AFTER-COLLEGE TRANSITION: Make-Up and Skin Care.
- Corine Honrado
- May 11, 2018
- 3 min read
There's really nothing that can slap you in the face and awaken you to the fact that you're an actual grown-up than finishing your studies. Really. The high is about two weeks old, I'm in love with the feeling, and I feel like I'm never going to get over the fact that I've finally graduated. Yes, the post-graduation adulting drive is real, and yes, it transcends to all aspects of your life-- including make-up and skincare. College (specifically, my years at UPHSD) was such a great time for me to experiment with make-up and skin care. It was during my UPHSD days that I learned to do my brows, use eyeliner properly, and check out beauty products that I normally wouldn't care about. There was always somebody to talk about make-up with, and there was always somebody to talk about skincare with, and that felt really good.
Here's one thing I didn't expect after graduation-- My skincare and make-up routines in college may not necessarily be the exact skincare and make-up routines I'd bring with me after.
I once had a very makeup-intensive phase, I once had a very skincare-intensive phase, and I had a bare minimum phase. I won't lie-- My routines weren't perfect, nor were they consistent, but they were there. In spite of my many inconsistencies, I always tried my best to have some sort of emollient on my face-- be it an actual moisturizer, or BB cream, and I somewhat prioritized lipstick. When it comes to a transition routine, there's quite a number of factors to consider, but I think they can be well-summarized into three:
Product prices. When we were students, we had the assurance of a steady cash flow in the form of allowances, being able to predict your budget made it somewhat easier to develop a routine; but in the first few months of post-graduation unemployment (especially in Dentistry wherein we can't exactly get to work right away), there's no steady cash flow, and even if there was, there are also unexpected expenses to consider, such as impromptu brunches, and clearances to pay for. There's also that thing about certain products being phased out, and needing to buy them abroad and stuff-- I'm looking at you, Shu Uemura.
Time spent applying products. This can actually go either way, depending on how busy you decide to be-- you either have less time because of all the new responsibilities you have to attend to, or more time because there's much less to do, especially with school being out of the way. Currently, I'm pretty much running everywhere to get ready for my Postgraduate Internship-type OJT. This takes time, so I try to focus on streamlining my routine, which means that I'm more inclined to retractable eyebrow pencils over brow kits.
Actual product properties. There are so many factors to consider when choosing products, but I feel that skin needs would trump everything else. For example, a student prone to academic stress-related acne breakouts might be very much into anti-acne formulas, while a fresh graduate who doesn't stress out so much might want to use products that would address other skin concerns; or maybe a student who used to stick with something like Maybelline Hypercurl Mascara for a fresh and natural look might prefer to try Volum' Express Big Shot Mascara for a fuller and more sophisticated look.
I started my UPHSD life in Inglot 08 Freedom Lipstick, and I can take it with me to full adulthood (heck, maybe even until I'm a senior citizen). My Laneige Two-Tone Lip Bars will always have a special place in my heart. These products, along with so many others, aren't going anywhere, and I'm really glad I discovered during my undergrad years. Having this said, I think this is one of the many things that make transition so fun-- We get to rekindle love for our old favorites, while finding new things that would slot into the lives we want to see ourselves in.
Transition is such a wonderful thing, and shifting makeup and skincare routines is only one small part of it. I know that my life won't be entirely the same, and that I'll be facing new experiences, one after the other. It's safe to say that I'll be transitioning once every few beats. Things will be different, but I think I'll be just fine.:) ---as long as I have lipstick.
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