The collegiettes that contribute to The Beauty School blog for Her Campus are all about hair, makeup and beauty. Since it’s always exciting to get the inside scoop about their favorite products, styles and routines, sneaking a peek inside of their makeup bags can reveal firsthand what products they use to look fabulous and beautiful. All products shown are personal favorites selected by the specific girl of the week, and all opinions expressed are 100% their own.
What’s in my makeup bag? The secrets of every collegiettes beauty arsenal—AKA the things that make us look alive after an all-nighter of studying, a fun night out and those stress breakouts during midterms week—all concealed in one quintessential bag.
Okay, I’ll be honest: I don’t have only one make-up bag. Year after year, Sephora trip after Sephora trip, my collection has grown admittedly excessive. I’m sure all of the other Beauty School bloggers will agree with me when I say that when it comes to makeup, you can truly never have enough. After trying nearly every brand from both drug stores and department stores alike, only the very best products make it into my daily makeup bag. Keep reading to find out what they are!
Prep Before You Primp:
The secret to dewy, smooth skin is all in the preparation. I begin my morning regimen with the “A Perfect World” moisturizer by Origins. It’s great because it has an SPF of 25, yet it is still ultra lightweight. It’s an ideal moisturizer for collegiettes because it prevents against early signs of aging!
After moisturizing, I also use some type of under-eye cream. Not only is the extra hydration great for preventing signs of aging, it’s also a great way to get rid of those bags under your eyes that you get after not getting enough sleep. I’m currently using Bright Eyes by UltraLuxe. I love it because it nixes dark circles and puffiness after a long night of studying!
Let’s Face It:
Out of every foundation I’ve ever used, DiorSkin Forever Foundation definitely takes the cake. It glides on super smooth and is extra-hydrating. I like it because it’s not too thick, so it has a light barely there feel. While the coverage is pretty light, it’s also buildable — so it can work for both day and night looks.
I’m currently using the Pro Longwear Concealer by MAC Cosmetics. I like it because it’s pretty thick so it always completely covers dark under eye circles or blemishes. It’s also nice because it goes on as a liquid but sets more like a powder, which is great for avoiding that cake-face look that some concealers will cause. I always apply under my eyes and on blemishes, as well as in the creases of my nose to ensure my face looks fresh and blemish free (even when it’s not).
When I’m done perfecting my complexion with foundation and concealer, I always add a little translucent powder to set my makeup and keep shine away. I’m currently using VS Pro Flawless FX Translucent Finishing Powder from Victoria’s Secret.
Contouring is one of the best things a girl can do to accentuate her natural bone structure, so a great bronzer is a must! I absolutely love my Laura Mercier Mineral Powder bronzer in ‘Warm Bronze’. It’s the best because it’s a loose powder which allows for great manageability! I apply it using a small bronzer brush just below my cheekbones, under my jawbone and on my temples for a great contoured look!
Another contouring must have is a great highlighter! I like Mineralize Skinfinish by MAC Cosmetics in ‘Soft and Gentle’ for a day-time look or Benefit’s Watt’s Up for a more shimmery night look. Simply sweep the highlighter over places on your face that would naturally pick up more light, such as the bridge of your nose, above the eyebrows and on your cheekbones.
My favorite blush is currently ‘Dainty’ by MAC Cosmetics. It’s the perfect pink color with a shimmery mineral finish. I use a plush make-up brush and apply on the apples of my cheeks and lightly on my cheekbones to my temples. While I use other blushes as well, I love this light pink color because it’s the best way to brighten your face to kill that hungover, tired look, inevitable after a long night out!
Disguise Your Eyes:
To make sure my eye makeup stays in place all day, I always start with a primer. I’m currently using VS Pro Lasting FX Eye Shadow Primer from Victoria’s Secret. It definitely helps my eye makeup stay in place all day and night!
As for eye shadow, my favorite daily look is using ‘All That Glitters’ by MAC Cosmetics as a base color for my lids, and then using ‘Buck’ from the Naked Palette in the creases. ‘All That Glitters’ is an amazing color for basically any skin tone or eye color because it’s a subtle rose gold tone that adds a little color, but is still a neutral. It’s a little shimmery, so I like to use a matte brown color to tone it down and add dimension for a daytime look.
After I finish with my eye shadow, I like to go back with a really shimmery highlighting eye shadow and put it in the space between my tear-ducts and the bridge of my nose and right below my eyebrows. I use ‘Bootycall’ from the Naked 2 Palette—it might seem a little excessive, but it’s a quick easy way to really make your eyes pop!
Eyeliner is an essential for me, day or night! My favorite is Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner by Stila. It glides on super smooth and is the perfect tool to get a great winged cat-eye look.
Before applying mascara, I always use an eyelash curler. Then I apply two coats of Diorshow Mascara by Dior. It has a really thick, plush application brush that makes lashes look super long and voluminous.
Ever heard the saying, “Don’t let anyone with bad eyebrows tell you sh*t about life”? These are the words that many makeup savvy collegiettes are living by, so it’s important to remember your brows during your daily makeup routine. I’m currently using an eyebrow box by Benefit which has 2 mini brushes and mini tweezers along with three different shades of brown for shaping and filling in brows! I like it because it gives me a really nice manicured look—even if I haven’t gotten my brows waxed in weeks.
All About the Pout:
Before starting on the lips, I always apply lip balm to avoid a dry cracked look, that can take a gorgeous shade of red from glamorous to tacky. After applying lip balm, I apply lip liner. My go to is ‘Spice’ by MAC Cosmetics. It’s super warm and neutral so it pairs great with most lipsticks. If I’m wearing bright pink or red lipstick, my go to liner is ‘Beet’, also by MAC Cosmetics. This is another great one because it really can go under any bright shade of pink, red or purple!
You really can never have enough lipstick, but every girl probably only has one or two shades she can wear on a daily basis, for any occasion. For me, it’s ‘Peach Blossom’ Cremesheen by MAC, and ‘Twig’ which is also by MAC. ‘Peach Blossom’ is a great light pink with a hint of peach that has the amazing creamy lip balm feel classic to MAC’s Cremesheen line. ‘Twig’ is the best for a day when I still want a daytime look, but in need of a little pop of color.
And as every girl should, I have my favorite shade of red. It’s ‘Viva Glam I’ by MAC. It’s a great deep romantic red color with a semi-matte finish that looks great alone, or with the ‘Vivi Glam I’ gloss for a little added shine.
I know it seems like a lot, but using each item in moderation leads to a completely flawless, contoured and bright-eyed look that is perfect for daily wear! So now that I’ve bared it all, it’s your turn! Tell us what’s in your makeup bag in the comments!