So I know that not all girls like wearing makeup, but for recruitment we need to look like we're going on a first date. If you are a girl who doesn't wear makeup and don't like to wear makeup I would suggest at least these three things: concealer that matches your skin tone, mascara, and some kind of tinted lip balm. Typically for recruitment we expect a lot more; meaning foundation, full eye-makeup, and blush. Here's a list of all the things that you should need with high end and drugstore options that I personally like.
1. Foundation
I wouldn't recommend wearing foundation without a primer just because a primer will give you a nice smooth surface. I really like The PoreFessional by Benefit ($31, you can get a mini for $10) and a good dupe for this is Maybelline's Baby Skin ($7).
Now for foundation it really depends on the person. There are many different finishes that foundation comes in, ex: matte, satin, luminous, and natural. There's also a variety of coverage, varying between sheer, medium, and full. Then there's the options of formula; liquid, powder (loose or pressed), and cream. So it really needs to be a decision you make. My favorite foundation right now is the Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation ($36).
There are a lot of great options at the drugstore if you're on a budget; however, most of them are going to be liquid. Another option for girls on a budget is to go to Sephora and ask to get color matched to a liquid foundation and then ask for some samples to test out the foundation before you decide to actually purchase it. The sales associate can make you some samples of it and that could last you the three nights you would need it for recruitment.
When testing if a foundation matches your skin tone yourself, never test it out on your hand because your hand is not the same color as your face. Alway's test out a foundation on the side of your face because you don't want your face lighter/darker than the rest of your body.
2. Concealer
Concealer's important because it helps hide the places that need a little extra help. NARS Creamy Radiant Concealer is my favorite high end, while the Maybelline Dark Circle Eraser is my favorite drugstore. The Maybelline one doesn't have to be used just under the eye like the name suggests.
3. Blush
Blush make's your face look less dead by adding color to your cheeks! It's important to not go too heavy because you don't want to look clownish. My favorite blushes by drugstore brands are Milani and NYX. For high end, I like to look at Clinique, NARS, and Tarte.
Fun Fact: In the UK blush is called blusher.
4. Eyeshadow
When it comes to eyeshadow I would suggest using a shadow primer of some kind just to help make your shadow last longer. Right now I'm using NARS Pro-Prime.
Now for shadows, I typically go for high end just because the quality is so much better. My go to is the Naked 2 pallet by Urban Decay ($52). While these pallets seem expensive, you get so many eyeshadows it worth it even in a drugstore sense. Ex: In the Naked 2 pallet there are 12 shadows so each shadow is less then $5, which is about what you would pay for a good single shadow at the drugstore. Some other great high end brands for shadows are Too Faced and Lorac.
There are some good shadows at the drug store though. I like some of the Maybelline Color Tattoo's as well as the Milani Belle Gel Powder shadows and the Loreal Infallible shadows. Something that I've been loving is the Essence All About Nudes pallet which comes with 6 shadows and is only $5 and you can do an entire eye look.
5. Eyeliner
So with eyeliner there's many options to choose from. There's gel, liquid, and a pencil. To be honest, you don't even have to use eyeliner, you could just use a dark eyeshadow to carefully line your eyes and it would give a nice soft look to your eyes.
All of my favorite liners are going to be high end because when I look for an eyeliner it needs to be super water proof if I want it to last more than an hour. My top brands for eyeliner are Stila, Urban Decay, and Makeup Forever.
For recruitment just keep it simple and stick with either blown or black.
6. Mascara
Mascara can be a little over whelming because there's volumizing, lengthening and curling. Honestly, there hasn't been a mascara that has completely wowed me. You can get some mascaras at the drug store for less then $10 that are just as good as high end mascaras that are over $20. I really like Maybelline The Rocket and all of the Lash Blast line by Covergirl. If you're looking for a high end mascara, Urban Decay Perversion is a good one if you get the primer to go with it. As well as the Benefit They're Real!
7. Lipstick/gloss
There is not much to say about lipstick and gloss besides make sure the color looks good on you and that it's moisturizing. At the drugstore Covergirl, Maybelline and Revlon all make great lipsticks and glosses. Also, NYX makes my favorite lip glosses at a drugstore price. For high end, I would go for YSL, NARS, Bite or M.A.C.
8. False Lashes (Optional)
You don't have to do false lashes, but they can really make your eyes pop and they're really in style right now. For recruitment natural is good because they won't be too crazy but enough to make your lashes look fierce. I would recomend that beginners use accent lashes because these are really easy to put on. I wouldn't spend a lot of money on lashes because the cheap ones work just as well and can still be reusable. Ardel and Eyelur make some great lashes.
I hope this was helpful! Let's make recruitment awesome and welcome so many new girl into our chapter. I'll be posting another post this week about makeup. If you want to see any of the video's I was posting last semester I'll link the playlist
here.
Have a sparkly day!
