Written by Mirai Iwai-Louie, Our Amazing Summer Intern!
As the new school year comes around, so does the daily struggle of actually looking put-together before your first period. Somewhere between rushing to catch the subway or bus, sprinting across the hallway to make class, and cramming for midterms, the time to sit down and do a full beauty routine is easily lost.
That’s where J-beauty (Japanese beauty) comes in to save the day. J-beauty is all about clean ingredients, lightweight formulas, and effortless, skin-first looks. Plus, so many of the products come in travel-friendly sizes that take up zero space in your backpack.
From makeup faux pas to bad hair days, we’ve compiled a list of 6 top concerns for students and their quick fixes to make sure you can feel and look your best during this new school year.
1. Dark Under Eyes: the tell-tale signs of late-night study sessions
The problem: Between all-nighters, allergies, or just plain old stress, dark under-eye circles are practically a high school rite of passage. Rather than accepting defeat or resorting to a cakey layer of makeup to look awake by the first period, there’s a far simpler solution: color correcting concealer.
The solution: Color-correcting concealer goes far further than your average concealer stick, powder, or cream. Instead of relying on one skin tone shade, using a palette with multiple shades specifically designed to hide the dark circles while maintaining a natural look.
Recommended product: Daisy Doll Concealer Palette — With its range of shades, this compact and creamy palette blends easily and discreetly, instantly adding several more hours of sleep to your appearance.
2. Stepping away from cakey makeup
The problem: With the humidity and crowded hallways that school has to offer, oftentimes, your makeup has begun to deteriorate or fade as early as lunch time.
The solution: Keeping a travel-sized setting spray that ensures your makeup stays glowy and fresh.
Recommended product: Kose: Make Keep Mist EX — This setting spray is known for forming a weightless and hydrating film over makeup that is both flexible and comfortable for a long-lasting finish.
3. Stubborn flyaways & bangs that won't stay put
The problem: On days when your hair just won’t cooperate, flyaways and messy bangs can become the downfall for even the simplest hairstyle. That’s why it's essential to find something portable, effective, and completely residue-free to tame your hair.
The solution: Having a small hair product to smooth down baby hairs and static without making your hair feel crunchy or greasy works wonders on bad hair days.
Recommended product: &honey Matomake Stick Step 4.0 — Its resemblance to a mascara stick allows you to just sweep the wand over your hair, and flyaways instantly disappear. Plus, it fits right into a pencil case.
The problem: As the school day progresses, hair can start looking a little lifeless. You want to achieve volume and hold, but you definitely aren’t willing to subject yourself to a heavy gel or sticky hairspray that will weigh both your backpack and your hair down.
The solution: A lightweight hair wax that builds touchable texture, volume, and control without any residue or tradeoffs.
Suggested product: Lucido-L Hair Wax — Not only is the hair wax perfect for quick locker touch-ups, it also contains hyaluronic acid, which keeps your hair shiny and soft. After a fast application, the wax gives your hair weightless hold, texture, and a healthy bounce.
5. The never-ending cycle of lip gloss application
The problem: During the school day, there’s nothing more annoying than worrying about a lip gloss fading, smearing, or transferring onto your water bottle—especially when you don't have time between classes to constantly reapply.
The solution: Enter lip tints. Lip tints last way longer than the average lipstick or gloss, but lock in far more moisture than drying matte lip stains, leaving you with a soft, healthy, and natural looking wash of color.
Recommended product: CipiCipi Dewy Film Tint R — Known for its cute packaging, the CipiCipi Dewy Film Tint gives lips that shiny, juicy finish with a pink tint that actually stays put after lunch.
6. Emergency chapped lip relief
The problem: Having chapped lips is not just annoying, but uncomfortable. Especially when applying lip products over dry and cracked lips never looks or feels good.
The solution: A deeply restorative lip mask that locks in intense hydration ensures your lips stay soft and flawless all day long. By using lip masks to restore long-lasting moisture, you can improve the overall health of your lips and make product application smoother.
Recommended product: Canmake Mellow Dew Lip Mask — This lip mask can be applied overnight or right before leaving the house for emergency hydration. It creates a smooth and glossy base for any lip product you apply on top.
Shop Back to School
Regardless of the many roadblocks school has to offer, you should always feel confident to face them head on. In honor of the new academic year, Rei Cosmetics is having a Back-to-School Sale: from August 15th to September 7th, all products are 15% off site wide with code BTS2026!