Springtime is one of the best times of year to take a look at your beauty bag and ditch anything that you might have not used in a while. Your skin now also has different needs than it had in the winter. Although you should regularly throw out certain products as a precaution for bacteria growth, spring reminds you of how important it really is to buy new products and discard anything that may be contaminated.
The first rule of thumb is to clean your brushes as often as possible because although you may think you are always applying make up to a clean face and in turn the brushes remain clean, there are a lot of oils and dead skin cells that accumulate in the bristles of your brushes which can lead to breakouts. You should also never share makeup! Even your best friend has germs and it is not worth it to break out or get sick just so your friend can try your cool new red lipstick.
Ideally, you should be changing your mascara every 3 months. You may not want to splurge on new mascara, but it’s better to be safe than sorry and as an added bonus, fresh mascara will elongate your lashes and volumize them! Some products come with an expiration date and that makes it easier to remember when it’s time to dispose of that product. With concealer and liquid foundations or tinted moisturizers, you will probably run out of product before it has gone bad, but after 2 years, you should invest in a new one. The same goes for lipstick and lipgloss, but with trends constantly changing, you will probably want to try out a new color before it is time for that to happen.
After you get rid of those products that need to be replaced, it is your chance to get new products that are different than the old ones. With beauty suppliers constantly coming out with new items, there is no reason to stick to the same old shades that you have used for as long as you can remember or, even worse, the same ones that your mom recommended! Similarly to clothes, you wouldn’t want to wear the same thing as your mom or even grandma, so you can definitely freshen your look with more daring colors and products that have a shimmer to them.
As college students, it is hard to look awake and glowy, especially during weeks when we are pulling all-nighters. There is a quick fix for that, though! I rely on MAC’s Strobe Cream to brighten and enhance my appearance after a late night. It retails for $32 and is described as, “Super-powered with potent botanicals; de-snoozes, de-stresses, moistens, freshens and boosts the look of dull, flat or tired-looking skin with a fully loaded vitamin zap and a mega dose of green tea. Brightens and clarifies with iridescent particles and antioxidants.” When it comes to protecting your skin from damage, your makeup routine should always include products with SPF, but of course this is even more important during the sunny spring and summer months. NARS has a tinted moisturizer that has SPF 30. You can wear this alone and feel properly covered both in sun protection and in looking flawless. You can get this for $42 at Sephora or NARScosmetics.com
Using a powder foundation atop the tinted moisturizer will have a setting affect and your makeup will end up looking more natural. Mineral powders are a good idea because they help with the management of oily skin. Spending a lot of money is not necessary, so you can get your hands on Maybelline’s mineral powder for only $9 at a local drugstore and this will last you for quite some time. Aside from offering “flawless full coverage,” there is also an element of radiance. Bronzer is a favorite for those of us who don’t have the time to get sun-kissed skin, so try out Rimmel’s Natural Bronzer for a dewy glow that costs only $6 and doesn’t involve exposure to the sun’s harmful rays.
In terms of eye makeup, it is worth it to try out a new color of eyeliner or shadow. I just recently bought a combo of gold glitter and eyeliner from the Sephora Collection for $14. Whether you add some sparkle to your lashes or on your lash line, it’s the perfect amount of shimmer to spice up any look. For a black mascara though, my go-to is Benefit’s They’re Real. For $23, you’ll receive the added bonus of people questioning whether or not you’re wearing fake lashes. As a final step, you should use a setting spray such as Urban Decay’s All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray which you can find for $30. This product will have you feeling sure your make up won’t stray and it will look good for as long as you need it to.
Don’t be afraid to mix up your look. Even if you buy something that you aren’t thrilled with, most places will take back whatever it was as long as you have the receipt. Sephora is very good about doing this and even better, if you physically go to a cosmetics store rather than buy online, you can almost always try the products before you make a purchase. Go take a look at that beauty bag of yours and decide what is really worth saving and what you can part with!