The Three Things Worth Buying First

People ask me constantly what to buy first when they’re starting to wear makeup, and I always give the same answer even though it’s not the exciting one. Three things. Not ten, not a set, not a curated bundle someone put together to look nice in a box. Three individual items, each one earning its spot for a specific reason.

The reason I stick to three is simple. Anything more than that and you stop being able to remember why you bought each item, and you start feeling like you have homework instead of a small, manageable routine. Three things you actually understand will get used every day. Fifteen things you don’t understand will get used once.

First: A Concealer or Light Coverage Product

This is the one item I’d tell anyone to prioritize above all others. Not because coverage matters more than anything else, but because it does the most work toward making your skin look rested and even, which is usually the actual goal people have when they talk about wanting to look put together.

You don’t need a full foundation for this. A concealer that you can dab under the eyes, along the sides of the nose, or over a blemish does most of the job with far less product and far less risk of looking like you’re wearing a mask. Pick something close to your actual skin tone rather than something lighter, since a shade that’s too light tends to look chalky and gray rather than fresh.

Second: Mascara

I mentioned this in a lot of what I write because it really is the single highest payoff item for someone just starting out. A couple of coats and your eyes read as more awake without needing any other skill at all. There’s no blending required, no color matching, nothing that can go visibly wrong the way it can with, say, a bold lip color in the wrong undertone.

If you wear glasses or have particularly sensitive eyes, that’s worth keeping in mind when you shop, but for most people mascara is close to foolproof. It’s also the item that gets the most consistent daily use once people get comfortable with it, more than almost anything else in a beginner routine.

A Quick Note on Application

• Wiggle the wand at the base of your lashes before pulling up and out, rather than just dragging it straight through
• One coat is often enough for daytime, two if you want more definition
• Let the first coat dry for a few seconds before adding a second, or you’ll get clumping

Third: A Cream Product for Color

The third item is where you get to have a little fun, but I’d still steer you toward something forgiving. A cream blush or a tinted lip balm works well here because you apply it with your fingers and blend it directly into your skin. There’s very little room for it to look wrong because it melts into your natural coloring instead of sitting on top of it the way a powder product can.

Cream products also do double duty in a lot of cases. A cream blush can often work on lips too in a pinch, which means your third purchase is quietly doing the job of two items while you’re still figuring out what you actually like.

Three things you use every day will teach you more about your own face than fifteen things sitting in a drawer.

What I’d Skip For Now

Foundation with heavy coverage, a full eyeshadow palette, liquid eyeliner, and setting powder are all things that can wait. None of them are bad products. They’re just not first products. Each one has a learning curve, and trying to climb all those curves at once is exactly what makes people quit before they get anywhere.

Setting powder in particular is something I see recommended constantly to beginners, and honestly it’s rarely necessary if you’re only wearing concealer, mascara, and a cream product. Setting powder earns its place once you’re wearing more product and need to control shine over a longer day, which is a problem you don’t have yet with a three item routine.

Why This Order Matters More Than the Brands

Notice that nowhere in this did I tell you which brand to buy or how much to spend. That’s on purpose. The category matters far more than the specific product at this stage, because you’re learning what each type of product does for your face before you’re refining exactly which formula you like best.

A budget option in each of these three categories will teach you just as much as an expensive one. Save the splurging for later, once you know enough about your own preferences to know what’s actually worth spending more on.

Add the Fourth Thing When You’re Ready, Not Before

Once these three feel automatic, meaning you can put them on without thinking hard about each step, that’s your signal you’re ready for a fourth item. Maybe that’s brow gel, maybe it’s a proper lip color, maybe it’s a cream eyeshadow. There’s no required next step. It’s whichever one you find yourself curious about.

Starting small isn’t a compromise. It’s the whole strategy. Three things, worn consistently and understood well, will always beat ten things bought at once and used once each.