College Girls Love These Beauty Products
It’s that time of the year. Summer is ending, temperatures are dropping (to below 80 degrees, anyways), and college girls everywhere are putting the finishing touches on their dorm room decor. For me, the first week of class is when I yield my cutest looks of the year. At this point, it’s still warm enough to wear a dress and not freeze to death and I don’t wake up with under eye bags the color of Barney the Dinosaur. A recipe for success. The first week of class is a fresh start to start new (and hopefully healthy) bits for the semester.
I have quite the ritual in the morning before class. I am not one to wake up ten minutes before class starts and run out the door, oh no. Unluckily for my roommate, I am most definitely a morning person. If my intention for the day is to go all out with a full face of makeup and a planned out ‘fit, which on most days it is, I am likely awake and functioning at least two hours before class (yes, even if I have a class at 8 AM). Rushed makeup never turns out as flawless as it does when you take your time. Trust me, I’ve learned that the hard way. Now, this isn’t to say that it is a requirement that anyone has to do their makeup for class everyday. There are definitely days where I wake up and the most I want to do is throw on some sweats and put my hair in a bun. It’s all about balance! Makeup is an art form, and today isn’t the day to put on makeup, that’s fine. At the end of the day, the reason we are there is to be educated and get that degree.
Let’s just get this out of the way: If you haven’t already noticed, I love makeup. I love applying it, I love wearing it, and I love talking about it. So, when I say I wear a full face, I mean a full face. But, as much as I love makeup, I still can’t afford to be spending an hour on my makeup every morning. I have places to go and papers to turn in!
School days are long, we all know this. By the time you get to class, go to class, and get back from class, it feels like the whole day has pretty much gone by. Whether you’re planning on wearing a full face of makeup to class, or just a touch of concealer and bronzer, a good, stay-all-day primer is a must. Two of my favorites are the Smashbox Photo Finish Smooth and Blur primer and the Milk Makeup Hydro Grip primer. Both of these primers keep my foundation in place beautifully while keeping it looking freshly applied, and if I am not wearing foundation, they make my skin look fresh and my pores look blurred all day. For those with oily skin, I would opt for the Smashbox primer, as the Milk Makeup primer is definitely much dewier and best suits drier skin types.
If you have time to apply foundation, two of my favorites are the loved and trusted Too Faced Born This Way Foundation and the It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream. Both can be applied with the hands, a beauty sponge, or a brush, depending on preference and time, and wear beautifully throughout the day. Most importantly, if there is any makeup product that keeps me from looking like a zombie during the school season, it’s a good concealer. On a day that I am wearing more makeup, I use Urban Decay’s Naked Skin Concealer. This is definitely a stay-all-day full coverage concealer that makes it look like there’s no way you got less than twelve hours of sleep.
On days where I am looking for something lighter and more natural, the Glossier Stretch Concealer is a great option. The Stretch Concealer is the perfect product to swipe under your eyes or in areas of redness with your fingers. With a bit of powder to keep down shine and oil, it’ll last you all day. Since Glossier is the royalty of the “I woke up this way” makeup look, and since I am completely obsessed with every release they come out with, the next few products I will suggest are also Glossier products. Their Boy Brow and Cloud Paint are engineered to be easy to slap on before you run out the door (or even to apply when you get bored in class… you didn’t hear that from me).
To finish off the look, a great no smudge and no flake mascara I have loved this summer is another Milk Makeup product- their Kush Mascara. It not only has a classic formula but a waterproof one as well, which is a lifesaver because we all know college wouldn’t be college without a few tears here and there. Finally, nothing makes the lips look as good as a good old hydrating lip balm. I honestly use more balms than glosses, just because I feel like they have just about the same effect, and balms are almost always more comfortable to wear. My favorite balm at the moment is something I can’t believe I haven’t mentioned yet in an article. And, yes, it’s another Glossier product (@ Glossier: sponsor me already!). The Glossier Balm Dotcom is hands down one of my favorite, ultra hydrating lip balms I have ever used. It comes in eight different flavors, some tinted and some clear, and all of them have the perfect amount of scent; just enough, but not too much. I constantly have one on me at all times.
Lets manifest an amazing and productive school year to all of the powerhouse gals reading this. Whether it’s your freshman year at your new school, or your last year of your masters, crush your first day back with a cute outfit, organized planner, and great attitude!
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