Funny thing when a 30-year-old is aware of back to school huh? Well, this 30-year-old is a teacher and back to school is as apt for me as it is to many people reading this. And thus I thought I’d do my take on a back to school make up look. Perhaps not as neutral as it could have been, but still an easy to do make up look that requires little to no time in the mornings and with a pop of bronze to add some interest.

Nothing… and BAM! bronze eye look.

To top things off, I’ve used only drugstore and mostly budgetproof products that are readily available at Dutch drugstores. The only thing not from the drugstore is my Too Faced shadow insurance. And only one product was limited edition. The look is super duper easy too. You could technically create this look with only 2 eyeshadows and a bit of liner. I used a dark bronze cream base all over my lid and then just whacked on a a reddish bronze color from lashline all the way into the crease. Finish off with some white or light pink pencil on the waterline, add a splash of mascara and you’re done!

I used a darker base color to provide a different base shade for the lid, instantly making the main eyeshadow color a duochrome and stand out more vibrantly on the lid compared to the crease. Because, yes, that lid color is only one shade of eyeshadow over a cream shadow. I added a matte and shiny highlight on the browbone and the inner corner and used the sellotape method to create a small winged eyeliner. Face wise I kept things very natural. No bronzer, just a very light colored blush and some highlighter. For lips I went with a nude lip to keep things light and fresh and not take away too much from the eyelook.

Eye & lips close ups

Products used:

Face:

Base: Catrice All Matt plus foundation in 010 light beige, Catrice light-reflecting concealer in 001 Porcelain, Catrice All Matt Plus transparent shine control powder.

Blush: Catrice multi colour blush in Strawberry Frappucino.

Eyes:

Base: Too Faced Shadow Insurance

• Brow highlight: MUA Eyeshadow Matt in shade 16
• Inner corner: Catrice Liquid Metal eyeshadow in Look Me in the Ice
• All over lid: Maybelline Color Tattoo in On and On Bronze (has a different name in the US: Bad to the Bronze)
• Lid & crease color: Maybelline Expert Wear Mono in Bronze Sunset
• Waterline: Essence Big Bright Eyes highlight it Nude
• Lower lash line: NOTHING! (just some mascara)
• Eyeliner: Maybelline Master Precise liquid eyeliner in Forest Brown

Mascara: L’Oreal Butterfly effect false lash wings in midnight black

Brows: Catrice Eyebrow Set (lightest color only), HEMA eyebrow gel

Lips: Catrice Ultimate Color lipstick in The Nuder The Better (no. 190)

Of course you can leave things out or alter the products for different ones if you don’t have the exact products I’ve used. ELF do some great budgetproof cream bases (but requires shipping), Essence do some amazing single eyeshadow colors and Catrice & Essence LE will have stunning highlighters. Essence also do a good felt tip pen eyeliner that is cheaper than the Maybelline one (but only comes in black). So you have plenty of options there. And if you’re in the US, Germany or the US you’ll have even more and cheaper options.

Have a good year at school everyone, be it as a student or a fellow teacher. Starting Sunday, I’ll be digging a bit deeper into work, saying a bit more about why, after all that happened this year, I’m still a teacher, and then a job (application) & school appropriate look, fashion and nail series later next week. So stay tuned for that.

What is your back to school essential make up item?