The Her Campus National Editors write about products we love and think you’ll love too. Her Campus has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase. All products are in stock and all prices are accurate as of publication.
When we set out to create the College Beauty Awards, we had a few big questions in mind: What sets college students apart from other shoppers in the beauty market? What — if anything — are cosmetic brands making specifically for them? And how do these beauty products integrate into an academic-facing lifestyle? Those questions ended up being pretty stringent for generating awards criteria, which led us to design a specific category for the best beauty products you might lean on during your dorm years.
Here’s what makes a dorm-friendly beauty product different than anything else you might pick up in the beauty aisle: They’re compact and easy to store, they’re easy to use without a full vanity or bathroom space; they contribute something extra to dorm decor; and finally, they’re multi-tasking or 2-in-1, so that you take up less storage space by only needing one product to fulfill multiple needs or uses.
If you just moved into a residence hall and need a teensy vanity for your desk or a mini-fridge to keep your sheet masks fresh, you’ve got to meet our dorm-friendly hall-of-famers.
- Matcha Detoxifying Face Mask
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Milk Makeup, sephora.com, $24; shop now
Face masks are an essential part of your skincare routine, but they’re also kind of messy. You have to cleanse your face, scoop your fingers into a pot, rub the formula all over, cleanse again — that’s way too many steps to easily accomplish in a dorm room. College women are so excited about this mask stick because it’s mess-free, but achieves the same incredible results as any other detoxifying mask.
- 7-Second Morning Mask
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Starskin, starskin.com, $30; shop now
Starskin had us hooked as soon as we read “seven seconds.” This product is an entire morning skincare routine in one mask pad. You just wipe the pad all over your face and are left with hydrated and dewy skin in mere moments. It’s no fuss, and so easy to use when you’re in rush or don’t have the proper vanity space to store a bunch of products.
- Garden Glow Mini Set
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bioClarity, bioclarity.com, $35; shop now
Equally perfect for travel or dorm life, this mini skincare set has everything you need for a clear complexion. The gangs all here and easy to store in a canvas carry-all.
- Perfect Palette
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Mary Kay, marykay.com, $18; shop now
We didn’t think one palette could fit every essential makeup product, until Mary Kay came and showed us it absolutely could be done. The Perfect Palette is a holder for everything in your makeup routine. You customize it with all your favorite products — then it’s easy to store your blush, contour and shadow all in one place.
- 100% Squalane Oil
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Biossance, sephora.com, $32; shop now
This multi-tasking oil works wonders on your face, body and hair — so it obviously made our dorm-friendly beauty list. The oil already has cult status for silky hydration, but we love it because one product cuts down the amount of other skincare and hair care tools we need.
- Refillable Everything Soap
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Follain, follain.com, $24; shop now
When Follain says “everything soap,” it really means everything. You can wash your skin and body with it, but it’s also safe to use on dishes and for cleaning. This cancels out, like, five other products you might need to use in your dorm — without sacrificing any of the amazing beauty benefits for your body and the environment.
- Makeup Organizer
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Sephora Collection, sephora.com, $36; shop now
Without your own bathroom and medicine cabinet, beauty storage in college can get complicated. Instead, just keep one (or a few) of these see-through makeup organizers on your desk to store all your faves in the cutest way. Trust us when we say that it’s so helpful to be able to see all your products at once!
- Mini Beauty Refrigerator
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Cooluli, cooluli.com, $50; shop now
You already know a skincare fridge is Insta-worthy, but it’s actually such a smart idea for dorm life. Yes, you can keep your serums and face masks fresh, but you can also store other essentials like yogurt and bevs. It’s a win, whether you fill it with beauty or food.