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.

What it is: Too Faced Lashgasm Mascara

Why this should be in your bag
Mascara is such a makeup necessity. In my opinion, it makes the biggest difference out of all makeup products. Long, lush lashes are such a girly feature and they really make everyone look prettier. However, I’m picky with my mascara. I find lots of brands fill theirs with so many chemicals that either my lashes get “burnt” off or they clump together like mad. I’m fairly faithful to my mascara brand, but will never say no to trying another out!

Too Faced Lashgasm is described as a “voluptuous, fluffing mascara.” It’s designed to give you big, volume-filled lashes and uses a special flexi-firm brush to do so. It’s actually pretty cool – this brush literally sticks to your lashes, making sure every last one gets a good coat!

How to use it
Another often overlooked beauty product is the eyelash curler. Seriously, an absolute god-send. If you don’t have one, stop reading (okay, finish reading, I know you can’t resist) and GO GET ONE! It doesn’t have to be too pricey, Revlon makes decent ones for under 10 bucks. Read More »

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 »

Nobody wants their makeup to wear off early, especially on a Thirsty Thursday like tonight. Unfortunately, that’s what often happens when you pile on the party makeup and the results are, well, messy. Droopy lashes, smeared liner and lip-gloss on your chin are definitely not good accessories for your party look.

Lucky for you, I’m going to share a few tricks to keep your makeup on your face so you can dance to Brit without lookin’ like (old) Brit.

First, make sure your face is completely clean, a good exfoliating scrub like this one from Clinique will get rid of dead skin that could ruin your look. Moisturizing your skin thoroughly with an unscented lotion will help makeup stick to your skin. Perfume also absorbs well when skin is damp and moisturized, so apply your scent now. Powder foundation on your face will also stick great when skin is moisturized so swipe that on now and dab some concealer under your eyes.

To keep your lashes big and beautiful throughout the night start with an eyelash curler. Just like with hair, heat helps maintain your lashes, so heat up your curler with a hair dryer on low for a few seconds. Then curl your lashes starting at the base and pressing down three times working your way up to the tips of your lashes. Once your lashes are curled with heat apply a few coats of mascara that won’t clump. Try Bad Gal Mascara from Benefit. This lash brush is huge and doesn’t leave your lashes sticky or hard. Read More »

A beauty regimen? Who needs one? Surely not my ‘messy bunned, bare faced, sweat-pant clad’ self who rolls out of bed, grabs a cup of Joe and is out to class in less than five minutes. Which- might I add-used to be sooo not me. Believe it or not pre-college and even during the summer months in between, I -gasp!- actually enjoy the getting ready process. I like the makeup, the lotions– the whole shebang. But post welcome week all my grooming habits are thrown out the window and the ‘me’ my mother would frown upon (ie- not very conducive to meeting the future Mr. ‘me’) comes out to play-er-study.

But alas- I have compiled a list of top ten products from body lotion to mascara that are the best of the best, will make you look/feel great, and best of all only requires that you hit the snooze button one less time.

Bliss Body Butter: this lotion is great because it comes in three different scents (I like the Naked because I wear perfume) and leaves your body so smooth no one will be able to tell if you shaved your legs or not.

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer: this is great because you can rub it on with your fingers- it has SPF (an essential for our young skin) and is sheer enough for day but still gives great coverage. And did I mention it comes in oil free? Read More »