Even I, a self-proclaimed beauty junkie, often get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of beauty tools available out there. It’s hard to not buy every. single. one you see, especially when there areso many different kinds with colored bristles and pretty handles calling to you. But don’t give in! Not only will you end up with a bunch of stuff you don’t need, but you’ll end up with a bunch of really expensive stuff you don’t need (some brushes can be over $50 each!).

To help you look flawless and keep some extra money in your pocket, I’ve rounded up the 10 essential tools that every girl needs in her beauty arsenal. You get these little guys and you’re good to go.

That being said, it’s not necessary to have all of these tools!  These are just ones that I use most frequently and that I think are worth picking up.  Also, many of my tools are from Sephora or high-end brands, but that doesn’t mean you need to purchase from there!  While higher end brand tools typically last longer, I also have a ton of tools from budget-friendly brands like EcoTools and Sonia Kashuk.  I even use paintbrushes from the craft store!

Please don’t feel like you need to spend a ton of money on these products; this video is really just to show you the types of tools I recommend!

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 website and follow me on Twitter!

Got room for some condoms in there?

OK, so you have your bedding, your towels, and your laptop; you think you’re ready to move off for your freshman year of college. Before you go, though, there are a couple of things that a freshman might not think to bring that will make dorm life a million times easier.

Take it from me, after 2 years in the dorms, I have this down to a science. Make room in those duffels, people; there are ten more things you’re going to have to squeeze in there.

#1 Tool Box
Yes, seriously, a tool box. My freshman year roommate had a brilliant aunt who bought her a mini tool kit as a high school graduation present (it was pink and girly). We used that thing more than anything else in the room. Yes, even our TV. Your bike break? A nail fall out of that little nightstand you bought from Ikea? Your ex leave something valuable at your place and you want to smash it? (JK….sorta.) You’ll have everything you need in that little box. Guys down the hall even borrowed our tools, so it’s even a social item!

#2 Condoms
This should just be common sense. Even if you don’t plan on having sex in college, you seriously never know what will happen, so be smart and prepare! The best part is that this one you don’t really even need to buy; most schools give them away for free at the student health center, so hop on over there and stock up.

#3 Duct Tape
This one is along the same lines as #1; it pretty much fixes anything. But beyond that, there’s some awesome stuff you can do with duct tape for really cheap room decor! I’ve seen everything from duct tape vases to closet doorway “beads.”

#4 Oven Mitt
Believe me when I say the stuff that you make in your little dorm microwave is HOT. I’ve burned my fingers on too many Easy Mac bowls to not give this as advice. Save your fingers, get a mitt!

#5 Febreeze
Whether you ran out of clean clothes and don’t have time (or quarters) for laundry, you spent the night at a frat party surrounded by drunk smokers, or you’ve been doing your own smokin’ in the dorm room and don’t want the R.A. to find out, Febreeze will save the day every time.

#6 Mini-Vacuum
Probably my dumbest move of freshman year was getting a navy blue rug. That sucker showed every.single.spec.of.dirt.EVER. I ended up buying a little, mini-vacuum for $10 and it was soooo handy, and not just for the rug. Or all those times I spilled Rice Krispies. Without being able to open windows, dust gathers much faster in a dorm room. It was a life saver for my allergies.

#7 First Aid Kit
Make your mom happy and get a small thing of Band-Aids, aspirin, triple antibiotic ointment, and various other helpful items. You’re not going to be invincible; you will get cuts and scrapes…and hangovers. This will be your best friend until the end.

#8 Message Board for Your Door (with an attached marker!)
This is crucial if you have a roommate. You will most likely go days without seeing each other with all the studying, classes, and late night activities you’ve got going on. This is the best way to keep in touch with a hectic schedule. My roommate and I always had a “code drawing” so that if we had a guy in the room, we’d draw it and the other roommate would know to vacate the premises. It’s also great to leave each other nice messages to cheer each other up!

#9 Book Light
Yeah, desk lamps are great, but one you can clip on to your book is even better. Roommates often live on opposite schedules and you must prepare for that. My freshman year roommate always studied when I was trying to sleep, and my sophomore roommate always slept when I studied. It really makes everyone happy when you just get a mini book light. You can see what you’re reading, and your roommate won’t be disturbed.

#10 Sewing Kit
Buttons fall off. Clothes rip. Costumes need jerry-rigging. So much stuff can be fixed with a needle and thread. Fortunately, I worked in the theater department’s costume shop my freshman year and learned how to sew. If you don’t know how, find someone who does and get a quick lesson before you head off to college. Then pack this tiny life saver. Hell, it might even be a form of income; the guys next door to me would pay me to fix their stuff for them. Beautiful.

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.

Sure, it seems overwhelming; sure, sometimes you want to break down and cry; but at the end of the day, you love what you do, and you’re proud of the fact that you can accomplish an exponential amount more than most mortals. And you know that everything you do will benefit you in the long run.

I love to feel useful, so it’s always been hard for me to say “no” to picking up an extra shift, or doing an extra project. When I was in high school, I worked part time, was active in drama club, cheerleading, amnesty international, gay/straight alliance, dance classes, and, senior year, I edited the yearbook. And I did it all while making honor roll each semester. In college, I wasn’t so active in extra-curriculars, but I held down two restaurant jobs, took a full course load, and partied my face off, while making Dean’s List. You can call me a nerd; I just think I have a severe case of ADHD that’s never been officially diagnosed.

That said, Wonder Woman, I know the meaning of stress, and I know the importance of staying organized. Here are some of my own personal life-saving tips.

1. Write everything down.

In fact, write everything down multiple times. I feel relaxed just by rifling through my brain and coming up with a list of what needs to get done, and when. Carry a planner, so you don’t have to rack your brain if someone asks what you’re doing Saturday, November 15 at 3:30 p.m. Tape a list of upcoming homework assignments next to your bed, and cross off each completed task when you’re finished. Instead of doodling during a boring lecture, write the list over again, and come to grips with what projects are the most urgent (eg. you need to start them NOW).

2. Use every minute of free time.

Have a half-hour break between classes? Email your professor while you scarf that bagel. Do that “busy-work” assignment that’s been in the back of your head – the one that’s so simple you can’t bring yourself to start it. Lunch break at work? Bring your English book and read a chapter instead of gossiping in the smoking lounge (and by smoking lounge, I obviously mean that obscure space outside the back door where everyone huddles around a butt can). You’d be surprised how much you can get done in little intervals… and you might even find that you’ve suddenly got a large interval of time to spare.

3. Condense Your Tools.

When you’re on the go, forgetting one thing can ruin your day and cause a mega-meltdown. Instead of having a folder, a binder, and a notebook for each class, get a five-subject notebook and one of those accordion folders with dividers for handouts. You’ll only need to grab the same two things each day. Plus, instead of having an assignment book, a date book, and all that fancy shmancy stuff, grab a planner that has a section for everything you might need, all in one. Still not efficient enough? Try…

4. Using Technology to Your Advantage.

My favorite tool on my Macbook? The “Stickies” application. I have notes open (in all different colors, of course), for my banking and credit card info, upcoming assignments, important email addresses, etc. As long as you have your computer, you’ll never lose them or accidentally throw them out; they’re easier to manage than rifling through a hundred pages to find one reminder; and they can conveniently disappear behind your Microsoft Word or Firefox windows, OR you can set them as a “floating window” so they’re always visible. Blackberries, iPhones, and other digital instruments can work to your advantage, and send you preset reminders so you never forget.

5. Stay clean.

This is the most difficult for me, a self-proclaimed slob and packrat. But if your papers are all over your desk, you’re not going to find your Spanish notes before the exam. Hell, even if your clothes are scattered on the floor, you might freak out if you can’t find the blouse you just NEED to wear for your business class presentation. Knowing where everything is, and how to locate it will make things a thousand times easier for you, and, in a crunch, you can probably get help from your roommate, friend, or a family member (such as when you’re stuck in bumper to bumper traffic but have to hand in an essay in twenty minutes, and your dear, sweet, darling roommate agrees to find your USB stick, print your essay on her computer, and meet you outside your dorm to pass it off as you spring to your deadline).

6. Plan ahead.

Finished everything for today? It might be easy to crash on the couch and watch SoapNet reruns for hours, just so you don’t have to think. But then you might be stressed again tomorrow. Look at your calendar, and see if there’s anything you can get a jump start on, or anything you can work on now to give yourself time to party like a rockstar on Saturday. Forcing yourself to work when you’re beat might seem like cruel and unusual self-discipline, but as a fellow workaholic, I can affirm: we did this to ourselves.

7. Take Time to Recharge.

Sure, I just said to plan ahead. And you should, if you’re up for it. But if you can barely keep your eyes open, it’s time for a nap; even if you still have one more little thing to do today. Running yourself into the ground will have drastic consequences, including sloppy work and a bitchy attitude. Besides, if you are a stellar multi-tasker, you’ll learn to plan ahead your time to recharge. Look at your calendar- if you know you have back-to-back midterms, a twenty-page paper due, and a monthly meeting, it won’t kill you to take a shift off from work. Or, if you’re on top of your game in class, you can use your free skip day when you know you won’t be missing much, and rest up with little guilt. People as busy as we are can appreciate every minute of free time, so if you treat yourself to an unexpected break, even a half-day can feel like a million years.

These are my own personal tricks to staying collected even when I feel like I’m on the brink of erupting in a volcano of anxiety. On the bright side, the waves of stress come and go, I’m NEVER bored, and at the end of the day, I can sit back and see a variety of products that I made happen. People ask me if I’m on crack, and I’m not. Just a billion milligrams of caffeine. And I wouldn’t change my lifestyle for the world.

How do all the other supergirls of the world deal with their hectic schedules?

[Photo courtesy of www.crystalcreekproducts.com]

But Georgie isn’t the only brilliant inventor out there; there are tons of kitchen thingies that will change your life.

I’ve compiled a list of cooking gadgets you don’t realize you need, but that is only because you haven’t used them yet. Forget DVR; these things are the best inventions since sliced bread.

1) I love corn on the cob, but I absolutely refuse to eat it unless someone cuts it off the cob for me. And since the only person who loves me enough to cut the corn off the cob for me is my dad, I don’t often get to enjoy it. But now that this gadget has been introduced into my life, I’m going to start eating it at every single chance I get! The corn on the cob stripper is the perfect dad replacement. If only it also gave me money…

2) I was never really very good at math (“What do I need to know that for?!”), which sometimes makes it pretty difficult to cook. But with these towels, my lack of knowledge doesn’t matter at all; they tell me how many tablespoons are in a cup, how many cups are in a pint, and even precisely how much a pinch is (1/16 teaspoon). The towels also happen to dry my hands and dishes – how convenient!

3) I’m still a bit confused as to how this gadget works, but I do know I enjoy eating crunchy cereal, and with this cereal bowl it is now possible. The Eat Me Crunchy cereal bowl has a shelf, which works to hold the cereal above the milk. Then there’s a section of the bowl where you can mix the cereal with the milk right before you’re ready to take a nice crunchy bite. You’ve complained about eating soggy cereal for years, ut you never bothered to take the time to think of a solution. Luckily, somebody else did it for you.

4) There’s nothing in the world I love more than peanut butter. And there’s nothing I hate more than when all the oil floats up to the top of the container (blech). With “Grandpa Witmer’s Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Mixer,” I don’t have to worry about this anymore! Just screw it onto the top of your peanut butter jar, turn the crank, and your peanut butter will mix right up. Really, though, if it’s so “old fashioned,” where has it been all my life?? Oh well, I’m just happy it’s here now.

5) Wait, I lied. There is one thing I love more than peanut butter: ice cream! And if you no longer have a college meal plan, you are going to die over this kitchen essential. Ask anyone the best part of eating in the dining hall and they’ll tell you, without a doubt, the soft serve machine. I used to end every meal with a large dish of soft serve (with all the appropriate toppings), but now that I actually have to walk down the street to the ice cream shop and use my own money to pay for it, I just don’t get it as much as I want to. If only I could make it in my house… Now I can with the Cuisinart soft serve machine! There is even a little area for toppings! Be still my heart. Cuisinart, you complete me.