Photo illustration by Joel McCarthy
Get great looking skin this summer
By Lauren Kelly, Editor-in-Chief
I’ve covered a lot of products here over the last couple years, but sometimes a single treasured find or good deal can’t be stretched out into a whole article. Here is a collection of recommendations for amazing looking skin.
Boscia Black Charcoal Blotting Linens
No matter how good your foundation, primer, or setting powder is, sometimes oil still sneaks through. I’ve tried a lot of different blotting papers to combat this, but I found that a lot of them pulled my makeup off with the oil. The Boscia charcoal blotting papers are not only the best I’ve tried at absorbing oil quickly and easily, but they stay true to their promise of not disturbing my makeup. The black charcoal is there to help purify your pores, which would be a benefit for those who wear less makeup than I do. They also come in Green Tea with antioxidants for people who struggle with acne. Although they’re about twice as much as drugstore blotting papers—$14 at Sephora—the 100-pack will last for a long time and the increase in quality is worth it.
Essence Say NO to Dark Circles, Imperfections, Redness Concealer Sticks
As I’ve covered previously, Essence is a treasure-trove of ultra-budget makeup. Their concealer crayons come in three shades—pink, green, and beige—and are each targeted at one problem area. As usual, the green stick is for redness, the pink is to brighten up dark circles, and the beige is for general concealing. They all work well, although they aren’t full coverage, and I use the first two fairly often. However, the beige is a bit dark and unnatural on me, and it won’t work for people with darker skin tones, either.
They’re super easy to apply since they do come as a crayon, and they blend in easily. This is a good recommendation for people looking to try out targeted concealing like this, and better than a concealing palette since you can buy as many or as few of the colours as you need. At $3.99 each at Shoppers, these are a must try.
There is one caveat, however. Some Essence stands have begun replacing these with a new line of colour correcting sticks, with three new colours—purple for dull skin, pink for tired skin, and yellow for dark circles—and a new price-point of $5.99. Although I have not tested these, I would hope that the higher price correlates with better quality. Either way, these and their cheaper versions are a great deal.
Physicians Formula Argan Wear Glow Oil
Over the last few years, Argan Oil has become an essential ingredient in beauty. You can buy Argan Oil hair products, skincare, and even nail polish.
However, getting your hands on a bottle of the stuff can be expensive. Luckily, Physician’s Formula offers a budget friendly option at $20 for 30 millilitres. It’s 100 per cent Argan Oil, and that means it can be applied to your hair, face, nails—where ever you want! To compare, Josie Maran at Sephora offers the same product at 50 millilitres for $60. If you deal with dry hair, skin, or nails, this is definitely worth trying out.
