Project Pan October-June 2013

HI All!
    So I started a new project on my youtube channel, the good ol' project pan.  Catch a gander, subscribe, leave a comment!  I was inspired by JessicaMaykup, another you tuber who has don't this project before.

Body Products I Want to Finish:

got2b crazy sleek blow dry lotion

Julep hand scrub

Psssst! Dry Shampoo

Redkin Shine Spray

Bath & Body Works Anti-Bac 

Bath & Body Works Moolight Path Body Spray

Vitabath Asian Orchid & Coconut Spray

Bath & Body Works Coconut Lime Verbena Body Butter

Bodycology Coconut Lime Twist Body Cream

got2b split end treatment

Clean & Clear Blackhead Eraser Cleanser Mask

Benefit Wonderlift Gel

Avon Nail Expert Quick Dry Spray

pile of my products

Makeup I Want to Finish:

NYC Applicious Lip Balm

Buxum Lipstick

Pangea Organics balm

Sally Hansen Lip gloss

Clinique Double Ended Gloss

ELF Luscious Liquid Lipstick

Elf Double Ended shadow liner stick

YBF Brow Pencil

ELF Cream Eyeliner in Coffee

NYX Eyeshadow base in Skintone

LA Colors Trio in Nude

Rimmel Glameyes single in Royal Linen

Black Radiance Mineral Shimmer Eyeshadow

Physicians Formula Tone Correcting Powder

Wet N Wild Mineral Foundation

ELF Tone Correcting Concealer

Physicians Formula Bronze & Brighten

Have you started a project pan?

If you have a youtube channel link it below!

xoxo, 

Emi

Empties! (Traveler edition!)

Hi All!
    Hope that this summer break is treating you well! I am really excited to bring you guys another batch of empties (no I did not pack empties from my home to take with me for this post) This is strictly a post of what I have finished on this trip so that I don't have to carry back to the USA a large bag full of empty plastic containers (I think TSA would find that kinda crazy too!)

So what have I finished?

Yes to Cucumbers Soothing Facial Towels:
These were okay towelettes, I bought the sample pack before my trip yet I
found that I didn't use them as much.  These just didn't feel like they actually
got all my makeup off.  Plus these stung my eyes. 

Make-up Remover Facial Wipes:

These I got from the Dollar Store, and didn't really like these for my face. They were small, and not very saturated.
I actually used these to spot treat my makeup brushes.

 Neutrogena Oil- Free Acne Wash:

This was another product I picked up in a previous haul
just so that I could try out some other facial products.  This was a pretty good face wash I might go back and purchase it in the future.

L'Occitane Shower Gel Mini (x3):
I had a whole bunch of mini L'Occitane products from my hotel and I really
like the way this smelled.  It had Rosemary and Mint and just felt so
refreshing! Would I purchase this on it's own...probably not because it is pretty pricy. 

Asira Body Wash:

This was from a hotel I stayed in YEARS ago (yep I hoarded mini bath products)
Anyways, I found that this wash dried my skin out, and anyways I can't purchase this any
place....so I'm just glad I have less crap hanging around my room.

L'Occitane Shampoo (x3):
Yep, I told ya I had a bunch of these minis! The shampoo was pretty good,
but it doesn't work better than drugstore shampoos like Garnier or Herbal Essences. 

L'Oreal EverSleek Reparative Smoothing Conditioner:
So this conditioner worked pretty well for my hair.  I think I actually like the conditioner
more than I like the shampoo (the shampoo always left my hair feeling greasy).
Would I repurchase it? I don't think so, because I like so many other conditioners. 

L'Occitane Conditioner:

ANOTHER conditioner (do we see a theme here?) Anyways this was also nice stuff
but I just can't justify purchasing the full bottle at that price when so many
other conditioners work just as well for much cheaper.  I think I'll
just enjoy it in the hotel sample bottle form.

Jade Hand & Body Lotion (x2)

FINALLY! This is like the last of many minis I had in my dresser drawer (but let's
not talk about the big vase full of minis that my mother has that I need to start working through). I
liked the scent of this lotion though, it had a light and fresh rose fragrance.  Yet, it was
also a hotel sample so I have no idea where to buy it.

Dove gofresh Cool Mini Deodorant:

This was a life saver while I was here in Poland the first few days.  I was still running around
trying to get all my little items and kept forgetting to grab deodorant (oye!)
I liked this for the few days that I used it, but I had the full size in the past
and got really sick of the scent after a while.  So I might repurchase a mini to keep on hand, but not the full size.

ELF Exact Lash Mascara in Black:

So after the big hoopla about lower lash tiny brush mascaras, I went out and bought
this thinking "AWESOME! It's cheap and I can really use it." First off, I don't usually wear
mascara on my bottom lashes, and Second...this sucked.  The brush handle was too short so that caused a mess, the formula was barely there, and at times it looks like it was dried out because no color would come off.  This was just a waste and I'm glad I used what I could (which was not much anyways). NOT repurchasing.

NYC Lipstick in 319 Violet Shine:
This is a beautiful lipstick color that has some shimmer in it.  This is very much a "my lips but
better" color, it's not very purply as the name suggests, it's more of a pinky with hint of purple.
I wore this a lot this year so it was going to finish out sooner or later.
I would purchase it again, but I have a lot of similar colors to this.
PS I was NOT going to dig out the color from the tube...not worth all the extra fuss. 

Julep Nail Color in Grace:
This is a perfect "clean nail" polish.  When I wore this it just left my hands looking so fresh.
It did take about 4 coats to make it opaque (but it was still not fully opaque), and this polish
went very quickly because of that.  I don't know if I'm going to purchase this again
because of the price of the polish (14 bucks).  I have many similar colors
so I think I'll work on finishing out those colors.

NYC Loose Finishing Powder in Natural Veil:
Well, I can already say that I'm shocked that I finished this product out so fast.
I'm not a fan of loose finishing powders, and this one did not help keep my face shine free as long as I would have liked neither did it help my makeup from breaking down as quickly,
but hey it was a product I really wanted gone and done!

There was a sifter, but I popped it out and lost it. Oops

LaSource Relaxing Body Lotion from Crabtree & Evelyn:
I love Crabtree & Evelyn products but I just could not get behind this scent.  It was a spa scent but it
was also sickly sweet on me.  It's just not a fragrance I would have chosen
for myself.  I'd rather look towards the thick lavender or rose creme.

Vitamin C Tablets on Left, On Right LaSource

Vitalsss Plus Witamina C Tablets:
So these are just effervescent Vitamin C tablets that I took while my stay at the dormitory.
We have had 3 rounds of heavy sicknesses in our dorm and I took these as preventive measures.
Boy was I happy to have done that because I didn't even cough during my stay here!
Anytime I travel I always take a pack of these because it helps my immune system
battle and airplane bugs and transition to the climate colds.

Carea Cotton Rounds:
These are just generic cotton rounds that worked really well for taking off makeup.  There are 120
rounds and they cost less than a buck, so it's a win win situation for me.

TREsemme Freshstart Dry Shampoo:
So the first few times I used it, it was ok.  Then the second half of the bottle felt like I was spraying
liquid onto my scalp.  I've heard from quite a few people that they
also have this problem the with this particular dry shampoo.  I have to say, I'm not on the whole
dry shampoo band wagon though, I still feel gross when my hair isn't washed.
I might give this another go another day, but for now...eh.

NIVEA Stress Protect Anti-Perspirant:
So I have to say, I was a little skeptical when I first bought this antiperspirant, because it is
milky and not a heavy duty men's product.  But even on the 100 plus
degree days, this worked really well.  I wish the US carried this product (or
at least it was more readily available).

Timotei With Jericho Rose 2 in 1 Shampoo & Conditioner
I really liked this shampoo, I found that it kept my hair feeling REALLY soft despite the hard water here in Poland. I still did follow up with conditioner, but this lathered well and smelled really nice.  Sadly this is a product I've only seen here in Poland, so I probably won't see it in the US.  Oh well.

L'Occitane Body Lotion
This was another one of my tons of minis I had with me.  But this was probably my most disappointing products form L'Occitane that I've used.  The lotion was very thin and watery and did not soak into the skin.  The scent was ok, it strong resembles goat milk products, which I personally do not mind.

L'Occitane Conditioner (x2)
 Yep, I know...didn't I already post earlier about finishing one of these...well I finished two more and the way I've been writing about these products is as I go through them.  So you, my readers, will have to deal with a double on the list. I liked the conditioner...but still feel there are much more and better products for much lower prices.

St. Ives Apricot Scrub (Fresh Skin)
Um... someone care to remind me why I stopped using this product? (Erm...guilty I had too many face washes and couldn't justify going out and buying so much more until I finished a few...oops) I found that the scrub was nice and gritty and very useful for opening up the skin for another cleanser so that it could get in real deep.  When I get back home, I'll be purchasing a large bottle of this!

Clean & Clear Deep Action Cream Cleanser
This stuff makes my face tingle! But in a really refreshing and clean way.  Did it perform miracles when it came to my breakouts? Not really, and this surprised me.  I have a few other products that work a lot better and faster.  


Needless to say...it's been a busy summer of empties!
What have you finished?

Project Pan: March 2013

Hey All!
   I hope everyone is having a great entrance into Spring! Over here it's been a bit slow to start, a few last minute snow falls but overall I really can't complain.  Today I wanted to bring an update of my products that I'm working on using up currently, let me know if you would like to see these continue!

 

I obviously have added in a product, and made a big dent in others.  Starting from the top left:

 

The Color Workshop 15 Pan Palette: This palette is still going strong, although I have finished another pan of it, bringing my total to 3 pans out of the 15.  I hope to have this finished out by the year, but at my rate, it feels like it'll take two years. 

 

L.A. Colors Pressed Powder: This has seen a pretty drastic improvement from even last month.  I hope to say adios to this product by next month.  It still hasn't grown on me, and I'll be happy to have it gone soon enough. 

 

Wet'N' Wild Nutty Eyeshadow: I've been slowly working my way through this shadow, but sadly in transport, it started to crack so I need to be more careful with this.  I hope to have it done before I go to study abroad for 9 weeks because I'd hate to deal with the mess. 

 

ELF Studio Blush in Berry Merry: I did not expect at all this blush to develop such a dent in it.  I don't think it'll be finished this year because it looks best during the winter/fall/early spring months.  So once we hit the warmer weather, I think I'll switch this out for a peachy or pink blush again.  But I will pull it back out in September.  This is a really pretty berry toned blush, and totally under hyped.

 

Jordana Easyliner in Eggplant: I haven't really used this as much as I thought I would.  This shade especially gets smudgy and created raccoon eyes so easily, and while I experienced this with the brown shade, it wasn't as bad.  I will probably focus on getting this out of my collection even faster now. 

 

Overall there is progress, but I'm itching to have anther makeup product finished! What about you? Have you been finishing makeup?

xoxo,

Emi

Project Pan: February 2013

Hey all!
  Hope you had a LOVEly month (bad joke I know), anyways it's time for the next installment of my project pan.  This month was pretty interesting, although I swear, my shadows must be growing back during the night because I feel like I'm right at the cusp of hitting another small pan, and yet nada (grrrr!)  Anyways let's start from top left corner.

L.A. Colors Face Pressed Powder: This thing won't die! It just keeps living on, although I feel like it has made a slight improvement. (wishful thinking I believe)

Wet'n'Wild Eyeshadow in Nutty: Again doesn't look like much has been used, but I've used this every single darn day.  Let's face it, even using a single shadow daily...it might take about 4 more months to get through it (talk about  perspective...my whole collection might take more than 5 years!!)

Color Workshop Palette: The lower right corner shadow is the one I've been focusing on this month. It shows a dent, but won't hit pan (cruel joke!)

Jordana Easyliner: whoa hey, did this really grow back? Nope! I finished my Lavish Brown shade in the middle of the month, so I've started onto the other Jordana Liner in Eggplant.  It's a nice shade switch!

 

How are ya'll doing on your project pans?

xoxo,

Emi

Product Empties Finale 2012!

Happy Holidays Everyone!
    I hope everyone is having an AWESOME holiday time! I figured this would be a great time to do my holiday wrap up post regarding my project empties for the year! I've kept all the containers in a bag in a corner of my room and boy does this thing take up some space!

So I had a friend ask me exactly how much space does 156 products take up in a typical room, and that got me thinking about how much space did I really give myself back. Most bloggers or youtubers just keep their products for a month or two but I kept all my stuff from the year!

My extra large Hallmark bag

All my products smushed together took up my entire bedside table!

I also was thinking back about my experience with my year long purging and realized quite a few things:
1.Be Reasonable:  Makeup takes a long time to get through and so often the beauty bloggers and youtubers that I follow think that they can get through almost 30 makeup products in 4 months.  It won't happen, that is really a year long project (at least) and even longer if you are using brand new, never touched stuff.
2. The Addiction: Purchasing things nonstop really is an addiction which can lead to larger and larger purchases. We often chuckle that we have so much makeup and that we will never use it all. In this last year I found it really hard at first to stop buying, it was just so ingrained that when you go to the drugstore you just pick up a few things from the beauty aisle.  It was that whole buying equals satisfaction,  but then once I actually shopped my stash I realized I didn't need a lot of the new things. I also found it a lot more exciting to be finishing out my products. 
3. New Forms: While products are coming out in a lot of new forms, once on the face, eyes or lips, they look exactly alike. Thus I didn't need to go out and purchase a lot f the hyped up things. My current glosses looked exactly like a lot of the new glosses, some even had a staining ability on my lips, so I didn't really need that brand new product.  Also, guru's love to review the new products and create looks centered around them.  That is great, but just look through what you have, I'm sure you'll find something similar.  I found a lot of similar colors that I learned to enjoy.
4. Learn About Yourself: This taught me a lot about what colors I like, the forms they come in, and even how long they last.  I now know that I love the B&BW body washes, but that I only need to purchase 4 or 5 in a year to last, because they take me a while to get through.  I learned how to fine tune my makeup skills, tried out liquid liner, and figured out I'll never wear bright colors on my eyes.  This shouldn't be a punishment, but instead a chance to learn what you like or don't like about products so that future purchases can be made more wisely.  
5. Using them up: Just because I had used up a product, didn't mean that I liked it.  As most of my posts had indicated this year, I was not impressed by a lot of the products I used up.  But that also doesn't mean that I hated everything I owned.  I wanted to actually use my makeup, not just let it sit in the drawer and look pretty.  By pushing myself to use them up, I am actually enjoying them for the purpose they were purchased for.  

So what does this mean for the next year? 
Well, I am still moving in September, and my space is still going to be extremely cramped.  Also going back to purchasing products wouldn't be useful after putting in so much effort to finish them out.  So for 2013, I will continue my project! My goal this year is going to be 75 products, but I would love to hit 100.  I gave myself a lower number since my half-used products are done, and I'll be starting from the top with all my products.  My focus will also be on my actual makeup products, let's hope I get through another 25 of them :) 

What about you guys? Any resolutions to stop spending? Anyone else looking to downsize their collections? 

Happy New Year!
xoxo,
Emi

Final Product Empties of 2012!

Hi Everyone!
   I hope Christmas found you all really well and that everyone had a chance to enjoy time with friends and family.  This is going to be my last post before my finale post about my project pan, and boy am I excited about that one! Today is just my last minute things that I finished up during the December month.  I always surprise myself about what I end up finishing out, it's never really the stuff I expect to!
Anyways  onto the products!

Garnier Fructis Fortifying Shampoo Pure Clean: So I've heard a lot of people saying that this was so cleansing for their hair, I really think that the "Pure Clean" aspect is more intended to be a part of their environmentally friendly label, not really the way it cleans the hair. I love this brand anyways, so it's something I'll be repurchasing over and over again.

Blondie Violet Volumizing Mousse: So I had this product since I went really blonde with Sun-In when I was about 16.  That's roughly 8 years, and I had purchased it thinking that it would keep it from being brassy.  At that time I didn't know what "brassy" meant, and saw no change in it. I dug this back out this year and finally used it up, I swear it would multiply over night.  I didn't see much volume either, so I think this was just a wishful thinking mousse.

Burberry Brit for Women: Okay, this is my signature scent for most of the year. Starting in September through till mid-April I will use this fragrance and it lasted me a long time too!I was sad to see it finish out, but for Christmas I got two more Burberry perfumes, but I will be repurchasing once I get through a few more scents. 

Asira Shampoo: This was just a travel product that I had when I went down to Atlantic City with my friends.  I didn't see it do anything special for my hair, just cleaned it.

Asira Conditioner: Another travel product, it was decent but I have a lot of other conditioners that keep my hair much softer than this one.

Giovanni Step 3 body lotion: This is a sample packet I got from Fairway Market, I found this lotion to be decent. It had a very sweet scent to it, which wasn't very off putting, but it isn't something I would purchase on a whim.  It's made with antioxidants so it's supposed to be good for your skin but I really didn't notice anything special about it.

Juer Birchbox Pink Lipgloss: This was a specially made mini for Birchbox, but I just didn't see it as anything special.  It had barely any pigment, and the design wasn't the greatest because it was a square shape and the brush couldn't reach to majority of the product.  I finally started to use a longer brush from another gloss but it was a pain to carry them both around.  I was disappointed by it, and won't bother to look into it.

Almary One Coat Dial Up: This was an awesome mascara, and it kept my lashes deep black, curled and didn't make them crunchy.  I had a backup of this one, but I'll use it once I get through my other mascaras. 

ELF Waterproof Eyeliner Pen in Black: This was the first liner I got from ELF and this was a miss for me, but only because the felt tip was already damaged.  It left a nice dark line on my lids and was rather long lasting.  As time went on, the liner pen frayed more and became rather unusable.  I know it's just a fluke though, because my other ELF liners are fine. 

Stila Smudge Proof waterproof Liner in Peacock: This was another disappointing product.  It came from my first Birchbox, and came to me already defective, it wouldn't screw back down.  It also seemed to be much drier than others that I have sampled at Sephora.  It would start out as a beautiful deep color but by a few hours, it would turn into a light and bright teal.  It also could crumb on my lids, leaving fallout.  Overall just disappointed.

CVS Eyemakeup Remover: This bottle lasted me a while and didn't sting my eyes. I don't usually hunt out same brands specifically, but this one is something I'll repurchase. 

CVS Sensative Unscented Baby Wipes: I got these because for the last month I was staying at various friend's homes due to a hectic work and school schedule, for a bit I forgot to get any eye makeup remover, so tried these out.  They were cheap and worked well, they got all the makeup off, and hey...if they are good enough for a baby's butt then it was ok for my face.

Asira Oatmeal Almond Soap: This was my only favorite Asira product, because it had actual bits of almond in it so it acted like a great scrub.  It was still gentle and just smelled awesome.

Giovanni Step 1 Cleanser: This was the little packet, and I really didn't notice anything special about this cleanser, I feel like it was just another body wash, and wouldn't spend the money on it.

Giovanni Step 2 Exfoliator: This, unlike the other three parts of the "program", was awesome.  I was expecting a stronger scrub and a little surprised it was a sugar/salt scrub, but still found it just right.  While I don't exfoliate my body often (oops being lazy) I would purchase this for the more summer months. 

Iseries Lens Towellets (60): Technically these aren't beauty related, but since they are for my eyeglasses, I figured they would count because I don't want them looking gross on my face.  These were fine, just something easy to clean up the lenses.

Opti-Free Replenish Contact Solution: This is the best product in the world...said no one about contact solution. lol. This is one of those large bottles you can get as a two pack for about 18 bucks.  It keeps them clean and that's all I care about.

Swan Nail Polish Remover: I buy this one at the Dollar Tree, and for some reason, I love it better than any other drug store polish.  It just seems to get my nails clean and it's cheap.  Since I do my nails so often, polish remover goes pretty fast.  I already have several bottles around my house.

Colgate Luminous Toothpaste: So another toothpaste done, and only several more containers before I get down to a normal amount! lol, I feel like this is another product that keeps having babies and multiplying because I keep finding more and more barely used tubes. Oh well, at least I have clean teeth!

So what does this new total come to??
Lotion/Fragrance/ Hair:53 + 6 =59
Makeup: 25 + 4 =29
Candles/ Scents:6 + 0 =6
Cleansers/Body Wash:32 + 5 = 37
Randoms:21 + 4 = 25

GRAND TOTAL: 156

Stay tuned for an upcoming post about this journey and a look at how much space all these products take up! Have you started a Empties Project?

xoxo
Emi

Finished Products Pt 3

**warning super long post...I will try to keep it short and sweet though!**

Wow, half the year gone and I'm still chugging pretty strong through this project.  I've been finishing up quite a few products and see that a lot of stuff is finishing out (mainly because right about now is when my of my full sized products are running out!) More and more stuff is being added in and I still have half the year to get through, so perhaps by the end of 2012 I will actually finish out a nice chunk of makeup :D (squeals of delight!) Needless to say, this project has already shown me a lot on what types of skincare and body care products I prefer (scent-wise, texture and actual use-wise) so my future product purchases will have that in mind.

Breathing Space Calming Lavender: LOVE. Lasted me a month and was so luxurious feeling.  I'm a stickler for lavender scents and if it does not smell right, I'll refuse to use it, but this product smell just right.  Best part was that this was from my local Dollar Tree so it was only a buck. Will be repurchasing.

Crabtree & Evelyn La Source Body Lotion: This was one of those samples/ travel sizes you get at hotels. It was a good product but I am not a fan of the scent. I love all the other scents from their lines but something about this is slightly off...like a sickly sweet spa. ick. Not purchasing.

Jade Hand and Body Lotion: Another hotel sample I got (I am sooo one of those people who kidnap those lil things) but this one was probably my favorite scent. It was clean yet a hint of floral. It wasn't the BEST moisturizer, but worked in the pinch.


SHINE by bliss Mandarin & Mint: ummm no hint of mandarin and none of mint. This had a weird fruity scent and I was just happy to finally say good-bye to this last lil hotel travel size I had.  It felt greasy and right after I applied it...I still felt really dry.


Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion: HOLY GRAIL right here. If I didn't have almost 5 half or 1/4th done bottles around the house  thanks to my siblings I would repurchase this in an instant. This had such a homey oat-y scent without being off-putting. It left my elbows and knees so soft and well moisturized. Perfect soaking in time too.

L'Occitane Hydration Creme: First off- I hate sachets. There is either too little product or too much and no matter what there is no way to really save to use later. This product had too much in the sample sachet and was so greasy on my skin. Plus it had a cucumber/aloe scent which is something I just dislike. I love L'Occitane but this was a miss on my list.

Jergens Natural Glow Face Daily Moisturizer in Medium: Yes this is for face but it would break me out SO horribly and did not moisturize that I gave up on it. Until I mixed it with my Aveeno Lotion and got a great product. I would not recommend this product though for people with sensitive skin because the fake tanner is irritating.

AcneFree Green Tea Oil Absorbing Moisturizer: I love this product.  This is a great lightweight product but still does the job and keeps the skin nice and clear.  I was so sad to see it go that I actually cut it open to get every last bit. I think my Clean & Clear has some competition.

John Frieda Go Blonder Lightening Shampoo: This product works, I got some really natural lightening which was great for me because it was not like BAM blonde or like with Sun-In all one color.  I like it, but probably wouldn't purchase unless on sale because you don't get a huge amount of product but also I don't really know the long term effects on my hair with this shampoo. The baby version was nice and retails for 1.49 at CVS.

B&BW Coconut Lime Verbena Volumizing Shampoo: I don't think B&BW makes the shampoo of this for retail but I *again* got this from a hotel. I LOVED the scent so much I went out and got the body butter. The shampoo isn't a great product though, my hair got REALLY matted together and just didn't leave any volume.

Carmex Moisture Plus in Peach: First off, this color was NOT peach at all...it was a rosy/ coral pink. But it was so nice on the lips. It still had a slight medicated scent but no where near the typical carmex scent. Will repurchase if I can find it again.

ELF Studio Minty Lip Gloss in New York City: Such a nice gloss! It has a ruby tint with a nice minty feeling. While it looks like I still have some product left, I took the stopper our and the brush does not reach the bottom. I tried the boiling water trick, but it did nothing because there is just so much extra plastic. I have other glosses similar in color so while I won't rush out to get it, I might purchase on a whim one day.

Benefit Stick Foundation in Spin the Bottle: I have sentimental value to this because it was a part of my first actual makeup kit that I got from my mom.  I loved this product dearly, but it is very full coverage.  I don't even know if they still make it!

NYC Lengthening Mascara in Jet Black: This is that rare product that I have repurchased. I like this product because it is a classic spoolie brush and had a very natural look.  I would get some volume and length and it was a drier formula *which is my favorite*

Slatkin & Co Wallflower in Twisted Peppermint: My favorite scent out of the entire B&BW collection.  I have a love hate relationship with this though.  I refuse to pay regular price so I'll only restock on it during the Semi-Annual Sales. It is so fresh and crisp with just a hint of sweet.

Absolute! Green Tea Facial Tissues: This was actually my first facial cleansing wipe and it really just re-iterated that I am not a cleansing towelette girl. I need to go in with my facial cleanser because my skin does break out so easily. I just don't see the attachment to them.

Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash: Really nice product. I love immolating it and doubling it as a shave gel (it's suggested on the bottle). It just makes it a 2 in 1 product for me. Once I do get through all my body gels, this will become a staple.

Montagne Jenesse Pore Cleansing Facial Masque: This was another sachet product that I got roughly 2.5 uses out of. It really just reminds me of the masques my mom would give me as a youngster and doing slumber parties. Those masques did nothing for us but made us feel more grown up. I still have 2 left to get through (weep)

Fa Gelee Royal Almond Blossom: I used this on my face and body (hence the reason why it is in this section) and I love it. This is a brand marketed to central Europe (aka Germany, Poland etc) In the states it is rather expensive, but since I travel to Europe so often (for both research, studies and family) I will be able to pick this up for MUCH cheaper.

Noxema Clean Moisture Deep Cleansing Creme: Most people have a love it or hate it relationship with this product. I for one, love it. I use it as a deep cleanser and leave it on for 15-30 minutes or as a spot treatment on pimples/ whiteheads. By the next day my problem areas are gone! I have a whole other tub which will get more love, once I get through all my other products.

Clean & Clear Blackhead Clearing Scrub: This poor product has just been through the ringer *haha* It is a salicylic acne treatment which seems to work best on my skin type.  I really do like this and I think my typical St. Ives will have some competition.

Burt's Bees Orange Essence Facial Cleanser: I was SO disappointed by this product. I loved the scrub but the cleanser left a waxy film on my face. It was also a mental screw because for me...I want to feel foaming and cleansing of my skin...and if it doesn't do that...I don't feel like my face got clean. This was sadly the case with this product.

Opti-Free Replenish Contact Solution: Just a basic solution but since I have been really focused on being safe with my eyes, I had been changing solution each night.

Bio-True Contact Solution: Got a tester of this from my eye doctor.  It's a bit more expensive because it's supposed to be closer to the biological tears, but I really didn't notice anything special.

New Totals!:
Lotions/ Fragrence/ Hair: 10 + 9=19
Makeup:4 + 6= 10
Candles/ Scents: 1 + 6 = 6
Cleansers/ Body Washes: 7 + 11= 18
Randoms: 2 + 2= 4
Grand Total: 57!!

Products I've Finished!

Hi Everyone!!

                Well if this hasn’t been a busy month I don’t know what has! This weather has been crazy to boot! In the New York Tri-State area we have only had about 6 inches total of snow since October *knock wood for no more*! Anyways, if you are a Beauty Broadcast reader, you’ve probably read my post about my crusade to spend less on makeup after seeing my finances from the last year.  I’ve looked at my monthly spending on makeup and have been challenging myself to spend less than last year (next year I don’t know how  that will turn out cause for February I spent ZERO bucks on makeup!) and to be going through my products and using them.  I don’t have a certain amount of products, or particular products that I need out or even a certain amount of time. I just want to get some use out of what I have, and on that note, I have a long overdue post about the products I have already finished! So…..in no particular order:

L-R: St. Ives, Dove Clinical Strength, L'Oreal 360 Mini, L'oreal 360 Anti-Breakout, Harmons Toner

St. Ives Facial Scrub “Naturally Clear”: Oh boy this product lasted me just about a year and I love this! I will be repurchasing this one as soon as I finish through my other various cleansers. I would use the scrub 1-3 times a week and just found that it left my skin feeling renewed and fresh. 

Dove Clinical Protection in Energizing: BAD. Just not at all what I was looking for in a deodorant and especially in a pricier clinical strength one! It is a gel/ cream product, and would not keep me dry. Within one hour I’d feel gross and the scent didn’t last. Not only that but the actual amount of product is really small, and as you twist up, product would get stuck under the cap so I wouldn’t even have a chance to use it! I won’t be repurchasing this at all, I’ll stick to my other, normal deodorants thank you!

L’Oreal go 360 Clean Deep Exfoliating Scrub: So happy this was a sample size that I got for free with the big bottle because this did nothing “exfoliating”.  Quite literally just had a few beads that also did nothing in the normal facial cleanser formula.  It was just nothing special so I won’t be repurchasing it. 

L’Oreal go 360 Clean Anti-Breakout Facial Cleanser: LOVE THIS. I had this product for about 4-6 months, and a little bit of this gel works for the entire face. It was not over drying and within one day I really did see my breakouts start to go away. I can’t wait to repurchase (once I finish my OTHER cleansers *grumble grumble*)

Harmon FaceValues Skin-Refreshing Hydrating Toner: I really didn’t see this change my skin, and still really don’t see why there is a fuss about using toners.  I mainly used this to take my makeup off, or just to cleanse it in the mornings.  As I started to get to the bottom though the product would separate and leave a slight greasiness so I wasn’t too happy with that. I might purchase another toner, but it’s not a NEED to purchase thing.

Suave Dry Shampoo, B&BW Peach Citrus, B&BW Dark Kiss, Benefit Maybe Baby

Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo: I have never used a dry shampoo before, but for my first try at it, I have to admit it wasn’t too bad.  I think what got me the most was my own psyching out.  My hair looked clean, and more or less felt clean, but I knew that my hair wasn’t fresh so I felt really grossed out/ peeved about it (trust me to do that). The scent was good but I just don’t think dry shampoos are really my thing yet.  When I still have decent looking day 2 hair, I usually curl it and pull it back. 

Bath & Body Works Peach Citrus Body Lotion: Oh goodness I think I bought this like 4 seasons ago at the big 50-75% off sale that they had, and just never used it. Seems to be a big thing with me, I love lotions and scents but I’m afraid that a scent will be discontinued so I save it for later…(weird I know!) But I have so many mini lotions that I just started using them. I didn’t get much peach it was really more citrusy and floral-esque.  It’s not a scent that I will be rushing back to get, but if it’s there I might pick one up. 

Bath & Body Works Dark Kiss Body Lotion: So I did not expect to like this scent at all. I grabbed this one at the cash register and didn’t smell it until I got home. Once I did smell it in the bottle I had a crinkle the nose moment and put it aside. Now after using it, I was very surprised because with my body chemistry, the scent was actually really nice.  I’d have to say it has a warmth too it that I did not expect. Probably will repurchase this one (side note: has anyone noticed B&BW lotions to not be very moisturizing as compared to other products like Aveno?)

Maybe Baby Perfume from Benefit: My absolutely favorite scent….ever. I was so sad to see this scent finish, and will be adding it onto my wish list.  This just has the perfect amount of warmth and freshness that is great for young ladies but also works well with older ladies too. I have other perfumes to work my way through, but still will have my fingers crossed that I get the large bottle for my birthday! (PLEEEEEEEEEEEEASE)

Holly Wreath Candle, Vanilla Gingerbread Candle, 2 White Peppermint Candles

Holly Wreath Candle: This is a Rite Aid candle I got for a buck.  In the tin it actually smelled nice and had a decent strength but as I started to use it, there was literally no scent.  Which made me a little sad, but for 1 buck I guess I can’t boohoo too much :/

Vanilla Gingerbread Candle: This smells like gingerbread and vanilla icing with a hint of nutmeg…in the tin. Again, a Rite Aid candle that literally gave off no scent. I won’t be purchasing either candles because they just aren’t doing what I want them to do. 

Seasonal Traditions White Peppermint candles: I got these two at CVS during the Christmas holiday. They smelled so nice…IN THE JAR. Oh my goodness, this batch of candles has not been fragrant for my room at all! I think Yankee Candle and Bath & Body Works candles have spoiled me! 

Benefit Lemon Aid, Nivea Kiss of Milk & Honey, Jordana LipShine in Watermelon

Benfit Lemon Aid: This is a primer/ conceler for the eye, similar to tinted eye primers that eliminate any discoloration. I adore this product, but with the newer formulation, I don’t think I will be purchasing (although my sister got me a new version for Christmas because she kept hearing me talk about it!)

Nivea Kiss of Milk and Honey Lip Balm: I love this product, but for some strange reason it smells like strawberries and cream to me (o.0?) If I didn’t have like 8 other balms to get through I’d repurchase this in a heartbeat! 

Incolor by Jordana Lip Shine in 02 Watermelon Punch: This was an ok lip gloss. It would leave a nice amount of color but would disappear rather quickly.  There is no glitter in it, just a nice non-sticky texture and had a scent that matched the various flavors (I had a previous shade that had a cotton candy and a berry flavor/ scent) These are pretty cheap, so while I wont be running out just for this gloss, I might pick another one up one day (one I finish my TONS of other glosses -.-)

So what is my tally so far?

Lotions/ fragrance/ hair products: 4

Makeup: 3

Candles:4

Cleansers/ Body Washes: 5

Grand total: 16

Who else is shopping their stashes? Let me know how everyone is doing!

Xoxo,

Ema