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During our high school years, makeup options felt limited. Maybe your parents didn’t let you wear mascara till a certain age, or you didn’t have the budget to splurge on that trending eyeshadow palette. But in college, anything is possible in the beauty aisle. Makeup is supposed to accentuate what you’ve already got goin’ on, and that couldn’t be truer when talking about the best products for eyes and lips. Gels, pencils, liners, shadows, mascaras, glosses, balms – they let you enhance and play for a look-at-me moment, or they cover and refresh after that all-night study session.
So, whether you’re a winged-liner first-timer, or you’re just on the hunt for a new cult fave, we’ve rounded up the most beloved eye and lip products every college student should know about.
- Stay Put Brow Color
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Milani, walmart.com, $8; shop now
This brow pomade stays out for 16 hours of wear time, which is like everything, because your brows look perfect from day to night. The dual-ended brush also offers incredible brow color and definition at the intensity you want, so you can wear as sleek or fluffy depending on your brow style.
- Brow Wiz
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Anastasia Beverly Hills, sephora.com, $21; shop now
If you have over-tweezed brows, or arches in desperate need of some shaping, this ultra-slim brow pencil is perfect for adding lots of fine strokes that look like real hair.
- Gimme Brow + Volumizing Eyebrow Gel
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Benefit Cosmetics, ulta.com, $24; shop now
Thick and fluffy brows are in across the board, and this gel is a holy grail if thickness and tint are your priorities. We also have to give a round of applause for this tiny, easy-to-use brush.
- High Brow Highlight & Lift Pencil
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Benefit Cosmetics, ulta.com, $22; shop now
Sometimes, your look just needs a lift. This universal pencil blends away stray hairs and defines arches to keep your brows sharp.
- Highliner Gel Eye Crayon
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Marc Jacobs Beauty, sephora.com, $25; shop now
The shade range for this liner is incredible — so whether you’re feeling a jet black or teal glitter finish, this has a smooth glide and serious color payoff.
- Stay Put Eyeliner
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Milani, ulta.com, $9; shop now
This gel eyeliner formula has hyper-pigmented color and glides on so smoothly you only need to use one stroke, without any tugging and pulling on the eyelid. Use the smudger when you want a softer, diffused look. Too, the liner is mechanical and has a built-in sharpened to keep the pencil defined — one less item needed in your dorm!
- Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner
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Stila, sephora.com, $22; shop now
This waterproof formula lasts, and it’s a great liner for beginners who still rely on the thin, marker tip.
- Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner
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Bobbi Brown, sephora.com, $27; shop now
If you’re desperate for a soft-liner look, this brow gel is for you. Drag on with a brush for total control, from a pigmented cat-eye, or close-to-the-lid line.
- Gilded Rouge Eyeshadow Palette
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Milani, ulta.com, $20; shop now
With foils, mattes and shimmers all in one palette, the possibilities are endless. This palette is all about glamour and drama in your everyday look, and we love to play with bendable, buildable and hyper-pigmented colors to create different moods.
- Sweet Peach Eyeshadow Palette
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Too Faced, sephora.com, $49; shop now
Pinks, corals, bronzes, purples – this palette has shades that are so versatile whatever your makeup look, and it’s beloved by college women everywhere. The juicy scent is just a bonus!
- Tartelette 2 in Bloom Clay Eyeshadow Palette
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Tarte, ulta.com, $39; shop now
This cult-fave has all the champagnes, browns, and coppers needed for everyday makeup. It’s truly an essential to have in your beauty arsenal.
- Super Shock Shadow
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Colourpop, ulta.com, $6; shop now
Every shade of this shadow is as playful and pigmented as the last. It’s a fan favorite for easy swipe-on and sheer glitter.
- Melted Chrome Eyeshadow
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Essence, ulta.com, $5; shop now
This glitter shadow is buttery and soft to touch, and it adds sparkle, but not in an over the top way. The eyeshadow is overall eye-enhancing, and you can purchase a few or all the shades for a metallic collection.
- Voluminous Lash Primer
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L’Oréal Paris, ulta.com, $9; shop now
Lash primer maximizes your mascara, and this one from L’Oréal is king for lengthening and volumizing your lashes.
- Subversion Lash Primer
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Urban Decay, sephora.com, $22; shop now
Sometimes all the goop we pile on our eyes can leave lashes dry and in need of some TLC. This primer is like a protective conditioner for your lashes, to keep them looking silky smooth and strong under your mascara.
- Voluminous Lash Paradise Waterproof Mascara
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L’Oréal Paris, ulta.com, $10; shop now
Not only is this formula volumizing like no other, the brush bristles help create the loveliest fringe for clump-free lashes.
- Worth the Hype Mascara
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NYX, target.com, $5; shop now
We can’t help but stan a lengthening mascara that comes in pops of blue and purple color, in addition to the classic black.
- Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara
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Tarte, ulta.com, $23; shop now
This formula lengthens, volumizes, and defines — but most importantly, it adds a serious curl. For those with slick-straight lashes, meet your new hero mascara.
- Keep It Full Nourishing Lip Plumper
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Milani, target.com, $20; shop now
In case you missed the news, lips need volume too. Enter this luxe gloss that works like a two-in-one; it’s packed hyaluronic acid to nourish and moisturize over time, while peptides stimulate collagen to help fill lips to perfection. And there’s no uncomfortable burn that you get with other plumpers – instead just a delightful cooling effect.
- Retro Matte Lipstick
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MAC Cosmetics, maccosmetics.com, $19; shop now
For college women looking to make a statement, this lipstick is iconic for the bold and true range of colors — specifically Ruby Woo, a universal red.
- SuperStay Matte Ink Lip Color
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Maybelline, ulta.com, $4; shop now
A long-lasting matte is a girl’s best friend. We can’t stop wearing this intense saturated formula (that comes in 20+ colors, btw) because it lasts all day and beyond.
- Fleshy Lips
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Flesh Beauty, ulta.com, $18; shop now
If no-makeup makeup is your thing, this lightweight formula adds a dewy pigment to your lips, but in the most natural-looking way.
- Butter Lip Gloss
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NYX, target.com, $4; shop now
True to its name, this creamy gloss is the perfect sheer lip enhancer for when you need something fast and vibrant to keep in your backpack for beauty touchups on the fly.
- ColorStay Lip Liner
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Revlon, target.com, $6; shop now
Lip liner adds definition and prevents your lip color from bleeding throughout the day. Add this to your makeup routine for a little more oomph than just a lipstick can provide on its own.
- Powerplump Lip Balm
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Buxom, sephora.com, $18; shop now
This balm feels tingly and adds a popsicle-stain hint of color. It’s honestly magic, that’s all we can say.
- Beeswax Lip Balm
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Burt’s Bees, target.com, $6; shop now
This tint-free lip balm provides the ultimate daily nourishment your lips need to stay soft. Add a few extra coats when your lips are dry to revitalize the skin completely.