Posted the above pic to Instagram stories! That's my light box and I shoot product photos inside of it. 

If I’ve learned anything in my lifetime of owning cats, getting them to do what you want is pretty much out of the question. So as you can see, Darla saw that I was setting up my photo box to shoot this next product and just had to insert herself in the way! Eh, what can you do?

Anyway, I seem to be covering a lot of face products lately but I guess I’m feeling the need to shed my summer skin and get on with the new season! The latest one to cross my path is FARMAESTHETICS Vassar Rose Perfecting Polish ($30/1.8oz @ farmaesthetics.com, nordstrom.com) and like this one that also highlights rose, it’s made up of very few ingredient that reads easy: powdered rose petals, dried sweet milk, kaolin clay, and ultrafine volcanic pumice powder. That’s it! I love a product with very few ingredients. And because this one comes in a dry form, it will last longer than your average face product as nothing will active it until you add it to water.

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How fitting is this Spa @ Home by masqueBAR™ Luminizing Charcoal Peel Off Mask right now? It’s a black face mask! I guess you could say that I’m ready to give out Halloween candy after putting this one on. Or at least now I have two products at the ready that can get my skin back into shape after wearing all the Halloween makeup this weekend!

I’ve written about the benefits of charcoal in beauty products a few times like here for helping to fight acne and to draw out impurities in the skin and this Spa @ Home is an affordable and convenient way to do it as it’s only stocked only at Walgreens nationwide. So when you are picking out outfit accessories at Walgreens this weekend, be sure to stick these in your basket too.

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Well here we are, another day, another liquid lipstick! And this is another version of the product but a little different. It’s from TARTE and it’s the Tartiest Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint ($20 @ dermstore.com). I reviewed the first round of them here so how are these different from the others? One difference is that these have a full dry down.

Tartiest Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint

What else? Click the link to find out!

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Cleansing Balms – This is one category that has exploded, which, I’m glad to see it! I consider the cleansing balm like a better-for-your-skin cold cream. What started with this from Cailyn Cosmetics, went to this face-off of the one from Clinique and Cailyn to now with Bye Bye Makeup 3-in-1 Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm ($38/2.82oz @ itcosmetics.com, qvc.com) from IT COSMETICS and Nourishing Cleansing Balm ($20/3.04oz @ pixibeauty.com, target.com) from PIXI BEAUTY’s Skintreats line.

These balms are superior at taking the whole day off, makeup and all, in a gentle and quick way.

Are you interested in trying a balm to take off your makeup at the end of the day? Do tell in the comments!

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes.

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Here is a big release from BAREMINERALS with their barePRO Performance Wear Powder Foundation ($30/10g @ bareminerals.com, sephora.com, dermstore.com, ulta.com) and their goal with this one is to #FREETHEFACE as in not have this feel like anything on the face. Ok, I’m down.

barePRO Performance Wear Powder Foundation

Let's check out the deets ... 

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Strobing? Highlighting? Bronzing? No matter which you choose to do, they’re all hot now. Do you have a favorite? I find that highlighting/strobing 2 features max in any look is more than enough. I mean, you want to look natural, just better, and not completely fake.

Here are 5 that I’ve been using the past few weeks. Do you see a favorite?

1. LUNE+ASTER Moonrise Glow & Contour Bronzing Palette - $46 @ bluemercury.com – this is a really serious highlighting duo. One side is the glowing bronzer and the other is the candlelight-effect highlighter. I’m really only into matte bronzers so I’ve been using both along tops of my cheek bones.

2. CHELLA Highlighter Pencil in Ivory Lace $18 @ chella.com, dermstore.com – this highlighter has quite a cult following and I see why! It works under the eyebrow, along the cupids bow, inner corners of the eyes and more. No shimmer or glow here, which is nice when I’m not in the mood for it. There’s just something about this super light matte pink shade they call Ivory Lace that works with almost every skin tone.  

3. MAYBELLINE NEW YORK Face Studio Master Strobing Stick in Medium Nude Glow - $7.99 @ target.com – this has become my go-to for highlighting my cheekbones and inner corner of my eyes. This one seems to blend perfectly into my skin tone not really adding any color, just glow!

4. MAYBELLINE NEW YORK Face Studio Master Contour V-Shape Duo Stick in Medium - $7.99 @ target.com – why did it take so long for someone to come up with a duo-colored stick like this? Use the light side for highlighting/strobing and the darker side to define cheeks, contour the nose, and jawline.

5. PIXI BY PETRA Beauty Blush Duo + Kabuki in Peach Honey - $18 @ pixibeauty.com, target.com – I’m not a fan of any shimmer or any other effects in my blush (I’m a matte girl on that front too) so I’ve been using this like the Lune+Aster one, upper cheeks and under the brow bone.

Disclosure: Some of these items were provided for review purposes. Some I bought.

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It’s been lippie heaven the past few months with brands putting out huge collections of their lipsticks. And NYX COSMETICS just put out the Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick Vault ($50 @ ulta.com) and actually this is the best idea yet – a set of minis of an existing lip collection, in this case, as the name says, the Liquid Suede Cream Lipsticks.

Nyx Cosmetics Liquid Suede Vault

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While cushion foundations certainly aren’t anything new to the market, their popularity seems to come and go, interestingly enough. I think the first one I ever came across was from Stila and their Pivotal Skin Liquid Makeup SPF8 compact quite a few years ago.

Anyway, what I like about these is mainly the convenience factor. I mean, how many times have you toted your foundation bottle inside your bag? Ummm, never! Popular in Korea, these cushion compacts have been compared to something like a BB cream in a compact, which I never thought of. I mean, they have the tint, the SPF and usually quite a few skin care ingredients. So the benefits of a liquid foundation married to a BB cream inside a totable compact. Ok!

So what’s with the inside sponge? It stays put inside the compact and is able to give off the right amount of foundation when you dab it with another application sponge. I know, how was this ever thought up?

I wrote about this one a few months ago and the latest ones I’ve tried are from the AMOREPACIFIC line, which is, funny enough, a Korean brand. I always considered this brand just skin care, so I was surprised to see this from them. They have 3 different ones unique benefits:

Color Control Cushion Compact Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ ($60 @ amorepacific.com, nordstrom.com, bloomingdales.com) – contains bamboo sap to help with moisture and has a light coverage. Available in 5 shades.

Sun Protection Cushion SFF 30+ ($40 @ amorepacific.com, nordstrom.com) – contains Purslane (a major anti-aging ingredient) and plum extracts. No color.

Age Correcting Foundation Cushion SPF 25 ($80 @ amorepacific.com, bloomingdales.com, nordstrom.com) – contains green tea polysaccharides, Green Tea Miracle and is a full coverage foundation. Available in 5 shades.

Are you into this trend? Let me know if the comments!

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes.

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I don’t think you could get a quicker skin pick-me-up than this M-61 PowerGlow Peel. Have you heard of this M-61 line yet? It was created by the Co-Founder & CEO of the Bluemercury beauty stores, Ms. Marla Malcolm Beck, and is a full line of skin care free from parabens, sulfates and phthalates. After 13 years, I’m sure she’s seen a lot as in holes in the skin care industry, so you might want to check this line out.

So back to this peel! What it is: a 1-minute, 1-step exfoliation peel that uses glycolic and salicylic acids in a convenient towelette to, well, do everything you need it to do – reduce pore size, exfoliate, help reduce hyperpigmentation spots and scars and calm the skin overall.

The only thing I can't seem to find it how much of these acids are inside each pouch. It doesn't say on their website or on the back of the box. Hmmm... no bueno, in my opinion. In an arena that can be so confusing, it's nice to be educated when you can be but I'm guessing since these are for home use, they don't contain a medium or high amount that you'd find in a doctor's office of either ingredient. 

And the 8" x 8" sheet is more than enough to cover the face, so after using it, I apply a round to the backs of my hands and decolletage! 

Choose from 3 different size: $28/10 treatments, $62/30 treatments, $110/60 treatments @ bluemercury.com, macys.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

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Since writing about beauty, I tend to change out my skin care products about every 6 weeks because they take longer to test out. Two I’ve been delighted with is NEAL'S YARD REMEDIES Deliciously Ella Rose, Lime & Cucumber Facial Wash ($25/3.38oz @ us.nyrorganic.com ) and Deliciously Ella Rose, Lime & Cucumber Facial Moisturizer ($40/3.38oz @ us.nyrorganic.com).

Don’t the names of the products just sound good enough to eat? After being diagnosed with a rare condition called Postural Tachycardia Syndrome, Ella Woodward from deliciouslyella.com had to look seriously at everything – from what she put in her body to on her body.

Working closely with the team at NY Remedies, she created two skin care products that incorporated some of her favorite ingredients like rose, toning lime, cooling cucumber and antioxidant-rich blueberries and acai. All of which are inside her two products! Go figure.

And I really love that she put her money where her mouth is and put out a cookbook in addition to the products called Deliciously Ella Every Day ($15.63 @ amazon.com). It highlights plant-based and gluten-free meals, from breakfast to healthy eating on-the-go (including my favorite of the moment to make, smoothies) to easy weekday dinners and even simple sweets. I have a good friend who keeps her rheumatoid arthritis at bay with her diet and can’t wait to share this book with her!

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes.

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