Five Products: Finals Week

It’s that time of year again and no, I’m unfortunately not talking about the holidays; Let’s face it, if you’re a student you won’t have a reason to celebrate until your dreaded week of finals is finally over! These past few weeks, late nighters, study sessions, and group projects have probably begun to take over your calendar, causing you to cut your beauty regimen short in the mornings, or even all together skipping it. Well, don’t you fret because I’m here with five beauty products to get you through this week while still looking put together and staying on schedule!

1. Eye cream– Sleep deprivation becomes most apparent under the eyes. In order to fake sleep, start by using a refreshing eye cream to prep the under eye area for concealer.  This particular sample I have comes in a pot, so apply the product with a clean, small concealer brush to avoid contaminating the product with your fingers.
2. Orange tinted lip balm + Concealer– As a design major, color theory is almost ingrained into my conscious. That said, the opposite color of those dark blue circles is orange. However, matching a color correcting concealer for all skin tones can be difficult, so I use a slightly unorthodox method to combat tired eyes. Start by applying a swipe of tinted lip balm in an orange shade (a more readily available and less specialized product) to the area to counteract the cool tones of the bags and work in with your ring finger. Make sure it is a tinted lip balm so that color is not too concentrated that it will just be completely orange under your eyes. Then, finish off with a concealer a shade lighter than your skin tone to bring illumination to the area.
3. Cream/Gel blush– This product is multi-use and perfect for making up for time in a pinch since no tools are necessary. Simply swipe a bit onto the apples of your cheeks and over your lips with clean fingers to add a bit of color and perk up your face in seconds!
4. Highlighter– One of my favorite products, I love highlighter for it’s versatility and ability to instantly elevate a look almost effortlessly. Swirl a medium sized fluffy face brush in the product and in one swoop, dust the product quickly over the eyelids, under the brow bone, on the high points of the cheek and on the cupid’s bow above the lip to instantly bring light to your face.
5. Dry shampoo– This product is a staple in almost every beauty junkie’s arsenal, but there is no better excuse to break it out than finals. Spritzing dry shampoo over the roots quickly before pulling it into a pony or messy bun after a long night of studying refreshes your hair, keeping it manageable until the end of the day.

Other notable mentions:

• Micellar water– Another multipurpose product, micellar water removes makeup, cleanses and tones skin; Bioderma is the most popular of these products. I don’t recommend this as an alternative to a proper skin care routine, however it will do the trick after a long night of studying when you just want to get into bed with a clean (for the most part) face. All other nights however, always remove makeup and wash your face!
• Facial spray– Facial mists tone the skin and add back moisture and minerals that it lacks when it does not have time to recharge overnight. They are the perfect pick-me-up to refresh a tired face.
• Stress relief candle– Combat stress by burning this aromatic candle while studying to ease tension and create a relaxing atmosphere.
• Rescue pastilles– An additional solution to anxiety, these rescue pastilles have an instant calming effect to alleviate worry on the spot.
• Self control app– If you’re anything like me, you could easily spend hours on the internet. This free download for Mac OS X allows you to temporarily block access to distracting sites for a specified time in order to remove temptations. (See FAQ for Windows options)

I hope you have found these quick tips helpful! However,  just know that all the specific products I use may not be suitable for you skin type, skin color, formulation or shade wise, but the ideas and principles remain the same. The key is versatility and good preparation so I encourage you to find what works best for you. Besides beauty, study hard and organize, drink plenty of water to combat all the caffeine, take breaks when you need it and believe in yourself because I believe in you! Good luck with finals, all!

All my love,

Megan