Makeup Bag Essentials

Whether its just a makeup bag you carry around campus or an emergency, overnight stash, the products you include in your cosmetics carrier should be well thought out. Here, I will give a list as to what I consider important from my own experiences.

As most of you probably know, having an even and fresh looking face is one of the most important aspects to consider when applying makeup. Think of your face as a clean canvas and your makeup as the paint you use to express yourself. That is why it important to carry a good concealer with you, as you can use this for emergency spot treatments yet not have to carry around a messy powder or liquid foundation. A concealer that comes in a tube and/or can be applied with a wand is best (try Revlon ColorStay Concealer).

Eyes are also important, but no one wants to worry about applying a complicated array of various shades of shadow the morning after a wild night! My first suggestion, to prevent the creasing of any eye shadow during the day, is to invest in a good base. This is one area where I wouldn't necessarily try to scrimp on cash, as that may also skim on quality. Instead, let yourself splurge on a MAC paint-pot or my holy grail for eye shadow bases, Urban Decay's "Primer Potion" (available at sephora.com). As for morning after eye makeup, I carry around a travel sized version of Benefit's "Bad Gal Lash" Mascara for full and luxurious lashes anywhere (also at sephora.com, $8.00). It's the perfect size to carry around and adds enough "oomph" to your eyes so that nothing else is really necessary, just make sure to coat both your top and bottom lashes!

Finally, the lips. A handy tip/trick is to find a shade of (preferably matte) lipstick that you can double as bot a lip AND cheek product! This can be easily done by just testing the blending ability of any lipstick on your hand at the store. One thing to be careful of when applying the lipstick to your cheeks is to not use too much product. Simply apply three dots of the lipstick onto your cheekbones and then blend using your fingers; nothing fancy there :)

Now, after applying the same lipstick lightly to your lips, take a clear gloss (try the one by NYC aka New York Color) and apply it to just the center of your bottom lip, the slightly blend. This will gives your lips the illusion of being more full and "juicy".

Hope my tips for what to carry in your makeup bag were helpful, see you again soon!

Review: Rimmel Glam Eyes Mascara

Hello Everyone!

Recently, I found myself running out of my beloved "Plush Lash" Mascara (by MAC Cosmetics). Although "Plush Lash" will always have my heart, I am not necessarily currently in the position to be spending $12 + on a mascara. And so, I took the bus downtown to the local drugstore and began my search for a suitable (and comparable?) mascara to try out in the mean time.

There were two things that I was looking for specifically in the beginning of my search: 1. I wanted a volumizing mascara, and 2. I was looking for cheap! These two criteria brought my attention to Rimmels "Glam Eyes" Mascara. The product claimed to increase lashes volume by up to 70% and was on sale for a mere $5.99, not to mention the packaging is abesolutely adorable :)

Anyways, I decided to give the mascara a try. The first time I applied it, I was a bit skeptical about the flimsy looking plastic "brush", yet as I began to coat my lashes I loved the way it looked. Although I'd say this mascara does more lengthening than volumizing, one can achieve both by simply carefully adding more coats of the product (dont let it clump though!). I got the shade "Extreme Black", and the pigmentation lived up to its name. My lashes looked deliciously dark, just the way I like em'.

I have been using the mascara everyday since my purchase, and although I do not consider it my holy grail in the slightest, Rimmel's "Glam Eyes" Mascara is definetly usable, even likeable, for a cheap and college student/beauty queen approved cosmetic product!

Final Rating (out of 5): ****

HAPPY SHOPPING ;)

Welcome!

Hello Everyone :)

So this blog is part personal outlet and part career move. To explain this I will firs introduce myself:

My name is Mara, I was born in Southern California but am completing my first year of College in BC, Canada. An aspiring journalist, it is my dream to write for a fashion & beauty magazine so that I can discuss one of the things I love: MAKEUP!

Although I love me some MAC Cosmetics, simply adore NARS, and go crazy for Urban Decay, I am, in the end, the cliche broke college student. So, the real purpose of this blog is to showcase any great cosmetic deals I find all while specializing in keeping the college budget in mind.

Thanks for visiting and I hope to hear from you soon!