Clean and Polished

There are some days when you want to go to school in sweats and a sweatshirt and call it good. Trust me, I know how it feels to stay up till midnight finishing homework and then waking up at 6am to get ready for school. While, I don’t think you need to spend an hour everyday getting ready for school, I do think looking clean and polished is important.

I don’t agree with students with wear pajamas to school (I mean unless it’s Pajama day at school). A school is a public setting where you are working with your teachers and your peers, your appearance should reflect who you are as a person. While some people say appearance doesn’t matter, it truly does. When walking in a job interview, a manager won’t want to hire a person wearing pajamas, but rather a person wearing business attire. Though school is definitely not a job interview, it is still a place where others will base an opinion on you based off of what you wear. That’s why I think it’s extremely important to at least look clean and polished when going to school.

I’m not saying you should never sweatpants or a sweatshirt to school ever. Even I am a victim of throwing a sweatshirt on and leaving for school if I’m in a hurry. But I do think that everyone should strive to look well dressed for most of the time they go to school. That doesn’t mean curling your hair and wearing a dress everyday, but putting on a cute blouse with a pair of leggings is just as easy! Dressing nice doesn’t mean taking a lot of time, it just means looking, well, more fashionable I guess. If you are having trouble looking for cute alternatives, have no fear! Here are some easy ways to make your outfit cuter, yet take less time.

-Leggings are my best friend. They are extremely comfortable and can still make a outfit look sophisticated and stylish. These look great on any body shape and you can pair them with literally anything. I pick leggings over jeans because they are much more comfortable and it looks like you still put in the same amount of effort.

-Beanies can turn a bad hair day into a cute, hip accessory. I know the days where your hair just can’t cooperate with you, so just put on a beanie! It covers everything right up!

-Sweatshirts don’t have to be boring sports teams or the vacation you went to last spring. They can have cute designs and styles! Stores like Loft, Banana Republic, and Express sell comfy sweatshirts that still look extremely fashionable with its intricate beading, unique stitching, and patterns. So instead of putting on a boring sweatshirt, put on a sweatshirt that has more bling!

The Importance of Primer

I recently just had my Prom and it was truly an unforgettable night. Putting on your dream dress, taking pictures, dancing with your friends, and sharing the night with your date are just the few great things about prom night. But of course there’s always the fear that your dress is too big, the pictures don’t turn out the way you want them to, your makeup smears off, and god forbid, if your date leaves you. While I’m not sure if I can make sure your date doesn’t ditch you, I do know a solution that makes your makeup stay on all night. If you want your makeup to stay on all day and not smudge, use a primer. No, not a paint primer, but a makeup primer. Before you put on foundation, spray on a makeup setting spray or a foundation primer to ensure that your foundation can stay on all day. Before you apply your eyeshadow, be sure to first apply an eyeshadow primer to the eyeshadows can stick to your eyelids and not smudge.

 But what kind to use? My favorite foundation primer is the Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray. This setting spray is super easy to use, just spray it on your face 2-3 times and you are done. And since it’s a clear spray, it won’t change your foundation color in any way as well. What makes the All Nighter different from other primers is that you can also spray it on after you applied your makeup to ensure that your makeup will not budge, but also give your foundation a natural dewy finish and not a cakey, powdered finish. From my personal experience, this setting spray can make your foundation stay on day. I first spray a few spritz of the All Nighter before I apply foundation, then I conceal and powder to finish my foundation. Because some powders can make your face look extremely cakey, I then spray on All Nighter again to get a nice natural finish to your makeup. The only downside to the Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray is that it is on the expensive side (costs $30), but I think it’s a much better investment than buying more foundations and powders! For eyeshadow primers, I also recommend the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. This will not budge; I used it for Prom last night and my eyeshadow stayed in place even after being all hot and sweaty after the dance!

The secret to having makeup staying put all day is a good makeup primer. Test different kinds out to see which brands and types of primers work best for your skin. Once you find your favorite primer, you won’t ever have to worry about redoing or touching up your makeup because it won’t fade or smear off!