Money-Saving Beauty Tips!

Who doesn't love to save money? Personally, there's nothing I love more than a good deal, especially when it comes to buying new beauty products! Here are a few of my top tips for looking your best without breaking the bank!

1. Cross check coupons with drug store sales! If you spot a beauty coupon online or in your weekly newspaper, make sure to check the sales at your local CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, or other drug store! That particular brand might already be on sale, and you can normally stack manufacturer's coupons with store deals!

2. Use reward points to get more points. Stores like CVS and Walgreens offer reward programs where you can get money back to spend in store after buying certain items or spending a certain amount of money. If you use these bucks to score other deals that will also give you reward points, you can keep earning money back while spending only a little out of pocket.

3. Find multi-tasking items to start out your makeup kit. If you're a makeup newbie, instead of buying a huge variety of products all at once, stick with just a few that can be used all over the face. Bronzer and highlighter can double as eyeshadows, and lipstick can be used as blush. Or, find a makeup palette with some bronze and pink shades in it, so you can use it on the eyes and face! Then, slowly stock up to grow your collection!

4. Research, research, research! This is a biggie for me - I rarely buy any beauty product without doing a quick Google search first. That way, I have a better idea of how a product works, and I can better decide if it's worth buying or not. It can be really hard to tell if you're going to like a product just by starting at the packaging, so doing a bit of research first can save you from buying a dud!

XOXO,
Ally

Easy Tip for Wearable Glittery Eyes

One of my favorite ways to spice up my eye makeup and add a touch of glitter (while still being totally wearable!) is to use a black glitter liner! This one is by Collection, and has black glitter as well as some sparkly silver flecks. On top of a black liner, it adds a beautiful touch of glitter without being too over the top. I just apply my liquid liner as I normally would, and then once that dries, I go over it with the glitter. If you're a glitter lover, this is definitely a tip you should give a try!

XOXO,
Ally

Beauty Tips for College and Beyond - Part One: Skincare

Even if all you do is roll out of bed and head off to school or work in the morning, fresh, glowing skin can help you look flawless. Most people will have trouble with their skin at some point, and college life is not always kind to our faces. But there are a few simple things you can do to make sure you skin looks radiant all through college and beyond!

1. Take off your makeup at night. It sounds like a no-brainer, but there have been countless nights when I've gotten back to my dorm room late at night and all I've wanted to do was crawl into bed without bothering to wash my face. And if you wear foundation daily, going to sleep without taking it off on a regular basis can clog your pores and your complexion will suffer. So resist the temptation to fall asleep without first taking your makeup off, especially if you wear a lot of foundation.

2. Drink plenty of water. My favorite way to make sure I get enough water daily is to fill up my purple-college-logo Nalgene bottle twice a day - that way, I can take water with me to class or the library, and I know exactly how much I need to drink per day. Of course, you can drink your water out of whatever container you want, but make sure you stay hydrated and your skin will stay glowing!

3. Don't stress. It sounds impossible, especially in college. But you can reduce your stress levels by getting work done well before it's due, and making sure to take breaks while you work. And if you feel yourself starting to get overwhelmed, step back for a moment, go for a walk to clear your head, and come back to your work refreshed. You'll be much calmer, and it will be much easier to focus - plus, you can prevent breakouts by keeping your stress levels low!

Five Beauty Tips for College Students

... or for anyone else! No, of course you don't have to be a college student to utilize these beauty tips - but if you are in college, believe me when I say that they help.

1. Practice, practice, practice - Ok, I'm not saying you need to devote hours a day to practicing every new look you want to try out. But if the opportunity presents itself, take it! If you're going to a friend's party on Saturday night and you want to look extra fabulous, use Friday night as a chance to practice the look you want and test it out in a situation where you're not so concerned about getting it right. Or play with your hair the night before - when you wake up, it may not look exactly the same, but the less you have to do to your hair in the morning, the better. Those drunk fraternity brothers probably don't care about how nicely you blended out your crease shade - so try out a new technique the next time you're going somewhere dimly lit with plenty of drunk people, and you'll be prepared the next time you need to wear that same look around people who are actually sober.
   
2. Make your makeup go further - I'll admit it, there are days where I re-do my makeup three or four times, and not because it fades. It's because I have my 'I just woke up for my 9 AM class and I'm too tired to wrap my brain around makeup' look, my 'I'm back from class and I'm actually awake enough to apply mascara' look, my 'I'm going out and need to wear half of my makeup collection at once' look ... the list goes on. So finding looks that can easily transition from "morning" to "day" to "night," or any combination of the three, will save you time and frustration. Add some dark colors in the crease and go a little heavier on the eyeliner, and a neutral day eye can turn into a night look in no time. That's not to say that you can never experiment with different makeup styles, but if you're pressed for time, a quick fix may be all you need.
   
3. Only splurge if you can convince yourself you love it - Everyone has their go-to, tried-and-true, expensive makeup products. I'm a sucker for MAC eyeliners and Bare Minerals foundation, even though I know that there are plenty of imitators available in drugstores for much less. But if I'm going to splurge on an expensive item, I make it something I can't live without, and something I know I love. If you don't have the money to impulse-buy gimmicky products, make it a rule to never buy anything on impulse.. Go for products you know and love, and give the new products a chance to stew in your mind. If you're trying out a nude lip or blue eyeshadow for the first time, go for the drugstore brands first before you shell out big money for an expensive product that may not work for you. And if you can convince yourself that it's a product you absolutely love, there's nothing wrong with splurging on something special every once in a while.
   
4. Expand your makeup repertoire - All last semester, I had a class that started at 9 AM. On a good day, I would roll out of bed at around 8:30 - and trust me, I was never happy about it. After shuffling around my room in the dark and trying to get some half-assed skincare done in the bathroom (which usually included splashing my face with cold water and then falling asleep on my feet while staring at my reflection), I was never in the mood to drag out my entire makeup collection and create a immaculately blended look from scratch. Instead, I would just rock my go-to morning eye look, which mostly consisted of a plain nude lid, a touch of brown eyeliner, and some mascara. It was a look that I could do in a second and a half, as well as in very dim lighting (because waking up my roommate that early was not a good idea at all). The more makeup routines you have down - ones that you could do backwards and with your eyes closed - the easier and quicker your mornings will be.
   
5. Don't be afraid to experiment - It's a scary thought, but for most people, college is the last four years before we all go out into the real world. That's not to say that you can't play around with your hair and makeup once you're in the real world, but the reality of the situation is that there are plenty of careers where blue and yellow eyeshadow may not be appropriate. So enjoy college while you can, and don't be afraid to express yourself through your makeup. Believe me when I say that now is the time that you can get away with anything.
   

XOXO, Ally