7 by Summer Solstice Update #2

Hello lovelies, I have yet another update to catch up on and this is for my Finish 7 by Summer Solstice. I hadn't reached any of my goals as of the last update since it had only been 2 weeks, but I managed to do so for this update in the past month. 

Maybelline Made for Mocha - hit pan - This is what I have been using in my eyebrows along with another color. I forgot how much I enjoyed powder instead of pencil in my brows. I don't know why it looks like there is glitter in the shadow, but it doesn't show up in my brows so I don't really mind. I also use this as a liner whenever I have the time.

NYC Smooth Skin Sunny Bronzer - Can we all just take a minute to appreciate the size of the pan on this thing. I did not imagine that it would get like that so quick. I really want to try and hit the side of the pan all the way up. If I can do that in this project than I would be more than happy to call it quits. I am trying to use this up this year so this project has really been helping with that.

Tarte lipgloss in Paris - I really need to start using this more. It is a pretty bright color for me and I am not used to that so I have to play mixologist whenever I wear it. I love the mint chocolate smell though so I don't mind wearing it.

Urban Decay shadow in Sin - hit pan - This shadow has been seriously neglected lately. I know I can probably hit pan within the next couple of weeks if I make an effort to wear it, but I haven't been wearing much eye shadow at all. I also have been playing with all my new palettes and this Ammo palette has been getting neglected because of it. 

Maybelline Color Whisper in Pin up Peach - I haven't been reaching for this at all and so there isn't any progress.

Essence Lip Liner in Satin Mauve - Made a little bit of progress on this. Will probably see more progress once I get through the one I am working on for 5 by Cinco de Mayo.

Coastal Scents xpress line - I have to use this on my upper lashline because it doesn't show up in my waterline at all. Haven't had time to sit and fuss with it in the morning so there isn't any progress.

There it is, 1 out of 7 products completed. I decided that since this is a roulette style project I am going to pick a replacement product each time I finish one since I have a bit more time and I really want to work through more of my collection. I am going to have my sister choose the next category...

Product from The Balm: 

I chose to work on the blush from the Balm Jovi palette in the shade Don't You Want Me? My goal is going to be to try to hit pan. I don't know how likely that actually is considering I have used this only a couple of times. I went with a blush because all the shadows in the palettes from the Balm that I have have a couple of dips in them, but I am already working on other shadows and really I just want to play with all of my new palettes and trying to pan shadows is getting in the way of that. This blush is pretty small so I am not too worried, but I am excited to get some use out of it regardless! 

Finish 5 by Cinco de Mayo: Update #2

Hello lovelies, I have finally managed to escape from the hole that I was in trying to get things done for the semester; considering I still have a lot to do before it's over, this update will be short and quick as well as the next few updates I am going to be attempting to catch up on. It has been about a month and a half and I only used up 1 more product....that hole I was in didn't allow for much time to put on makeup.

Tarte: macarons for you - I actually hit pan on this shadow a couple of days after the last update. Really great transition shade or something to throw in the crease for some added definition on quick days. But I have a lot of shades just like it and I have already moved on to try and hit pan on others. 

Now onto the products that I am still working on: 

Jordana Easy Liner for Lips in Rock n Rose: there is so little of this left that I am shocked that I haven't been able to finish it yet. I did get through more product but that is in part due to the fact that some of it broke because I had it wound up too high while I was lining my lips.

Icing Plumping Lip gloss: I really just need to keep smearing this on my lips whenever I get the chance, but I keep forgetting about it. I know I have said in the past that it doesn't work, but if I use it on my bare lips it does give that tingling sensation that you usually get from plumping glosses. I might try to just keep using it on its own from now until it is gone.

Garnier BB Cream: I have made really steady progress on this. I have decided to stop mixing it with the bb cream that I was so that I am using more of this alone. I realized that when I blend it in with my fingers it looks much better and more natural than with a brush. I have been wearing this, mascara, and my brows and just running out the door and I have been loving how natural and glowy and even my skin looks. I am falling in love with this product all over again.

Rimmel Scandaleyes in Black (not pictured b/c I'm a space case sometimes, forgive me): Have made alright progress on this. I know for a fact that I won't get through it, but I only need to get through 5 products and if I finish the other 3 above I will be fine. I am just happy to be getting some more use out of this because I am really itching to try all the new ones I have gotten recently, but I won't allow myself to until this is gone.

There it is. I am officially done/reached my goal on 2 out of the 6 products in this project. I have a couple of weeks left and I am not too worried just yet. Next update will be the finale, and I am excited to see if I can get through 3 more products.

**a/n: these marking were made on the 18th of April, have been too busy to actually take the photos and write out the post. Thanks for being patient!**

Project Ipsy Month 4

Hello lovelies, I just wanted to do a quick update on my project ipsy. These pictures have been sitting in my draft box for about a week now and I finally have a second to take a breath, so I decided to just go for it. So as a quick update, I got through 2 more products which is good, I was really hoping for more progress on everything else, but I guess it has really been a slow makeup month for me, the products I finished weren't even makeup...

Briogeo - Don't Despair, Repair Deep conditioning mask - this smelled nice, but I don't think I will go out of my way to purchase a full size. My favorite hair mask is the Loreal Total Repair 5 Damage Erasing Balm, and I don't know that anything can actually beat it at this point.

dr. brandt - microdermabrasion - I don't really care for products from this brand. I felt like the exfoliators in here were really sharp, like it made my skin smooth afterwards, but it really hurt when I was using it. It was like rubbing little shards of glass on my face, and while it made my skin feel nice and smooth, it didn't always get rid of the dry patches that I have randomly on my face. Oh, and I don't like the smell either. So, definitely won't be purchasing a full size of that.

Chella - Ivory Lace highlighting crayon - Haven't been using this as excessively as I was the month before so there is less progress. Not too worried just yet because it is a pencil and it isn't going to be sharpening all the way down anyway. 

Jcat Big lip pencil, Bare Minerals get ready lipstick, Nyx Butter Lip balm - Have used these probably once each so there isn't much progress to show here at all. Need to start moving through them a little more.

Starlooks - Amethyst eye liner - This is such a beautiful eye liner, however every time I wear it it is just a big glitter bomb on my eyes. I always have glitter on my face for 3 days when I use this pencil. But it is such a pretty color and look that I am usually okay with it. I don't think I will try to get through the whole liner simply because I don't have anything else like this and I think Starlooks liners like this are amazing with lasting power.

Now for the new products I am adding to this month

Hikari Blush in - This is a really bright, barbie colored looking blush. Sheered out it isn't too much, and I think it will be nice to use this spring. I also like that it isn't shimmery which makes it easier to wear as well. I don't plan on trying to hit pan or anything, but I do want to get some use out of it.

Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer - I have used this a couple of times since I pulled it out at the beginning of the month....this is a lot more shimmery than I remember it being. I have to be pretty selective about where I put it. I like a glowly look, but this leaves little pieces of not actual glitter, but something that resembles is a lot, so I am not sure about how this is going to go. 

Well, there you have it. At this point I have finished a total of 20 of the 91 goal that I have for the end of the year. I am really going to need to step it up and start working through the products that aren't even in my project more. I am sure that I can do it, but I am a little worried about how slow my progress is. I need to be finishing between 7 and 8 products a month, which is simple enough with the foil packets and things like that, but the bigger makeup products are going to take me a while. 

*** These photos were taken at the beginning of the month, I have just been way too busy to actually post anything.***

Pan That Palette Q1 Update

Hello lovelies, I have for you all my update on my, I guess I'm going to stick with Pan that Palette challenge. In case you don't remember, I made the choice to hit pan on as many shadows as I can this year with a goal of at least 24, which comes out to 2 a month. At first I was a bit nervous about this, but I knew that I wouldn't be able to just use 1 palette for the whole year because I love to rotate my palettes so often. I feel like it still is a bit of a challenge for me since I have to stick to the same eye shadow for a while before I can actually hit pan on it. I think I did pretty well though, so I will get right into all the shadows! 

In no particular order:

1. Peach shade in the Hard Candy Birthday Suit palette - This was a really great shade in the summer and fall. When I used this I realized how much I love really warm, peachy looks on my eyes. Whenever I do anything too cool toned now I think it looks weird.

2. Nude Glow - Maybelline - A really pretty, sparkly, warm toned champagne/peach color. I found that not only is this a beautiful lid shade, but as an inner corner highlight, and even as a highlight on my cheek bones when I have a little more color to my skin....it is just way too beautiful for words. You all need to just go and buy it now.

3. Random shade from the Profusion Eyes palette - I depotted this color because I love it so much. It is a darker version of the Maybelline shadow and is yet another beautiful warm shade. I liked using this under my lower lash line to smoke things up without it being too dark. It complimented the Maybelline shadow really well.

4. Brow Bone shade from the Wet n Wild Sweet as Candy trio - This was alright. I prefer a more matte brow bone color, and something a little warmer for my inner corner. I am considering just decluttering this trio at this point. 

5. White shade from Loreal quad that I can't remember the name of - Standard white shade. Pretty pigmented. If I don't do a warm toned inner corner I do like a matte white shade and this worked well there.

6. Champagne - Elizabeth Mott - Another peachy champagne shade. Really beautiful and I enjoyed this as an inner corner color too.

7. Brulee - Wet n Wild - This is one of my favorite shadows to set my primer with. I find it really hard to not use this shade because it is in my z palette, but I need to move on if I am ever going to hit pan on other shadows.

8. art in Montmartre - Tarte Away Oui Go Holiday 2014 - Beautiful bronze color with some shimmer running through it. I love that it isn't a bunch of chunky glitter in there. I used this a lot for a one shadow look. I also used it on my lower lash line to smoke it out a bit.

9. Macarons for You - Tarte Away Oui Go Holiday 2014 - Easy crease shade. I liked that it wasn't too dark so I was able to throw it in the crease to add a little definition on no makeup makeup days without looking like I have too much eye shadow on. 

I am so proud of myself for hitting pan on 9 eye shadows in only 3 months. It is probably going to slow down from now on since I used all the shadows that I already had a dip in, but I am excited to see how far I can take this. I never thought I would hit pan on eye shadow ever in my life, and here I am with 9 shadows that have pan. I know that the pan isn't huge in each of the shadows, but that is how much I wanted and I am happy with it. 

Have you lovelies been  partaking in the traditional pan that palette challenge, or are you on the same track as I am with trying to hit pan on as many shadows as you can?

Makeup Use Up Q1 Update

Hello lovelies, well we are a quarter of the way through the year and it is time for my update on how I've done with my Makeup Use Up 2016 goals. You can find the intro here. So far I think I have done alright with everything. I mean there are products that I haven't touched yet, but I know that I will get to them and that there are quite a few products that I am sure I will finish by the next quarter update. I have made a couple of changes along the way, but I will let you know about those when I get to those categories.

The products I have finished/getting rid of. 

L to R = Rimmel Stay Matte foundation, Wet n Wild Coverall Powder, ELF blushed/bronzed duo, Mary Kay lipgloss in au Naturel, Temptu Pink Pearl, Rimmel East End Snob.

Powders - 3

NYC Smooth Skin Loose Powder - So close to being done with this! 

Wet n Wild Coverall

Rimmel Stay Matte 

Wet n Wild Reserve your Cabana - stretch

Decided that the Wet n Wild powder isn't great all over the face but a nice highlighter. I will keep on using it, but if I don't get through it I will still reach my goal with the rest of them.

Blushes - 2

ELF Blushed/Bronzed Duo 

Be a Bombshell the One Stick in Sunset

I decided I want to change both of these goals. From now on it will be:

Hit pan on 1 powder blush

Use up 1 cream blush

Eye Liner - 4

Rimmel Nude

Rimmel Black 

Revlon Charcoal - the only one I don't have any progress on yet.

Pacifica Fringe

Rimmel Turquoise - stretch

Sephora Chloraphyll - stretch

Eyelid Primers/Bases - 3

Be a Bombshell Submissive - Have barely used this, but will start getting into it again! 

Maybelline Barely Branded

NYC City Proof 24 hr. - My opinion on this product has changed so much, for the better! 

Trestique Aspen Pine - stretch

Brow Products - 4

Loreal Brow Stylist Plumper

It Cosmetics Brow Power - Haven't used it at all yet

CVS Sample Brown

CVS Sample Taupe

Lip Liners - 3

Rimmel East End Snob

Jordana Rock n Rose

Essence In the Nude

Lipsticks - 4

Bare Minerals Get Ready

Kat Von D Love Craft

Covergirl Rush

Covergirl Sultry

Wet n Wild 902C - stretch

Lip Gloss - 3

Artistry Champagne

Mary Kay au Naturel

BBW Watermelon Sorbet - Haven't used this yet

NYX Creme Brulee - sretch

Lip Balms - 3

Maybelline Babylips Yummy Plummy - Really close with this one.

Maybelline Babylips Peach Kiss

Maybelline Babylips Strike a Rose

NYC Apple Plum Pie - stretch

Foundation/BB Cream - 4

Rimmel Stay Matte

Urban Decay Naked Skin BB Cream - Really close to finishing this off

Garnier BB Cream

Revlon Nearly Naked -Haven't used yet.

Loreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder - stretch

Bronzer - 2

NYC Smooth Skin Sunny

ELF Blushed/Bronzed duo

Concealers - 3

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind

It Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye

Mac Studio Finish

Maybelline Fit Me - stretch - closest to finishing this out of all of them. Will be decluttering it next month when my One Brand Project Pan for Maybelline is done. It is way too old to keep holding on to it. 

Highlighters - 2

Benefit Watts Up

Temptu Pink Pearl

ELF Pink Tastic - stretch

Face Primers - 3

Smashbox Photo Finish - really close to finishing this

Pixi Flawless Beauty - Haven't used it yet

dr. brandt Pores No More - Again really close to finishing this

Benefit Porefessional - stretch

Total: 43

Stretch: 11

All Together: 54

Used: 7

Alright, if you made it all the way through that, thank you. I think I am on the right track with these products. There are a few that I need to start using, but I'm not too worried about them. I did decide to toss the Temptu liquid highlighter because it went bad. No matter how much I shake it up it stays separated. I decided to declutter the ELF duo because it is just not very good and is such a pain to work with. The bronzer is very splotchy and I always have to scrape off the hard pan on the top when I used it. I had to get rid of the blush because it is just a glitter bomb on my face. I have been reaching for more matte blushes lately and I have a couple of glitter ones that aren't as chunky if that is the look I am going to go for. 

Have you lovelies made up your own list? Let me know down below so I can check out your progress!

March Mini Madness Finale

Hello lovelies, I have the finale for my March Mini Madness that I participated in this year. I did an update about half way through the month over on my instagram, so if you aren't following me there my username is beautyandbookmarks. I usually post little updates, close ups, or random odds and ends over there so it is worth a follow. 

So I am terrible at challenges, and I didn't finish all of the products. I did get through the majority of them. I finished 22 out of 32 products. It is a serious process to get through samples. I think I was really worried about trying new products because I have really long days and I get really scared to try new things because I don't really like to touch up my makeup. I like putting it on in the morning and looking the same when I get home at night. As for not getting through the skin care samples, well I am also scared about trying those out because I have super sensitive skin that has been freaking out like crazy recently. Anyway, enough of this rant, I'll just get into the products that I have finished in the last 2 weeks. Again updates on the 6 or 7 products I had previously finished in the first half of the month is up on my instagram (beautyandbookmarks).

In no particular order (because the photo is a mess!) the products that I have used up...

1. Sisley - Black Rose Cream Mask - I don't know that this did anything for my skin. I used it as if it were the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight mask. I let it sit for 10 min and wiped away the excess, but there was so much left on my skin that I don't think I would have liked using this during the day time. 

2. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo - You guys....I never thought I would fall in love with an eyebrow product, especially an expensive one, ever in my life. I mean, I got about a weeks worth of use out of this little card sample, and for a week my eye brows looked so amazing that I didn't think that they belonged on my face. I have already put it in my mind that I will be getting this at the Sephora VIB sale coming up and I am just so excited about it. 

3. Prada Candy - I have had a full size of this in the past and I forgot how much I love this perfume. I am considering getting another one once I move some other perfumes out of my collection.

4. Urban Decay Sheer Liar - I actually bought this when Ulta had the UD sheer lipsticks 50% off during their 21 day of beauty event. Such a beautiful peachy color that isn't too pink or too peach. It is my perfect soft nude and I was more than happy that they had them for so cheap that I kind of wish I had bought 2 that day. 

5/6. Dove Oxygen Moisture shampoo and conditioner - I was not a fan of this stuff. Every time I use Dove shampoos and conditioners I feel like it weighs my hair down way too much and like it never fully rinses out. 

7. Benefit Porefessional - My skin got complimented every day that I wore this. Considering purchasing a full size.

8/9. Laniege BB Cushion in Light and Medium - The light matched me a little more than the medium one. I didn't fall in love with this the way I had expected to with  the way that people rave about it.

10. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream - this was nice. I have another sample and a deluxe bottle of it. I need to try it more to see if I would consider purcahsing a full size in the future.

11. Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Makeup Stick - I liked the sample of this. I do want to try it more to see if it is something that I would consider purchasing.

12/13. Skin and Pharmacy - Advanced Anti-aging Therapy - I actually like this. It made my skin burn a little in spots that I have super sensitive skin, but I didn't hate the way my skin felt after I rinsed the excess product off. It was like a sheet mask but without the sliminess that I hate and with some exfoliation that I love. I want to look into buying this and I know it is sold at CVS. 

14. Hourglass Veil Primer - Didn't do much for me. I think that my makeup broke down sooner with this on actually.

15. Almay Smart Shade - I love this product. It is such an easy product for me that I didn't feel like it made my skin too greasy or heavy. I gave me some coverage but you can still see my skin through it and I have been really enjoying a super natural, bare minimum look lately. Once I move a couple of other bb creams out of my collection I am definitely going to purchase this.

16. Hourglass Immaculate foundation in Nude - this was such a terrible product. It is a liquid to powder formula and it didn't blend on my skin at all. Also there is the fact that this was really orange on me. Normally I kind of push through and try to fix things, but I had to just clean this off my skin completely.Now I have 3 less samples of this cluttering my collection.

So, I am really happy that I did this. I know I didn't finish everything that I had wanted to, but I was able to get through a lot. I found products that I really love and want to purchase and I found products that I hated. That is why I like getting samples, because you get to really try a product and know before you go and spend your money on it. 

Did you lovelies attempt this challenge? How did you do?