Teenage Beauty Madeline's Beauty Must-Haves
By Madeline, Teen Beauty Contributor
Madeline is 17-years old and currently attends high school in southern California. She’s also lived in D.C. and a Connecticut suburb of NYC. She loves to read, write, as well as shop, travel, play golf, and spend time with her family and friends. She’s excited to go to college and hopes to attend university on the east coast. Despite living in California now, she feels like a New Yorker!
Check out her blog, This Little Preppy Goes West!
Teenage Beauty Madeline’s Beauty Must-Haves
Perhaps I am reading too much into the matter, but knowing someone’s “must-haves” is sort of like a window into their soul. I think these types of posts are extremely helpful, not to mention interesting. Hopefully, you’ll learn a little more about me from my favorite products!
I love the fun, edgy clothes from Topshop, so when the company released a line of cosmetics, I was excited to test it out. By chance, I found the unique gel/cream formula of blush, which happened to be on sale at the time. Aside from the adorable and characteristically British packaging, Topshop Blush in Crushed Berry ($12.00) has all the qualities of a “holy grail” product. The dark berry color gives a healthy natural-looking flush with a slight hint of reddish-pink. This color is great for everyday and goes with every look. In fact, this blush is everything I wanted Benefit Benetint to be. However, what I like most about this product is the consistency. The formula is described as a cream, though it feels like a light, almost-solidified gel, with great but not heavy pigmentation. If you haven’t checked out Topshop cosmetics, I would definitely recommend it next time you’re in New York, Chicago, or the UK.
Like most every other beauty lover, I am a big fan of all MAC’s bestseller shades. I love All That Glitters, Woodwinked, Sable, and the list goes on. However, I think MAC Soba Eyeshadow ($14.50) is one of the most underrated shadows offered by the brand. The golden-sand color is completely universal and works great all over the eyelid, as well as in the crease. In my go-to look, I pair Soba in the crease with All That Glitters on the lid for an easy and natural eye.
If I’m going to wear a powder blush, I almost always reach for Benefit Sugarbomb ($28.00). The combination of the four colors is natural and brightening. Another interesting fact about the Benefit Boxed Powders is that they all smell delicious. I’m not sure how they make a powder have such a delightful, yet subtle scent, but I’m certainly not complaining!
Check out more of Madeline’s must-haves!
My hair is blonde, naturally mildly wavy, although I often straighten and curl it, and it is relatively thin. It’s a decent length, but I’ve always felt that I have such a little amount of hair, which is why I don’t like most hair products. I love Moroccan Oil ($28.00 and up) because it moisturizes and smooths my hair without weighing it down. I typically run a little less than a dime size through damp hair and then style it.
I love my MAC Wipes ($28.00), though Lancome Bi-Facil ($26.00) is my ideal product for fixing makeup mistakes. I can easily use this to touch up my eyeliner or mascara without smudging everything. During the day, MAC Studio Moisture Fix SPF 15 ($30.00) is the perfect moisturizer for me. It’s light, yet still very moisturizing, and SPF is very important to me. I’m not the best at describing scents, but I’ll just say that Marc Jacobs Daisy ($67.00) smells absolutely delightful.
I would have bought Butter London’s nail polish in No More Waity Katie ($14.00) just for the sake of the name itself. Who doesn’t love the Royals? I love the grey-purple color with just enough purple sparkles. If there were ever such a thing as a non-juvenile glitter nail polish, this would be it.
I’m not typically a makeup snob. Many of my favorite products are from high-end brands, but I’m certainly not opposed to cheaper brands, especially when it comes to mascara. I usually find that mascara is one of the few products that is consistently good amongst lower-end brands. I was a firm believer in this until I tried DiorShow Blackout ($24.50). I only have the mini-size, but there is no doubt I will purchase the full size when mine runs out. I’ve never tried a mascara that gives better volume and length while still looking fairly natural and without clumps.
I think I may be one of the few teenage girls who absolutely abhors lip gloss. Well, maybe that’s dramatic, but I’m certainly not a huge fan. I do, however, love lipstick. MAC Please Me ($14.50) is my favorite shade for everyday. It’s light pink, matte, and just a little gives the perfect natural pink color. Black eyeliner usually looks too harsh on me, so I almost always opt for brown. MAC Teddy Eye Kohl ($14.00) is a flattering dark brown with subtle bronze shimmer. Keeping my lips moisturized is definitely important to me, as it probably is to most people. MAC Lip Conditioner ($14.00) is a great nighttime treatment, because it is rather thick. The vanilla scent is also quite heavenly, and I’m usually sensitive to smells.
I don’t have horrible dark circles, but as early as I wake up for school, I feel that some concealer is necessary. MAC Select Cover Up’s ($17.00) creamy but light consistency is ideal for under eyes because its pigmentation is strong and coverage is sufficient but it isn’t think and cakey.
Before Diorshow Blackout, what was your fave mascara? I’m looking for a good affordable one!
I recommend giving CoverGirl LashBlast Fusion a shot 🙂 One of my favorite budget mascaras. If you want to try something higher end but not as pricey as DiorShow, Bare Escentuals Flawless Definition Volumizing mascara is excellent!
I also love CoverGirl Lashblast! It is one of my favorites!
Not the OP, but I’d say it depends on what you’re going for: Christine always gives props to Maybelline Full n Soft, which is a decent mascara for a natural look that actually does leave some softness when applied. Back when it first came out, it was also marketed as being able to condition/soften your lashes just in general, and it seemed to do that for me.
My personal HG mascara, the reason why I even bother with mascara is Maybelline’s XXL extensions. It’s odd, though, because it’s marketed as a lengthenin mascara, but I like what it does for my lashes in terms of volume. It’s a two-step fiber mascara, though, so those are two things that could turn you off.
I LOVE maybelline one by one volume express
Prestige’s My Biggest Lashes is seriously underrated! It doesn’t make my lashes crunchy like some drugstore brands do, doesn’t flake, and it volumizes and lengthens. It’s worth trying!
Do you have any advice on making a teenager’s budget stretch?
yeah, I don’t know many 17 year olds who have $300 + to spend on this small amount of products!
Agreed!
You could always check Temptalia’s dupe list for an affordable duplicate of the high end item.
Definitely! I have found that there are many great drugstore options out there. I especially love Revlon and CoverGirl. It is certainly not necessary to spend a lot of money on cosmetics, although sometimes it’s fun to splurge! Drugstores also have great sales quite often, so definitely take advantage of those!
I definitely think a drugstore version of this would be especially helpful!
Great suggestion! I will definitely do that for my next post!
i can barely afford any of those items right now as a 26 year old, so i don’t know how a common teenager could afford any of this.
You can save up, ask for products for birthdays/Christmas, etc. Some parents may be more willing to contribute than others. My mom was really into makeup so she had no problem buying me MAC right away. My best friend’s mom never wore makeup so she never wanted to ‘waste’ it on expensive makeup.
I dunno about you but a lot of teens have ipads, iphones, Uggs, etc. and I doubt most of them buy it all themselves but have help from parents.
I’m a teen, and I have NONE of those things listed! How sad haha
I agree with Gail although my mum took a it more convincing (although now I have converted her into a make up stealing monster. She does not want me to take my Naked palette back to uni with me!). I first started buying MAC when I was about 17/18 I think this isn’t too out of range for older teens especially if you just start with an item or two you are really interested in. Also birthdays and Christmas can help. I also worked and usually saved half my pay and spent the rest on clothes or make up.
I really enjoyed this post Madeline even if I am a couple of years over the teenager boundary! I always find myself reading teen skin articles and other teen aimed artices out of habit because I forget that I am ‘old’ now!!
As a teen, I used only Chanel, Dior, YSL, etc. because I asked for it all as gifts! (And no, my family isn’t superwealthy, they just knew I’ve always been a makeup lover!) Now that I’m paying for it all myself, I’m quite a bit more stingy and thrifty. I also believe that this list was meant to give a couple suggestions, not to say “all teens need everything listed”…
She probably has very few real expenses that she has to pay for (I assume her parents pay for other expenses since she’s only 17.)
Im 16 and see no problem buying high end makeup. I have a job, and thisis what I save up for.plus putting some away so when I am 26, I can still buy it.
You may find that when you’re 26, you have other expenses that are a priority besides makeup, even if you are saving now. Things like rent, deposits on apartments, furniture, food, utilities, etc. take priority. It’s a lot easier to buy high end makeup when you don’t have other expenses.
This.
Just a helpful hint: next time please show a photo of the actual lipstick– no cap on! I’m curious to see the color. But otherwise awesome post! In the meantime I will check out the swatch gallery on Temptalia!
I don’t believe I didn’t include a picture of the actual lipstick! Sorry about that! I appreciate your input, thank you.
These are nice suggestions, but quite pricey even for me as an adult. I think most teenagers might like a few more drugstore/budget options.
unrelated to the article but what is a “Connecticut suburb of NYC?”
Town in Connecticut that are close to the city, just like there are suburbs of the city in NJ. I’d say most NYC suburbs are not in New York state.
That’s not actually true. Your either live in NY state or you don’t. Connecticut is not apart of NY, nor is it a suburb in New York. Cos Cob does not count…
The suburbs of New York is Westchester County.
You do however have fantastic makeup/ product picks- excellent recommendations!
I’m from Larcmont, Westchester County, NY. Its called the tri-state area for a reason. The 22 million people who live there are basically one gigantic suburb of the city. so she’s not lying. If metro north runs from your area into the city you are technically a suburb since its there for commuters and such.
ANYWAYS, I think this is great review.
Thanks George! I love Larchmont- I used to have soccer/lacrosse games there all the time when I was younger. Oh how I miss Metro North… It’s funny the little random things you miss when you move away.
When I was 16 I was wearing pink, green and blue mascara, glittery eyeliners and hot pink lips, preferably all at once!….my number one tip to all teens is to go for these fun, crazy colours and products while you can still get away with them! I’m 21 now and I feel like I have to go for the natural look as much as possible.
It’s also a great time to go crazy with the nail colours and nail art.
I think Dior Show is a great mascara for evening or dramatic looks, but especially on teens I personally think you need something less dense, less ‘showy’ in fact – Maybelline do great cheap mascaras.
School/daytime make up is a tricky one for teenagers, because there’s a tendancy to wear too much. In my opinion, teens should wear a little gel/vaseline combed through eyebrows to give them a nice shape and glow, a bit of concealer where it’s needed, a little mascara, even less eyeliner or very neutral eyes, and tinted lipbalm.
I do definitely agree that Daisy is nice fragrance for teenagers though.
I have very similar must-haves, as a teenager in an NJ suburb, hoping to move back to Cali :).
I won’t knock you for the pricey stuff…because that’s me too.
I pay for my own, use birthday/holiday money, and sometimes get a little help from my parents.
They in no way buy me everything, but they support me in using me own money to buy what I want.
If, as a teenager, I decide I want to get something that’s maybe too pricey for the average teen, I just have to prioritize a little more than others my age.
Maybe, instead of buying lunch everyday, I pack for two weeks, and save the 40 bucks.
Not all teens use only cheap stuff, it’s about making choices.
Thank you, and I completely agree with you! And have fun on the East Coast while you can! I miss it way more than I ever thought I would!
Teenage me would never have been able to afford any of that, that’s for sure. I do think you have great taste in products, though! I wish I’d been that savvy back then. I didn’t even fully discover non-drugstore makeup until I was 23!
Sugarbomb seems to be my go-to blush every time. I have tons of great blushes, but this one just seems to go with everything. LOVE it!
I wish I could use MAC wipes. Tried them once, and they chemically burned my skin — especially my eyelids, which were peeling for weeks in the recovery period. Great product for skin types that can take it. Drugstore sensitive skin wipes do a fine job.
Cover Girl Lash Blast is taking over the world. It’s really not necessary to buy super high end mascaras. They have a winning formula!
Nice list I wish I was into good makeup back then when I was actually doing fun things with friends other than working all the time. I actually returned waity Katie today because I thought it looked juvenile but then again I’m not really into anything glittery.
I’ve been contemplating a mason Pearson brush for ages, why is it a must have?
Thank you! To be completely honest, I wouldn’t say that a Mason Pearson brush is a total must have. The one pictured is my mother’s, and while it is nice and very glamorous-looking, I usually just use a random drugstore brush.
I have my Mason Pearson now for 2 year! I don’t want to miss it anymore. All my friends bought one too after they saw the results on me.
Even though I’m no longer a teenager, these products definitely hit the mark for me! I probably have about the same budget as a teen, and I totally disagree with a lot of the comments that she’s spending way too much money for her age. I think she’s done a great job at prioritizing which items she buys for what price, it also seems that she invests in a few great products (which I also do) instead of buying multiple drugstore items to look for what works. It takes work for a younger person to build up a mid-high end collection, but what I personally do is buy one product at a time, then use it up before I buy another.
Thank you very much for your positive input, I really appreciate it. I do the same thing- using up products before buying new ones- in order to really get my money’s worth.
Agreed, with all of this!
No More Waity Katie is a beautiful color, but it’s a bad first Butter London polish to buy. Christine I could probably see you giving it a C because the application is awful – it clumps up and is really difficult to apply in the way that glitter polishes do. The brand has big problems with consistency in general.
Buyer beware – you really have to love the color to deal with how annoying it is.
I agree with you about the application. It is a pain to apply, but the color is so unique that I can justify the frustrating consistency. Glitter polishes are so pretty, but all of the ones I have tried are also hard to work with!
Great post! For any Canadian girls interested in finding a Topshop, there is a new one that just opened inside of the Bay at Yorkdale mall in Toronto! Their website also ships to Canada (although I’ve never ordered anything, so I’m not sure how expensive it would be with exchange rates and delivery charges.) I haven’t been in yet, but I’m going to have to plan a visit now, I think! 🙂
Delivery charges are free over a certain amount, but duties will hit ya!! I ordered and can’t remember the exact amount, but on about $150 worth of merch, I think I paid 40-60 in duty!! (for Canada)
Hmm, I think the issue of most teenagers supposedly not having the cash to spill on high quality product is interesting. I think the 15-18 years are when most people have the most disposable income they’ll ever have if their lucky enough to find a job. I’m 17 now and have been saving up for the big move out in to the Real World, but for a couple years I was spending something like 3000 a year on makeup alone, not including other products. Obscene? Sure. But if you have parents who are able to feed and house you until 18, I say LIVE IT UP!!! You probably won’t get another chance.
Haha, Lucie! Sometimes I regret graduating college a year early because it really meant my own bills a year early!
I petty had maybe $300 every year during my 15-19 years (OAC student we had 5 years of high-school in Ontario before the switch over). Makeup was far from my mind as important along with most of my high-school peers. All my working money went to my saving for collage and trying my hardest to get good grades. Then I was working from 19 to 23-ish for tuition and board I was more interest in becoming able to afford my own clothes and finding my style in a small way as my parent were generous enough to allow me to stay with them to save my money at that time.
I didn’t get into makeup really until my last year of collage but I was introduced to MAC and Urban Decay having access to those brands my first year. As a working woman is when I has some disposable income despite my last year of taking a lone (and till paying that off).
I looked at this post and though “Damn kids these days are consumers”. lol It’s not an insult it’s really is a trend that girls are getting into makeup at a lot younger age.
I’m only a decade ahead of Madeline and most of the girls I knew only had 1 maraca and 1 tube of lipstick during high school as reference.
As a 19 year old, a lot of these items are my must haves as well. MAC Select Cover up is my HG Concealer, Daisy was my first high end perfume and I still wear it to school, Blackout was my first real mascara(Ive since moved on to Lancome:) but as a teen there’s nothing wrong with being a fan of the high end items, I know I am and have been since I was 16 . I like to read what other teens like to use and how it compares to the items I like, I always get a kick out seeing the same/similar products:)
Daisy was probably only the second or third perfume I every had, my aunt brought it for me for christmas and introduced me to marc jacobs perfume 🙂
I don’t think many can afford the Mason brush. I recommend an Aveda brush. I love the big paddle brushes.
How do you apply your select cover-up, i want to love it but i find it creases on me
I agree. I think select cover up creases. I also found a lot of reviews that also said the same thing.
I have used many concealers, but funnilty enough, I am actaully using a foundation under my eyes. Its the max factor pan stick foundation, and I swaer by it. I would never use it anywhere else ( excepy maybe around my nose) but I find once its on, it stays on, doesnt crease , and one stick has lasted me 2 + year..and I have been using it everyday.
Lara
I use it under my eyes and apply it with my finger. I think the key is to use a very small amount- a little goes a very long way. Hope this helps!
Good column. And I know it is important for people to save money, but it isn’t really fair to criticise how one spends one’s money unless you know that person’s entire financial situation. I’ve made my mistakes with spending, and I’ve learned big time, but what other people do and how other people use their money really has no bearing on how I will continue to spend my own money…
During my high school years, the only “makeup” I had was my nice, non-break-out skin and a very big big smile. I remember myself as an ugly duckling with a unruly eyebrows not even knowing how to use a mascara. My mom was all against makeup (at that young and tender age) and I think she’s right. Even though I never have acne, I know my skin has been rather hyper allergic and I couldn’t afford high-end stuff. So today, I have to thank my mom’s wisdom for nice skin is the most precious thing that no makeup can bring you and skincare costs less on you.
It’s nice to see how teenagers nowadays know how to adorn themselves. Words of advice: keep you stash minimal and your makeup simple because whatever you put on your face is unnatural for your young skin. Not yet.
I bought high end brands while I was in high school….very high end brands at the dept store….there wasnt any MAC, Urban Decay and all the Sephora goodies…I dont think it is a poor choice as a teenager to buy the makeup she bought and can afford to buy it….when one starts to pay for rent, food, medical and all the other expenses, I agree makeup doesnt become a high priority…At least she is putting quality makeup on her skin…
Just because something is cheap and affordable does not mean it is low quality!