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 »

Lip Liner – most college age girls skip it all together and, quite frankly, probably associate it with crazy old ladies that draw on their faces with Crayola crayons. But don’t let those trend-ruiners ruin lip liner for you! There are some cases where you NEED to wear it.

Since most of us don’t usually (or ever) rock the lined lip I’ve compiled some basic do’s and don’ts so you know what to use and when to use it for the perfect pout.

When you DO need it:

Lip liner is a MUST if you are wearing dark lipstick colors or opaque glosses. If you want to try for some Hollywood red lips you NEED to match it with a good liner. It’s also a good idea for formal occasions or for professional photographs. Using lip liner will make you look polished and glamorous.

When you DON’T need it:

You shouldn’t use lip liners for every day makeup. You might be mistaken for a theater major. Never use liner with sheer glosses or lipsticks. The liner stays longer than the lip color so you can end up looking a little Bozo the Clown. Read More »

[Make-up is wonderful, but it can also be confusing. There are so many shades and colors and sheens and reasons to wear it that a girl can get completely lost attempting to find what fits her face best. What’s the best blush color for a redhead? How do you really put on lip-liner? Is there such a thing as too much eyeshadow?

In this weekly series, actress / model and fabulous CC blogger, Jen, will be using her make-up know how to teach us all how to look flawless in class, out at a party, or grabbing coffee with that cutie from Psych 101.]

This week Jen gives us the lowdown on skincare: keeping it clean, beautiful and not-so-obvious that you were up until 4am playing Quarters with the roommates writing a paper. Grab a pen and paper – you will want to take notes.

If you have a specific make-up question, leave a message in the CC Facebook group, or email Lauren@collegecandy.com with the title “CC Make-Up Question,” and she’ll make sure Jen hears your woes and addresses them.

Make-up is wonderful, but it can also be confusing. There are so many shades and colors and sheens and reasons to wear it that a girl can get completely lost attempting to find what fits her face best. What’s the best blush color for a redhead? How do you really put on lip-liner? Is there such a thing as too much eyeshadow?

In this weekly series, actress / model and fabulous CC blogger Jen will be using her make-up know how to teach us all how to look flawless in class, out at a party, or grabbing coffee with that cutie from Psych 101. If you have a specific make-up question, email Jess@collegecandy.com or Lauren@collegecandy.com with the title “CC Make-Up Question,” and we’ll make sure Jen hears your woes and addresses them.

I mean, who wouldn‘t want their own make-up specialist? It’s like being on What Not To Wear, except you don’t have to deal with that dude who always wants to chop everyone’s hair off.