I’ll get to makeup but first, I have to say that the emphasis for every matriculating college student, in my opinion, isn’t so much makeup but skincare. trust me, I too was guilty of being crazy-busy and generally exhausted and plopping into bed after a long night without washing my face. and then waking up in a panic the next morning and sprinting to organic chemistry class at (sob) 8 AM. now, when I look back at my college pictures, I shake my head with pursed lips. what was I thinking! so establish a cleansing ritual (even if it’s wipes from Yes to Carrots or Aveeno) and stick to it like glue. when you have pretty skin, you’ll naturally need less makeup (and I would say… if you didn’t wear much makeup in high school, don’t go crazy in college! fashion/beauty is an evolution and being natural and true to yourself is key). some baby-step-products would be: lip stains/sticks like Tarte or Clinique Chubby; mascara that’s clean and not too gloopy from Neutrogena or Shiseido; and fun nail polish strips like those from Sally Hansen

despite being super grouchy about my hair right now since it’s in the worst grow-out-phase ever (hello, bangs!), my point of view on hair is pro-cut: it’s hair. it grows. why not have some fun with it! I had super, super long hair (down to my chest) a few years back, then I cut it super short (almost boy short), grew it to a bob, then grew out the bangs and permed it (a la Alexa Chung’s amazing waves), then went for a bowl cut, then… well, I’ve lost track of all the other cuts. but I do know that my next phase of hair play will involve swingy ponytails, sleek ballet buns, Lana del Rey waves… the list goes on! and then… when I get sick of it… chop-chop :) good luck and keep me posted on what you do!

your question was so full of beauty angst. fear not! I’m here to help you clarify ^_^ okay, technically BB cream replaces the need for a few of those steps since it’s a primer-moisturizer-and-SPF in one. now, note that I said technically. many folks (myself included) use it as part of a regimen. this is how I personally use it (and here’s my AM routine): cleanse, serum (a very sheer one, like Shiseido’s White Lucent), Olay SPF 50, Murad Acne and Shine Control Primer (just on t-zone), then Boscia’s BB. I know. it’s a lot. you can probably cut out many of the steps—it’s all about trial and error to see what works for you and looks good on you. for me, this routine works… and I love the ritual of skincare—it’s super relaxing! (this is why I’m a beauty editor!)

I get asked that question a lot and each time, I think of the movie Field of Dreams: if you build it, they will come. honestly, the best thing to do when you start your own blog is to just keep producing content, posts that you yourself would want to read and points of view on beauty/fashion/whatever that are unique from everything else out there. there’s no magic formula besides originality. and you have to build your site without traffic in mind. doing something just for traffic and followers is the wrong motivation—you should want to do it to get your opinion out there and you can’t not do it or share your opinion. good luck!