Applying the perfect make-up look is something that isn’t easy for many people to do, but it is important to take care of your skin daily and always apply the right products to your face to make it feel hydrated and healthy, regardless if you wear make-up or not. As someone who is really into make-up and watches make-up tutorials on YouTube almost every day, it is easy to get inspiration and get tips on how to apply make-up to get that flawless look to both of the eyes and face. Make-up can also be very pricy, so drugstore make-up is always a go-to when making purchases. So, whether you are into bolder looks, or lighter looks, it all starts from the base of the face and using products that will accentuate parts of your face that you want to stand out. Also, as college students, we all know the struggle of rushing in the morning to make it to our 8am’s, and wanting to cover up our sleepy eyes, so we want something that is quick and easy. With that being said, here are some essential steps to applying make-up that help you get a look that does not take a lot of time but also looks very put together, without letting you break the bank.
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Always apply a moisturizer! This is an essential step that many people skip out on. Whether you have dry skin or oily skin, always apply a face moisturizer. Moisturizer helps to hydrate the skin, and most importantly, it gives a base to apply primers and foundation for later on. (Tip: For best results, let moisturizer sit for 5-10 minutes on the skin before you apply anything else to the face.)
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Apply a face primer. This is obvious, and this will help create a base for your foundation. By doing so, it will let your foundation apply a lot smoother, giving it a flawless look. A few popular ones include the Benefit Porefessional primer (Sephora), Smashbox Photo Finish primer (Sephora), NYX Angel Veil primer (drugstore), ELF Mineral Face primer (drugstore).
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Foundation. When applying foundation, remember to bring it down to your neck and blend it all the way. BB Creams and tinted moisturizers are the way to go for getting a light coverage and day-to-day simple looks. Full-coverage foundations are good for nights-out and heavier looks. A few popular full-coverage foundations that can be found at Sephora include: Estee Lauder Double Wear, Born This Way by TooFaced, and Makeup Forever HD foundation. Drugstore foundations include: Revlon 24 HR ColorStay, L’oreal True Match, and CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous (Tip: Sephora will use a small face tool that detects your perfect color in a foundation and will help you find the foundation formula that is meant for your skin type, whether you are dry, combination or oily skinned.)
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Concealer. Those dark circles under our eyes are not cute. So, it is important to use a full coverage concealer that covers up those bags, without making it look cakey. A few popular concealers include: Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda concealer palette, Maybelline FitMe concealer, Maybelline Instant Age Rewind concealer. These are all drugstore concealers, as these are very popular and even preferred over some high end concealers. (Tip: Get a shade that is 1-2 shades lighter than foundation. Apply concealer in a triangle shape under the eye to get the entire under eye area and full coverage look. Also, use to cover up blemishes, redness and any imperfections on the face.)
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Set your face with powder. Powder is essential to apply on the entire face to get that smooth finish and flawless look. One popular high end product includes the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder, and one drugstore product includes the NYX HD Studio Finishing power. Translucent powders are awesome because they do not add any color to your face, but give you that matte finish at the same time! (Tip: If you are really in a rush in the morning, a powder foundation is the way to go as you can apply it with a dense brush to give a buildable coverage which is fast and easy! You can find many good quality powder foundations at Sephora.)
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Blush. Let’s give some color to the face. A rosy blush is perfect for the cheeks because it gives a subtle pop of color to the face, making your face look brighter and more awakened. A nice nude or rosy blush also looks great on any skin tone. If you don’t have time to apply bronzer or contour, blush is perfect and still gives your face some color without it looking dull, giving it some dimension. Find one that goes with your skin tone the best, apply to apples of the cheeks, and blend upwards towards your ears.
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Brows. For me, this is a crucial step in my morning routine, because the brows do shape your face, so I like to spend a little extra time on my brows. While there are many expensive brow products at Sephora, what I like to get is a tinted brow gel. I use the Benefit Gimme Brow volumizer fiber gel, which makes my brows look fuller and shapes them. This is an absolute favorite of mine and I use it every day. I swear by this product! I also like to splurge on this product at Sephora. (Tip: A clear brow gel is just as effective as it just sets them in place all day without adding any color. I love this too!)
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Eyes. I know that I am always on the hunt for a new mascara that does everything, from adding length to volumizing. Mascaras can also be pricy, but here are some of my favorites that get the job done: TooFaced Better Than Sex mascara, Benefit Roller Lash mascara, and Estee Lauder Sumptuous Bold Volume & Lifting mascara. All these can be found at Sephora. These can be found at the drugstore: Covergirl LashBlast Volume mascara, L’oreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara, and Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara. (Tip: Use thicker wand for top lashes, and a skinnier/smaller wand for your lower lashes. Also, apply a gel eyeliner to the top inner part of your eye to get a fuller look to the eyes. It gives the illusion that you have eyeliner on, when you really don’t!)
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Highlight. Highlighter is a must, now in the makeup world. If you want that highlight to be on point, here are some products that will make your face glow. Becca Shimmering Skin Perfecting highlighter (Sephora), Benefit HighBeam highlight (Sephora), Essence SooGlow highlight (drugstore), and Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips highlight (drugstore). (Tip: Apply to the high points of your cheeks, tip of nose, and some on your top lip for extra highlight.)
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Add some color to your lips. Apply your favorite lip product to complete the look!
I hope these tips help, and these are just a few recommended products that I personally love. For those mornings where you don’t feel like doing much or I’m in a rush, this is a go-to routine I like to stick to and helps me feel put together and confident in a small amount of time.