If you’re anything like me, you’re looking in your bathroom cabinet right now and realizing that everything in there is old and outdated — and is that a lotion gift set from 7th grade in the back there? Yes, yes it is and it smells like candy canes and puke. It’s time for a major beauty arsenal update and what better way to do it than with a beauty blogger’s advice. CollegeFashion put together a list of the 10 beauty products you need to buy today. Check it out and let us know what’s missing.

After you cry a little inside, what are you supposed to do? You just spent $25 on that nice, high-end blush and now it’s broken.

Well, why not fix it?
As our country’s President once said: Yes. We. Can.

Fixing your broken makeup is easy.  All you need is rubbing alcohol, a piece of paper, something to grind up the product with, and a plastic bag. In only a few simple steps, your makeup will be good as new again.

See? Easy. Never buy new product again! If there’s anything else beauty related that you need fixing, let me know in the comments!

Got something you want me to cover? Post it in the comments below. And don’t forget to follow us on YouTube and check out my other videos right here! And for more beauty related tips, check out my websiteand follow me on Twitter!

Earlier this week we asked our beautiful readers to enter to win a Bags of Love personalized makeup bag by telling us their #1 beauty essential. And it seems that everyone could really use a new makeup bag because we had over 135 entries! Dayummmm.

Unfortunately, we can only choose one winner, but we didn’t want everyone else to walk away with nothing. (It’s called Jewish Guilt. It’s a blessing and a curse.) So, we decided to scour through all the entries and see what beauty products the CollegeCandy readers hold near and dear to their hearts. Many of the entries were all over the place (and lots featured lip balm – whatcha doin’ that’s got your lips all chapped, hmmm?), but we did notice 5 items that a LOT of you ladies loved. And in our book, that means they must be awesome.

So here they are:
The best beauty products tested and approved by the women of CollegeCandy!

P.S. Congrats to Emily Thompson! She’s taking home the personalized makeup bag from Bags of Love! She also happens to L-O-V-E Laura Mercier Creme Silk Foundation. You know, in case you’re wondering.

The holiday season always gets us thinking about what we’re thankful for. There are so many things in my life to appreciate (my education, my family, the entire Bravo lineup), but being the makeup addict that I am, I am particularly thankful for a few key beauty products. These five things have really changed my life and I want to share them all with you.

Who knows, maybe a year from now, when you’re going around the Thanksgiving table and saying what you’re thankful for, you’ll think back to the day I introduced you to these gems…

What products are you thankful for? Share below!

As always, if you’ve got something you want me to cover, post it in the comments below. And don’t forget to check out my other videos right here!

So how can you know which product – among the sea of thousands – is the best? Which does what you need it to do? Which ones are worth the extra money? Let me help. I don’t know every beauty product out there, but I’ve tested a lot of them and I’ll let you know which are worth the money and which are not.

(Disclaimer: This product was provided to me for review purposes)

What it is: NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Glow & Rose Petal

Why this should be in your bag: Since my eyes have been opened to the wonders of a great blusher, I’ve become something of a hoarder. I’ve got blushes in every shade, for every occasion. Coral, pink, red, tan – you name it, I’ve got it. I find blush really finishes off your look and can make you look so alive and fresh! If subtly done, you have a great, natural flush to your face and no one will even be able to tell it’s from a product. Cream blushes are best for this natural glow, as they blend seamlessly into your skin and just brighten up your cheeks instead of caking on powder. The dewy finish they leave seems real, and I think this is key in pulling off that “Oh I just woke up and left the house”look. NYX Rouge Cream Blushes deliver everything I’m looking for in a cream blush: pigmentation, creamy texture and variety.

How to use it: Start by applying your face-basics, whether that includes moisturizer, primer, foundation, etc. I also make sure I apply my concealer before blush, because sometimes the application area tends to overlap. You can use your fingers or a brush to apply the cream blush. I’m usually lazy and go with my fingers, but a brush guarantees even coverage. The NYX Rouge Cream Blushes are CRAZY pigmented (it’s a good thing!) so be careful when applying. You really need very little, which means that one of these blushes will last you for a while. After blending it out, I usually dust some bronzer or powder all over my face (to set it)  and then head out!

TIP: I’ve recently started using these babies as a lip color and they work well for that too! A tad dry, but a good substitute if you’re looking for a particular color last minute.

(Left: Glow. Right: Rose Petal. Both so pigmented!)

(And here they are blended out!)

CC Rating: A
The NYX Rouge Cream Blushes are great! Not only is the pigmentation and texture comparable to MAC Blushcreme, but they are a fraction of the price ($6 compared to $18.50!). You get loads of product in each pan and the color range is fairly wide. My only complaint is the lasting power; these will last all-day when I’m working in my office, but the second I step outside, they only last until about noon. Now, 4 hours in hot, hot heat is pretty good, but I would love to get 8 hours out of these.

All-in-all, the NYX Rouge Cream Blushes have made their way to the top of my daily blush list and I find myself constantly reaching for them. Rose Petal is great for everyday and Glow works for when I’m going out or just feel a bit sassy! A great, natural blusher for $6? Count me in!

[There are over 100 million sites on the Internet. 100 million! You might think you know about all the important ones (CollegeCandy, Gmail, Google, TFLN…), but there are thousands of other sweet sites out there (like Dear Blank, Please Blank; Specials Agent; and Shop It To Me) and more showing up every day! We get it – it’s not easy or fun sifting through the crap and porn to find those gems, so we’re gonna bring the gems to you. Just sit back, kick up those feet and allow us to introduce you to the diamonds in the internet rough.]

Confession time!

I am completely obsessed with shopping for beauty products. Lipsticks and eyeshadows and mascaras (oh my!) are my guilty pleasures (OK, just some of my MANY guilty pleasures, right up there with brownie sundaes and True Blood).  I literally have entire shelves and drawers dedicated to my vast collection of body lotions, perfumes, hair products, and makeup, and I’m always buying more.  It’s sort of a problem, but at least most of what I buy isn’t too expensive or it’s from the drugstore, since I can’t really afford the fancy department store and designer brands.

Until I found out about Beauty Story, a site designed just for beauty-obsessed people like me. Beauty Story is a members-only sale site (similar to Gilt, HauteLook, RueLaLa, etc….) that’s dedicated entirely to the beauty industry.  It offers amazing discounts–up to 80% off!–on all things beauty-related, including skincare, makeup, and salon and spa services for its members.

I know – I can barely contain myself either. But it gets BETTER!

Beauty Story is totally free to join!  All you gotta do is sign up and you’ll have access to all the insanely good sales.  There’s usually a few sales going on at once, as well as previews of upcoming sales so you can prepare yourself (and your wallet) for all the goodies.  And you’ll definitely need to prepare and hit up the sales soon after they start, so you can pick up all the good stuff before it’s sold out!

Trust me, you’re going to love this site.  It’s awesome to be able to get designer brands on sale, and the deals are so good, it’s hard to pass them up.  Sure, I probably don’t need another tube of lip gloss, but at these prices I don’t know if I’ll be able to resist!

The following post is courtesy of our gal pals over at CollegeFashion.net. Check them out for all your fashion and beauty needs!

Whether it’s a cool internship or an intense summer class that has you waking up bright and early, you know that sometimes an extra boost is necessary to get you out of bed.  Luckily, there are some fabulous beauty products out there to help you wake up and get ready to face the day, even before you hit Starbucks.

1. Lush’s Back for Breakfast Shower Gel

Warning: any inclinations to jump in and out of the shower as quickly as possible to allow for a few extra minutes of sleep may disappear when you use this shower gel. Back for Breakfast is filled to the brim with ingredients chosen just to help you rise and shine, including grapefruit to wake up the brain and lemon for rejuvenation. Using this product will make you forget about hitting snooze and will have you ready to enjoy the sunshine.

2. DuWop Venom Gloss

Using this gloss is one of my favorite ways to wake myself up. As if the sensational summery shades it comes in aren’t enough to make you run out and buy it (my personal favorite: a peachy hue called Coral Tree), this gloss actually tingles, giving you a gorgeous burst of energy. So not only will you have a kissable pout while you drink your morning coffee, but you might even feel your lips tingling into a smile.

Find out the other 3 wake-you-up products right here.

Is it just me or is there another “revolutionary” new makeup product introduced every freaking day?! Just walking into Ulta or Sephora (or even Walgreens!) sends many chicas into fits of hysteria, reaching for the nearest brown bag to regulate their breathing. It’s all so overwhelming.

So how can you know which product – among the sea of thousands – is the best? Which does what you need it to do? Which ones are worth the extra money? Let me help. I don’t know every beauty product out there, but I’ve tested a lot of them and I’ll let you know which are worth the money and which are not.

(Disclaimer: This product was purchased by me for review purposes. Because I can never have too much makeup!)

What it is: Balmshell Lip Gloss in ‘Beach Patrol’ and ‘Darling, You Look Fabulous’

Why this should be in your bag: Everyone needs both a nude lip gloss and a vibrant lip gloss. It’s truly amazing what a change lip color makes in your total makeup look, and these two colors can look good on anyone. (And if they are not the right pigment for you, Balmshell has many more to choose from.) They are light, shiny and don’t cake on too much color so you look vampy. Plus, Balmshell gloss is not sticky, so no need to worry about your fabulous blowout getting stuck in your lips. (I don’t understand why most beauty companies haven’t fixed that problem yet!)

(Left – Darling, You Look Fabulous. Right – Beach Patrol.)

How to use it: Like I’ve said before, a lip gloss is fairly no-brainer as far as application goes. But here are a couple tips: To make your lip gloss look seamless and sleek, ensure that your lips are well-hydrated with a clear lip balm (think Chapstick) before application. Some glosses, especially nudes, highlight dryness and flakiness. To make your gloss last longer, lightly dust your lips with a powder first. This gives the gloss something to adhere to, but doesn’t change the color like a lip liner may. And if the gloss is super pigmented, make sure to clean-up after application.

(Left – Darling,You Look Fabulous. Right – Beach Patrol.)

Spend the cash or simply pass? The Balmshell lip glosses I tested out were great, so I say spend! They are even on sale at Sephora right now! $11 is a good price for these, considering the pigmentation and NON-STICKY feel. I hate tacky lip gloss and am constantly on the hunt for good, pigmented glosses without stick. I feel like these glosses are going to last me a good long time and continue to please! Just like it says on the box, Balmshell glosses leave me and my lips “feeling radiant and luscious”!

The following post is courtesy of our uber fashionable friends at CollegeFashion.net. Check ‘em out – they rock our socks off.

As college girls, we’re always looking for tips and tricks that are affordable and time-saving. Between classes, extra curricular activities and our social lives, it’s hard to find the time to always primp and prep ourselves to look fabulous, and things can fall out of place from time to time, especially during a day that seems to last forever.

But with these quick and easy beauty secrets, you’re guaranteed to look beautiful and flawless all the time! Read on for all the info.

1) Bronzer and baby powder are a great way to disguise oily hair.
This trick is one of my favorites, since I am unfortunately one of those girls who loves to play with her hair, and therefore, add more oil to it than it would have on its own. If you’re a brunette, carry around a bronzer compact. If you’re a blonde, carry around a mini baby powder. They’ll temporarily hide your not-so-freshly-washed locks! (You might also want to try one of our favorite dry shampoos.)

2) Vaseline is an all-around life saver.
From using it as a chapstick, to applying a sparing amount to dry skin, to using it as an eye makeup remover, Vaseline can do it all. (Once my mom and I asked a middle-aged woman how her skin was so smooth and glowy, and she responded by saying she’s been putting Vaseline on it every night since she was 13! But make sure your skin can handle it if you dare to try! Vaseline is very thick, and can cause your skin to clog and pimples to form!)

3) Visine can help clear up your eyes… and your blemishes!
Red eyes after a long night studying? Visine’s always great to have on hand… And as a bonus, applying a small amount to blemishes will reduce redness almost instantly! Talk about double duty.

Find out the other 7 life-saving beauty secrets by clicking right here.

Is it just me or is there another “revolutionary” new makeup product introduced every freaking day?! Just walking into Ulta or Sephora (or even Walgreens!) sends many chicas into fits of hysteria, reaching for the nearest brown bag to regulate their breathing. It’s all so overwhelming.

So how can you know which product – among the sea of thousands – is the best? Which does what you need it to do? Which ones are worth the extra money? Let me help. I don’t know every beauty product out there, but I’ve tested a lot of them and I’ll let you know which are worth the money and which are not.

(Disclaimer: This product was purchased by me for review purposes. Because I can never have too much makeup!)

What it is: Sephora Collection Colorful Mono Eyeshadow

Why this should be in your bag: This is THE BEST wet/dry shadow I’ve ever tried! A versatile product like this is a necessity, especially for travel. You can bring a few of these and do completely different eye looks, mixing and matching which ones you use as liners, all-over washes and highlights. All you need is a little water to totally transform the product.

How to use it: Just like Sephora says – “apply your color dry for a natural vibe or dampen your brush and apply wet for an all-out sophisticated stare.” Personally, I use shade 06 Must Have for my daily liner. It’s a matte black (see swatches). First, get your eyeliner brush wet and rub it in the shadow, moistening it and getting some on your brush. Using a steady hand, apply to your upper lash line. If you’re feeling sassy, finish with a cat-eye by flicking your wrist up at the edge of your eyelid! (Learn how to do the perfect cat-eye right here.)

Tip: Dip a q-tip in makeup remover and use it to make the line perfectly straight. Trust me – it takes LOTS of practice to get good at wet shadow liner, but there is really nothing like it!

Left: Color Swatches! Left – Dry; Middle – Wet, 3 coats; Right – Wet, 1 coat.
Right: A sexy cat eye!

Spend the cash or simply pass? Spend, spend, spend. Sephora Collection is known for being high quality and cheaper than many other brands the store sells. I own a few of the darker shades (31 Red Wine, 41 Preppy Look) and they are perfect as liners or crease shadows for a more dramatic look. Good staying power, great pigmentation and again, versatility!

Do you own anyone Sephora shadows? What are your favorite shades?