School Make Up Tips and Simple Hairstyle Ideas!

I'm back to school on the 26th of August.

When are you back?

That's less than two weeks of summer left! The break has been a lot better than I predicted, but I think I'm ready to go back to learning. The end of summer is always the quietest, and it makes me look forward to see my friends again and being organised with work... There's something about back to school time that gets me pumped, with the YouTube videos and the stationary shopping. School does take up roughly nine months of my year; it's a normality, and I love my school's atmosphere. That's not the same for everyone though. That's why I have an article on its way on positivity in school; a guide on being happy going back to working and having a fun year! Also, if you're a First Year in Ireland, I have another guide for you too to prepare you for secondary school life, coming soon!

Buuuuut, todaaay, I present to you a school make up advice and hair inspiration post. If you are thinking of wearing make up to school this year, even when you're not allowed, then my tips will hopefully be helpful. I love to look chic in school everyday, and that can be hard when you have a uniform, so hairstyles is an easy way to look fashionable.

Enjoy!

 For make up, less is more. Most schools in Ireland don't allow girls to wear make up. I wear make up to school some days because I enjoy putting it on, especially on bad skin days. If you have nice skin, and don't feel the need to apply cosmetics, then leave it if you like. Even when my skin is looking okay, I like to put some on; it helps me look more awake and refreshed (be gone those under eye circles!). I did a similar look to this last year but I did, and do, tend to use less make up on an everyday basis and to school, so this is more of my realistic make up look for school.

Always start with a good moisturiser.

Although I forget a lot (even when I was writing this blog post), I like starting with my eyes. Eye shadow can be tricky to wear for natural looking make up, but the Rimmel Scandal Eyes Eye Shadow pencil in Bad Girl Bronze, which is a fab, neutral shade, is perfect for blending.

Next, mascara. Again, I find mascara hard to pull off with natural make up, and it cannot be trusted for sport and P.E. No one likes to look like a racoon. So only occasionally, I use mascara, but to me it is not a necessity. For you, if mascara is important, try waterproof, like Maybelline's mascaras. And get your friends to check on you every now and then during P.E. to make sure your mascara hasn't shifted south!

The most I do to my eyebrows is slick on the Maybelline Brow Drama Brow Mascara in Dark Blond. I've heard lots and lots not to pluck eyebrow hairs, but I only pluck in between very carefully, and no where else. Eyebrows are important to shape your face, so don't go crazy; bold brows are in!

I usually skip foundation or BB cream and head straight for concealer. I struggle to blend make up down my neck in a rush in the morning and would hate to be spotted with foundation lines, so concealer is a quick and easy step to cover up those pesky spots and tired eyes. I used the Rimmel London Match Perfection Concealer in Ivory.

Powder is a must to set my concealer and helps it last a while. The Rimmel London Transparent Stay Matte powder is a great choice. To be completely honest, I don't mind if my make up slips away the tiniest bit and those imperfections on my face are revealed; it does happen, particularly after P.E. or sport, like field hockey for me. I usually don't bring make up in to school to touch up, but if you'd like to, fire ahead.

I love wearing blush, as it brightens my complexions and brings more colour to my face. But, sometimes powder ones just don't stay. For long days, cheek and lip tints are ideal. I used the Benefit Posie Tint, which is a gorgeous pink colour. Be careful with blush, because when you put on too much, you look like you are actually blushing all day. Total no no.

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For lips, I like to smooth on a bit of the Posie Tint for some colour, but mainly reach for lip balms daily during school for moisturised lips. Vaseline, or, pictured above, the Maybelline Baby Lips lip balm in Quenched are lovely picks.

Before you go to bed, don't forget to take it all off! Cleansing your face is essential to prevent breakouts and bacteria growing on your skin.

 Hair time!
My hair is long, so these hairstyles will mainly suit people with medium/long hair.
I am not an expert, so sorry if my explaining is unclear.

The first hairstyle, pictured above, is the only one that may need a tutorial. I haven't seen much people wear this kind of style before, so I shall name it the Retro Side Pony Tail. I have not copied it from anyone; I think I was just playing with my hair one day and I was all for it as soon as I tied it with a bobbin. Apologies if you have sported this hairstyle before; I'm not saying in any way I originally created it.

All you need is a brush and a bobbin/hair tie.
1. Brush your hair out so it is ready to work with, and change your parting to the side.
2. Starting from where your parting is, take a piece of hair at the front and begin to twist it along the hair line, adding more bits of hair as you go.
3. Go behind the ear, and when you reach to about where your chin is, stop and hold it.
4. Gather the rest of your hair and join it with the piece you are holding so it creates a side ponytail.
5. Tie it off with a bobbin, and voila!



To get hair out of your face, while still having it down, a half up, half down hairstyle is perfect. Brush your hair. Section it into two (I split it from the top of my ears). Tie it off with a bobbin, and then this is the fun part. Scrunchies are in trend and I love the new collections of colourful ones at Penney's and Claire's. So finish off your half up, half down hair with a scrunchie to look like you just appeared out of a 90's flick (hellooo Clueless)!

 To spice up normal hair do's, like ponytails, buns, plaits or even just your hair down, hairbands are the best. Again, Penney's and Claire's have a great selection. I'll be wearing these hairbands all year round!

Now you can go to school looking flawless (I woke up like this, I woke up like this, FLAWLESS!).