Project 10 Pan Update # 1

Hello lovelies, today I have my 1st update for my project 10 pan. I honestly didn't think I would do an update for a month, but I have finished or hit my goal on 3 products. I decided that I will add 3 new products to replace the ones I finished so I can just keep working on products. I forgot how good it feels to finish an item or hit pan on something. There is a lot of products to go over though so I won't ramble any longer.

First the products that are either finished or I have reached my goal on.

Maybelline Better Skin Foundation - My starting point with this was the orange line so I didn't have too much left to work with. It lasted me literally 5 days. There is still a little bit at the bottom of the jar, but I can't get it open. I love this foundation and it will definitely be repurchased once I get through a few of my older foundations first.

Urban Decay Naked Basics goal to hit pan on shade Venus - This wasn't too hard because you can tell that I targeted my brush for a specific spot. I love this as an inner corner highlight.

Urban Decay Naked Basics goal to hit pan on shade Foxy - Using this to set my eyeshadow base made me go through this pretty quickly. Also because the brush I use to do this is a little larger the eye shadow as a whole is a lot lower than when I started rather than in one specific spot.

Here are the 3 products I am adding in to replace those ones.

 Benefit Hoola Bronzer - goal to hit pan - I have some decent use in this bronzer. At this point it is the oldest in my collection and I do have a back up of it. It is a great bronzer that I think I can actually hit pan on in the next coming months with continued use.

Yu-Be Lip Balm - I don't particularly like the smell of this lip balm and I don't know what made me want to buy it that day on Sephora's website. I have a lot of this to go through though and really just want to use it up.

Benefit Porefessional License to Blot - I don't really know how to use this, but I am going to try it as a primer. I don't like the idea of using it after I have done my makeup already. This is basically brand new coming in to this project, but it is only a deluxe sized sample.

Smashbox Primer Water - I have some considerable use on this. Depending on how much makeup I wear over the next 2 weeks I think I can have this done by the next update.

NYC Lipgloss in Nude York City - I have been really enjoying using this. Don't know how much of it I have used though.

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze - I am using the heck out of this, but as is to be expected with these color tattoos they are nearly impossible to get through. I did clear up a little more of the side of the container though which is promising.

Jordana eyeliner in Espresso Last - I don't know how but I am running through this eye liner. I have never made so much progress on an eye liner before and I am just really excited about it.

Essence lip liner in Satin Mauve - Lip liners aren't as hard as eye liners for me to get through so I am not as surprised at this progress.

J Cat Big lip pencil in Caramel Mocha - kind of disappointed in how little progress this has. I felt like I sharpened it a few times and I've been using it a lot, but I guess not.

Tarte Cheek Stain in Dazed - Cream blushes are hard to get through so I am pretty happy with this progress.

Tarte The Sculptor - Another cream face product. I think I'll get through this one faster than the cream blush.

Well there is my sort of quick update on where I am with all the products. I think I am doing pretty well so far. I may even be done with this soon enough to join a seasonal project depending on how well this goes. I'm hoping to have the primer water done by the next update.

Project Ipsy Reboot

Hello lovelies, I have decided to reboot my project ipsy. It has been more than a few months since I have abandoned this project. I know the first year I did this I didn't do the greatest on it, but I did manage to finish some products or declutter if I found that I didn't like them after continued use. As part of the decluttering before my move in May, I guess a lot of products were ipsy products. I have also managed to finish a couple since then. The way I am going to attempt this time around is to start with 10 products based on oldest to newest in my collection. Each month I will add 5 new products. I am very pleased to say that I don't have enough products to add beyond the month of October and even for that month I couldn't add a full 5 products. I think out of the 63 products that I have I should be able to reach my goal of 50 by the end of 2018. Anyway, as usual, I am rambling way too much and I'm just going to get into the products now.

1. Sexy Hair - Spray Clay - I don't know how much is in this can, but it can't be much. It'll be a good way to get me to start styling my hair more.

2. Bella Terra - Mineral Shimmer in Navy - I really enjoy this navy blue pigment, but it is a pigment and it is navy blue which means I am pretty sure it will be impossible for me to finish this up. I am excited to see how much of it I can use in a year though.

3. Starlooks - Gem Eyeliner in Amethyst - As much as I love this eyeliner I hate it. It is such a gorgeous amethyst color but it has glitter in it and I see that glitter lingering underneath my eyes for days after I wear this.

4. J Cat - Big Lip Pencil in Caramel Mocha - This is taking me forever to finish but I have it in this project and in my current Project 10 Pan  so I am hoping that is the motivation I need to get this lip pencil out! 

5. Mally - Eyeliner in Starshine - This is a silver eyeliner so I don't know how often I will actually reach for it, but it is really pretty and I am hoping to get some good use out of it.

6. Zoya - Nail Polish in Odette - This is a gorgeous and fun twist on a neutral color for my nails. However it chips after a day and half. I don't know if that means I'll be going through it faster or not but we will see.

7. NYX - Butter Gloss in Creme Brule - This is getting there I think. I can't really tell which is why I didn't mark it, but when I move the applicator around in there I can see about half way through the product.

8. Nicole by OPI - Nail Polish in Feeling Very Cherry - I love this polish, especially for this time of year. You can't really see the markings, but I am a little less than half way through this polish.

9. It Cosmetics - Bye Bye Undereye - There is no way that this should last me much longer, but it has proven to be the concealer that just won't quit.

10. Urban Decay - Lip Liner in Ozone - I still have this because I never really reach for it. It shouldn't take me long to get through though since it doesn't have any color and I can match it with any lip product.

So there are the 10 products that I will be working on to start this project. Some of these will take me forever like the eye liners, but I know I can get through others relatively quick if I focus on them. I will update this project monthly.

End of the Year Declutter

Hello lovelies, recently I decided it was time to update my inventory. I am so pleased that I have managed to cut my collection by a third. I decluttered before my move to Florida in May and haven't bought much makeup (until recently) and I have just been using a lot of it up. Anyway, while I was taking my inventory I thought I would do a last round of decluttering for the year. It wasn't much, but here are the few things that I have chosen to get rid of.

Rimmel Stay Matte Primer - This was on its last legs. I had previously been trying to pan this. It is a fine primer but it smells like glue. This was something that I could ignore before, but with super pregnancy nose I can't ignore any smell.

Temptu Liquid Bronzer - I enjoyed this while it was good, but it went bad. It smells of alcohol and no matter how much a shake it before use it still comes out separated.

Cover FX custom Cover Drops - This was a sample that was way too dark for me from the start. I tried to use it to darken foundations but there was so little product in here and it has always been hard to get out of the bottle. This also turned bad and is a little clumpy in there.

Colour Pop Super Shocked Matte Shadow in Hanky Panky - I was attempting to use this up, but it just crumbles and makes a mess when I try to use it. I have so many cream shadows to go through that it really isn't worth the effort.

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Piccadilly Pink - getting rid of this because I really don't like the color and don't see myself wanting to even try to use it up.

Covergirl lipstick in Sultry - While I love this color it has gone bad. Just a reminder that I need to be using my lipsticks more instead of buying while I have so many.

Covergirl lipstick in Delicious - Again it went bad before I could finish using it up.

Hikari lipstick in Cabernet - A lipstick I got from ipsy a while back. I have never been a fan of the color. If it is gonna be a dark lip then I want it to stay that way. This fades into too bright of a pink for me.

So there are teh few products that I decided I didn't want to take into 2018 with me. I have plenty of products that I will be working on so hopefully a few more will be out before the end of the year.

Project 10 Pan

Hello lovelies. I have fallen out of step with project panning. I find it such a shame that I let life completely take over and dropped all my projects that I had going at the beginning of this year. To be fair to myself though I have not been purchasing much makeup at all and even decluttered a bunch. However, as of late with the Sephora VIB sale and Ulta sales...well I have managed to do some damage. So this new project pan is a little bit of a redemption for myself. Hopefully I will have these items out of my collection or my goal met before my little man is here in February. There is no actual time line for this project. I just want to finish or reach my goal on 10 products. I think I may be adding in new products each time I finish to keep me constantly working on products until I reach 10 because I know a couple of these products have a long way to go on them. Anyway I am rambling so I'll just get right to the products I have chosen.

1. Maybelline - Better Skin Foundation - I love this foundation. I am starting at the orange line. As you can see there isn't much left in it. I love how this doesn't feel heavy on my skin and when it is really hot and humid here in Florida I really appreciate it. It is very natural looking and just makes me look really good.

2. Smashbox - Primer Water - I have had this for some time and lately my skin has been feeling dehydrated so I have actually been enjoying using it. I don't know that it actually prolongs the wear of my foundation, but it feels good.

3. NYC - Liquid Lipshine in Nude York City - I can't mark where I am on this, but I know that I have used it more than a handful of times so it can't be that full. I enjoy how this doesn't stay sticky or gloopy on my lips but adds a pretty long lasting shine. This nude is great over an lip color or on its own.

4. Maybelline - Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze - The cream shadows that don't die. I know I won't finish this nearly as soon as any of the other products, but I want to get more use out of my cream shadows. This is a great one for the looks I have been going for so I hope to get a lot of use from it.

5. Urban Decay - Naked Basics - Venus goal to hit pan - I know I am really close on this one. especially since I target my brush when I use it. I love this as an inner corner highlight. 

6. Urban Decay - Naked Basics - Foxy  goal to hit pan - This has a pretty significant dent in it as well. I prefer W.O.S. to this, but it works as a base to set my primer and as a brow bone highlighter.

7. Jordana - Liquid Eye Pencil in Espresso Last - This will take me forever to get through, but I have been enjoying using brown eyeliner instead of black so I am excited to get some use out of this. Its a really creamy pencil.

8. Essence - Lip Liner in Satin Mauve - I have a backup of this and I really don't need to have 2. I love the color of this and it is a really good lip liner. It isn't too creamy or too stiff. It is that perfect in between.

9. J Cat - Big lip pencil in Caramel Mocha - I really just need to get thru this already.

10. Tarte - Cheek Stain in Dazed - Not much left in this and I thought it was a good product to use up. I know it will take me a while but I like a cream blush on an easy day or even under my powder blushes to make them last longer.

11. Tarte - The Sculptor - I know I can get this out of my collection if I just focus on using it more. I just forget to use my cream products before I set my face.

So 11 products to get me started. Not sure whether updates will be biweekly or monthly. I usually do monthly but I feel like I should be able to see some actual progress since these are all pretty basic daily products.

Sephora VIB Sale Wishlist

Hello lovelies, here is a list of products that I have my eye on for the Sephora VIB sale. If you are a rouge member the dates are 2 weekends: 11/3 - 11/6 and 11/10 - 11/15 with 20% off. VIB members dates are 11/10 - 11/15 with 20% off. Beauty Insiders dates are 11/10 - 11/15 but with only 15% off.

Sephora Favorites Superstars Everyday Must Haves Set. At $75 this kit is a great value, but if I am able to get it for an even better price then why not? These sets come with so much to try. I have only tried a couple of these products so it is definitely worth getting it for me so I am not paying so much for each of these minis individually. 

Huda Beauty Contour and Strobe Lip Set. $25. I plan on getting this is the shade Muse/ Angelic. I think this is such a beautiful set. Again this is something that I haven't tried again. I like holiday sets since they are a good value. I have heard such good things about Huda Beauty lip products and figured this would be a good way to try them out for myself. I also like the color of this and figured I would actually be likely to wear it.

Sephora Favorites Glow For It. $40. I am a sucker for these Sephora Favorites sets I swear. I bought one of these highlighter kits a year or two ago and it was a purchase that I did not regret. Benefit Highbeam is the only product that I have from this set so I know I won't be disappointed with this purchase either. I love a good highlight and I love trying different forms of highlight so I knew I wanted this right when I saw it. 

Nars Soft Matte Creamy Concealer. $30. I don't know that I would pay the full price for this concealer, but with 20% off I think it is worth a try. I have sampled this before but I just couldn't get myself to buy it because I always had too much concealer. I have been working through my products so I think that it is ok for me to get a new one to add to me collection. 

Nars x Man Ray: Love Triangle Blush/Lipstick Set. $24. I love the Nars Audacious lipsticks. I haven't tried the blushes though so I thought this would be a nice little set to get. I want to get it in the Deep Throat/Barbara set. I think this is the best combo that they have to offer. 

So there are the products that I have on my wishlist to purchase on the 10th. Are there any products you think I should add to my wishlist?

Top 10 Fall Must Haves

Hello lovelies, seeing as it is fall I thought it would be a good time to share my fall must haves. In no particular order here are my top 10 must haves for fall:

1. Cable, some sort of streaming service, anything to watch all the new fall premiers of basically every TV show. Some of the shows I look forward to watching are Arrow, The Flash, Gotham, and Jane the Virgin to name a few.

2. Some good books to curl up with. Something about the weather getting a bit crispier and not as sunny (something that is only just starting to happen in Fl!) just makes me want to read more. I typically get into moods about reading and it is during the fall that I usually feel the need to read as many books as I can.

3. Grungy makeup look. I love a good grungy, messy eye shadow look pretty much any time of the year, but I feel like I can get even darker and messier with it in the fall. My personal preference is more for a dramatic eye than a bold lip that I feel is often the trend in fall.

4. Tea. I am not a pumpkin spice kind of girl. Never have been and probably never will be. I much prefer a nice warm  mug of tea. I am a long time lover of chamomile and pretty much any relaxation type of tea with a spoon of honey as opposed to sugar. A warm glass of tea really warms up the soul.

5. Ankle boots and leather jackets. These are the epitome of fall fashion for me. Ankle boots and leather jackets are staples in a wardrobe. They are something that can be worn in a casual manner as well as adding some edge to an outfit that is a little more put together looking.

6. Nude and dark nail polish. I mainly paint my nails in the fall and winter because I am not too crazy about loud colors on my nails. There's also the fact that I really begin to lose any sense of a tan in the fall and I really like the way dark polishes look on pale skin.

7. Sweatshirts.  A little less glamorous than ankle boots and leather jackets, but I love the fall because it is the perfect time to bust out the crew neck sweatshirts and hoodies that I basically live in. This hasn't been something that I have indulged in much as of yet seeing as Florida still believes that it is the summer, but I am promised that it will get that cold eventually. Luckily the ac is always running and so I get to wear them indoors at least.

8. Fall scented candles. Moving to the south I definitely lost that fall air a bit, but I am compensating with candles that smell like falling leaves.

9. Beauty releases. I love that so much new makeup is released with the new season. It is a great time to really experiment with makeup.

10. Redecorating. Getting rid of the bright colors of summer and embracing the warm reds and golden colors of fall is one of my favorite things. I embrace fall tones so hard when it comes to decorating my apartment. There is something about that it that makes everything feel more homey.

What are some of your fall must haves?

Its Been a While

Hey lovelies, this post is way too overdue. 7 months is a long time to be MIA for, but life managed to get away from me and I haven't been in the mind space to get back into writing. A lot has happened actually since the last time I posted. I survived student teaching, graduated with my Bachelors Degree, got married, and moved to Florida. Life was just kind of moving, moving, moving, and then I finally got to just stop. And stop I did. I felt that I really needed to kind of take a moment for myself and kind of refind myself again. But now I am in a place here I am ready to get going again.

I want to get back into writing because it is something that I enjoy doing regardless of whether or not anyone is actually reading what I have to share. That said, I don't know what I should write about. I have some ideas that I have been jotting down, but if you have any ideas about things you would like to see feel free to let me know. I look forward to getting myself back out there and for you all to read what I've got to say. Hopefully I will be able to get some content out that is on a more regular basis. Until then I hope you all stay happy and well.

Project Ipsy February '17 Update

Hello lovelies, another month has passed and that is another months worth of progress on my project ipsy items. To be honest, it has been a pretty off month in terms of progress for me. I didn't really reach for a lot of these products. Here is the update I have anyway.

2 products are being crossed off my list.

Be a Bombshell - One Stick in Sunset - I have decided to declutter this because I have had it for 4 years now and the smell is off. I have cream blushes that are newer and that I like a lot better than this one to be honest. No sense in me fighting to try and get through this by the end of the year.

Bare Minerals - 5 in 1 eye shadow base - This is a pretty nice base. It is taupey color. I don't know that it made my shadow last any longer. I wouldn't purchase it in a full size, but it was nice to try. 

Here is an update on the products that I actually used this month.

 NYX - Butter Gloss in Creme Brulee - I think I am about half way through this now since it was a part of another project pan. I have been enjoying it, but I don't know that I will repurchase it. I'm not the biggest fan of lip gloss though.

Absolute - Lip Balm in Green Apple - I am working my way through this. I want it gone by the end of April so I am definitely going to be focusing in on this lip balm.

J Cat Beauty - Big Lip Pencil in Caramel Mocha - I have been enjoying this a lot. It is super easy to just throw on in the morning and it goes with a lot of the makeup looks that I do for work.

Now for the new products that I am adding in.

 Be a Bombshell - Eye base in Submissive - I am a quarter of the way through this product. It is going to take me a while, but I think I can get through it this year. It is a great bronze color. Very similar to the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze.

Marc Anthony - Hair Spray - I may have used this once before. It will take a while to get through it since I don't use hairspray that often, but I am going to try and make some effort.

Pixi - Fairydust - I haven't used this that much, but I like it. Mainly because of the name if I am being honest.

Bella Pierre - Mineral Shimmer in Celebration - This is a loose pigment. I doubt that I will get through it, but I am going to enjoy using it. It is a really beautiful bronze gold.

I had made the decision to add 5 products each month, but the fifth item on this list I decided to go ahead and declutter. It was another eyeliner. It is silver with glitter in it and I know that I won't use it over the Mally one that I already have in this project. So far I have used/decluttered 8 products. Not bad for 2 months in my opinion. I hope I actually use more of these products on the list already this month.

Project Ipsy January '17 Update

Hello lovelies, here is an update after a month of working on these products for project ipsy this year. I am a little disappointed that there isn't nearly as much progress as I thought there would be. But the year is young and I have plenty of time to work on all of these.

 Ofra - Universal Eyebrow Pencil - I haven't really finished this product as you can clearly see, but I have decided to declutter it. It was causing me to breakout which is really weird. I mean it made my eyebrows really irritated. However my sister likes this and is gladly going to take it off my hands.

Sexy Hair - Spray Clay - I didn't get around to using this at all.

Zoya - Nail Polish in Mason - I used this once and used it on my niece twice. I don't see any actual progress but I think that is because my line is too thick.

Bella Pierre - Mineral Shimmer - I have been using this as an eyeliner. It is such a beautiful navy with shimmer, the shimmer isn't really detectable. I wish it wasn't such a mess to use though. I need to remember to put on my face makeup after I use this.

Starlooks - Eyeliner in Amethyst - I used this a couple of times. Still just as beautiful and shimmery as the day I got it. It has a real brightening quality to it because it is lavender with really fine glitter running through it. I wish it didn't leave glitter on my face for days after I used it though.

J Cat - Big Lip Pencil in Caramel Mocha - I used this a couple of times. I have been working on lip products in other projects though so this was unnoticed for a lot of the month.

be a bombshell - The one Stick in Sunset - I think I used this once or at least swatched it. I am working on another cream blush for a different project so this was pretty neglected.

Mally - Eyeliner in Starshine - This silver eyeliner has been a great base for the loose eyeshadow. It makes it so much brighter on the eyes. Definitely a winning duo for me.

Zoya - Nail Polish in Odette - I didn't draw the line correctly on this for the intro and I didn't think it would be that big of a deal, but alas it was an issue because now the marking it true to where it needs to be.

NYX - butter gloss in Creme Brulee - I have been reaching for this a lot actaully. More than I thought I would be. I am able to see through the packaging when I swirl the product around in there. I think I can actually finish this up this year.

The pink lines are the intro, the purple lines are this months updates and intro.

And now the products I am adding in this month.

Absolute Lip Balm in green apple - I look forward to getting this out already so I am really going to try using it up.

Bare Minerals 5 in 1 base - this is a nice taupe eye shadow base. I think it is close to being done though so if I try with this I can actually get it done in the month of February.

Hikari lipstick in Cabernet - I don't think I am going to even come close to finishing this before the year is done, but I look forward to giving it some actual use.

OPI nail polish in Feeling Very Cherry - This is one of my favorite nail polishes that I own. You can't see the mark on there but I am about a third of the way through with this nail polish already.

It Cosmetics bye bye undereye concealer - I am almost out of my Mac Studio Fix concealer and this is the only other concealer I have that can actually cover my dark circles so I look forward to using this up.

So there is all the update and new products I am adding in. As a reminder, I did decide that no matter how many products I was using up per month I would be adding 5 new ones in. Hopefully I can start pushing products out or my updates are going to get ridiculously long. So far I have finished 3 ipsy products out of my goal of 50.

One Brand Project Pan: Wet n Wild Update #1

Hello lovelies, I had taken these photos a couple of weeks ago but have been so busy with student teaching and babysitting that I haven't really been able to update on this project or anything else really. More about that will probably come in an update soon. For now, let's get to the update!

Contour Palette - Highlight Shade - My pan has gotten bigger and there is another teeny tiny fleck of pan that has started. This is taking me longer to see progress than I thought though.

Contour Palette - Contour Shade -You can definitely see the pan on this growing. I feel like I will go through this faster than the highlight side because it kicks up so much powder when I stick my brush in there and I definitely use this on more of my face than the highlight color.

Lipstick in Bare it All - Love this lipstick for a quick everyday matte, but I really don't think I am going to get through this whole lipstick in this project no matter how much I use it.

Coverall Powder - I have definitely expanded the pan on this powder since I started this project. Like the contour powder it kicks up a lot of powder so I don't think it will be too much longer to get through this.

Coverall Foundation - I have been enjoying this foundation. It has medium to full coverage. It gets a little oily throughout the day, but holds up pretty well for someone who puts on their makeup at 6:30 am and doesn't touch up at all for the next 10 hours. I have only had a couple days of this breaking down and that was from the primer that I used.

So that is the progress I have so far. There will be a more timely update for the next one so it will probably be around the 5th of February. I am excited to see how much progress I can make by then. I think that if I have finished everything and have just the lipstick left that is when I will call the project done.

A/N - These photos are of 2, maybe 3 weeks worth of progress since the intro.

Current Reads January 2017

Hello lovely readers, I haven't updated everyone on what I am reaching for in a while, so here goes!

The Blinding Knife by Brent Weeks - This is the second book in the Weeks's Lightbringer series. I am really enjoying this series so far. I am listening to it on audible and I have found that for Weeks's writing specifically, I enjoy listening to them. On an unrelated note to the actual writing I don't know how much I enjoy the guy reading this book compared to guy who read the first one. I feel like I don't authors should make sure there is some consistency with that because they are creating a voice for their characters. It is especially annoying when there is an accent change.

Shadow's Edge by Brent Weeks - Can you tell I am a fan yet? This is the second book in the Night Angel Trilogy. I am still just starting this one so I don't have any opinions yet. It will probably take me forever and a day to read this one because I am actually reading it and because I made the mistake of reading some reviews. They weren't the greatest, but I am going to pull through and read this because I want to know what is going to happen with the characters.

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks - This is a reread because it has been a while since I have read anything by Sparks and once upon a time he was my favorite writer. I figure I need something a little lighter and more contemporary to read and this is what I reached for off of my shelf. I look forward to seeing how I react to the characters in this book because I have tried to reread books that I have once loved before and my college brain doesn't feel the same way that my high school brain does about books.

So these are the three books that I am actively reaching for right now. I have others that I am in the process of reading, but have set aside for now. I don't have much time for reading at the moment, but I listen to that first book every morning while I get ready to go to the school. I feel like I am a little behind on my reading goals already for the year, but I will just push through and read a little more once I graduate.

Declutter: I Let My Sister Go Through My Makeup

Hello lovelies, I recently was retyping up my inventory list and like my last declutter, I was overwhelmed a bit by how much makeup I actually have. So I let my sister go through and pick out what she wanted, within reason of course. So I will just do a little overview of the products that no longer belong to me.

The Balm - Balm Jovi palette - While I love this palette, it is not something that I found myself reaching for often enough. The highlight and blush in here are the real reasons I was holding onto this because I wasn't so crazy about the shadows. The formula is the same one I love from the Balm, but the colors didn't speak to me. 

Profusion - Elevation Multi-tier Palette - This is a great multi layered palette, but I have so many shadows, blushes, and lipsticks that I just wasn't using this at all. With the right primer profusion shadows are actually pretty good.

Maybelline - Single Shadow in Nude Glow - This is a really gorgeous peachy champagne shadow, and I really enjoy these Maybelline shadows, but she wanted it and I have so many dupes for this shade in palettes. I reach for palettes more than I do singles.

Elizabeth Mott - Single Shadow in Champagne - This shadow in like butter how smooth it is. I kind of miss this, but like the Maybelline shadow, I have many dupes for it in other palettes.

Wet n Wild - 903C Just Peachy lip stick - She asked for a peachy lipstick and I have so many that I thought I would share. We have different undertones and this actually looks better on her than it does on me so I am not too sad about the loss.

Tarte - Blush in Enthused - This doesn't really show up as a blush, more a highlighter in my opinion. That is why it was in my highlighter drawer, however I never reached for it because I don't like to apply glitter on my face and this has glitter. 

Peek - Brow Powder - I had recently added Anastasia's Brow Powder duo to my collection, so I don't really need another brow powder. Happily passed this along.

Benefit - Blush in Dandelion - This is a beautiful blush, but I have others that I would reach for over this one and well she asked for it and I am occasionally a good sister. 

So these are the products that I passed along out of my collection and into my sisters. I miss some of them, but she lives down the hall from me and it won't be too big of a deal if I go over and ask her to use any of these. It was time to do a little bit of decluttering and I feel better about letting go of makeup if I know where it is going. 

Swisspers Blending Mini Sponges Review

Hello lovelies, today I have a review of the Swisspers blending Mini Sponges. As a quick disclaimer, I have not tried the Beauty Blender brand mini sponges that I believe these are a knock-off of. That means this will not be a comparison, just a review.

Each pack comes with 2 mini sponges. At my local Walmart where I bought these the cost is $2.98.

The pink one on the left is the sponge dry, and the purple one on the right is after I wet the sponge with water. It almost doubled in size. These are the perfect consistency of spongy-ness in my opinion. I assume most people would use this for their concealer under their eyes or in harder to get crevices of the face.

Overall I think this is obviously worth the money. I mean you aren't really spending that much on them. I can't speak to how long they take to wear down, but I replace my beauty sponges fairly regularly. There is some dye that comes out of it when you wash them, which is to be expected from their bright colors. I used this for a cream blush the other day and I thought it worked really well for that. 

Personally I will probably use this for cream blush purposes more than under the eye concealer because I am more comfortable holding a bigger sponge. I also use concealer to highlight my face and I cover too much surface area to want to use something this small to blend it all out. If this brand decided to put out larger ones, I would definitely buy them. 

If you are interested in trying something like this, I think this is obviously more of an option if, like me, you don't want to spend the 20 or so dollars on some from Sephora. If you have tried these, let me know what you think of them.

First Day of Student Teaching

Hey everyone, sorry that today's post is coming so late in the evening, but I didn't want to just not post, so here it is. I started my first day of student teaching today! I have already worked with the teacher and students, so that was comforting for me. The students were excited for me to be there, and being accepted by the students is obviously important.

Overall it was a good day and I am excited to be a part of their classroom for the next few weeks. I will probably check back in on the subject from time to time. Hopefully I will be able to get something up a little earlier in the day the rest of the week that isn't just a little blurb of nonsense that probably doesn't make sense because I am a little tired right now.

My Last Empties of 2016

Hello lovelies, here are the things that I finished up with 2016. I don't want to keep carrying this trash around so it is about time that I got this up. Also there are a lot of products here and I have really been meaning to get to it. 

NYC City Proof 24Hr. - This is a really great eye primer. I am definitely going to repurchase once I get through some other things in my collection. Very inexpensive and actually works.

Covergirl Clump Crusher mascara - This is a bit too natural for how I like my lashes, but it was amazing for my lower lashes. I would consider repurchasing this.

Wet n Wild MegaSlicks Balm Stain in Rico Mauve - I used to really enjoy this product, however it has gone seriously bad. I have never had that happen to a lip product before. I didn't have this for that long so I wouldn't repurchase for that reason.

Avene Hydration Serum - This didn't hydrate my skin all that well and it broke me out so badly. I didn''t even finish this despite how small this is.

Ulta Makeup Sponge - Really enjoy these sponges, but this one has been around for a while so I had to replace it.

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder - It is kind of ridiculous how fast I actually went through this powder. I do like it though and would repurchase it again.

Macadamia Nourishing Moisture Masque - Love this stuff, but the price tag isn't really worth it to me. I wouldn't purchase a full size of this, but deluxe samples are always welcome.

Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels - I have never had an eye patch actually firm my skin. It wasn't long term by any means, but it did work when I needed it to. I would consider purchasing some of these if I needed them.

Pure Silk Shaving Cream - Not really worth it. I prefer using conditioner.

Aveeno Daily Moisturizer - I would consider purchasing a full size of this. Hydrated my skin and has SPF in it.

Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream - This worked pretty well. It helped with y dehydrated skin. I would consider purchasing a full size of it.

Sephora Shea Lip Mask - This is pretty gimmicky if you ask me. I didn't see or feel a difference. I think lip balm would suffice honestly.

St. Ives Blackhead Clearing Scrub - Love St. Ives products and this was another win. It claims to help with redness (something I struggle with) and I always noticed my skin didn't have nearly as much redness after using this. I would purchase a full size once I get through some other scrubs.

Dial 7 Day Moisturizer - Nothing revolutionary. Worked well enough, but I have used better lotions.

Glam Glow Supermud Clearing Treatment - This was used as a spot treatment for me. I wouldn't purchase a full size because it is ridiculously expensive, but I would gladly take samples from sephora whenever I need it.

So, like I said, that was a lot of empties. I am glad to have gone through these before the year ended. Kind of like a mini clearing so I have less to take into the new year. 

Project Ipsy 2.0 Intro

Hello lovelies, I decided that I enjoyed doing project ipsy and that it went pretty well for me last year, so I am doing it again this year. This year however, I am going to be adding products every month regardless of if I have finished any from the previous month. This intro will start with 10 and each month I will add 5. I have already created the list so that I can help keep track of where I am going with it all each month. I am hoping to end the year having finished 50 products. There are products that I will be using that are not on this list that will count towards the goal so long as they are ipsy products. 

Sexy Hair Spray Clay - I have no idea where I am at with this product since I can't see through it. I do hope to actually get this done this year. Really great for giving y hair texture when I curl my hair.

Zoya Nail Polish in Mason - This is a purple magenta color. It has a bit of shimmer in it. I am more of a fan of neutrals for my nails, so this is going to be a bit of challenge for me. 

Bella Pierre Mineral Shimmer in Navy - as the name suggests, this is a mineral eyeshadow that is navy blue. There is a sheen to it when it is blended out, but no glitter which I appreciate. I doubt I will even make it to the half way point this year since loose pigments are so hard to use, but I am looking forward to using this and experimenting with it.

Starlooks Gem eye pencil in Amethyst - Love this eyeliner and look forward to using it some more this year. Another that I don't think will actually get done though since this has a lot of glitter in it and I can't wear it every day.

J Cat Beauty Big Lip Pencil in Caramel Mocha - Love this color and I think if I really try that I will actually get through it this year! 

Be a Bombshell the One Stick in Sunset - Gorgeous color, I just wish there was less glitter in here. Cream blushes take forever, but whatever I don't finish of this by the end of the year will be decluttered so I really want to get some more use out of it.

Mally eyeliner in Starshine - Another eye liner that I probably won't get completely through by the end of the year.

Zoya nail polish in Odette - this polish is definitely more up my ally in terms of color. It is a very toned down neutral purple. Have it on my nails now and I can see getting a lot of use out of this polish this year,

Ofra Universal Eye brow Pencil - Brow products take a bit of time to get through, but I know I can finish this by the end of the year.

NYX butter gloss in Creme Brulee - Nice lip gloss, not that into glosses, but I can get through this one. I won't be taking out the stopper. I can't see through the packaging so I don't know where I am at. I am pretty sure that this is basically full though.

Progress lines:

I look forward to another year of panning all the products I get from Ipsy every month. As of right now, I am still subscribed to their services. If you would like to sign up as well you can use the following link: https://www.ipsy.com/new?cid=ppage_ref&sid=link&refer=6iih

2017 Makeup Use Up Goals

Hello lovelies, it is a new year which means a new start on using up some more makeup! Last year I did the Makeup Use Up challenge and I had some specific products outlined that I wanted to use for each category. I have opted to not go the same route this year. I have made it more of a general outline that I will fill in as I use the products up. I used far more than was on the list last year and it was disappointing that the products that I had given myself as goals were not as successful as I would have wanted them to be. I am still going to be doing quarterly updates. I also added some more categories of things that I feel I have too many of in my collection. So, without further ado, here is the list of how many products I want to have used up by the end of 2017!

Foundations/BB Creams = 4 + 1 Stretch
Powder = 3 + 1
Blush = Pan on 1, Use up 1 cream
Bronzer = Pan on 1, Use up 1 cream, + 1 stretch
Highlighter = 2
Lipstick = 4 + 1
Chapstick = 3
Lip gloss = 3
Eye liner = 4 + 1
Cream shadow = 2 + 1
Brow products = 2 + 1
Concealer = 3
Lotions = 3 + 1
Deluxe Samples = 15 + 5

So it is a goal of 52 products and 13 stretch or extra products if I finish the initial amount. I believe that this is doable for me with where some of my products are at. I look forward to filling this in and getting a lot of good use from my products.

I would like to add that as usual, I am not putting myself on a low or no buy. Something about putting myself on restrictions like this freaks me out and makes me want to buy even more products. I have become more conscious about the products that I have and how many that I have, so I know when to hold back without having to set myself up for failure.

What are some goals that you have made for yourself this year in beauty?

16 Things from 2016

Hello lovelies, I did this last year and I thought I should do it again this year. So, I have come up with 16 things that I have happened over the last year that I want to share with you all. These are in no particular order because that would put far too much pressure on myself.

1. I took my last semester of actual classes on campus.

2. I used up a lot of my makeup.

3. I've learned to control my spending habits.

4. I passed an impossible professor or two.

5. I started my 101 in 1,001 journey and was able to cross some things off. See the list here!

6. I made some really amazing friends.

7. I have begun bullet journaling.

8. I went on a trip to Florida for the first time in 5 years. I want to live on the beach.

9. I didn't keep up with the daily posting that I wanted to do, but overall I posted more this year than I have in all of my previous blogging years combined.

10. I met my reading goal of 26 books! It had started as 16, but my sister thankfully challenged me to 26.

11. I found a love for fantasy novels. New worlds and magic are currently my obsession.

12. I did eye surgery and no longer need glasses. I have exceeded 20/20 vision in my stronger eye.

13. My beauty inventory numbers have gone really well with an actual decrease in some categories.

14. I fed a giraffe.

15. I left my job.

16. I combined my blog about life and books with my beauty blog. It was one of the better decisions that I've made this past year.

Project Ipsy Finale

Hello lovelies! It is finally time to bring this first round of Project Ipsy to a close. I will be doing this again for 2017, hopefully with a little more success and structure now that I have had a one year trial run with it. I have finished a lot of products, not necessarily my goal number, but a lot more than I would have otherwise I believe. As with the past updates, I am going to only write about the products that have progress and the ones I have finished because otherwise we will be here for a while.

I have finished 5 more products to end off the year! 

Skinn - Sugar Lips Scrub - I am decluttering this because the last time I used it, my lips were burning more than they had previously when I used this. I did get about half way through it though. I would probably stick to homemade scrubs though because I can make it in smaller batches and it won't go bad so quickly.

Not Soap Radio - Liquid Freud - I liked the smell of this lotion and the message that it sends, however there wasn't that much going for it in terms of actual moisturization.

Trestique - Mini Lip Crayon in Nantucket Nude - So happy to have moved out another lip product from my collection.

LaVanilla - Rollerball in Pure Vanilla - I really enjoyed the scent of this. 

Vasanti - Brighten Up Exfoliator - Such a great scrub. 

Absolute - Lip Balm in Green Apple - I think there is a little more progress than last month. I lost this for about 2 weeks though. 

Marc Anthony - Conditioning Treatment - I have maybe 2 uses left in this. I really enjoy the smell and I think it does a decent job moisturizing my hair.

Chella - Highlighting crayon in Ivory Lace - I am so proud of how much of this I managed to use up this year. I think it will last me about another month.

J Cat - Big Lip Pencil in Caramel Mocha - I panned a lot of lip products this year and this one definitely was on the back burner for a lot of the time, but that considered, I did use a lot of this up.

Trestique - Eye crayon in Aspen Pine - hardly used this. I think the most use cam from swatching it and trying to find what I can wear with it.

Pacifica - Lipstick in Nudie Red - Pretty everyday color.

Products also in the project but did not have any progress worth mentioning:

Sexy Hair - Spray Clay

Starlooks - eyeliner in Amethyst

Pixi - Flawless Beauty Primer 

It Cosmetics - Brow Pencil 

NYX - eyeliner in silver

Mary Kay - eye crayon in turquoise 

Be a Bombshell - lipbalm (I have no idea where this is)

Mitchel and Peach - Face Oil

Marc Anthony - Argon Oil

So by the end of the year I was able to finish 46 products from my list. Not just through this project by the way. My goal was 91 initially, so I made it to the half way point. Considering I have been panning products outside of these, I think I did pretty darn good! Really proud of myself and how this project went, but like I said there will be some changes. I am excited for another year of this! 

Makeup Use Up 2016 Finale

Hello Lovelies, here is the final update on my Makeup Use Up for 2016. You can see where I started here! It has been a long year of working on these items and I am proud of how much I have been able to use up, not just what is on this list, but other products as well. Anyway, I'll get right into it. Like the previous updates, I will only update briefly on the products that I have actually gotten use out of.

Powders - 3 Goal Met!

NYC Smooth Skin Loose Powder 

Wet n Wild Coverall

Rimmel Stay Matte 

Wet n Wild Reserve your Cabana - stretch - Since the beginning of the year I have made a lot of progress on this product. There is some pan in it, however, I forgot to include it in the pictures.

Blushes - 2

Hit pan on 1 powder blush - I can't stick to one blush. 

Use up 1 cream blush - Evelyn Iona in Ash - I was so close to finishing this. I have about a week or two's worth of product left with this blush.

Eye Liner - 4

Rimmel Nude - steady progress

Rimmel Black 

Revlon Charcoal - tiniest bit of progress.

Pacifica Fringe -So close to finishing this. Maybe one or two more sharpens left.

Rimmel Turquoise - stretch

Sephora Chloraphyll - stretch

Eyelid Primers/Bases - 3

Be a Bombshell Submissive 

Maybelline Barely Branded - I have used so much of this since the beginning of the year.

NYC City Proof 24 hr. 

Trestique Aspen Pine - stretch

Brow Products - 4

Loreal Brow Stylist Plumper

It Cosmetics Brow Power - some progress. 

CVS Sample Brown 

CVS Sample Taupe

Lip Liners - 3

Rimmel East End Snob

Jordana Rock n Rose

Essence In the Nude - another that I am so close to finishing

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

NYX Creme Brulee - sretch

Lip Balms - 3

Maybelline Babylips Yummy Plummy 

Maybelline Babylips Peach Kiss

Maybelline Babylips Strike a Rose - I finished half of this, which is better than nothing I guess!

NYC Apple Plum Pie - stretch

Foundation/BB Cream - 4 - Even Met my stretch goal!

Rimmel Stay Matte

Urban Decay Naked Skin BB Cream 

Garnier BB Cream

Revlon Nearly Naked

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 - So close to finishing this as well. 

Maybelline Fit Me - stretch  

Highlighters - 2

Benefit Watts

Temptu Pink Pearl

ELF Pink Tastic - stretch

Face Primers - 3

Smashbox Photo Finish 

Pixi Flawless Beauty - made some progress.

dr. brandt Pores No More 

Benefit Porefessional - stretch

Total: 43

Stretch: 11

All Together: 54

Used Q1 : 6

Used Q2: 9

Used Q3: 6

Used Q4: 9

Used to Date : 30

Highlighted in pink indicates I have met my goal for this category.

It was quite the year for this project. 30 out of the 43 goal is more than I had expected. I would have loved to have actually finished everything, but more than half is amazing for me. There is also the fact that I have met the goals for some of these categories just with products not listed. That is the reason that I am not going to list the specific products for my 2017 makeup use up. I will just do a master list with nothing specific listed. I look forward to another year of using up makeup with you all!