Tuesday, March 5, 2019

The great purge and project pan challenge: February Edition

Another month has come and gone, and I wanted to share my progress on the Project Pan Challenge I have joined for this year. In my previous post, I had shared my goals for the year along with other beauty bloggers and vloggers joining me in this journey. As for my own personal goal, I want to rid myself for 150 products this year. While this number may seem high, I selected it because not only go I want to use up products, hitting pan if you will, but I also want to get rid of some beauty items I have been hoarding for some reason in spite of not really liking them. Let's jump in and see the items that have left my collection in February!

Use It: The Empties
Hair Products

Handle-Less 1875W Ceramic Tourmaline Hair Dryer | RED by KISS I was on the fence about including this on my list since it technically isn't empty, but since I used it until its dying day, I felt it was appropriate to use in this post. As you can imagine, it was a sad day in my household when my trusty hair dryer bit the bullet and stopped working for me. Thankfully I had a hair dryer in the guest bathroom so I could still dry my hair, but it just doesn't compare to my faithful friend. I have been using this hair dryer for almost four years now on a regular basis, and I really love the handle-less feature. While it took a little getting used to at first, I found it gave me extra control where I otherwise might be lacking, and I could getting better angles to dry my hair. The lack of handle also makes this model take up less space, both in my bathroom and in my luggage for when I'm traveling. I also really like how affordable it is! At only $25 (or $20 on amazon.com), it does exactly what I need at a smaller price point than several other brands.

Divine Dark Dry Shampoo | Batiste Dry shampoo is a staple on my beauty routine, and this is surprisingly the first time I've tried any by Batiste. While I do appreciate the dark colour to prevent turning my hair a weird ashy colour, I did not like that it would get on my ears and neck and make them look like they belonged to one of my boys after a day of digging in the dirt. Thankfully I wear very little white clothing as well as some powder would get on my clothing as well. It also had a floral scent that I just don't care for. I managed to suck it up and use this until it was finished, but I will not be repurchasing this.

Body Products

Mermaid Deliciously Whipped Body Butter | SoapyBliss I don't think I have the words to explain just how much I love this body butter! The air is definitely dryer here in Arizona, and this winter would have been rough on my skin without this fabulously thick body butter to keep my skin feeling soft and nourished. It does contain coconut oil, which definitely can dry out my skin, but the addition of the mango butter makes this creamy perfection! I also adore the scent as it has tropical mermaid vibes. SoapyBliss offers a few other scent varieties so I'm still using the product but with a different fragrance now. I do like the others, but "Mermaid" is my jam.

Bali Mango Glowing Scrub | Bath & Body Works Phew, baby, is this bottle old! I found it hiding out in my bathroom cabinet while packing to move and was thisclose to throwing it away due to age. It still smelled fine so I opted to hold onto it and make it one of the first items I used up after moving. In the end, I wasn't a fan of this product and it wouldn't have been the worst thing for it to have stayed in California. While it technically smelled fine, I'm not too crazy about the scent. Also, I found the scrub to be really harsh in the skin. While I do like to use a more abrasive scrub in my body than my face, this one was still too coarse for my liking. I obviously won't be buying this one since it is retired, but I don't think I'll be seeking for any other scrubs from Bath & Body Works either.

Face Products (Skincare)

Rejuveness Anti-Wrinkle Cream | Pond's I had picked up this travel-sized jar when my moisturizer exploded on me during one of my trips, and now that I focused on using it up, I am remembering just how much I like this product! It feels rich on the face and is the perfect cream to give my skin an extra moisturizing boost while I sleep. While it can be used twice a day, I found it is too heavy for my liking during the day, especially with my combination to oily skin, but those with dryer skin may like it both morning and night. I already have another night cream from a different brand that I am using right now, but I wouldn't hesitate to pick up another jar of this one from Pond's in the future.

Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule | Mizon This isn't the first time this product has appeared on my blog, and it certainly won't be the last. This snail mucin serum is arguably my favorite K-beauty product, and I've already picked up another one! Once you get past the "ick" factor, it's easy to tap a few drops into your skin. The final result is smooth and moisturized skin. Some people have found that this helps with acne scarring as well, although I'm not entirely convinced I have seen that myself with this product.

Cosmetics

Chai Amuse Bouche Lipstick | Bite Beauty I'm sure many of your recognize this as the sample-sized birthday gift from Sephora last year. This is the first time using this the Amuse Bouche lipsticks, and what a great intro! The colour is a lovely warm mauve brown, and I used it often both on it's own or blended in with other lipsticks that needed to be less bright. I currently have several lipsticks on hand so I don't think I'm going to buy a replacement in this shade, although I may consider purchasing other go-to shades. I also love the small sample size for carrying in a pocket or saving extra space traveling. I would love for Bite to release a small sample-sized set to try out other shades!

Matte Finish Setting Spray | NYX Cosmetics This makeup setting spray has been a staple in my makeup routine and for good reason. It certainly keeps my makeup in place throughout the day. While it isn't the absolute best makeup setting spray, especially for very long term wear, but it holds up throughout my workday and the price can't be beat. My next bottle is already open and in use.

Pro Finishing Sponge | ESUM Again, this is another one of those products that cannot exactly be emptied, but it is time to let it go. While I use brushes most often when it comes to foundation application, I do sometimes use a makeup sponge. I had picked up a two-pack of these sponges to try out, and in spite of using both of them, I'm still on the fence about how I feel about them. They are firmer and more dense than several other sponges I have tried, and they feel to absorb less product than some others. The longer flat side is nice at applying foundation although it is easy to go overboard with too much if you aren't careful. If you prefer the "bounce" application method like a traditional beauty blender, you may find the firmness of the sponge to be too much for your liking, unless you wish your beauty blender was less squishy, that is! The angled and pointed top makes for close application to the eyes as well as gets into harder to reach nose areas. The set of two sponges is only $20, so the price is good if you like this type of cosmetic sponge. As for me, I don't hate it, but I don't love it either.

Hibiscus Tinted Lip Balm | Burt's Bees I'm usually pretty good about putting my lipstick du jour in my bag before I leave the house, but for the days I don't, or even the days I opt not to wear lipstick, I could always count on this lip balm being in my bag. Nourishing to the lips and adding a subtle pop of colour, this is a must have handbag essential for me. I've not picked up a replacement yet as I have other lip balms I want to try to use up first, but I can see myself picking up another one of these, perhaps in a different shade for something different.

Moxie Get Ready Lipstick | bareMinerals This lipstick sample was sent to me in an Ipsy bag and promptly forgotten about. Oops! In my defense, I've only ever had mediocre experiences with bareMinerals products and this shade of pink isn't something I find myself gravitating towards often. I found that it didn't look quite right on me, so I ended up blending it in with other lipsticks for something more flattering. I don't believe bareMinerals sells this line any longer, but even if they were, I doubt I would pick up more.

Lose It: Purged Products
Last month was highly productive as I either emptied or got rid of 27 items. February was even better regarding the numbers, although it didn't feel quite so successful. In truth, I've hit a low point in regards to my mental health, hence my rather substantial absence from the blog for the month. I've not been using as many products, especially when it comes to cosmetics items, and I'm a little hesitant to rid myself of items when I'm in a funk. In January, I was able to purge some items that are technically good but just don't suit me for some reason, and I had taken on a "does it make me feel good" approach. Items that left me feeling underwhelmed are being removed from my stash, but as many of you likely already know, when you're not doing well mentally, everything has you going "meh". Still, I was able to purge my life of some products that just aren't quite right for me.


Glacé Matte Crēme Lip Crayon | Bite Beauty I wanted to like this other portion of my Sephora birthday gift, but this colour just did not work for me. While I could have decided to mix it with other shades, I had already elected to let it go. In an effort to keep working through my stash, I'm going to just follow through with my initial thought and say farewell to this lip crayon. I do really like the consistency and find it to be very comfortable on the lips and will have to keep this formula in mind should I be looking for more lip products.

Chelsea Ulti-Matte Lip Crayon | KISS New York Pro I picked up this lip crayon on a whim after testing out a few KISS NY Pro products, and I really liked how affordable it was! The colour is really pretty, however the formula left a lot to be desired. The stick is exceptionally firm, making it a little difficult to apply to the lips. I found once I did get colour to my lips, my lips felt a strange combination of dry with a wax film. Needless to say, I was not too happy about it, and I'm tired of trying to make this work for me. KISS NY Pro no longer appears to be selling this particular product, so I think someone there realized it just wasn't good.

Deconstructed Rose Lip Gloss Library | Bite Beauty I kind of hate that this section of my post seems like I'm picking on Bite Beauty, especially since I do enjoy the brand. I had picked up this limited edition lip gloss set on a whim one day since I really loved the colours in this 12-piece library, but I failed the brand by not doing due diligence before picking it up. Unfortunately, all of these are scented with rose fragrance, and I've not exactly kept my distain for this particular scent quiet here on my blog. While the scent isn't strong, I'm just not a fan and couldn't get past it with the couple of shades I've tried. As sad as I am to finally admit it to myself that this set isn't for me, I only tried a few shades and will therefore be able to pass on several unused tubes to someone that can actually enjoy them.

Infallible Never Fail Lip Colour (#400 Apricot, #710 Merlot, and #840 Russet) | L'Oréal Paris I had picked up these now discontinued products at a discount store to try out because I apparently don't have enough lip products in my life. They actually applied nicely to my lips and were comfortable to wear, but I just don't seem to grab for these particular tubes. These aren't bad, but there are other products I like more, and that is enough for me to let them out of my life.

Whisper Lip + Cheek Pencil | Nudestix While I have used other Nudestix products and enjoyed them immensely, this colour really does not work for me. It's just too light to do anything on my cheeks and the colour is not even remotely flattering when used on my lips.

Ultra Hydrating Beauty Lotion | Equate Beauty With the cost of the move, not to mention change of address issues and shipping, I attempted to save some moolah and time by purchasing some products at my local Walmart. As this list can attest, it did not go well. I had hoped to turn this into a nice every day moisturizer, but egads, the smell! It smells like a cross between rose and baby powder, and not something I want on my face. I really tried to get past that and use it, but I found my face super greasy a few hours after application. I also ended up with some lovely breakouts from it, so never again!

Dual Effect Moisturizer | Up&Up With my newly developed acne and my sensitivity to benzoyl peroxide, I though adding in a BHA to my routine might help my skin. While I do like to use BHAs, I'm not sure that attempting to combine them with a moisturizer was a great idea. This moisturizer left my skin feeling so dry, and now I no longer have to look at the bottle.

Tansy Ultra Satin Lip | Colourpop I remember when I first discovered Colourpop after a few friends introduced me to the brand. I know several people love the brand, but my experience hasn't been particularly pleasant. From batch to batch inconsistencies with colour (after side-by-side comparisons from other batches to confirm) to terrible customer service regarding missing items and packages sent to the wrong customer, I've unfortunately not had the best experience with the brand. I actually threw away many of my Colourpop liquid lip products before the move since everything had an underlying dingy brown colour, but I still held on to Tansy because it was, in truth, one of the very few positive items I had purchased from the brand. That said, the colour just isn't right on me, and given my lack of love for the brand already, I'm not sure why I held onto it as long as I did.

Ultra-Blotted Lip (Double Scoop and Doozy) | Colourpop While I've had issues with the brand, I still have kept trying to like them and see what all the hype has been about. As you have seen, I wear tinted lip products from time to time, so I naturally thought these Ultra-Blotted lip products would win me over. Obviously since it made the purge list, that was not the case. While I do like the shades themselves, I found the colours to go on very patchy. Even with being lightly pigmented, this unevenness still would show on me and just did not look good.

 And that, dear readers, concludes my list of purged products! Let's get a quick look at the numbers:

February Stats
Empties: 11
Purged: 23
Monthly Total: 34

2019 Stats to date
Empties: 24
Purged: 37
Total: 61

I'm definitely making great progress already this year, in spite of last month not going through items as much as I thought I would. I don't have any empties yet for this month, but I am so so close to finishing up a few things.

How was your month for your beauty goals? Have you emptied any items or found new products you enjoy? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!
XO!



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9 comments

  1. Gadgets that don't work certainly count as "empties", as they're used up! I swear by the Mizon Snail Repair Ampoule as well... they had an EX version that was even better, but it has been sadly discontinued. I hear they've recently launched an Essence, and more in the range, and want to try them all out.

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  2. I love reading these posts! You've done really well in your purge/project pan but I totally understand what you mean about getting rid of things when you're feeling under the weather. Also I've been wanting to try Colorpop too but I think I'm going to hold off a little longer!

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  3. I love Batiste but I hated this tinted one. It felt awful in my hair.

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  4. Wow. I like that you're keeping a record of all your stash. I purge every few months but most of my makeups go to my mom lol

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  5. You've done a great job on empties and purges. I've had to put my Beauty Blender sponge in my purge box since I've been using it for too long and it just doesn't feel the same. As much as I want to like Bite Beauty the lips are too fragranced for me.

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  6. I like to go through purges every couple of months and my gym friends really enjoy taking over things that still have plenty of life to them if they werent loved enough by me.

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  7. You did well this month! I’m interested in the Mizon Snail Repair. What a shame you couldn’t return the Bite Gloss Library! Btw, I really liked the Moxie Get Ready lippie. In fact, I bought a full size. It takes all kinds 😉

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  8. I love Mizon! Such a great brand.

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  9. That is a lot of progress! Bummer about that Bite Lip, if I recall correctly I think my mom has that one and has really been liking it!

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