I’m less than half-way into that lovely time full of general life crises, experimentation in sleep-deprivation, inescapable stress and way too much to actually complete with some semblance of sanity left. The time I’m referring to is finals, exams, and whatever you want to call all that jazz. Well, I thought I would put together a little post full of my staples (with some of my questionable humor injected of course) and reveal the pathetic level of joy I get from beauty products in my life even at a time such as this. I have a weird attitude towards makeup at times like these — I’m perfectly fine without wearing it but putting a wee time into a beauty routine can bring a much-needed break from studying, release you from the stress from your impending doom and superficially uplift your spirit from this kind of blah-ness. I may or may not have two final papers due on Monday as well as an exam that evening and this is some of how I plan to cope. When I say some, this is the good majority of it.

The Do-It-All Cream Shadow: So, you feel disgusting and need to escape but you don’t have the kind of attention or balance to effortlessly select some colours to turn into a miraculously defined eye and rather than putting yourself through all that faff you can go for one of these Maybelline Color Tattoosthat help with the whole creasing situation while simultaneously depositing some gorgeous albeit neutral colour. My picks are first and foremost the permanent bronzy-taupe Bad To The Bronze, but the limited-edition-but-still-around Nude Compliment with more of a satin finish and a lighter taupey colour had to be mentioned.

The Two Foolproof Lip Options:The first one is a no-brainer — you know that lipstick shade that doesn’t look like lipstick and makes you resemble a functional human being that can be safely applied in moving transportation — and without dedicating a single post to it, I’ve rambled on about my love for the sheer pinky-brown warm nudey MAC Patisseriemore than anyone should ever ramble on about a single product so you might not be surprised that it’s my choice here. It might be strange to label a bold lip offering as foolproof but there’s nothing more uplifting than a bold lip but the last thing one needs during this loveliness is to worry about the state of their lips, exfoliating and all that so I recon that an option that doesn’t emphasize lip weirdness and require care is necessary. Although it’s completely out of season to go for such a deep vampy red shade, the amplified creme formula is a dream for gliding over my poor irritated lips, I don’t even mind that I’m wearing MAC Dubonnet in April. See pictorial evidence below:

Caffeine and The Agenda:I’m naturally someone who would scoff at the idea of writing down what you have to get done and breaking it down day by day as being helpful or necessary in any shape or form but I’ve found in times like these it’s particularly helpful when you’re as organizationally impaired as me. Caffeine is essential but my ideal form is the latte and it serves two precious functions in my life: (1) it can help me actually be productive for a few hours on end and (2) it makes that whole not-sleeping thing a whole lot easier. Lattes taste good and provide that intense caffeine rush to boot.

Dry Shampoo and Micellar Water:I find it difficult to remember to wash my hair and put on clothes before leaving the house during my regular daily life so actually washing my hair is a challenge during times like these and a little dry shampoo is in order. It’s just a bonus that the Dove Invigorating Dry Shampoohappens to also add some much needed life to flat, limp hair. Washing my face is generally a little easier for me but when I’m in a zombie-state like this it can be impossibly difficult and this is where Bioderma Sensibio H20 comes in; I normally only use it to remove eye makeup but it also doubles as a way to wash your face without the effort of actually washing the face or having to go all the way to the bathroom.

The Effortless Foundation: I have sensitive skin but not the kind that breaks out easily but rather the kind that becomes easily irritated and this irritation grows exponentially when I’m under stress so foundation can go all kinds of awry especially when I don’t have time or energy to make a real effort. The solution to this is the undetectable but brightening Revlon Nearly Nakedthat requires minimal work but provides light-medium buildable coverage that never makes my skin look like a pastry.

The “I’m Alive” Blush:Although I do naturally have some redness in the cheeks (this has been much reduced with skincare though), my face looks dull and really could benefit from some blush. Despite my self-admitted frustration with those illuminating cooler-pink blushes, the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Ethereal Glow seems to add life to the face without any chance of blush craziness occurring.

The Does-It-All Healing Balm:In the past I may have underestimated the value of the ultra-soothing La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume due to sheer stupidity. Having skin that suffers from stubborn stress-induced irritation on both my face and body, the anti-bacterial rich but lightweight balm instantly soothes these patches everywhere from the face to my eczema-covered legs. And this is the best lip balm despite its unfavorable cream texture.

The Overnight Mask:While to be honest, during makeup-free days while trapped at home studying and essay writing myself off a cliff, I have worn the soothing The Body Shop Aloe Protective Restoring Mask throughout the day rather than just at night, this overnight moisture mask kind of thing is a godsend for stressed skin and is just plain relaxing to boot.

What are your staples for times like these?

Maggie, x.