Saturday, February 8, 2020

Use It or Lose It January: Pan and Purge Project 2020

Greetings, dear readers! I figured I better get with the program and share my collection of products that I either finished or destashed in January before we get even further along in February. I'm always so torn when it comes to these types of posts- it's so satisfying to watch my number count roll up as I destash and purge, and I enjoy reading empties posts from other bloggers, but for some reason, I'm not crazy about writing these posts. It always feels so daunting. It's no wonder my final post from last year included products for five months! I really want to do better about it this year, so here's hoping I can get these posts done for every month!

I mentioned in my final post from 2019 that my goal for this year is to either pan or purge 175 products. While the number seems ridiculously high, I do have a rather substantial number of products that I have held onto that I just don't use for one reason or another. Those that I have really disliked have been easy to destash, but those that are "ok" get put away in a drawer to never see the light of day again. I could probably raise the number further, but I do want to use some of those items again before I commit to a destash. I've got a respectable number of products to get through on today's post, so let's jump in and do this!

Use It: The Empties

As the subtitle suggests, these are the items I have finished up this month.

Skincare

Foaming Facial Cleanser (Sensitive Skin) | Clean & Clear

Anyone that has been following along on my empties posts should know this facial cleanser by now; it's been my go-to for years! The Sensitive Skin formula works up to a light lather that removes dirt, excess oil, and light makeup without stripping my skin and leaving it feeling dry. I've added other cleansers into the mix periodically, but this is the one I always come back to.

Deep Cleansing Oil | DHC

After going to Ulta three times last year for my birthday gift and them always being out, they decided to give me this travel bottle of cleansing oil instead. I was initially irritated by the switch, not that I can recall what I was supposed to get, but as it turns out, I really liked this oil! I used it on the days when I wore heavier makeup, and it certainly did the job well at breaking it up quickly and effectively. What took me by surprise is just how well it rinsed off my face with just a few splashes of water! Mind you I have no experience with cleansing oils like this, but I have used balms that were just gunky and needed a good facial cleanser to remove. I still would wash with my cleaner after using this oil, but I didn't feel like I needed to use it to wash off the oil first before getting to my skin. I have no done so yet, but I will be picking up another one in the full size!

Sunprise Mild Airy Finish Sunscreen SPF 50+ | Etude House

If you've been following along on my skincare woes last month, you've likely seen this sunscreen. I like how it applies to the skin and dries to a smooth finish without leaving a sticky or slick film like so many other sunscreens. What I don't like is it leaves a white cast on the skin, but I've come to accept this as fact with sunscreens. To prevent the white cast, I added a drop of concentrated foundation liquid before applying to the face. This is one of my favorite sunscreens and I already have another bottle open and being used.



Vitamin Sadness Mask | MustaeV

It's no secret that I have enjoyed the Vitamin masks from MustaeV, particularly this "Sadness" version, and I am a little sad that this is my last one in my sheet mask stack. I decided last year to no longer purchase sheet masks, but I still had some to go through and I don't use them particularly often. This particular one contains snail mucin, and I just love how it made my skin look! Mind you I don't use masks often enough, nor the same one repeatedly to really get a feel for how well this one works compared to others, but it is one I enjoyed a lot and will miss. I'm no longer finding it on their website, along with other skincare items, so we'll see if MustaeV has parted ways with their skincare lineup!

Cucumber Sheet Mask | Oh K!

I don't think I have had a sheet mask baffle me as much as this one by Oh K!. FOr a product that is described as ultra hydrating, I actually found it left my skin feeling dry as could be. I don't think I have ever encountered that with a sheet mask before- they all seem to leave my face feeling hydrated, so for me to experience dehydration with this one was rather shocking. It was the only one of this type on my stash so I’m not having to destash others, but I definitely did not like this mask and wouldn’t want to use it again.

Baggage Claim Gold Eye Masks | Wander Beauty

I had several of these eye masks I used towards the end of last year, and this was my last one left! I actually enjoyed this eye mask and could see a difference in my undereye area after weekly use of these. Of course I ended up using a different skincare product that undid all the good these had done to my dark undereyes. I'm so torn on my decision to not purchase single-use masks as I really did like these. I have a few other products I am using at the moment, but I may pick up a box of these since I know these work well for me.

Cosmetics

Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara | L'Oréal Paris

I don't know what I'd do if this mascara were to come off the market. It is my go-to mascara, and I am obsessed with its tubing nature! It makes my lashes look a little thicker and a fair bit longer, but I mostly keep coming back to this one because it doesn't smudge and yet it is so easy to remove with water. I've used so many different mascaras that always end up giving me less-than-sexy raccoon eyes, and yet when I want to wash the rest off at the end of the day, they were just a pain in the backside to remove. Not so with this baby! Just a few splashes with water and a short soak and this mascara easily wipes off. The only downside is if my eyes get watery during allergy season the mascara on my lower lashline in the outer corner occasionally comes off, but it is a trade off I am willing to make.

Orchid Gel Canvas Ready Treatment Eye Primer | Skinn Cosmetics

While I wouldn't say this was my go-to eye primer, I have used a few tubes of this one by Skinn Cosmetics. The formula is a little thicker and may feel a little drying for those with drier skin, but it works really well on my oily lids. It dries to a tacky finish, which can also take some getting used to, but overall, I like this eye primer. I currently have two others I am using, one of which I am liking a lot so far, so I'm not sure when or if I'd purchase another one of these, but I wouldn't write it off either.

Nails

Cuticle Oil | Northern Star Polish
Scents: Highball and Raspberry Truffle

I've recently taken a hard look at my cuticle oil stash, and have decided this year to only keep on hand the products I really enjoy. As these two are empty, I'm sure you know this means I loved this cuticle oils by Northern Star Polish enough to finish them up! They were part of two different sets offered on the Polish Pickup, and I am working my way through the rest of the scents. I love Northern Star Polish's cuticle oils so much I actually have another untouched set of four already (on top of the 6 currently in use that I have yet to finish); it's definitely become my go-to cuticle oil! The only downside for me is the sets, each with a different fragrance collection, is limited edition, and that makes me so sad! I really love the way they all smell, and I wish I could make each scent forever!

Lemoney Flutter Cuticle Butter | Lush

I tend to stick with cuticle oil during the day, but at night, I often rub a little bit of Lemoney Flutter onto the skin around my nails. The dry weather of winter has been rough on my hands in particular, and this helps to keep them soft. This is a product I have enjoyed for several years now, and it should come to not surprise that I already have another jar on my nightstand currently in use.

Body

Seaside Olives and Citrus Foaming Bath Bar | Lollipop Posse Lacquer

This was another limited edition product that was offered exclusively for the Polish Pickup. I had actually purchased two of these and used the first immediately. I held onto this one, and it sadly was forgotten about until after the move and unpacking a box of random items. I really enjoyed the first bath bar, although this second one didn't hold up as well over time. Don't get me wrong, it still smelled nice and looked lovely (before getting destroyed for the bath, obviously), but it just didn't have the foaming action. I cannot fault this product though as it is my fault it sat so long. I've love to see Lollipop Posse offer more foaming bath products in the future!

Proud as a Peacock Gentle Bastille Soap | Handmade Natural Beauty

This was another limited edition exclusive made for the Polish Pickup, and I delayed using it as long as possible. It its fresh, unused form, the colours were so beautiful, but it was time it got some use. While not so pretty in the end, I did like how gentle this soap really was on the skin! My six year old deals with dry skin periodically as he's been outgrowing (we hope) his eczema, and this soap helped to get him clean without stripping away oils completely. 

Mochaccino Organic Sugar Scrub | Soak It!

I was really excited to try out this sugar scrub as it contained sugar and coffee, and I've had such mixed results with this type of scrub. It was a dense formula reminiscent of brownie batter, and the delicious cocoa fragrance I'm sure helped sway my thoughts on that. While the formula was thick, I was pretty blown away by how well this scrub would then rinse off in the shower. I've used a few others that were sticky and required a post scrub scrubbing with a loofah to get residue off, but that was definitely not the case here. I believe Soak It! has closed up shop at this point, so I sadly won't be able to get a replacement for this scrub. If I ever seen a come back, you can best believe I'll be looking for another one of these!

The Dark Crystal Sugar Scrub | KBShimmer

It certainly feels like the theme for January was limited edition and Polish Pickup, as this is another item that was an exclusive. I really enjoy sugar scrubs by KBShimmer, so it was no shocker that I liked this one as well. Not as thick as the previous scrub, it gently sloughs off dead skin cells and smooths those tiny little bumps on the back of my arms that insist on coming back. The scent was created for this past November, but I opted to pull this one out in December as the amber plus plum scent combination was a fun festive fragrance (say THAT three times fast) for the season but a pleasant alternative to the more common peppermint smells. The Dark Crystal scent was excluvice for the month, but the sugar scrubs in general are not: KBShimmer is back in this month's Polish Pickup with a Freesia-scented Sugar Scrub.

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Lose It: Purged Products

These are the items that are not empty but I have decided to let go.

Skincare


I don't think I have the words for how much I disliked this moisturizer. I've used some on the past, but apparently they have reformulated to this chemical-scented, barely moisturizing (and that's being generous) formula that left my skin in a lurch the last half of January. After about a week of use, my skin hurt and started peeling like crazy. I had not used anything new other than this new jar nor had I recently done any sort of chemical peels, but my skin was on fire and required some serious tlc to get to a healthier state. Thankfully my skin is pretty much back to normal at this point, but my loathing of this product is high and I recommend using caution when using this product.


This was a press sample I received awhile back and I just couldn't bring myself to like it. While it worked well at removing stubborn makeup, I really disliked the coating on my face that wouldn't easily wash, let alone rinse, off. I held onto it for stubborn lipsticks, but once I started using the DHC oil above, I just couldn't reach for it any longer.


I have thoughts and feelings about the brand, but I'm not going to get into them here. I got this lip scrub along with an eyeshadow palette. I have not enjoyed using this lip scrub, and it's difficult for me to separate he product quality with the feeling dirty about using the brand. The scrub itself seemed ok- not too harsh but still would slough off dead skin form the lips. The flavor left a lot to be desired and was kind of disappointing to me. If it were just these two factors I maybe would have continued to use this product, but add to it my feelings on the brand and I just have to get rid of this scrub.



I had received and used a small sample size of this product awhile back and loved it, so I happily picked up a full sized version from the G9 Amazon.com store. Y'all. This one is awful! While the sample version foamed up, it did not strip my skin and leaving it feeling as dry as could be. I was so disappointed when I realized this was happening with the full-sized product, and I have no idea what is happening! I have moved into a drier climate since using the sample, so that may be playing a role in it, but I'm not convinced. No matter how little product I would use or how much water I added , I couldn't find a way to make this work well for me. Away it goes!

Skin Balancing Carbon Mask | Paula's Choice

I don't know if it's due to age or that I've been using richer moisturizers than I did in the past, but my skin has become less oily and more in the normal range (except my eyelids; they betray me). I've not needed to use this face mask to help with oil so it's been sitting for quite some time in my medicine cabinet waiting to be used. At this point, this bottle is pretty old and should just get tossed in the garbage. I don't anticipate purchasing another as it doesn't seem to suit my skin's needs, but it is a good mask if you are oily-prone.

10% Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Treatment Gel | Equate Beauty

Again, here is another product that is old, past the expiration date, and has just been taking up space in my medicine cabinet. I deal with hormonal acne, and often have one of two zits just before my period starts. As a result, this type of product gets used, but only on occasion. It dries my skin out, so I end up using the fewest applications, so this is one of those product types I never finish up by the time it expires. I have not yet picked up a replacement, but I foresee picking up another. I have no major brand loyalties when it comes to acne products, so if you have something you love, let me know! I appreciate the low cost of this one, but since I don't go through tubes quickly, I don't really mind spending more as long as it helps clear up acne quickly.


I reviewed this product this past fall and had pretty good results after a few weeks of use. It's not a bad product, by any means, but I didn't notice any improvements beyond what I had previously experienced the three weeks prior. I also found I stopped wanting to use this in favor of other eye products because it took too long to absorb into the skin. You know how there are those things that are fine at first but become annoying after a period of time? The slow absorption started to really bug me and it wasn't long until this was just sitting untouched on my vanity. I've opted to just destash this and use other products that I enjoy more. Even if I did love this, I don't think I would have loved it enough to pay for another.

Cosmetics


Is anyone really surprised to see I've finally decided to cull Subculture from my stash? I did find a way to make it work for me, but it was still work. I bought this when it was released and I didn't have anything remotely similar to this palette. Now that I have found a love of singles and indie cosmetic brands, I just don't need this in my collection any longer. Other shadows still perform better for me without extra effort or attention needed, and I just didn't WANT to use this when I had it in my "test to keep or purge"bin.

Meet Matt(e) Trimony Eyeshadow Palette | theBalm Cosmetics

I initially had some trouble deciding the destash this palette as I've really enjoyed several of the lighter matte shades. It wasn't until I had so much issue using the darker mattes that I lost my patience and decided to just let this one go. I already have a respectable selection of lighter neutrals that I enjoy, so it wasn't worth even depotting those shades.

Ultra Precision Eye Liner (Black) | Doucce Cosmetics

Doucce is a brand I have enjoyed that doesn't seem to get much attention. I actually like this eye liner, but I have another along with a slew of other black liners. This particular destash is most because I'm overwhelmed with black liners and didn't see a reason for me to have two of these.

Galaxy Eye Glider | Hard Candy

Now this is an old eyeliner! I remember buying this one from Sephora when I was SO much younger, and I just didn't have the heart to let it go. I loved the combination of black with the sparkle, but I just don't use, and quite frankly, haven't used this in so many years I forgot I even had it. While a small part of me wanted to keep this just for the memories, I don't really have any specific memories associated with this liner and would prefer to declutter what I don't use.

Gel Eye Glider (Radiant Amethyst) | Julep

I've not made it any secret that I dislike Julep, especially how they suddenly dropped their Mavens program complete with rewards. I had so many rewards to spend, but with no notice, that never got to happen; I'm still bitter about it. One product I loved from Julep were there gel eyeliners (later renamed to When Pencil Met Gel), and I actually still have and use a few of them to this day. Oh, I get a little mad every time I pull one out to use, but d@mn do I love this eyeliner! I'm letting go of this one because I have two in this shade and just don't need both.

Double Ended Brush Set | Borghese (5 pc)

I love makeup brushes, so when I saw this travel set by Borghese pop up on Zulily for sale, I was quick to snap up the set. I had previously used both cosmetic and skincare items from the brand, so I didn't give this a second thought and knew I would love to have the set with me for travel. Was I wrong about that! These brushes arrived shortly before a trip so I gave them a quick wash and packed them when dry for departure the next day. Not trying them out at home was a big mistake. While traveling, I found I spent almost as much time removing random hairs that fell out of these as I did putting my makeup on in the first place. It was both disappointing and disgusting. Having a set that is double sided that takes up less space just isn't worth it to me if this is the tradeoff.

Neutrals Glitter Palette | Wet n Wild

I don't wear a lot of glitter, but I loved the colours in this palette and bought it on a whim while at Walgreens looking at other Halloween makeup. Unfortunately, it sat unused until last month, and ooh baby, was I angry when I finally used it! When I opened the sealed palette, I touched the shades I was interested in an noticed they felt a little dry with no base pigment showing. Not a big deal, I could create a look with other products and then top it with these glitters. After I had done my base work, digging further into each well revealed the vaseline texture of these shades. All my hard work gone into laying down the base was destroyed in an instant. The slick sensation never dried down, and the glitters shifted and bunched together, pulling my base colours with them. I don't think I have ever tossed a product in my purge bin so quickly before. I'm still made even now because it started out so good and this destroyed the look in minutes.

Nails


I generally love KBShimmer products, so this one is hard for me to let go. The sugar scrubs and nail polishes are fabulous, but the formula of the cuticle oil just doesn't work for me. Sure, it helps my nails better than nothing, but I have other cuticle oils that I like a lot more. In an effort to declutter my life, it's time for me to accept I'm not fond of this one and move on.


I found this baby hanging in an old cosmetic bag, and wow is it old! It actually smells fine, quite delicious actually, but I know it is several years old and probably should just be tossed at this point. I'm so bummed as I love the smell, and YouPolish no longer sells cuticle oils for me to buy a replacement. That being said, you CAN buy some really cute decals from the brand, both for on your nails and for windows and such.

Cuticle Oil (Beignet Done That) | Ever After Polish (2)

Oof, there is a lot to unpack when it comes to this brand, and honestly, I just don't want to deal with that here. Instead, I'm just going to focus on the product if that's ok with you. There isn't much to say other than this cuticle oil just isn't nourishing enough for my skin. I picked up two of these when I got them as I loved the scent and it was exclusive to the New Orleans Polish Con event. I already knew the cuticle oil formula wasn't my favorite, but I was willing to set that aside at the time. Knowing what I do now combined with my effort to declutter my beauty products, these have to go.

Body


Now this is an oldie that somehow has only been used a time or two and never tossed. It's been so long since I used it, so I don't recall if I actually liked it or not, but it's been sitting far too long and now smells rancid. Obviously it has to go! Since I have other scrubs that I enjoy, I don't foresee purchasing a replacement. The few Bath & Body Works products I still have and use just having been winning me over any longer, so it's just not worth it to me.

Hair

I got this texture spray from Sally's a fair bit ago and have only used it a handful of times. Even though it contains coconut oil and claims to not be too oily, I found that was not the case. I tend to have an oily scalp (dry shampoo is my BFF), so it is too much for me. Even with a light coating, it also weighted my hair down. I'm sure it would work well for some hair types, but my hair is predominantly fine (with some coarse to the mix) so this combination just isn't a good fit for me.


While I don't use oils in my hair often, I DO still use them on occasion. This is the original formula by Saffron Secret, but I found I grab for their Anti-Frizz version more, particularly on the days I opt to let my hair curl. The original is still a good product, but since I just don't use it in favor of one of its sisters, I'm going to pass this one on to someone that I think will enjoy it.



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Monthly Stats
Empties: 15
Purged: 25
Total: 40

Yearly Stats
Empties: 15
Purged: 20
Total: 40

With a total of 40 products gone in just the first month, I am well on my way to hitting my goal! I don't anticipate going through this much each month as I do want to test out some things more before I commit to a decision to purge, and last month's skincare debacle put a serious halt on the use of some of my skincare products. That being said, I do want to try to push my destash and make some tough love choices rather than letting sentimentality get in the way. There are a few products that I have a special attachment to, including a brush set I'm not crazy about that my 6 year old picked out for me for my birthday last year. We'll see what the rest of the year brings for my Pan and Purge Project. Who knows, I may end up increasing my goal after all!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day and enjoy your weekend!
XO!


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13 comments

  1. You have some nice items there. I would have a hard time trashing it myself lol

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  2. I definitely need to clean out my stash.

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  3. I love this post. What a great idea. I am now inspired to go through my stash and do the same thing!

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  4. I need to do this. I have a lot of beauty products that I keep that I think I'm going to use but I never do.

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  5. Looks like great products. Thanks for sharing.

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  6. lots of useful products

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  7. I love hearing what bloggers ACTUALLY use and what they hate. I agree with you - that WnW glitter was AWFUL.

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  8. I love reading these posts but I hate writing them. I don't want to explain why I like or dislike something even though I write reviews on them all the time. But I am making it more of a goal to use or purge this year. You've started great.

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  9. This was a good round up! I was wondering how you were going to address some of the products that I know you didn't like. :) It was like sipping tea!! LOL

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  10. I have destashed significantly so your post is definitely my jam

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  11. That eye primer sounds really nice to me.

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  12. I had the Lemony Flutter butter loved it but I didnt use it enough before its started smelling a bit too rancid!

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  13. I love that DHC cleansing oil, it's one of my favorites!

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