I promised I would mention the other stuff I bought. I got the eyelash curler and really like it. It’s ergonomic and feels great in my hand, it curls well and I like that it has so many replacement pads. It will last years if I don’t lose them. I also got the wowsun sunglasses. They are great quality and I’ll wear them all summer but I feel like they’re a little small for my face. It’s hard to pick out sunglasses without trying them on first. Also I got the Beauty Blender dupes! I have never owned those type of sponges before and they’re better than a kabuki brush at blending. I don’t know what took me so long. I still want the Maybelline Matte Ink lipstick and the bag resealers, since I ate all the Fritos yesterday. Here are some other products that Hecate and I are considering.

A blackhead removal vacuum that will suck the gunk out of your face

From CB: This USB rechargeable blackhead removal vacuum by Alin & Alan is under $25. It comes in three colors and each has 4 different heads with four intensity levels, although you may want to just use the lowest one. This has 4 stars, over 2,000 ratings and a B on Fakespot. Reviewers show photos of all the stuff it got out of their face and say that it really works, however you need to move it and not leave it in on place for too long or you’ll give yourself a face hickey. People say “I was really shocked this actually worked… you could see the garbage coming out of the skin as it sucked!,” “afterwards my skin felt soft where I used the device and so refreshed like I just got out of the spa,” and “the gunk and things it took out of my face were disgusting but I could tell afterwards that my pores were cleaned out, my face looked smoother and brighter.” You’re supposed to steam your face first and one woman writes “when you apply it to your skin you drag it down and it is like shoveling snow. You will see the crap go right in the tube.”

A blackhead removing kit with a mask, blackhead strips, and pore-closing serum

From CB: I spent about half an hour looking through blackhead removal strips. There are some which are cheaper than Biore, but they have stacked reviews and they pay people to remove bad reviews, so I couldn’t recommend any of those. This is a three part blackhead removing system with a mask, blackhead strips you apply on top of it and a serum with tea tree oil to help close pores. This has 102 reviews, 4.6 stars and a B on Fakespot. Reviews say it really works to remove blackheads and shrink pores and that “It causes no irritation, doesn’t hurt and I am so impressed by the results.”

A set of 12 food storage containers will make your pantry look so organized

From CB: This is a set of 12 airtight clear containers with lids and labels for under $25. You can easily organize your pantry and dry goods with these. They’re stackable and leakproof and hold about 1.5 quart worth of product in each. These have over 1,200 ratings, 4.6 stars and a C on Fakespot, with an adjusted rating that’s well over 4 stars. Some people say they’re smaller than they thought so you may want to check the user photos first. They’re 6.5 inches high which is a little taller than a coke can. Reviewers write that “They’re easy to use and the seals are good,” call them “the perfect addition to my pantry” and say “ I will definitely be replacing all of the containers in my pantry with these! They are super easy to clean and very easy to organize.”

Hydrating undereye masks to reduce puffiness and deeply moisturize

From CB: These gold collagen undereye masks by Ellynzea Beauty have 4.2 stars, 244 ratings and a B on Fakespot. You get 24 for $14.99, which makes them .62 per pair. People say they work to reduce undereye bags and that they “take the puffiness away, make me look less tired.” “After the first week the puffiness and discoloration were visibly reduced” and that they “Left my under eyes feeling soft, hydrated and smooth,” “I can see improvement for sure.”

An accurate body weight scale if that’s something you’re looking for

From CB: I know it’s controversial to admit you weigh yourself, but I do it daily. I got really excited a couple of weeks ago because it looked like my workouts were paying off and I’d finally lost the pandemic weight. My son’s scale said I was seven pounds heavier than that, which was obviously wrong. I bought this Etekcity scale from Amazon and figured out *sad clown noise* that my scale was the one that was wrong. It’s a good scale and I like how easy it was to use out of the box, I just wish it said something else. This scale has 34,000(!) ratings, 4.3 stars and an A on Fakespot. It comes with a tape measure too. I like that you just step on it to activate it and you don’t have to smack it hard like so many other scales I’ve owned. It’s a scale, I’m not jazzed about it, but it works.

Cruelty free eye primer to keep your eye shadow game sharp

From Hecate: I am so lazy about putting makeup on, I can probably count the amount of time I wear it per year on one hand. (I actually like how makeup looks on me, which is why I call myself lazy.) This year I was going to make more of an effort so I started watching some YouTube tutorials, specifically for women over 50 and that’s where I learned about eye shadow primer. Not only does it preserve the look of your shadow for the full day, it does wonders to smooth the creases that happen with age. I have small eyes to begin with and the creases just make them look smaller. I bought my first primer at Sephora, but it was ridiculously expensive. When I run out, I intend to pick up this Thank Me Later eye primer that costs less than $15. It has 4.4 stars, over 7,500 ratings and an A from Fakespot. Reviewers say it goes on really well, “I put it on and it was creamy, yet not oily – just velvety and dried almost instantly as it was smoothed out,” and that it lasts as long as you want it to regardless of circumstances, “It literally kept my makeup looking like I just put it on allllll day no matter how bad I sweat in the heat!!!”

A $5-$7 lip crayon that goes on like chapstick

From Hecate: Considering this is from Burt’s Bees, it makes sense that it feels like lip balm going on. Personally, I prefer applying a lip crayon to lipstick. If I want to jazz it up a bit for nighttime, I just put a little gloss over it. But Nars and Mac can be an expensive lip crayon habit. That’s why I was so tickled to find these Burt’s ones from $5-$7 a piece. They comes in six colors and have 4.5 stars, 1,488 ratings and an A on Fakespot. Unlike some lip crayons, reviewers say these don’t dry out with wear, “they aren’t too drying, they do last a long time” and the color stays on, “Smooth to apply, survived a full can of Pepsi Max (does leave a mark on the can but still plenty on my lips without needing to reapply.)” The Napa Vineyard color (above) seems to be the most popular but I’m eager to try the Redwood Forest one.

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