As I was going through the mascara aisle at my local Rite Aid, I saw the same old blacks, dark blacks, super black blacks, and midnight blacks that I usually set my big green eyes on. Then I stumbled upon green mascara for green eyes! I thought it was a little strange, but I was intrigued so I tried it out.

And take my word for it: this mascara is wonderful!

Mascara should bring attention to your eyes and bring out the color. For many of us,  though – especially those of us with lighter eyes – black mascara doesn’t do that. Sure, swiping some ultra black onto those lashes makes your eyes look better, but it doesn’t make that color pop. And why wouldn’t you want those bright blues to pop?!

Well, this mascara does that; it highlights your eye color and your eyes. It’s brilliant and I just had to share! Read More »

When I was growing up, my dad always told me, “Caitlin, be prepared.”

I’m pretty sure he was referring to things like school work and job interviews, but I took that advice to heart….with beauty supplies.

Thanks to my dad I never leave the house without my big bag of beauty essentials. You never know what could happen on your way to class – blisters from your shoes, a sudden monsoon, laughing so hard you cry off all your mascara – so it’s best to bring along a few things to save you from a makeup meltdown. I’ll share with you all of my must-brings that have gotten me through all of my beauty emergencies and then you can customize your portable beauty bag to hold whatever you like (yeah, stacks on deck, Patron on ice…). Read More »

As a little girl, lipstick was always the first item I’d reach for in my mom’s purse. I always watched her swipe a little across her lips and look instantly beautiful. I wanted to look beautiful, too.

And now that I’m actually old enough to be wearing the stuff…well, lipstick scares me. Although it defined icons like Marilyn Monroe and Christina Aguilera, I find the whole thing a bit stressful. There is a very fine line between looking glam like Gwen Stefani and looking like you’re just trying too hard to look glam like Gwen Stefani. And I always worry I’m in the latter category.

But I still want it! Lipstick is classic. And if it’s done right, it’s glamorous.

So how does one do it right? How do we college girls find the right lipstick to enhance our lips without making us look like a clown? I’ve been doing my research (OK, so it was for my own selfish reasons, but I’m sharing it with you now!) and I found some general lipstick guidelines for choosing the best shade and wearing it well.

Picking a Color: For everyday wear, choose a color that is only a few shades darker than your natural lip color.  Remember, your lips are naturally a few shades darker than your skin tone so if you’re testing a color on your hand (you know, to avoid germs…I’m a freak) keep that in mind.  Choosing a color this way will enhance your lips naturally and not scream, “I’m playing with my mom’s makeup bag!” In general, the lighter your skin tone, the lighter shade you should choose.  Read More »

When it comes to beauty there are certain tools that every girl needs in her arsenal. But what are the must-haves and what are the spend-a-lot-of-money-on-stuff-you-don’t-needs?

I know a lot of girls are confused about what brushes to buy and what tools they should have lying around their bathroom counter so I wanted to give you all some insight on what I use regularly. I’m not telling you to go out and buy a $100.00 brush kit full of stuff you’ll never use. Instead, I’m going to explain what everything is and allow you to decide what you need for your daily beauty regime.

So by now you’ve probably seen the commercials for Latisse, the eyelash enhancing prescription that makes your lashes fuller and longer.  While amazing lashes would be wonderful, the side effects are… umm…scary.  Darkened eyelids and pupils? Potential hair growth wherever this stuff touches?  Yeah, ruining your face is definitely worth some longer, fuller lashes.

Pause.

Not.

And this stuff doesn’t have a long term effect; you have to keep using it to keep your lashes looking good. The pros simply do not outweigh the cons for Latisse.

Luckily there are other things you can do and use to make your lashes looking beautiful that won’t permanently ruin your face. Things like, duh, mascara, false lashes, lash curlers, lash primers, and eyeliner tricks.

The first and easiest option is to curl your lashes using a clamp eyelash curler, like this one from Tarte. (Wait a second, isn’t Tarte on sale through CollegeCandy right now?? Score!) Clamp your lashes down at the base, hold for 3 seconds, repeat in the middle, and then the ends.  It also helps to heat up the curler first for a few seconds with a hairdryer, but do not do this every day, as you will damage your lashes with excessive heat.  It can be helpful to curl your lashes before applying mascara, then clamp once after to add a little extra oomph. Read More »

Let me start off by saying that I am a firm believer in spending money on quality makeup.  Oftentimes well-trusted and expensive brands of makeup are more effective, longer lasting and – shocking – a much better product all around.  However, there are times when buying the expensive stuff is just stupid.

Case in point: when new makeup trends come along. It is silly to spend a ton of money on something without knowing if you’re really interested in the product or if it’s just all the hype. This is the perfect time to invest in the cheaper version to see if it’s something you want to incorporate into your makeup routine long-term. If it is, you can fork over the cash for the better stuff later.

Below are some of the major makeup trends happening right now that (if you get inundated with the ads as much as I do) you’re probably dying to test out. I included the expensive version and the cheap(er) version so you can try them on for size without going for broke. Read More »

So you just spent ten minutes of your morning de-puffing your eyes with spoons fresh from your freezer, but they still look tired and small. What’s a girl to do? No fear, just use these super simple tricks to make your eyes appear bigger, brighter, and more awake!

If only everything else were so simple.

My best friend came up to visit me at school once and ended up meeting a guy at a party.  She went home with him and amidst hooking up, said: “it’s not me, it’s you.” Harsh. Anyways, shortly thereafter, this guy, now with a seriously bruised ego, encountered me at another party.  Recalling that I was her friend, he took out his frustration on me. With a cup of beer.  That he poured from a porch. Onto my head.

While at first I was angry that this unfortunate boy was taking out his anger on me ruined my straight hair that I spent an hour on, I now know better. After some research on natural beauty remedies, I learned that beer actually adds volume to hair!  This guy wasn’t trying to hurt me; he was trying to help me out!  His glass was empty, but I’m choosing to look at the situation as a glass-half full kind of thing.

Who knew that beer was helpful for more than getting drunk?  Actually though, it turns out that lots of food and beverage products are quick fixes for hair and skin problems.  Spend 5 minutes looking through your pantry or fridge and you’re sure to find some ingredients that could improve your beauty problem areas.  Below are some super simple ingredients and what they can help you fix.  Save money, be natural, and be beautiful?

Win-win-win. Read More »

How many times do you apply bronzer and end up looking like Lindsay Lohan? If this has happened even once, it’s one time too many. The trick to bronzer is simple: less is more. In this quick video, I’ll show you how to get a faux tan on your face that looks natural.

It’s better to use bronzer than get melanoma, ladies! Protect your pretty mug and still look summery fresh.

There’s always ways to make things better. Sprinkles make ice-cream better.  A diamond ring makes an outfit better.  Vodka makes…well, anything better.  But what if there was a simple way to make your daily makeup routine better without revamping your whole collection?

I’d say, count me in.

Well many makeup brands want you to think that a simple use of a primer will enhance your makeup and make it last all day and night.  So do we believe it?  Well it’s prime time so here’s the lowdown on all the many different types of primers:

Face Primer: Facial primers are meant to go on a clean face before you apply either foundation or bronzer.  It’s meant to make your makeup go on smoothly, whether you wear liquid, pressed, or loose powder foundation.   There are a couple of facial primers; some are designed to avoid grease, and others are designed to help your makeup last throughout the day. I use Sephora Brand’s Tricks of the Trade Anti Shine Primer, and have got to say I’m pleasantly surprised.  My skin tends to be oily in the summer and it is noticeably less shiny when I apply this cream before my makeup.  Not all shine is eliminated, but I think it’s worth it, especially when I know I’m going to be waitressing all night.
Conclusion: Splurge, it’s worth it. Read More »