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Wrap Up Your Semester With These 5 Holiday Must-Haves

Darcy Schild

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 UFL chapter.

Finals season is in full-force, which means collegiettes everywhere are at the corner of “stressed” and “so excited for winter break.” Between the late-night library study sessions and endless Spotify playlists filled with acapella holiday jams and the sweet crooning of Michael BublĂ©, we’re all in the home stretch of the semester, and a much-needed break is just a Scantron away. 

Here at Her Campus UFL, we’ve gathered our favorite products to make exam week and the upcoming holiday season even more glamorous, positive and fun. Read on to discover what we’re loving!

1. Instagram-worthy makeup from Tarte Cosmetics

We get it — exams aren’t over yet, but in-between making flashcards and refilling your coffee mug, you may or may not be mentally planning your holiday party outfit. Complete your dream ensemble with a show-stopping makeup look with Tarte Cosmetics, a brand dedicated to beauty products that are eco-chic, high-quality and cruelty free.

The Tarteist™ PRO Palette has everything you need to create neutral-yet-glam eyeshadow combos for the holidays and beyond. This professional palette features 20 creamy shadows, including 16 Amazonian clay-powered mattes and four shimmery shades. Don’t forget the eyelashes; Highlight your fabulous new eye look with Tarte’s Lights, Camera, Lashes™ mascara, which is vegan (!!!) and contains ingredients like olive esters and provitamin B5 to keep your lashes nourished and soft. It’s safe to say we’ll be adding these Tarte products to our holiday wishlist — pronto!

2. Hand creams (that smell like fro-yo flavors) from Being 

“Winter” in Gainesville (aka a bitter 65 degrees, if we’re lucky) may not be the chilliest — but it’s still important to moisturize your skin on the daily.

Luckily, these *handy* lotions from Being by Sanctuary Spa make nourishing your skin a fresh and fun experience. The hand creams come in two delicious scents, Salted Caramel & Macadamia and Cloudberry & Lychee Blossom. Being doesn’t test on animals, and all of their products are free of parabens and microbeads. Plus, the hand cream tubes fit perfectly in any purse, backpack, holiday stocking or carry-on. We’re in love!

3. Inspirational tanks by #ActuallySheCan + Le Motto

In need of a comfy tee for running errands, working out and/or being fabulous at all times? Look no further! These soft and motivational tank tops are from #ActuallySheCan, a women’s empowerment campaign by healthcare leader Allergan, in partnership with Le Motto. 

These versatile tops make the perfect gift for moms, sisters and friends — women who inspire you to live with purpose, positivity and kindness. We want all three of these happy tanks!

4. Krazy Glue to turn your holiday decoration dreams into reality

Whether you’re making a festive wreath to bring holiday spirit to your dorm room or need adhesive to finish a DIY gift for your friend or roommate, Krazy Glue All Purpose Singles have your decorating and crafting needs on lockdown. 

The heavy-duty glue bonds to wood, metal, plastics, glass, vinyl and ceramics, and the All Purpose Singles are the perfect size for quick, one-time fixes. These little guys are essentials for problem-solving in dorms and apartments!

5. Post-finals puffy eye remedy from Alba Botanica®

There’s nothing quite like the sigh of relief that comes with the end of a semester and the excitement of a fresh start. End this year on a *cool* note with Alba Botanica®’s Fast Fix for Puffy Eyes Cooling Eye-Revive Gel, which instantly refreshes the eye area with cucumber, green tea and caffeine. Gently apply the gel to the area around your eyes for a soothing wake-up call that will make it look like you haven’t been pulling all-nighters in Marston for the past week.

Fun fact: Alba Botanica® products are 100 percent vegetarian, and the eye gel is hypo-allergenic. The gel is also the perfect size for a travel makeup bag, backpack or purse. Peace out, puffy eyes!

With these products at your fingertips, the world (and exam week) is your oyster. Happy holidays, collegiettes!

Darcy Schild is a University of Florida junior majoring in journalism. She's the Editor-in-Chief of Her Campus UFL and was previously a Her Campus national section editor. She spent Summer 2017 as an Editorial Intern at HC headquarters in Boston, where she oversaw the "How She Got There" section and wrote and edited feature articles and news blogs. She also helped create the weekly Her Campus Instagram Story series, Informed AF. Follow her on Twitter and on her blog, The Darcy Diaries.