One of the most enjoyable aspects of going to university is going out, having a few drinks and making new friends. However this can also mean lots of late nights and hungover mornings. Let’s be honest, when you feel like your life is on the brink of ending the last thing on your mind is make-up. But when you have a 9am lecture and don’t want to look like Caspar the not-so-friendly ghost for it, a little make-up can literally save face. Only got ten minutes to get ready? No problem.
1) Keep it High-Coverage: Alcohol and lack of sleep make the skin dull and lifeless, so the easiest way to counteract that is with a high-coverage foundation. You don’t have to cake it on, just apply a layer with a sponge or blending brush and really buff the product into the skin to perk yourself up. This way, you can skip out on concealer, primer and even powder if you use a matte-finish product. Maybe you’ll even have time for a bowl of Coco Pops if you’re lucky.
2) Don’t skip on blusher: The only glow you’ll have this morning will be from last night’s UV paint, so a pop of colour on your cheeks is guaranteed to make you look alive. Cream-to-powder blushers like Head Over Heels from Topshop will last all day on the skin and look like a natural flush. Keep your colour choices neutral. A smidge of bright pink or peach is best as anything too dramatic may look like you’ve kept last night’s face on.
3) Eye shadow is not a necessity: If you’re in a rush, feeling delicate and generally haven’t got the energy to do anything then eye shadow is your last priority. However, if you feel like you need a bit of something, a cream eye shadow like the Rimmel Scandaleyes eye shadow paints are brilliant. Simply paint the product on the eye and use your finger to smudge it a little. However if you can’t be bothered, just stick with Mascara. It makes your eyes look bright and awake and lifts the entire face. Don’t poke yourself in the eye though – there is no pain like it.
4) Tinted Eyebrow Gels are your best friend: As The House Bunny once said: “Eyebrows are the nipples of the face.” Nobody is expecting you to give your best brow game post-freshers, but tinted eyebrow gels are a girl’s best friend in these situations. Opt for something like the Benefit Gimme Brow or the Maybelline Brow Drama to tame your brows into an acceptable shape and add a little colour to fill in sparse areas. It takes 30 seconds and makes you look so much more put together.
5) Go bright or go home: If you have less than five minutes, this tip makes a tonne of difference. A bright lipstick has the ability to make you look like you spent a lot of time and effort on your make-up, even though you quickly shoved it on when you were on the bus. Lipstick can be difficult to apply when you have the shakes, can’t control your limbs and ache all over though, so I’d suggest a bright coloured lip balm or lip butter. I love the Revlon Lip Butters as they are very concentrated in colour, easy to apply and improve the condition of your chapped lips.