Shouting out the Cane and Austin Acne Retexture Pads. 

So story time, I tried these in the past and really loved them. They’re comparable to the Dennis Gross peel pads but gentler and can be used daily.  I was at TJ Maxx and saw these on clearance for $20. Note they’re $70-$80 on Sephora. I, of course, had to scoop them up because so cheap and I loved these in the past.  I drove to another TJ Maxx, (I was hunting for Too Faced bronzers) and I found it again, on clearance for $10!!!! You bet I walked back to my car, got the $20 one and exchanged it for the $10 one!

What I realized after buying these was that Cane and Austin do a bunch of different version of these pads. There’s a retexture, an acne, and a miracle. They all have glycolic acid and the acne ones have salicylic acid as well. So AHAs and BHAs. The AHAs – glycolic acid will help dull, aging skin along with hyperpigmentation.  The BHAs – salicylic acid will help to combat acne and unclog pores.

You get the benefits of both with the acne version and it’s pretty awesome.  I also will never say no to blackhead prevention.

You can also purchase different versions with varying % of glycolic acid and salicylic acid. I have always had sensitive skin, but this is the strongest version and I use it nightly with no problem. Maybe my skin is getting tougher honestly. (knocks on wooooood.) I do go through phases where I have to completely simplify my skincare routine because less is more. Ok, back to these face pads!

So I realized in the past, I tried the miracle pads. I didn’t know there was a difference when I got the acne version.  I don’t have acne besides the typical breakup here and there. I was hesitant to use these, worrying they’d be too harsh for my skin.  I tried to introduce them slowly into my routine and I’m all in now and have been loving these pads!! My skin is smooth, I have noticed my dark spots fading, I haven’t had any breaks outs, my skin isn’t dry or irritated and it works well with my other skincare.  I also use these nightly!!! I cut them in half too because their big and pretty saturated with product.

I’m telling you about these because they offer chemical exfoliation which everyone needs in their life while helping dull, aging skin and dark spots and can unclog pores.  This product has really helped with my dark spots from past acne. (Along with Drunk Elephant c-firma.) Some people have asked me for a cheap remedy to remove dark spots and while I’m not there yet, this is a great option that does a lot for your skin.

 

I’ve talked about my favorite contour products, here, in the past! I’m not huge on contour — I just don’t find it necessary for every day and reserve it more for a full face.  But with that being said I appreciate it from time to time! I especially like to keep my makeup lighter in the summer, so that’s where a summer contour comes into play.  I think of a summer contour as a bronzed, dewy, highlighted, snatched sort of face. Here’s what I’m using for that!

Too Faced Chocolate Bronzer In Medium/Deep. So this is the only actually contour I’ve been doing. I used this to bronze my face the other day and then I went in with an angled brush to contour and it was the most gorgeous contour ever!! This bronzer is a little deeper, not to warm or cool and just perfect for chiseling the cheekbones. Warning — it’s very pigmented so too much product can look muddy.  Overall I really like this bronzer! It’s a gem for contour.

It’s also on sale for $10 at Nordstrom Rack.

Isle of Paradise Tan Drops in Medium. I want tan skin year round but especially in the summer! This is great for tanning your face without exposing it to the sun. All you do is just add some drops to your moisturizer and voila. With that being said I’ve struggled with this product before. The directions advise 1-12 drops. I absolutely disagree. The most you can get away with without being an orange, blotchy mess is 5-6. You must exfoliate well with this product or it will stick to everything.  Even chap lips!  Also wash your hands very well after. This goes for any tan but this is drops so their extra concentrated and I tell you to move with caution! Strong self-tanner is a double edge sword.

Ciate Dewy Stix. This product is insanely amazing.  It’s just a clear, dewy stick to add sheen to your skin. It wears as an insanely blinding highlight but is natural. It’s really everything I could ever want! It’s a tad tacky once you apply it but it wears very well and lasts longer than I expected. It’s an awesome product and if you love dewy skin, you need this in your arsenal.

Bliss Dewy Moisturizer. This moisturizer is awesome for an all over sheen as a primer or base before makeup. It has pink duo-chrome shimmers in it that really make the skin glow. It rubs out clear so this can work for every skin tone. This really reminds me of the Glam Glow Mega illuminating moisturizer. I have both and this is a dupe! It’s also a little lighter and I have been reaching for this over the Glam glow one.  This is $16 while Glam Glow is $50 so def go with this.

Solaris Gua Sha. This is a gua sha made for lymphatic drainage in your face. With the drainage, your face will look more snatched. It’s not going to take you to Kim K level cheekbones and snatch but it will really just depuff the face. I like it and it’s really good to just drain the bad stuff out of your face and skin! It’s summer so I’m eating chips and guac, burgers and drinking with friends so I’ll take some depuffing.

Trader Joes Argan Oil. I got this because it’s $6 and I love an oil. This is a good oil and it’s legit! The only ingredient is organic argan oil. I compared it to the Drunk Elephant Marula oil and its just a hint thicker and this has a scent. I know their different oils but it could be an awesome replacement and cheaper oil for your routine. Compared to Josie Maran Argan oil they both are made of organic argan oil and feel very similar and comparable. This oil is $6.99 Josie Maran is $48. This is a great oil, comparable to a high-end version and a fraction of the price. I def recommend this! 🙂

Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Wand. This highlight is just gorgeous and dewy on the skin.  It’s more natural because of its a liquid instead of a powder but its very strong and intense. It’s really gorgeous on skin because it melts in but pops!

 

https://blackberriesandsparkles.com/2018/05/11/fave-contour-products/

This post has been cooking for so long and I’m glad it’s finally up! Mascara is a huge part of my makeup routine! My dream makeup is long, wispy, defined and volume lashes with a glowy, bronzed light-makeup face. That’s why it’s my dream, lol.  I LOVE dramatic lashes, volume, length, curl all of it…I also like to go natural with the rest of my makeup so my lashes really need to make a pop. I did have lash extensions for like 6 months and ended up stopping because the maintenance was a lot to keep up with so since then I’ve been on the hunt for the best mascaras.  I use mostly high-end makeup but a lot of my favorite mascaras are drugstore! Let’s take look.

Disclaimer: If I wear it on my bottom lashes I’ll get a hint of smudging because I get oily around my eyes. I find that this happens with every mascara so I don’t get too upset.

I wear around 3-4 coats of mascara. I go ham with it so take that into consideration when you look at the photos. It’s more mascara than 1-2 coats.

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ESSENCE MASCARAS – We have to take a moment of silence for Essence mascaras because they are all under $5 and are seriously amazing. Some of my favorite mascaras out there.  I say they have a semi-waterproof mascara because they aren’t technically waterproof but you need a micellar water or a makeup remover to completely remove them versus a traditional mascara that should come off with warm water.

They also have a wetter formula.

I will say Essence because they’re so cheap, don’t have the best packaging as evidenced by the paint peeling off the product.

This is my ALL TIME FAVORITE mascara. It lengthens and defines like no tomorrow and makes your lashes wispy while still adding some volume. It also holds a curl well.  Out of all the Essence mascaras, this one wears the best on me all day.  LOOK AT MY LASHES. It’s not the most volumizing but it makes your lashes look so long that it makes up for it. It’s my favorite mascara.

I recently got this to compare to the other lash princess because it’s supposed to be better. It’s good but not my favorite and I like the other lash princess better. This one is thick and adds volume but is much more clumpy. The two are just different and comes down to preference.

This Essence mascara was my favorite before I found my favorite lash princess volume.  This one is more volumizing, comparable to falsies imo. BUT, it can get a little clumpy and shed product if you layer on too much. Still a favorite of mine! But this one can smudge a little bit more because it’s way more volumizing than defining.

I think this mascara really looks like extensions because they’re wispy and there aren’t empty spaces between the lashes. That being said, I miss my lash extensions but this isn’t my favorite mascara. It’s good but I have some other Essence ones I prefer more. These are great for wispy, full lashes. Not the most lengthening or defining but it still does lengthens and it adds good volume at the root. Again, this one can clump and you can have some product fall out. You can use less mascara to avoid that, I just want the most dramatic wear out of my mascara.

This isn’t my favorite Essence mascara. I find that my lashes fall, I get product fallout and it just really doesn’t compare to the other Essence Mascaras I have imo. I also don’t see the tremendous volume its supposed to have. I think the two-volume stylist versions above offer more volume.

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DRUGSTORE

I loved this mascara for a while. I like the way it adds length and volume while still holding a curl. My lashes used to have a hard time holding a curl and this was one of the first mascaras that kept it curled. This may be the waterproof version but the label is non-existent — that is the drugstore for you BUT this is a good drugstore option that adds length and volume without clumping together lashes.

This is my favorite Maybelline mascara since they have so many out there. Total Temptation is lackluster compared to the rest of these which is why it didn’t make it to this post — I didn’t want to put it on again. It’s not terrible I just like what these mascaras do for my lashes better. And, the pink and green mascara broke me out in the past.

This is a great mascara staple! I’ve actually blogged about it before, here! This reminds me of a better version of the Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara. I mean the bottle and brush are sooo similar. I really dislike the BTS so this mascara is really awesome to me. It lengthens, adds volume and still defines lashes. This is the waterproof version which I can totally count on to keep my lashes curled all day. It’s a pretty mascara and there’s an air of wispy-ness that it has. This is the best mascara you can buy at the drugstore imo.

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HIGH END

I have a soft spot for this mascara because I started wearing this in 8th grade, first mascara, and used it all through-out high school. I was searching my stash and found a sample of it to use in the blog post and I need to go get a full size. It’s my favorite Benefit mascara because it just defines and lengthens insanely well. I love this mascara, I do and its one of my favorite high-end mascaras.  Personally, it’s just my kind of lash — long and wispy.

Milk Makeup Kush mascara. I recently got this and have been using it nonstop. I like the volume it adds to my lashes though looking at the picture it doesn’t look like it offers tremendous length or definition. This one can smudge on me if I have it on for a while, especially on bottom lashes. I’m not sure why I love this so much but it applies nicely and it’s not a mess to wash off. The word gentle comes to my mind when I think of this mascara but it doesn’t look gentle.

If you look at the brush there is excess product. This mascara can clump, beware and its because the brush holds too much product and its a wetter formula.

Buxom Big Tease. This mascara confuses me because this picture is from the first time I ever wore it and my lashes look amazing; length, definition and volume which seems impossible. The second time I wore it they fell and the mascara miserably crumbled off and smudges. I’m not sure what to think because I didn’t use it after that.  I mean Buxom isn’t known for mascara but this picture makes me want to play with it some more.

This mascara is a flop. I have two coats on here because a 3rd coat is the kiss of death that’ll leave you looking like you have 4 singular lashes. That’s right, tarantula city. This is the clumpiest mascara ever, it flakes off and smudges and my lashes fall within the hour of applying it. I will say it does wear nicely with lash extensions and it comes off easily.

Lancome Monsieur Big. This is a classic, high-end mascara. I love it because this too lengthens and adds volume without being too clumpy. If I had to recommend a high-end mascara, this would be it. It’s consistently good and when I need a good mascara for a nice occasion or a nice out I go for this.

Nars recently came out with a new Orgasm collection featuring some new products in their famous orgasm hue. They released a lip balm, a loose, illuminating powder and a jumbo orgasm collector blush.  Nars Orgasm is a perfect color year round, but especially in the summer! It’s warm, fun and very flattering to many.  A lip balm is a perfect release for summer and I’m going to be living in it!

Here’s the lip balm, it retails for $28 at Sephora.  It’s hydrating, sheer and super comfy to wear! It has no scent and really nourishes the lips.  I expected more shimmer since orgasm is a shimmery color but I love it just as is.  I think I wouldn’t like it as much with shimmer actually.  This isn’t too long lasting, maybe an hour or so? But it somewhat stains the lips so you have some color still there.

I would buy this product again because it’s so flattering, so easy and comfy! I stray from anything with massive amounts of effort like a liquid or matte lip. Fun fact I’m horrible at lining my lips / applying lipstick so I love balms and glosses because they’re much more forgiving.

Here’s it on my lips. I’m completely obsessed! It’s a pinky-peach that pulls more pink.

I’m eyeing the loose, highlighting powder in orgasm! As messy as loose powders are I would be lying if I said I didn’t want it. I’d wear it as a highlighting blush with bronzer and it’d be a great summer look.