Back-to-School Makeup: 3 Easy Looks for Busy Mornings

Back-to-School Makeup: 3 Easy Looks for Busy Mornings

Back-to-School Makeup: 3 Easy Looks for Busy Mornings

Great back to school makeup is quick, easy to wear and low maintenance. A tinted base, groomed brows, a coat of mascara and a lip-and-cheek balm get you out the  door in minutes. 

What Makes a Great School Makeup Routine

A solid school makeup routine that makes you feel like you doesn’t need a ton of products or an extra half an hour in the morning to do. 


School makeup works when it’s: 


  1. Fast to apply: A strong routine should be easy to do in five to ten minutes. 

  2. Easy to wear:  Your products should feel comfortable on your face from your first class to the end of school. 

  3. Budget friendly: Books, a cute bag and lunch every day, school gets spendy fast. Makeup should be both high-quality and fit with your budget. 

  4. Skin first: A skin-first makeup routine reads like you on a good day. 

Look 1: The 5-Minute Minimal

Got class in half an hour? The right products will get you out the door with zero stress. A solid 5-minute makeup routine is built around a few easy-to-use makeup essentials that make you look fresh in minutes.  


Here’s how to apply makeup for school in five minutes: 


  1. Swipe and blend Revlon’s Glimmer Tinted Moisturizer Stick™ over your skin. Made with Plant-Based Squalane, our tinted moisturizer stick gives you glowier, more moisturized-looking skin. Get sheer, buildable coverage with a radiant finish.  

  2. Add our highlighting concealer, the Glimmer Brightening Concealer™, under the eyes and to the high points of your face: the cheekbones, brow bones, cupid’s bow, tip of your nose and the middle of your chin. Our concealer is made with Vitamin C, Caffeine and Stevioside to help brighten the skin. 

  3. Apply two-three coats of ColorStay Full Time™ Mascara to your upper lashes for fluttery lashes. Our mascara delivers up to 24HRS of no-flake volume. 

  4. Add a slick of Kiss™ Balm Hydrating Lip Balm Treatment for a pop of sheer, juicy color. Mix your colors up each day with five shades and flavors. 


If you’re totally new to doing your makeup, check out our blog post Makeup for Beginners: Guide to Applying Makeup. 


Look 2: Polished for Class

Got a class presentation? Rework your look for some added glam. It takes around ten minutes to do. It also works for the camera if you’re taking classes online.


To get the polished look: 


  1. Apply PhotoReady™ Lift + Fill Skin Tint as the base. Blur pores, even out your skin tone and bring more glow to your skin with our camera-friendly skin tint. 

  2. Grab a fluffy brush and apply Revlon’s Powder Blush to the apples of your cheeks and up along your cheekbones for a defined, natural flush. 

  3. Add color and shape to your brows with our ColorStay Micro™ Brow Pencil. Water-resistant and giving you up to 16HRS of wear time, making it a solid choice for a rainy or snowy day at school. 

  4. Finish the look with a layer of Super Lustrous™ Lipstick. Vibrant, lush and creamy, go for a shade like Blushing Nude (637), Bare It All (755) or Nude Fury (756) for a natural MLBB (my lips but better) shade.  

Look 3: Campus Day to Night

If you’re heading out after class, you don’t need to wipe off all your makeup and start your routine over. Keep your base and add a pop of dramatic color to either your eyes or lips for a more glam look that takes around five to seven minutes to create. 


To bring out your eyes: 

  1. Sweep a light or nude shimmery shade from the ColorStay Day to Night™ Eyeshadow Quad over your eyelid. The powder-cream hybrid helps your shadow feel soft on the lid, offering bold color payoff for up to 24HRS. 

  2. Add one of the darker contrasting colors in the crease of your eyelids to help define your eyes and make your eye color pop. 

For a bold lip: 

  1. Swap out your neutral Super Lustrous™ Lipstick shade for a fun, bolder shade. 

  2. Blot your lips with a tissue by pressing one between your lips. Blotting helps stop smudging and makes your lipstick last longer. 

  3. Check out Dramatic (777) for a bright mauve pink, Electric Melon (806) for a glam coral and Certainly Red (740) for an iconic true red. 


Read our Day to Night Makeup Look guide for late-night glam that makes you feel like you.

Make It Last Through Every Class

If you have oily skin that breaks makeup down quickly or a long day in class, you can help boost your makeup’s wear time.  To help make your makeup last throughout class: 


  1. Hold ColorStay™ Lock Setting Mist an arm’s length from your made-up face and spray it four times across the face. Our superfood setting mist helps lock your makeup in place for up to 24HRS.

  2. Add ColorStay™ Blot Setting Powder in thin layers across your face. 

  3. Add an extra layer of powder to the T-Zone (forehead, nose and chin) as this area tends to get more oily throughout the day. Our powder helps mattify, absorb oil and blur your pores.

  4. Drop your powder in your bag and reapply it if you see any midday shine.


For a deep dive into making your makeup stay put throughout a full day of class, check out our post How to Make Your Makeup Last All Day.

Back-to-School Makeup FAQ

Got questions about your back-to-school makeup routine? Here’s what you need to know. 

What makeup should I wear to school?

Keep your makeup light, natural and comfortable. A sheer, dewy base, a few coats of mascara and a nude shade on your lips give you a fresh, low-key look that needs minimal touching up throughout the school day. 

How long should a school makeup routine take?

A school makeup routine should take five to ten minutes. 

How do I keep makeup from fading by afternoon?

Finish your makeup routine with a few spritzes of setting spray. Apply powder to the oiliest parts of your face if you notice shine later in the day. 

What is a good starter kit for class?

For a standard day in class, use a tinted moisturizer, brightening co0ncealer, a brow pencil, a slick of lip balm and a coat of mascara. Add a setting spray and blotting powder for a boost in wear time. 

Start Your Semester Kit

School makeup should be fast, comfortable and easy to take from day to night. A few signature products like a volumizing mascara, fruity lip balm and tinted moisturizer can give you a cute look in 10 minutes or less. Shop Revlon face makeup to build out your everyday makeup kit for school.

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