In high school, I would wear makeup every single day. Primer, concealer, sometimes foundation, definitely powder, contour, bronzer, blush, brows, mascara, the whole 9 yards. In college, I have lost this habit, and there are a few reasons why.
First, I absolutely hate the feeling of a ton of makeup on my face. After a long day, I swear I can feel the mascara weighing my eyes down. Second, I do not enjoy taking makeup off. I have to take really good care of my skin because it is pretty sensitive, so I try not to use makeup wipes. I use coconut oil to break down my eye makeup and then I wash my face two times to make sure everything is fresh and clean.
It’s what works best for me, but can be such a tedious process to do after a long day when you just want to go to bed. I think because of these two reasons, I have become an absolute pro at no-makeup makeup days. I have found what products feel light and airy on my skin, but still, help me feel put together on those days where I feel like I need an extra pep in my step.
My holy grail, hidden gem makeup product is the Tarte Base Tape face primer. What an incredible product! I have combination skin, and this product is super hydrating, but not in an oily, uncomfortable way. It feels refreshing, and it helps my makeup sit better on my face. Not to mention, that it does its job as a primer to keep my makeup on nicely all day.
After primer, I like to do my eyebrows. My all-time favorite brow product is the Urban Decay Brow Blade. It’s a two-sided brow product with a regular eyebrow pencil on one side, but on the other side, it’s a brow marker with a waterproof ink stain. This brow marker lasts all day long, and I just love how natural and fluffy this product makes my eyebrows look. I let the brow marker dry a bit, and then I go in with the e.l.f. Eyebrow Gel. It’s $2 and you’ll never feel the need to go back to your $22 Anastasia brow gel. The e.l.f. brow gel dries down so well and keeps your eyebrows in place all day long.
I’ll then go in with my e.l.f. Hydrating Camo Concealer, and spot conceal. I love spot concealing for a “no makeup” makeup look. This concealer is only $6, and as your run-of-the-mill broke college student, I appreciate how affordable it is. This concealer is comparable to the Tarte Shape Tape Concealer, and half the price of the tiny sample Shape Tape. It honestly blows my mind how expensive some high-end makeup is. There are so many new cosmetic companies that are in the drug store price range that make comparable, or even better quality products than high-end staples like Urban Decay, Benefit Cosmetics, and Tarte. I like to set my face, and I have been using the Maybelline Fit Me Loose Finishing Powder. Again, I’m a sucker for drug store “dupe” makeup products, and this powder does a fantastic job of keeping my makeup on my face all day. It has a versatile shade range for a loose powder line, and it’s easily accessible.
Next, I like to add some color back to my face, so I go in with the Benefit Hoola Matte Bronzer, a cult classic, and the Milk Makeup Lip+Cheek stick in the shade Werk. If I’m feeling the glowier vibes that day, I’ll finish off my face makeup with the ColourPop Lite Stix in the shade Urth. ColourPop’s face makeup is so underrated, and I wish more people knew about this highlighter because it’s the bomb.com, and super affordable for how amazing it is in quality. Last but not least, I put on some L’oreal Telescopic Mascara on my lashes and some Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm in the shade Rose, and I feel like this really pulls everything together.
This look is so versatile and fresh, and perfect for a day running around campus!