With the start of a new academic year, I figured it’d be nice to write about my must-have beauty products—the items every student absolutely needs in their makeup bag. Of course, some lectures and seminars are online now thanks to COVID-19, but that’s no excuse not to try and not look our best or just not bother making an effort. Dressing up, even if it’s just swiping on some mascara, really makes all the difference.
1. Chanel les beiges healthy glow sheer powder:
One of my holy grail face powders!
You can use this product to lightly brush over the face, set your foundation or even retouch/top up throughout the day. I usually use it on its own during summer when I can’t be bothered for full-coverage makeup, or to set my t-zone and under eyes. It adds an extra natural, gorgeous glow to your complexion, or a more radiant and a healthy glow when worn over foundation.
A cheaper alternative to this powder can be the maybelline fit me matte+poreless powder or the L’Oreal true match face powder
2. Armani Luminous Silk foundation:
A favourite for every day wear. For base products, I’m a firm believer in investing in the more pricey products, as it seamlessly blends into your skin and, personally, I find it to photograph better.
Luminous Silk is a fabulous foundation, which can be sheered down for lighter coverage or built up for medium/full coverage. I use this as my “every day” foundation, especially during summer. (Except I ended up getting extremely tanned this summer from sitting in the garden for hours, so I didn’t bother wearing foundation!)
I purchased it from John Lewis, shade matching myself by comparing my other foundation shades to beauty gurus and influencers. For reference, I am NC37/40 in MAC, shade 8 in Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation and Barcelona in NARS Sheer Glow. You can also find more foundation shades on Findation.
A high street dupe for Luminous Silk is the L’Oreal True March foundation, or the Maybelline Fit Me dewy + smooth.
3. Sleek’s trio blush palette, Sugar,
…is STUNNING.
It is one I have repurchased countless times and it’s my favourite of all blushes! It is extremely extremely pigmented, so all you need is a very light hand and a fluffy brush to dust it across your cheeks!
I tend to sweep it across my cheeks, not just the part that lifts up when you smile (the apple of your cheeks?), as I feel it looks weird when you’re not smiling. (Putting a tiny bit on your nose changes up the whole game.) I do love majority of Sleek’s products, their eyeshadow palettes are also great for beginners (and even professional kits.)
4 & 5. Lastly, we have the Maybelline Colossal Big Shot Mascara + Nyx Waterproof Vinyl Liquid Liner.
These products are ones I cannot live without, especially the eyeliner.
The eyeliner glides on so smoothly and is so dark (I use the waterproof version of both eyeliner and mascara.) — it is also easy to wipe off if you mess up, and I find it easy to create a wing, whether I want it to be small and cute or big and dramatic. The mascara makes my lashes look like falsies, elongating them til they look like wispy feathers; just how I like it. If I had to choose just two makeup products, I’d go for these two. They’re amazing and undefeated.
I haven’t really added lipsticks onto the list, as I’m constantly swapping between Nudes and Reds, but what I would recommend is NYX lip lingerie seduction, which is such a gorgeous nude shade, and MAC taupe. For red shades, MAC Ruby Woo is utterly gorgeous, as is Bourjois rouge edition velvet Grand cru.
