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Your Go-To Guide from the Home Stretch to the Holiday Season

This is a sponsored feature. All opinions are 100% from Her Campus.

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Bentley chapter.

Trust us, we know: finals and the weeks leading up to them are brutal. Between the unfaltering amount of impending papers and exams, the fleeting daylight hours, and the looming threat of our semester GPAs, it’s easy to feel discouraged and overwhelmed. Fortunately, the Her Campus Holiday Survival Kit has exactly what we need to make this taxing time of the semester go out with a bang—just in time for us to get ready for the most wonderful time of the year!

 

Finals week doesn’t mean you have to get into a beauty rut. It’s been proven time and time again that we perform better on exams when we feel confident in ourselves and our appearance—and makeup is an easy and effective way to achieve this, with the help of Tarte Cosmetics. The Tartiest Pro Amazonian Clay Eyeshadow Palette is filled with versatile shades to compliment any skin tone and makeup look—from everyday “no makeup makeup” to a family holiday party. We love using the hues in the first two rows for casual looks when studying or traveling, and the duochrome shades and darker pigments for the perfect New Year’s Eve smoky eye. Of course, no look is complete without mascara; Lights, Camera, Lashes is the cult-classic mascara that adds length, lift, and volume for all-day luscious lashes.

In this more stressful time of the semester, it’s important to take care of ourselves both mentally and physically. Taking a study break to exercise is not only an excellent way to de-stress and blow off steam, but it also helps you to retain the information even better. Our go-to athleisure wear? The #ActuallySheCan tanks, created in partnership with Le Motto. With artfully witty phrases like “Less Regret, More Sweat,” “Less Drama, More Karma,” and “Less Hesitation, More Meditation,” these adorable tanks give us all of the motivation we need to slay what’s left of the semester.

There’s no doubt that the seemingly endless hours of studying take a toll on our skin. Sleepless nights and ceaselessly staring at computer screens leads to inevitable eye puffiness; we certainly don’t need another thing to worry about, so we can always turn to the Alba Botanica® Fast Fix for Puffy Eyes Cooling Eye-Revive Gel for instant under-eye relief. Formulated with cucumber, green tea, and caffeine, these hypo-allergenic, cruelty-free ingredients are exactly what our eyes need for an instantaneous pick-me-up—and you’ll be sure to turn heads looking so refreshed and well-rested.

Winter weather perpetuates dry, chapped skin—but it’s nothing that Being Hand Cream can’t handle. With shea butter and almond oil, these lotions are the perfect treat for your hands—whether it be after frantically scribbling down the last of your exam responses, or amidst the arid airplane air as you head home for the holidays. Plus, with scents like Salted Caramel and Cloudberry Lychee, your hands will seem (almost) good enough to eat.

Nothing helps to keep us optimistic during finals like a dose of Christmas dorm decorations; take a break from studying and think about the good times that lie ahead by adorning your dorm with lights, a tree, and some festive Christmas crafts. Whether you’re making a DIY wreath or need to fix a broken ornament, Krazy Glue has your back. The classic super-adhesive is a staple for any quick-fix you’ll need this season.

As the semester approaches its ultimate end, remember to hold your head high and keep your eye on the prize. Finals are tough, but so are you—and there’s so much to look forward to throughout the winter break. Take on finals with stride and get ready to conquer the semester with the Her Campus Survival Kit—which has all of our favorite essentials to transition from classes to the holiday season!

Native New Yorker Brooke Camarda has had her eclectic share of jobs—from the runways of NYFW to the haunted hallways of NYZ Apocalypse. Commonly known by her alter ego of Wonder Woman, there's no task or adventure that the skydiving-enthusiast isn't willing to take on. She loves typography and cappuccinos almost as much as she loves her (very) big family, and is thrilled to be writing for Bentley University's chapter of Her Campus.