To start off my back to school series, I've decided to tell you all about my makeup essentials! I'll divide it into different categories since it'd be a ridiculously long post otherwise, plus I'll be talking about things that work on everyone, not just for my skin type/colour. I hope you all enjoy it and, as always, feel free to leave any suggestions or requests down below!

When I first thought about my makeup essentials for school time, I knew foundation was a must have. I totally understand that for some of you it may not even be an essential, especially for everyday wear, but as a college student, I feel like a lightweight foundation gives my skin that even complexion that I so desperately need. Of course, if you're reading this and you feel like you don't want to wear foundation everyday, you can just skip it or even go for a BB cream if you prefer those! I personally don't like any of the BB creams I've tried and I can't really afford the more expensive ones (again, I'm in college, I often find myself not being able to afford anything), so I just go for a good lightweight foundation for my skin type.

Talking about skin types, I should tell you all a little bit about mine so you know what works for me -- and keep in mind it may not work for you since everyone's different and so are their skin types. However, I will give you different options for different skin types, don't worry. I currently have combination skin at age 19, however I did have very oily skin back when I was 13 or 14. Only recently I've noticed my skin has been drying out and I think it's just one of those things that come with age, since I'm also less likely to break out now than I was back then. Anyways, I have an extremely dry forehead (and that little space between my eyebrows, just above my nose... I don't know what it's called but for some reason it refuses to stay normal), while my nose and chin tend to get oily throughout the day. Because of this, it's a bit harder for me to find a foundation that works, since I have the worst of both worlds and there isn't exactly a foundation that can both moisturise my dry parts and prevent the other parts from getting oily, so I have to just find the one that works the best for one of the problems and try to fix the other with something else.

Because of my skin type, I tend to go for foundations that work best with dry skin (since moisturising my skin before applying foundation simply doesn't work for me, it ends up not lasting long on my dry patches and only makes my oilier parts even oilier) and I try to fix the shininess with a good powder.

So now that you know a little bit about my skin type, let's talk about some good, cheap options for everyday wear! I looked for mostly drugstore foundations (since back to school season is expensive as it is, so we don't need to spend 70$ on a foundation) and even the ones who are a bit more high end are still relatively cheap, at least in my country. It may be a bit different for you where you live, some of these options may not even be available, but I'm sure you can find at least one of them.

Now, I must say I never tried any of these foundations since I did not wear foundation when I was younger and had actual oily skin, but I do know all of these have great reviews from girls with oily skins.

Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 hour foundation: I never actually saw this on sell on stores here in Portugal but I've heard a lot of people talking wonders about it. Although I'm not sure it will actually last 25 hours (I don't even know why you'd need it to, I don't think anybody has foundation on for that long) but I do know it's very cheap so it's worth a shot.

Garnier BB Cream: For those of you who think foundation is too heavy for everyday, then this BB cream is perfect for you. Although I've never actually worn, I do know someone who uses it for everyday and she absolutely loves it. She has oily skin and she says this gives her a nice enough coverage, plus it has SPF in it and it's also good for your skin. And did I mention it's very affordable?

Revlon Colorstay: I don't think I have to tell you how good this is, after all there's a ton of reviews on blogs and on Youtube about this so you already know it's good. Sadly, I don't think Revlon is sold in Portugal, or at least not in supermarkets, It is, however, a great option at a great price. It is, from what I've heard, a bit more medium coverage, so if you don't want that much for an everyday look, maybe try one of the other two options.

Clinique Supermoisture Makeup: We all know Clinique is a pretty good brand and this foundation (although slightly more pricey than a drugstore foundation) is a very good choice for those of you with dry skin. I've never tried this but I've heard tons of good things about it so if you have the money to spend, I'd recommend giving this a shot.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum: In case you don't know, Bourjois is owned by the same person who owns Chanel. How fricking awesome is that?? Now I did try this out and I fell in love. I've been trying to find the perfect foundation for back to school that I could wear everyday for the whole Summer and I always go back to this one. It's just amazing, the colour matches me perfectly and it will help me hydrate my skin. It is a serum so it's lighter than a regular foundation and it's around 20 something euros here in Portugal, so I'm guessing it will be around that price for you too (I've heard it's a lot cheaper in the UK). People say it has a scent but I never noticed it while I tried it on, so maybe my sense of smell isn't that great? Anyways, I highly recommend this and I'm definitely going to buy it soon and probably even give you all a review on it!

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation: I've heard this is also amazing and around the same price as the serum version. From what I've heard, this is more matte than the serum and also provides a bit more coverage. It's a pretty good option in case you don't want the serum, however do keep in mind it also has a slight scent to it, so if you're not into that you should try another one.

FOUNDATIONS FOR NORMAL AND COMBINATION SKIN

I don't exactly have any foundations I recommend for these two types because it's very subjective of what you need. BB creams will always be a good choice for normal skin types since they are good for your skin and they also provide a little bit of coverage.

In case you have combination skin like myself, I'd suggest you think about what you really need a foundation to do. Do you need it to help your dry spots or the oily ones? If you need it to help the oily spots, go with a foundation for oily skin and, as for your dry patches, invest in a good moisturiser before applying your foundation (maybe even a primer that will also help moisturise those tough spots). If you need your foundation to cover up your dry patches like I do, go with a foundation for dry skin, which will give you the hydration you need and invest on a good powder to apply only on those oily spots (it's okay if you need to touch them up every now and then throughout the day, if your skin's oily that will probably be a must have anyways, just make sure to bring the powder with you to school).

At the end of the day, you should go with what makes you feel comfortable and ready to face everyone each time you walk into that classroom. If you don't even need foundation or BB creams or anything like this, then skip it! Concealer on the right spots goes a long way so I totally understand if you want to skip this step. What matters is that you feel confident throughout the day!

And that's the end of this post! I hope you liked it and, in the next post, I'll be talking about the rest of the base face products of my essentials (aka concealer and powder). Feedback is always welcomed and appreciated so make sure to leave yours down there and, as always, I love you and I hope you have a great day!