Every college girl can understand the struggle of wanting to put in the effort to do their makeup, and make themselves feel comfortable and confident, but not having the time to get everything done. As a college athlete, I am constantly pressed for time, and coming up with a basic makeup routine that I always do has made the twenty five minutes between practice and class enough time to shower, grab a bite to eat and quickly do my makeup and hair so I look presentable (as compared to the smelly sweaty girl I was a half hour prior). I also struggle with keeping my skin from breaking out, and this minimal and easy makeup routine helps me cover my blemishes but also not clog my pores up and cause even worse problems. From one broke and busy college girl to the next, here are my holy grail products that keep my skin and bank account happy.
Want to copy my look? I’ve put the products in the order that I use them so it’s easy to follow along!
- The Ordinary Serums
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The Ordinary is a makeup brand that uses clinical level technologies to create amazing skincare solutions for low costs. The company prices their products fairly, and with clear descriptions to make effective skincare products that are accessible for everyone. I especially love how clean their products are, as the founding company DECIEM has high standards for all their businesses. I use the hyaluronic acid serum, niacinamide and zinc serum in the morning and the salicylic acid solution at night. Best part? One ounce bottles of each of these solutions cost less than $10 each.
- Alba Botanica Sunscreen
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As a girl who is both super pale and scared of wrinkles, I start my makeup off everyday with sunscreen underneath. It helps to moisturize and protect my skin from all the harms of the environment and keeps a barrier between my pores and my makeup. An added plus is that this sunscreen is biodegradable and reef-friendly! It only cost $6.79 at Target!
- L.A. Girl PRO.conceal
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I have extremely fair skin, and I run into problems a lot with trying to find colors for my under eyes that are light enough and still provide full coverage. This concealer is my absolute favorite, the product blends and layers easily, and has a bunch of different color correcting options too. With 43 shades, I was able to find a color that covers my under eyes and doesn’t leave tan stains over my blemishes. I use the shades Fairest and Mint to cancel out the redness in my blemishes and to cover dark circles and discoloration. This is another product that makes my wallet happy, as these concealers price in at $3.49 at Ulta!
- Maybelline Shine Free Oil Control Loose Powder
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Next, I use the Maybelline Oil Control Loose Powder to set my concealer and blend it in better with my skin. I choose not to use foundation at all, because it ends up making my skin break out, so using a powder helps to make my skin look naturally more even. This also helps the concealer stay full coverage throughout the day. For extra coverage you could use a powder such as the SuperStay Foundation Powder in the picture to build a little more coverage. And it’s only $5.99!
- L.A. Girl PRO.face Pressed Powder
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After applying loose powder over most of my face, I like to use a bronze shade of this pressed powder to help bring some warmth back into my face. I also use it to lightly contour my face by making a threeshape from my forehead to below my cheekbones to my jawline. I use a very light hand on this, just because too much looks bad on my skin. I’m also usually going pretty quickly and less is more, I’d rather not be able to see it than have an orange line across my cheeks! The color I use is called Warm Caramel and is another beauty product that definitely keeps my wallet full. It’s only $4.89 at Ulta!
- L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara
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If I could only wear one makeup product for the rest of my life it would be mascara! I have red hair, and my eyelashes are absolutely invisible without it. I’ve tried upwards of 20 different mascaras and this one is at the top of my lists. For a drugstore mascara, it really gives some of the cult favorite expensive brands a run for their money. The formula makes your lashes look super long and voluminous with one coat, and is a beautiful color that doesn’t flake or give much throughout the day. I use the shade Brown Black as it looks a bit more natural than black. It’s only $10.99 at Ulta! As a second runner up (and a more expensive brand of mascara) I love It Cosmetics Superhero Elastic Stretch Volumizing Mascara. When I have more to splurge I choose this one, because the formula is creamier and doesn’t clump as much as the Maybelline one does after prolonged use. It cost $24 at Ulta.
After doing this same routine for the past year I can do my full set of makeup in under 15 minutes, and I feel confident and put together all the time. With anything you’re trying to do in a time crunch practice makes perfect. As always, work with products that make your skin happy and take the time to figure your routine out, find what works for you to make yourself feel your best inside and out.
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