This is a sponsored feature. All opinions are 100% from Her Campus.
Picture this: you wake up, and it’s finally game day. You and your friends have been looking forward to it all semester long, but you were so caught up with classes and distracted by your busy schedule that you haven’t even thought about what you’re going to do for your look.
If you’re like me, and go to a college where football games and tailgates are the heart of your school culture, then you probably understand how important it is to look and feel your best, so you can turn all your focus to socializing with your friends and rooting for your team.
Luckily, I’ve nailed down the perfect go-to game day routine so you don’t have to! From how to do your makeup, to styling your hair, all the way down to your outfit, here’s my step-by-step process on how to achieve your game-day goals, and my fave products from Ulta Beauty that help me look flawless so I can focus on having fun and taking the perfect pictures in my game day look!
Step 1: Gotta keep my edges in check
Before I do my makeup, I like to make sure that my skincare and hair is set to stay beautiful throughout the game. I love rocking my small passion twists, so what I usually do first is run Kreyòl Essence Soft Hair, Don’t Care Haitian Moringa Oil So Smooth Hair Mousse through my hair. Then, I secure my edges with PATTERN Beauty’s Strong Hold Gel. When I first got it, I was a bit hesitant because some of the gels that I’ve tried in the past hadn’t done a great job of holding my edges throughout the day – let alone game day! But I was so happy to find that this particular gel does a great job of keeping my edges secure. Thanks to this product, I’ve found a way to keep my edges in check, and learned that a little bit of gel and damp hair goes a long way!
Moringa Oil So Smooth Hair Mousse
STRONG HOLD GEL
STEP 2: Making Sure
My Base is Magnificent
Once I do my hair, the next thing I do is my makeup – which, if I’m being honest, is my favorite part of getting ready for game day! My goal for game-day makeup is to get my makeup looking flawless (and stay flawless!) throughout the day, while also making sure it looks natural and sunkissed (which is a look I’m currently obsessed with)! To achieve that sunkissed look, I like to use the Juvia’s Place Bronzed Duo Bronzer. This product is a must-have of mine because it’s a creamy powder so it’s super easy to build up from. In addition, it’s on the more red-toned side, which helps me get a cute blush look a lot quicker than using both a bronzer and blush.
STEP 3: Eye Can’t
Forget About my Eyes
After I finish doing my base makeup, I like to focus on my eyes. And, as a game-day guru, I recommend never overlooking this step (no pun intended!) Your eyes are the first thing people see when they look at you, so it’s important to adopt an eye makeup look that makes your confidence and beauty pop!
On game day in particular, I tend to use both the BLK/OPL Precision Eye Definer in the “Get Lit” brown shade on my water line, and the Lilly Lashes Individual Flares – Full Blown Flare Up lashes, because they both give me a sexy vibe that helps to tie my whole look together. Plus, individual fake lashes aren’t only more full and fun, but they also last so much longer than full lash bands — which is super helpful when you’re standing in the hot sun, cheering with your besties on the sidelines!
Another way I love to show my team spirit through my makeup is by applying eyeshadow in my school colors. My go-to palette is the Morphe X Lisa Frank 35B By Lisa Frank Artistry Palette, which has 35 different shades, so I can mix and match to create the perfect maroon and white look to show my support for my school’s team!
STEP 4: Finalizing Your
Look With a Fab ‘Fit
Finding an outfit is by far the hardest step for me just because I always like to make sure my makeup and hair looks go well with my outfit. Plus, I like to check the weather before deciding on what to wear. But, on a typical game day at my Texas college, you can find me wearing my white cowboy boots, a white sundress, my school-themed clear purse, and a black cowboy hat.
Because it’s typically sunny and hot on the sidelines of the game, I make sure to bring the Ouidad Made For Curls Coil Scrunchies so I can put my hair back. These scrunchies aren’t just a great addition to game day, but also to your everyday wardrobe because they hold thick, curly hair with its soft and stretchable fabric, which helps to reduce hair breakage.
One of my favorite parts about these scrunchies, though, is that they’re in my school colors, and go perfectly with my KYLIE COSMETICS Matte Lip Kit lipstick in color 403 Bite Me – which is the best maroon-shaded lip color I’ve found to represent my university so far! This lip product is long-lasting and has an 8-hour wear, too, which makes it easy to go through the whole game day without worrying about it getting smudged or wearing off.
So, now that you know exactly how to achieve the game day look of your dreams, are you as excited to head to the game as I am? Shop online or in-store at Ulta Beauty to get all of my favorite products and be totally prepared for this semester’s first game of the year. Go team!