Alright, let’s be real. We’ve all had those days that we end up binging recommended makeup tutorials on YouTube. They usually range from “DIY Natural Makeup Look in 10 Minutes!” to “How to Look Natural in a Second,” and we end up losing all hope after skipping three morning classes only to realize you basically need Sephora’s entire store worth of products. So, from one sleep-deprived-yet-wanting-to-look-cute college student to another, I’m here to let you in on some secrets to help you transform those bags under your eyes to Prada— without having to wake up three hours earlier than you usually would.
1. Easy, Effortless, Effort
This refers to that “natural” look everyone’s always talking about that requires only about 67 steps. But the secret recipe only requires three ingredients: primer, foundation, and concealer. If you don’t have much time for anything else, focus on the face. Make sure to invest in a primer that works well with your skin type—oily (especially in the t-zone), combination, dry, pores that need filled, etc. Apply about a pea-sized amount with either clean hands or a foundation brush (you don’t want it to overpower your foundation). After you apply the primer, apply some concealer to areas you want to “correct” on your face (bags, pimples, acne scars). Do some research on color correcting concealer, as it will help cancel out the discoloration in some areas of your face if need be and will set a good basis for the foundation. Last, apply about twice the amount of foundation as primer onto the back of your hand, and use either a beauty blender or a foundation brush to quickly buff/blend it into your skin. If you are going to spend any extra time on any of the steps, it would be this one, so make sure that it is all blended and does not give off a “splotchy” appearance. It’s important to remember that investing in a good quality foundation is essential since there’s not going to be a lot of other makeup that will draw the attention away from the foundation if it doesn’t match or looks too cakey on. These three products are the holy trinity of a quick makeup look, so you can’t go wrong if you do some personal research on shades/types of face products.
2. Accentuate the Eyes
I think we all know that the first feature someone notices on another’s face is their eyes— especially when making awkward eye contact with random people walking around campus. But honestly, just a little bit of mascara and eyeliner can go a long way. If you don’t have much time in the morning, you can always just tight line your eyes with pencil, gel, cream, or kohl eyeliner. I know most people go for the black and brown shades, but why not be a little adventurous with it when that’s the only makeup you have on? Experiment with color. Try purple, blue, or even a subtle green. That goes for mascara too. Put your own flare on it. Who says you have to settle for black mascara when you could easily go for a navy blue? If you are really feeling adventurous, try to master the wing— make sure to save time for practice though. You don’t want to show up to your 8 a.m. looking more like a hot mess than you already did. It’s the little differences that make the three minutes you spend doing your makeup worth it.
3. Be Bold
Draw attention to a specific aspect on your face, whether its experimenting with a bold lip color, or fearlessly rocking those bold brows Lilly Collins style. I like to think of it as a duo, one loud and one soft. Go for a combo- lipstick and foundation, brows and gloss, anything that you think will add some pizzazz to your look (and remember, there’s no such thing as overdoing it ?). Tap into your inner “extra-ness” with maybe a bright red, pink, blue, or green lipstick or invest in some galaxy-style lip glosses (very glossy, ex: Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb). Find a brow pencil/gel pot that you can use to quickly fill in some sparse areas in your brows with a couple strokes in the direction of your hair growth— anything that works for you to get those eyebrows on fleek and make that statement girl.
4. Shadows for The Spotlight
Just some light eyeshadow has the power to add depth and definition to your eyes. Especially if you don’t have time for that precise eyeliner, invest in a neutral eye shadow palate and play around with the colors to find what looks best suit you. Lighter skin tones tend to look best with peaches and oranges so just throwing on a mixture of darker oranges in the crease and lighter pinks on the lid could make the biggest difference. For medium/darker skin tones, look into the auburns and browns, since it keeps the look natural without practically blending into your skin (don’t worry, we got to make sure your effort shows girl!). If you have some more time, adding some mascara will add a little more “complete-ness” to your eyes, and substitute for the missing eyeliner.
5. The Best Product to Invest In: Confidence
Even if you don’t have the time for these looks, I just want to reiterate that you’re beautiful as is. It doesn’t matter if you have a little stress pimple or some dark circles because honestly, what’s already beautiful is the fact that you’re working so hard to manage all those classes, run those clubs, participate in social activities, and chase after your dreams. So, whether you have a full face on or not, as cliché as it sounds, your real beauty comes from within and always remember that.
Make sure to test/try out these makeup looks and let me know when Prada calls to ask about those eyes that went from bags to ‘boujiee’.
Photo Credit: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6