Beauty Boy: Back-to-school beauty

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As the glorious summer comes to a depressing end, the hustle and bustle of the new school year starts to kick in faster than we know it. The rush to find all of your textbooks, pay tuition and figure out rent sneaks up quickly. Then in the middle of all the preparations, the tan you worked so hard on getting starts to fade, your mascara starts to clump and your foundation is days away from being put to rest. But there is no need to fear, for the top beauty products of 2011 are finally here!

The biggest fear for most girls going into the school year is losing their tan and returning to their winter ivory shade of foundation. There are a few products that will help you keep that everlasting summer look without going to a tanning booth. Smashbox's Halo bronzer is a clean and easy way to prolong your tan while keeping your face hydrated (very important for a lasting tan) with their innovative formula. For more of a permanent tan, Clarins' Delicious Self- Tanning Cream has been rated one of the best self tanners by Sephora and gives a beautiful glow unlike other tanners that give that awful orange tint and leave you with a streaky mess.

The next biggest complaint that women have about their cosmetics is clumpy mascara. Fortunately, 2011 has seen a huge number of new mascaras that are far superior to the classics such as Benefit's BADgal Lash and CoverGirl's LashBlast. For explosive lashes, Benefit's They're Real! mascara is the way to go. The new formula gives the false eyelash look that most mascaras promise, but without the clumpy mess. For more of a natural look, Lancôme's Doll Lashes has an innovative brush that allows for perfect precision, and has the revamped Hypnose formula to achieve a long-lasting look.

This year has many products that give that long-lasting or 24-hour look. The need to keep reapplying products and constantly having to do touch-ups is becoming an old fashioned routine. Lise Watier has released their 12 Hrs Glam Flawless Complexion foundation that duos with a concealer; you are getting two products for the price of one. The lightweight formula not only gives an airbrush finish, it will last you all day and night as well, no matter what the occasion is. Along with the 24 Hrs Glam line comes the lipstick/lip stain duo which offers a huge array of colour and vibrancy, perfect for everyday use.

Even though the summer is ending and your tan may be starting to fade, you now have an excuse to go shopping and pick up some of the latest innovations in beauty! No matter if you are a minimalist or an extremist, there are so many products that are being released to help give you your perfect back-toschool look. Try something new, be creative and do something that actually scares you, whether it's wearing a bright coral lipstick (which looks good on anyone) or simply putting on makeup for the first time!