Alessia Korvessis | The Chronicle
Retinol, mascara, bronzer and face cream are all commonly used products when it comes to student beauty. Over the past few years, the age of beauty product users has seen a steady decline, with younger students dipping into the world of skincare and makeup. As a result, there has been a noticeable difference in how underclassmen and upperclassmen approach their daily routines.
Mason High School (MHS) senior Elise Tong has observed similar differences among her peers and their beauty habits. Her routine is a simple, quick regimen that has been running smoothly for years. Tong’s getting-ready process consists of a few simple products, using only necessities to be as efficient as possible. She wakes up, washes her face and then uses her prescription lotion. She finishes by applying mascara and blush on occasion.
“I can be up and out the door in 11 minutes,” Tong said. “When I was a freshman, I spent more time getting ready. I just had more energy to wake up early and do more things.”
Tong feels that kids’ usage of products is different from when she was younger. Companies like Claire’s and Justice, popular staples in tween culture, have lost popularity. This shift in trends caused the nostalgic items she once used to be forgotten, replaced by the flashy, expensive serums and creams. This change in teen culture has been noticed by many people, becoming a popular term on social media labeled “Sephora kids”.
“If I go to a Sephora or an Ulta, I see girls that are really young, like elementary school, buying super expensive products,” Tong said. “But when I was little, I bought Claire’s eyeshadow and Lip Smacker.”
Junior Michael Sadek has a similar approach to his morning, remaining calm as he kicks off his day. Taking his mornings slow is the key to being prepared and destressed for school. His routine starts with getting out of bed to take a long shower to help him wake up.
“I like to take my time in the morning,” Sadek said. “I usually just sit in the shower for 30 minutes.”
After his shower, he uses hair products, picks out his outfit and makes sure all of his homework is completed, just to be extra prepared. His slow mornings give him the chance to relax and decompress before a long day of school.
Sadek’s tried and true routine has been the same since he was an underclassman, allowing him years to perfect it. The consistency of his routine gives him a stable start to his day. It also helps him to balance the responsibility of schoolwork, family, friends and extracurriculars.
“I’ve been doing this routine since I was a freshman, so I’ve just gotten in the habit of it,” Sadek said.
Freshman Lana Dahman shared her routine, and compared to Tong’s simple and quick regimen, Dahman’s is more elaborate. For Dahman, looking put together is very important, and looking good equals feeling ready for the day. First, she uses a moisturizer to prepare her makeup. This helps it last all throughout the long day of school and activities. Then, she uses concealer, blush and highlighter to give a fresh, polished look. Finally, she finishes it off with mascara and lip gloss, sealing everything together.
“It doesn’t take me too long to get ready,” Dahman said. “It probably takes me 30 minutes total.”
While the stereotypes between overprepared freshmen and tired seniors may be an overexaggeration, there is still some truth to it. Dahman understands how older students have less urgency to look put together at school. From the heavier workload to the harder class level, upperclassmen tend to be more focused on their academics.
“I feel like for older people, they don’t really care as much about how they look,” Dahman said. “Younger people actually care and want to look nice.”
