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.
Hi, collegiettes! I’m Jen Morgan, and this week I’m going to show off my favorite makeup to you. These products are ones that I’ve tried on my own, and some were recommended by some of my closest friends.
Since my entire makeup collection looks like this:
I’ll only be showing you a few of my favorite products, since to show off and explain everything in my makeup box would take forver (read: days). I use all sorts of extra products besides just eye shadow and lipstick, like blush, bronzer, highlighter, brow pencils, and many others, but to save time I’ll be showing my favorite products for basic makeup staples.
Primers:
I especially recommend using a primer before applying foundation so that you don’t sweat it off, and eye shadow primer to prevent creasing. You can also use a primer on your lips before applying lipstick too, which keeps your lipstick from feathering and drying out.
The primer that I use before foundation is called “Spackle” from Laura Geller. It’s super lightweight and feels very smooth when you apply it. Remember that a little goes a long way, so you only need a small pump to get the job done.
For my eyes and lips, I use the Shadow Insurance and Lip Insurance primers from Too Faced Cosmetics. I love their primers, since they work well with the oily skin on my eyelids and the dry skin on my lips. Once again, a little goes a long way, so there’s no need to go overboard with primer.
Foundation:
Currently, I use Almay’s Wake-Up Foundation in the shade Naked (#030). I just bought this foundation a few weeks ago, so I’m still getting used to it, but it’s the perfect shade for my winter skin tone. Last spring and summer, I was using Revlon’s Color Stay foundation, and I liked that foundation a lot. As for this one, it applies fairly well, but I find that I need a lot more product in order to get the coverage that I need. Other than that, it looks very natural and doesn’t feel caked-on at all; it really allows your skin to breathe.
Lips:
Lipsticks
My two favorite lipsticks are both from MAC Cosmetics. My favorite nude is called Fanfare, and my favorite red is called Ruby Woo. Fanfare is almost a pinky-nude shade that has a crème sheen finish, while Ruby Woo is a true red with a matte finish. Both apply very evenly and last a long time.
Lip Stain
If I had to choose one cosmetic to use for the rest of my life, I’d choose this product. I even lost my summer tube shortly after arriving on campus for the fall semester, and even though it costs $26 I bought it again; it's that good, and one tube lasts a long time. It’s from Makeup Forever Cosmetics, and it’s called Aqua Rouge Liquid Lip Color. My favorite shade is called Raspberry (#10), which is a deep raspberry-toned red. It applies like a gloss, but dries instantly to your lips to form a stain. Then, you apply a clear gloss afterwards to seal in the color. Many lip stains rely on the clear gloss to seal in the color, yet this product barely needs it. It literally stays on all-day, despite eating and drinking, and requires a strong makeup remover to get off. It won’t get on your teeth, and it doesn’t dry out your lips.
Eyes:
Shadows
My brand new favorite eye shadow palette is the Naked 3 palette from Urban Decay. This is my first Naked palette, since I didn’t want to fork over the cash for the first two. My mom surprised me with the third one over Christmas break, and I’ve fallen in love. I usually only use neutral eye shadows, so this one works perfectly for me. It’s a set of 12 rose-hued neutrals, and the colors are highly pigmented, which makes them super easy to work with. It’s definitely worth your money, and I use it almost daily.
My favorite neutral palette from the drugstore is the Walking on Eggshells palette from Wet N Wild. The colors include a guide that tells you where to apply each, so it’s easy to learn how to apply them properly. It’s easy to take on-the-go and the colors usually last all day long when used with a primer.
Liners
For a sleek cat eye or the days in which I only want to apply liner on the upper rims of my lids, I use the Skinny Mini Liquid Eyeliner in Black from Eyeko. It has a marker-like application tip that helps you to draw clean and concise lines. The formula and the color stay vivid throughout the day without smudges.
For pencil liner, I use the Extreme Black liner from Victoria’s Secret. The formula is also long-lasting and is easy to apply.
Mascara
My eyes are extremely sensitive, so I’m very picky with my mascara. One of the only mascaras that I have found that works well without irritating my eyes is the Organic Wear mascara from Physicians Formula. I specifically like the one that I’ve pictured (in the bright green tube), since I’ve also tried the one in the nude and pink tubes and didn’t see the same results. It makes your lashes extremely long without clumps (yes, seriously).
Concealer:
My favorite under eye concealer is the Fake Up concealer from Benefit cosmetics. The size pictured is a sample size that I received from Birchbox, and it’s fabulous. Simply swipe the product under your eyes and pat in with your ring finger to cover up dark circles and other eye concerns.
This is a concealer palette I read about in Seventeen Magazine several years back, but only bought it about a year ago and I’m really pleased with the results. It contains a green concealer base, which you apply to your pimple with a concealer brush first to cancel out the redness. Then, there are two color concealers (one light and one dark), so you choose the one that works better with your skin tone and apply it with your brush. Finally, there is a powder that you apply over everything to seal in the makeup and help it to look more natural.
Finishing Powder:
Instead of using a makeup setting spray, I prefer to use a powder. My favorite is the HD Powder from Makeup Forever. This helps to perfect your skin after applying foundation, and helps to seal in the product to make it last all day long. It feels light on your skin, and will not change the tone of your foundation.
Stayed tuned for our next “What’s In My Makeup Bag” post! In the meantime, what are your favorite products? Sound off in the comments below!