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

We all know the struggle of finding the right foundation shade, the best moisturizer for your skin or a super pigmented eyeshadow palette for a decently inexpensive price. And I just know that the money you got for Christmas is burning a hole in your pocket. Am I right? Well, then it’s the perfect time for you to splurge on the best beauty products at Ulta and Sepora. So for the little make-up artist inside us all, here are the must-haves:

The Jaclyn Hill Palette

I have to start my recommendations off with the Jaclyn Hill and Morphe Collab; it’s easily one of the best palettes of 2017. Available at Ulta, The Jaclyn Hill Palette contains 38 pigmented eyeshadows and is perfect for girls who love to play with color or prefer a more neutral look. The shades range from shimmering pinks, vibrant blues, deep browns to a deep black; and include both a mixture of mattes, shimmers and satins. Below are just some of the beautiful looks completed with this palette, and if that doesn’t make you want to buy it, well, you’re crazy!

Tatcha’s Bestsellers Kit

My next recommendation is for all my skin care lovers – Tatcha’s bestseller’s kit. This is a limited addition set available at Sephora and on their website. I got this as a gift for Christmas and my skin is loving it! I have always wanted to experiment and try out this brand because I hear nothing but great things about it and the benefits it has on the skin. The set comes with four of Tatcha’s most popular products. It includes the Camellia Cleansing Oil: a light weight makeup remover, Rice Enzyme Powder: which exfoliates the skin leaving a smooth-polished look, The Water Cream: a moisturizer to prep your skin for makeup and the Luminous Dewy Skin Mist: to set makeup or use anytime for a dewy glowing finish to your skin.

If you fantasize about having clear, moisturized glowing skin, I guarantee this gift set will be the fix for you. It may cost $59, but it’s worth it! Although if this is too pricey for you I also recommend getting face masks. You can get these anywhere and even purchase specific ones targeted for different skin types and problems. Some recommendations I have are GlamGlow, Biobelle or Tonymoly.

Anastasia Glow Kit

Who doesn’t want their highlight to be blinding? No one… so my recommendation is the Anastasia Glow Kit. There is quite a selection to choose from, I have the gleam kit. In the gleam kit there are four pink toned shades. I prefer this kit because of my pale skin tone. There are other kits with gold tones, bronze tones and some that have a pop of color. The kits retail for $40, but the pans are a great size and you will get a lot of use out of them.

Kat Von D’s Shade and Light Contour Palette

If you’ve been on the hunt for the best contour palette, this is the one to get. I’ve tried out loads of bronzers, banana powders and other contour palettes, but Kat Von D’s Shade and Light Contour Palette is the best there is. It comes with three contour shades and three setting powders. I haven’t touched any of my old favorite bronzers or setting powders since I’ve purchased it. I use the middle shade to bronze my skin, the left shade to contour and the top three shades to set my concealer and foundation. It retails for $50 at Sephora, but I found mine at Marshall’s for $25, so I suggest that you always look for deals there! 

Primers

One product I think every makeup lover should invest in is a primer. The primers I love are Benefits Porefessional, BECCA’s Backlight Priming Filter and TooFaced’s Hangover RX primer. I love Benefit’s primer to fill in pores and make my skin look more even. BECCA’s primer is perfect if you want to achieve a dewy finish, and TooFaced’s primer is amazing if your skin is feeling dehydrated. Whichever primer you pick, I promise you’ll be satisfied.

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation

Finally, everyone should invest in a high-end foundation for one major reason: it’s so much better for your skin. The foundation I believe to be one of the best of 2017 was the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation. This foundation is the best for dry skin and has the smoothest hydrated finish. It retails for $64, but remember at Sephora you can always get free samples to see if something is worth your money!  

I know what I’m going to invest in with my Christmas money. I hope you do too, and that these suggestions help you find some new products to love!

 Shelby Rabideaux is currently attending Kent State University. She is majoring in Digital Media Production and will have a minor in Fashion Media. Her love for entertainment and film came from actively going to concerts. She currently is on a TV show called The Blurb that focuses on entertainment news that her school produces. She dreams to be able to inspire others like how she was inspired. Shelby is currently the Campus Correspondent for Her Campus Kent State and the President where she strives to share her love for Her Camps with the Kent community. 
Junior at Kent State, with a mojor in journalism and a minor in fashion media. I like to write about fashion, lifestyle and Harry Styles.