, double agent.

So there you have it. A new year, a fresh makeup kit. And it's all available to you for roughly $100. So go to town, and keep the piggy bank in tact!

With Love,

Noa