Top 5 Drugstore Beauty Products for Back to School

The Back to School series is back and I am so sorry for the delay. I've had a family emergency that's put things on hold the past few days but things are up and running once again. To reward y'all for your patience and the awesome response to the series so far stay tuned for a special bonus post coming soon.

When I think of Back to School Makeup I think "simple and affordable." So that is exactly what I wanted to bring to you today with this list of my Top 5 Drugstore Beauty Products that are specifically aimed for Back to School. All of these products are under $10 (some even under $5) and have been personally proven effective by your's truly. 

1.) You've gotta have a good base for your makeup and if you're anything like me you might be dealing with some breakouts going back to school. That's why I picked this lightweight but full coverage Flawless Finish Foundation from e.l.f. This is my favorite foundation-of-the-moment and you might have heard me mention it back in my One Brand, One Look post a couple of weeks ago. You don't want to go too heavy on the makeup in high school...save that for your club-hoppin' college days, kids...so this foundation is perfect for giving great coverage without getting too cakey and at $6 it is definitely a bargain. 

2.) I didn't actually start dealing with dark circles under my eyes until college but I can't even remember not compensating for them in my makeup routine so I've included my little miracle worker, Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind Eraser! This is definitely a holy grail beauty product for me and it is such a great lightweight but effective concealer that it is perfect for school too. The sponge tip applicator makes it super easy for beginners as well and at $7.99 it is a bit more pricey but won't break the bank.

3.) I was all about the powder back in high school. My oily acne-prone teenage skin practically demanded it but this next product probably could have kept me away from the compact so much. The Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder is my favorite powder to set and mattify my makeup as it is, key word of this post, lightweight but extremely effective. It's also easy to throw in your school bag just in case you think you might want to do a few locker mirror touch-ups.

4.) I had myself convinced that eye shadow was a mandatory part of my school uniform (not that I even wore a uniform to school but you get my drift) and this Wet n Wild Eyeshadow Trio makes eye makeup a breeze. I love Walking on Eggshells because the colors are neutral yet versatile while keeping things soft enough for a day of class. At $2.99 you'll save enough to keep you're growing collection going. :)

5.) In my opinion a makeup look is not complete without a touch of mascara. The e.l.f. 3-in-1 Mascara volumizes, lengthens, and defines you're lashes in one fell swoop making it super easy when you're running late for homeroom. Coming in at $3 makes it one of my absolute favorite drugstore mascaras, like ever. 

BONUS ITEM

6.) Yea, I know, I said Top 5 but who doesn't love a good bonus. Like I said before, I had oily skin in high school so I would have absolutely loved having this product on hand back then. The Rimmel Stay Matte Primer is my favorite way to prep my makeup to last all day and at just $7.99 it is way more affordable than some of those other primers everyone goes on and on about. Just throw this stuff on before applying your foundation and you'll see that not only does your makeup stay in place through 5th period but that oil slick that was your T-zone is no more. 

You can get money back when purchasing these products and more when you sign up for Ebates! (Up to 4% back if you used the highlighted links) For more information check out You've Gotta Know About...Ebates or click the link below!

Ebates Invite

Leave me a comment below letting me know your favorite drugstore beauty product for back to school!

I'd love to hear your suggestions.

until next time, 

xo

Merisa

Top 5 Back to School Essentials

This will be the first time in almost 20 years (holy crap!) that I will not actually be going back to school.

I can't decide if that's something to celebrate or wallow over but I have decided that it does make me somewhat of an expert at the whole back-to-school business seeing as I have been doing it for two decades (still not okay with how that sounds). So I've compiled a short & sweet list of my tried and true back to school essentials for y'all.

1.) Five Star Flex Hybrid NoteBinder

Paper is like a number one essential when you're heading back to school. You obviously need paper for your assignments but there's also endless amounts of paper being given to you through the day. I picked up this Five Star Hybrid of a notebook and a binder at the beginning of the first semester of my Junior year of college because it was literally the last notebook Wal-mart had...I was a little late to the school supplies game that year. It comes in some really great colors. Mine was actually Teal but this Pink one is really great and would look great with a monogram!

I loved the fact that it was part binder so I could add more loose leaf paper and even rearrange papers too. However, it's flexible and thin like a notebook and even comes with pocket dividers for all those papers that have yet to be hole punched. Something I didn't enjoy, however, was definitely the price. At $9.99 it seemed a bit extreme for a notebook at the time but I'll let you in on a secret that makes it totally worth it...this notebook lasted through 4 semesters and possibly could have gone longer but you know graduation got in the way. :)

2.) Fun and Comfortable Pens & Mechanical Pencils

You're going to be writing a lot in school...it's just a given. So you're going to need comfortable things to write with but it's always good to keep things fun and interesting too. I really like the Staedtler Triplus Fineliner Pens to color code my notes, you can pick up a 10 pack in assorted colors from Amazon. While the colors are really great to keep your own notes interesting and easy to read some teachers and professors actually prefer that you only use blue or black ink on assignments so these BIC Ballpoint Pens from Target are perfect because they even come with a bonus red pen for those fun moments when you get to grade each others papers. 

Target also has BIC Mechanical Pencils in an 8ct. pack for .99 cents which you can't go wrong with.

3.) Sticky Notes & Index Cards

Target has some really great supplies but I especially love really bright and colorful sticky notes to keep me on track. I also really like the sticky notes that are like a small notebook. I may or may not have plastered my dorm room in them during a harsh Constitutional Law study session. You'll always need index cards, they're an absolute must for any study session. 

4.) Planner/Agenda

There is no way that I could have made it through school without a planner by my side. I have loved the agendas from Lilly Pulitzer for years now (I'm on my third one!). The Lilly Pulitzer Agendas range in price from $17 for the small all the way up to $34 for the jumbo version. I've had the large one for the past two years and think it's the perfect size for me. I love the fun prints and just think it's great to be able to bring a little Lilly with me everywhere I'm going around school. 

For something that is similar in price but a bit more grown-up check out the Kate Spade Agendas, my favorite is the Medium in Gold Dots

If those are a little bit out of your price range, they definitely were for me before I started making my own money, Walmart has some really great, cheap planners that certainly get the job done.

5.) A Great Bag to Put It All In

We've gathered quiet the load of supplies thus far so of course you're going to need a really great bag to carry it all around. Personally I've noticed that I go through stages with my school bag. I was just too cool for a backpack in high school so I always carried tote backs to, well, tote my books around. You don't get a locker in college and sometimes you just don't want to make the trek back to your dorm room to grab a book in between classes so a back pack was definitely the way to go. Once my course load got lighter closer to graduation, I started carrying more purse like bags to class that could work when I brought it in to my internship too. 

I've listed some really great backpacks and bags below and even gave save & splurge options!

Backpack

Save: This Neff Scholar Tie Dye backpack is too cool and is definitely on trend with the pastel colors. You can opt to keep it class with this JanSport Coral Backpack that brings a pop of color to your school day.

Splurge: I was never one for Vera Bradley in school but this Vera Bradley Lighten Up Backpack in Ziggy Zags is cute without being that signature floral.

Bag

Save: You can definitely save a big buck and keep it Monogrammed Magnolia style with this Longchamp Inspired Monogrammed Tote on Etsy.

Splurge: What's more classic than a really great canvas tote? You can get the Vineyard Vines Stars Classic Tote  and pull a move along the lines of The College Prepster.

I absolutely love the School Satchel from TopShop and think it is the perfect option to keep things stylish and functional but also add in a pop of professionalism too.

I hope you've enjoyed my Top 5 Back-to-School Essentials! Leave a comment below telling me you're favorite thing about getting ready to go back to school.

until next time,

xo

Merisa