So you’ve made it through exams (congratulations girlies!), and now all there is left to do is to enjoy the final weeks of term in a blur of college balls, lazy afternoons with the girls, and the obligatory end of year Klute night out. For us here at Her Campus, we can’t think of a better excuse to add to our beauty collection. However, we know it is the end of term and most of your student loan has probably been spent on fuel of the caffeinated variety in the Bill Bryson café. Cue this Her Campus guide that will show you how to imitate high end beauty on a budget, because after a very long year we believe that all Durham girlies deserve a little beauty treat.
The Eyeliner
For a perfect ball beauty look, we believe you can never go wrong with the tried and tested classic winged cat eye. Paired with a nude lip and peach blush, this is one trend that looks good on everyone without exception. For those wanting to splurge, Bobbi Brown’s Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner (£17.50) is an award-winning make up artist favourite. The main advantage this boasts is the range of colours on offer, from a deep, emerald green to a violet purple, which would be perfect for those wanting a fresh, modern take on the sixties classic. If black suits you just fine, we recommend saving with L’Oreal’s Superliner Gel (£9.99), which has the same silky texture and lasting power as our high end option.
PS. For those of you who are a little shaky with the execution, take a look at beauty guru Lisa Eldridge’s tutorial. Practice makes perfect!
The Brows
In case you haven’t heard, big, full brows a la Cara Delavigne are in. Don’t worry if yours have fallen victim to the curse of over-zealous plucking though as the recent influx of brow-enhancing beauty products have got your back. The brand of choice for stars such as Penelope Cruz and Charlize Theron is Anastasia Beverly Hills, and it is their Tinted Brow Gel (£16.50) and Brow Powder Duo (£17.00) that covers our splurge options for brows. Just as effective and for a fraction of the price however is Sleek’s Brow Kit coming in at £8.49 and Maybelline’s Sculpting Brow Mascara at £4.99, which are perfectly good alternatives for those wanting to save the pennies.
Lip Crayons
Whilst lipsticks will always be our classic go-to lip product, lip crayons are certainly putting up a good fight as their worthy competitor. Oh so easy to use, incredibly moisturising due to their balm like base and available in just about every colour and finish you can think of, it is no wonder they are now what we consider to be a make up bag staple. For those wanting to splurge on the perfect lip crayon we recommend going with Clinique who were one of the first brands to champion the crayon in the form of their Chubby Sticks (£17.00). We particularly love the shade ‘two ton tomato’ for a fool-proof red pout. Even better for us students though, it seems like drugstore beauty brands have finally caught on to our obsession, with Bourjois, Seventeen and No7 recently launching their own versions of this beauty wonder in the past few months. For our save choice however, we have to recommend Revlon’s Colourburst balms (£7.99) simply for the beautiful choice of colours they have on offer. ‘Elusive’ and ‘Audacious’ are perfect for updating your beauty routine for summer.
Bronzer
In order to fake that summer glow after months of being cooped up indoors with nothing but revision for company a good bronzer is a must. Now although bronzers are typically powder based, cream bronzers are the latest variation to take the beauty world by storm owing to their ease of use and sheeny finish which makes the face look glowy instead of dusty. Unsurprisingly, it is Chanel’s Soleil Tan De Chanel Bronzing Makeup Base (£32) that has been most highly recommended in this category, and if you wanted to splurge this is definitely the product for you. A good save alternative however is Bourjois’ Bronzing Primer (£9.99). Although it is more mousse like in texture and ever so slightly darker, it contains no shimmer – which is one of the main selling points of Chanel’s offering – and if used with a light hand, gives a similarly dewy and healthy glow to the face. Both of these are perfect as a base primer or contouring product.