What It Is:

Why This Should Be in Your Bag:

Eyebrows are probably the most overlooked part of the average woman’s makeup routine. After applying eyeshadow, foundation, lipstick and blush, many girls don’t have the time to fix up their brows too. However, since I started tidying my eyebrows, I’ve noticed that my face looks a lot more “pulled together” and am a total convert to the practice.

Anastasia Soare is Hollywood’s brow guru, grooming the eyebrows of almost every celebrity you can think of. She’s sharing her knowledge with the general public through her cosmetics brand, Anastasia Beverly Hills. I tried out her Beauty Express for Brows and Eyes kit, with a sampling of her best products for grooming your brows and looking wide awake.

How To Use It:
This kit comes with killer instructions, so I’m not going to go too in depth. Basically, you choose one of the 5 brow stencils from the palette and tweeze your brows accordingly. Then, use the brow wax to set your brows in place. Use the 2 shades of brow powder and included brush to mix a color that matches your brows and fill in any patchy spots. Finally, brighten your eyes with the 2 shades of neutral eyeshadows, highlighting your inner corner and under your browbone!

(L-R: darker powder, lighter powder, shimmery shadow, matte shadow)

CC Rating: A

This kit is truly and utterly fantastic. Seriously, you can be a complete brow newbie or an expert and still benefit from this palette. The wax, powder and eyeshadows are great quality and I’ve barely made a dent in any because you need so little to achieve a perfectly shaped brow. The 5 stencils will definitely cover most brow shapes, however, if yours isn’t in the kit, you can still use the wax, powder and shadows.

The only downside may be if your brows are a really unique color that can’t be achieved with any of the powders. The kit does come in Blonde and Brunette, with 2 distinct shades in each, so hopefully most can find a match! The price is also on the higher end as far as brow products go, but you are not only getting the products, but stencils and a how-to guide for tidying up your brows. You would also have to factor in how long the kit lasts for you to assess it’s worth.

I highly recommend checking out the Anastasia Beauty Express for Brows and Eyes palette. It’s available at Sephora and Anastasia’s website.

[Need some new makeup but not sure what to buy? Check out Alex's other beauty reviews here.]

What It Is:

Why This Should Be in Your Bag:
Like most girls I know, my collection of lip products is overflowing. I have more lipsticks, glosses and colors than I can EVER possibly use up. However, one department I’m lacking in is lip stains. I’m not exactly sure why, but I only have a couple and can’t say I reach for them very often. Most disappoint me with their less-than-stellar wear times and boring finishes.

But, I’m always willing to give a product a second chance. New York Color says that their Smooch Proof 16HR Lip Stain gives “a sheer to intense flush of color that sticks around longer than most guys in the City.” The packaging makes the product look like a more baby-pink shade, when in reality, I would deem this a true, natural pink.

How To Use It:
Lip stains are really good at highlighting any lip imperfections, so make sure you heavy-duty exfoliate before putting this on. You can purchase lip scrubs or just use some coarse sugar.

This lip stain comes in the usual marker-like packaging. You just need to put some pressure on the lip when applying, and product flows out! The sharp-tipped marker did make it easy to create a really defined lip. If you can color with a marker, you will have no problems with these!

CC Rating: B

I did like this product, but overall, lip stains aren’t my favorite. I prefer a lipstick or a gloss and find that the finish lip stains leave needs to be topped off with a gloss.

The New York Color Smooch Proof 16HR Lip Stain didn’t wear close to 16 hours. I’ve never met a lip product that stayed totally put for that long and I’m not sure a drugstore brand is going to be able to fulfill that promise. That being said, this stain did wear perfectly for a good 4 hours and didn’t fade much with eating or drinking. At the end of the day, I still had some lip color but not nearly as much as that morning when I applied it.

I think that as far as lip stains go, this is a pretty good bargain! It’s only going to run you $4-5 and works just as well as my higher-end lip stains. Persistent Pink was a lot darker than I expected, especially considering the packaging color, but I still liked it. I think someone purchasing just based on the packaging might want a baby-pink lip stain instead of a deeper color, but I thought it was gorgeous.

If you’re a lip stain kinda girl, this is definitely worth a try. As for me, I’m gonna stick with the 1,567 other lip products in my makeup bag.

[Need some new makeup but not sure what to buy? Check out Alex's other beauty reviews here.]

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.

[Disclaimer: This product was provided to me for review purposes.]

What It Is:
BECCA Bombora Palette

Why This Should Be in Your Bag:
I don’t know about you, but in the dead of winter, I always appreciate a pick-me-up. Whether it’s a cup of hot chocolate, a warm bath or even a colorful makeup look, something bright and warm is a sure-fire way to light up your day. And that’s where the BECCA Bombora Palette comes in.

This palette features 5 products that together create an entire makeup look. Two punchy eyeliners (in Raffia and Sunburst), a highlighting creme (Mazu), lip and cheek creme (Bougainvillea) and lipgloss (Mai Tai), all in bright, summery shades, are sure to brighten your darkest winter day.

How To Use It:
For a total look using the palette, start by applying the eyeliners in whatever combination you like! I like to use them wet, with the turquoise on top and the golden green on the lower lashline. Next, smudge the lip and cheek creme on the apples of your cheeks and your lips. Add some highlighting creme along your cheekbones and under your brow for definition and top off your lips with the sheer, sparkly gloss! All done!

L to R: Lipgloss, Lip and Cheek Creme, Highlighting Creme, Two Eyeliners

Bougainvillea & Mai Tai on my lips

CC Rating: B+
Overall, I like the colors included in this palette and the quality, as always with BECCA, is top-notch. The shades go well together and almost create a total look.

This palette would be PERFECT for travel, as it’s super slim and easy to pack into a carry-on bag. I think the colors would go well on most skin-tones, although the eyeliners are fairly sheer when used dry and may be near invisible on darker beauties.

Also, the $65 price tag is a bit steep. BECCA definitely isn’t a budget-friendly brand, but the quality is on par with similarly priced items from brands like Chanel and Guerlain. This is one of those items that is nice to get as a gift, but not totally practical for a college student barely making rent.

This palette has sparked my curiosity about the rest of these BECCA palettes with 5 products. Rarely does a company aim to create a small palette with everything you need for a look! I’m excited about what I see from BECCA and if you have the money to spare, you should try out the Bombora Palette.

[Need some new makeup but not sure what to buy? Check out Alex's other beauty reviews 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 share the best and the worst with you.

What it is: Dior Skinflash Primer- Radiance Boosting Makeup Primer

Why this should be in your bag: This product is pricey at $40, but it is multi-functional.  You can use it as a primer underneath your makeup, then throw it in your bag and apply it during the day to even out your skin and eliminate shine.  It includes Photo-smart pigments.  Okay, I have no idea what that means, but it must be good because it adds light to your face for an instant glow and makes you look refreshed even if you were up super late studying… or partying.  Instant wonderful glow.

How to use it: This primer has a built in brush, which makes it portable.  Just twist the base and the primer will flow into the brush.  Apply the makeup to the back of your hand and swirl the brush in, then apply to your face to make your foundation last or to look instantly refreshed.

Could my money be better spent on a bottle of Absolut? Tricky question.  If your skin tends to get oily and you need a primer, then the portability makes it worth it.  If you just want something to carry around to refresh your face throughout the day, there are cheaper products.  And if you want something that does it all, this is definitely a trade up from a bottle of Absolut.

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…).

Few girls have unlimited time to spend in front of the mirror every morning – most of us are battling for that precious ten minutes of bathroom time with roommates or siblings. But a lack of time is no excuse for tired, puffy eyes and messy hair!

Invest in products that do more than one thing, saving you time, money, and space in your makeup bag. Here are the ones we can’t live without:

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eyeliner, Eye Shadow, & Highlighter - $8.95 at drugstores

This 3-in-1 tool is all you need for everyday gorgeous eyes. The applicator has two color-coordinated shadows that are specially formulated to enhance your eye color (you can pick from  four different color combination). One end features a pointed tip for lining and contouring, the other end a rounded tip for shadowing and highlighting. For a product that does so much, the price can’t be beat!

Sephora Brand Double-Ended Perfect Complexion Brush - $35 at Sephora

Apply your powder foundation with this pretty pink brush, then flip it around and use the other end to put on cream concealer. This tool is a splurge, but it’s easy to use and creates a near-flawless look using cream, liquid, and powder products.

Benefit Posietint - $28 at Sephora

This universally-flattering sheer pink stain can be used on both cheeks and lips. The color blends easily and looks very natural. We loved the way it made our cheeks look lightly flushed while giving our lips the perfect hint of pretty color.

Mark Hook Ups – $5.50 or $8 each at meetmark.com

We love Mark Hook Ups because you can customize them in thousands of ways. Pick the two products you want to be connected (make up products like lip gloss and mascara are $5.50, skin care products like eye gel and blemish treatments are $8) and get a free connector. Our favorite combination is the Winkstick Hook Up Eye Shadow Stick and the Scandalash Hook Up Mascara because together they made our eyes pretty and natural-looking.

I’m kind of in love with personalization. Whenever I spot a monogram, I’m instantly taken back to memories of elementary school–naps, milk and cookies, frilly dresses and labeled everything. Backpack, clothing, and blanket included. Not only was this trend adorable, it was also insanely helpful when you left your beach bag at the pool or your mittens on the bus. If it had your initials on it, you could get it back.

Obviously, this is the perfect feature to apply to a college-friendly accessory.

This is where The Little Letter steps in. The company provides “unique personalized gifts” for babies, children, and adults. For a monogram lover, the adult offerings are to die for. Chic jewelry, cozy robes, and cute clutches can all be personalized with your initials. My favorite offering from the site, however, happens to be their Emma Cosmetic Case.

The Emma ranges in price from $30-62, depending on your style choices, and girl, you get to pick everything. We’re talking the size of the bag, fabric, monogram fabric and color, and monogram format. There are over 100 different fabrics to choose from! Personalization to the max! Plus, the bag is coated with clear vinyl so it’s easy to clean and won’t stain. No one will have anything like it, and because your initials are on it, your roommate can’t take it and claim it as her own when everyone tells her how cute it is (like she did with your favorite tube top, your American Apparel deep V tee, and that brownie your mom sent you…)

Personally, (hee hee) I’m going to be adding some lower-school nostalgia to my back-to-campus shopping list with help from The Little Letter!

Usually I hate when things happen ahead of season, like when Halloween stuff starts popping up in August, or when Christmas decorations are everywhere in September.  In general it is just plain wrong.  I don’t need a blow up outdoor Santa snow globe before Halloween has even passed.  Actually, I don’t need one of those at all.  Ever.

However, there’s one thing that I don’t mind arriving a wee bit early, and that’s next season’s makeup trends (or any fashion for that matter); it’s never too early to look into/play around with the new fall colors.

Now’s the time to get your makeup bag ready for fall and I’m here to help. You should be glad I’m not actually there with you, because I’d be trying on every lip gloss you got and curling my eyelashes instead of really helping. But I digress. I’ll tell you what to keep, what to toss, and what to buy for Back To School season.

You don’t have to do it right now (obviously), but just keep your eye out for the colors of fall and prepare yourself to part with the makeup of the summer.

First of all, it’s a good idea to clean out your makeup bag every season.  Check things for expiration dates and think back to the last time you used a product.  Check out these tips to find out how long you should keep mascaras, shadows, and lip glosses.

Once you’ve cleared out the cakey makeup you bought for the 7th grade play or the chunky glitter you used for a middle school dance, you can take a look at more recent cosmetics.  This summer was big on blue hues and light tones, but these are inappropriate for the fall.  Put those puppies somewhere safe (and cool – you don’t want them growing any bacteria), and take your nude tones while you’re at it. The fall is all about dark colors.

Don’t have any dark tones? It’s time to get some in hues like purple, berry tones, and black. To start incorporating these colors into your collection, check out some of these products:

Purple: Pick a deep plum color and use as a liner for a subtle effect, or sweep over your whole lid for a more dramatic effect.  If you choose a powder shade, like this one from Bare Escentuals in Legit, you can use it now for light color layers and then pile it on wet in the fall for a darker, more dramatic look.

Berry: Gone are the nude lips of summer, and deep berry colors are in.  This is a pretty big switch from the natural look of the summer so don’t test this out too early.  When the summer fades away, keep the rest of your look light and try out a bright berry like this one from NARS in Russian Doll.

Black: Thick black eyes are going to be in style for an intense night look.  Try this cream eyeliner pot from Smashbox and use it as a thick eyeliner by sweeping it over your upper and lower lash line.  Fall is going to be especially dramatic with bold black being used on lids – not just lash lines – so don’t be afraid to use black as a shadow.