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.

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?

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.

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. 

Empties Oct. 2016

Hello lovelies, the little box I keep my empties in was definitely overflowing so I decided that I would go ahead and do this post. There are a lot of little odds and ends in here so I will just get right into it.

Neutrogena - one step gentle cleanser - this was really great at removing my makeup. I am currently using the foaming one from the same line, but it really irritates my skin. Will definitely go back to this one once that one is finished up.

BBW - Warm Vanilla Sugar Intense Moisture body butter - This is my signature scent. I absolutely love how this smells and already have a backup.

Tony Moly - I'm Real Aloe Mask - this is such an amazing mask. It really is moisturizing. I remember I had some seriously terrible skin issues and I used this and it was like they were never there.

Bite Beauty - Agave Lip Mask - I have one and a half of these little samples left. I am not a fan of this lip balm at all.

Origins - Clear Improvements Face Mask - Love this mask and as soon as I get through the deluxe sample I have of it I will probably purchase a full size.

BioRepublic - Cucumber Breeze mask - This was a nice sheet mask. Not as effective as the Tony Moly ones though.

Crest - White Luxe in Diamond Strong - favorite toothpaste of life. Really makes my teeth a lot whiter and brighter.

Wet n Wild - photofocus Setting Spray - great setting spray at a great price. Once I get through all the ones I have on stick right now I will repurchase this one.

Too Faced - Better Than Sex mascara - This is alright. I don't really know what the hype is all about. It worked well enough at making my lashes look really full, but it crumbled down my face a lot and smudged too much for me to consider purchasing a full size.

Urban Decay - Revolution lipstick in Naked - Love this lipstick and already have a full size of this perfectly peachy nude.

Almay - Smart Shade - Love this stuff but am refraining from purchasing until I get through a few more foundations and bb creams, but once that happens I will definitely be purchasing a full size.

Ulta - Beauty Sponge - Already have a backup of this. I like it better than the Real Techniques one.

Maybelline - Instant Age Rewind Brightener - I like this concealer but this was just too bright for my liking. I have purchased the regular concealer so I am looking forward to trying that one out. 

That is all the products that I have been through recently. Pretty happy that there are actual makeup products there. Sorry I have been really MIA lately but school has really taken over everything. Will probably do a post on it later.

Empties and Finale on Project 15 Pan

Hello lovelies, I have made my empties bin a little bit smaller so that I am not waiting so long to update you all so when I added an empty mask packet in there I realized that the box was hardly closing and it was probably time for an updated empties post. I am also including the finale for a project 15 pan that I was doing. I finished or decluttered more than a few products based on that project so I am considering it done. There are a lot of products to get through here so I will get right into it! 

Tony Moly - I'm Real Rice Mask Sheet - This made my skin feel amazing afterwards. I was having some issues with minor breakouts all over my skin and this really helped clear it up. 

Garnier - Clean + Blackhead Eliminating Scrub - I really enjoyed this scrub while I used it. My sister in law bought me a full size bottle of it and I am happy to have it. I will most likely repurchase this in the future.

Lather - Ultra Light Face Lotion - Just a moisturizer, nothing spectacular about it. Wouldn't repurchase because it doesn't have SPF in it.

Sephora - Rose eye mask - I have used eye masks quite a bit lately, but I just don't understand them. I mean, with a face mask I usually see the difference right away or not at all. With eye masks I just never see the difference. I don't even feel the difference.

Sephora - Lotus Sleeping Mask - I wouldn't repurchase this specific one, but I have liked other masks in this line.

ELF - Lip Exfoliator - I just really don't like this because it dries out my lips as opposed to making them feel soft and smooth. Definitely not going to repurchase this again.

Doo Gro - Mega Thick Growth Oil - I don't know that this made my hair grow any faster, but it was nice to imagine that it did.

Clear Eyes - Triple Action eye drops - This works well, but I am not allowed to use these eye drops anymore because I had eye surgery. These are very inexpensive so I don't mind tossing them.

Almay - Smart Shade - love this stuff and definitely need to purchase it in a full size once I get through a few more bb creams and foundations. 

CVS - Brow Pencil in brown - this did the job, but I prefer powder or pomade over pencils.

Sally Hansen - Hard as Nails in Hard-Core Party - Decent polish, no need for me to repurchase this any time soon. I use to do french tip nails and this was a great base for that.  

Sally Hansen - Xtreme Wear in Lacey Lilac - there was a time when I was really into this color but not anymore. I also have bottles from ipsy that are newer than this if I do want to go for that color.

Real Techniques - Miracle Complexion Sponge - I much prefer the Ulta sponges at this point. All the ones like this that I have used have been different. I don't understand the inconsistencies in production.

em - Waterline in Turquoise - this has beyond dried out. I recently went through all my liners and this practically scratched my hand when I swatched it. I have too many green eye liners to try and make this work.

Loreal - Telescopic Shocking Extensions mascara - Love this mascara, but I have ones that I prefer over it. I do have another back up of it though.

So there it is. I went through a lot of products recently. Always happy to see some makeup products in my empties. They are little personal victories for me.

a/n so this should have gone up over a month ago, not sure how I overlooked that. Better late than never though! 

3 Months of Empties!

Hello lovelies, I have a long overdue empties post for you all today. It is quite a bit of products so I am hoping you will bear with me as I make my way through all of the mini product reviews for each of the products I have used up. I mean I used up the whole thing, I am sure I have some clear opinion on them, which is why watching or reading about empties is one of my favorites! Since it is so many products I am going to get right into it!

New York & Company - New York, New York perfume: This is one of my favorite perfumes. The last time I went to the store they didn't have it, which kind of worries me but I haven't actually gone searching for it. Hopefully I can find it again because it really is such an amazing scent and I used every last drop from this bottle.

Spring Valley Prenatal vitamins: I am not pregnant, however these are the best multivitamins since they don't make me incredibly sick the way that One a Day womens or Centrum Complete do. Also I noticed that while I was taking these, not specifically these ones but prenatal vitamins in general, that my hair grows a lot faster. 

 Real Techniques - Miracle Complexion Sponge: I have realized that there are some inconsistencies with these sponges. Some I get are really soft and others are really stiff, I will continue to purchase them since they are fairly inexpensive, but I wish they would sort that out.

Sally Hansen - Hard as Nails: This will forever be my favorite nail product. It truly strengthens and hardens my nails enough that they don't chip away they do when I try to use anything else.

Equate - Nail Polish Remover: I used this with a lot of dark polishes and now I can't use it without my fingers getting slightly stained. I have gone back to just using a cotton pad and standard polish remover. This was really fast and convenient though, especially for days when I didn't know what color I wanted to paint my nails and I tried out a bunch on my nails.

Soap & Glory Hand Food: This went off towards the end of the bottle. The smell of this product is really nice when you first get it, but you can't keep it open for too long because it changes and gets nasty smelling. Because of that I don't think I will purchase anymore, especially in this larger size.

Tony Moly - I'm Real skin purifying sheet mask: I loved this one! I was having a terrible time with my skin and I used this and it really calmed it down. It really did purify my skin. I need to go to Ulta and stock up on some more. I was so happy to find out that they are cheaper there than at Sephora. 

Neutrogena - Healthy Skin Boosters cleanser: This made my skin feel really clean, however it also made it feel really stripped. This would work only in the Summer for me, so I would consider purchasing it then when my skin is really oily. 

Be Fine - daily moisturizer: This was an okay moisturizer. Nothing spectacular about it, so I won't go searching to buy it in a full size.

dr. brandt - pores no more primer: I am officially decluttering this. It never worked for my skin, I wasn't a fan of the smell (which got worse the longer I used it!), and it broke down any foundation or bb cream that I put on top of it. I tried to power through it because I hate to waste product, but I just couldn't anymore with this.

NYC - Smooth Skin loose powder: I was just thinking the other night about how much I miss this product. I am definitely going to repurchase next time I go shopping because it is such a great setting powder and works well in my opinion for the baking method. I don't bake often so I don't see the point in spending a bunch of money on powder to do it with when this is so inexpensive.

Loreal - Infallible Pro Spray and Set: This was good. I don't really know if it extended the wear of my makeup, but I do know that it helped on days where I overpowdered my face. I like the Wet n Wild one and think it works in the same way so I am not sure I would repurchase this unless it was on sale because Loreal is getting ridiculous with their prices.

NYC - Liquid Eyeliner: I can always achieve a close to perfect wing with this eyeliner. The method of application is the easiest for me. Problem is the last time I used this, my eyes were watering like crazy and I don't know why. Its only a couple of dollars so I am going to get another one and see if there is any difference with it.

Told you it was a lot of products. The sephora bag I had all this in was getting overflowed and I realized that it has been a while. I am glad that I can recycle or toss these now though. There wer

Empties - January and February

Hello lovelies, here are the products that I used up in the months of January and February. I didn't use these start to finish between these months, but I did use them up completely in those months. 

Dr. Brandt - Pores no More Vacuum Cleaner - This was a really nice mask that I used to clear out my pores. It worked well enough, however I couldn't even get through this sample because it went bad. I didn't even have it open for that long, but it just went bad. Because of that I can't justify paying full price for this product.

Clear Eyes - for contact lens - These are so useful on days where I put on my contacts at 8 am and don't take them out until around 10 pm. I bought a new one and tossed this because the expiration date got rubbed off and I don't want to risk putting them in my eyes if it has gone off.

Dove - Advanced Care deodorant - Let's just say that I won't be purchasing a full size of this. 

Johnsons and Johnsons - baby shampoo - Love this for cleaning my brushes. I tried using other things, but have gone back to this except this time I bought a huge bottle of it.

Loreal - Volume Filler Shampoo - This was alright. It did make my hair look more volumized, however I prefer the Total Repair line from this brand. It makes my hair softer and I like the smell of it better as well.

Simple - Moisturizing facial wash - This was alright. It doesn't do magical things for my skin, but I am happy that I have finally gone through it. I have had this for way too long and it was taking up a lot of space. 

Sephora - Pearl Sleeping Mask - This was the one that is for brightening your skin if I am not mistaken. I actually really enjoyed this mask. I think $4 is a bit much, however it is not just a one time use kind of thing. I got a good handful of uses from this, that being said, you will need a container to put this in because the top is not resealable. Other than that minor flaw I really enjoyed using this, especially on nights when I felt my cheeks looked a little redder than usual.

ELF - Contouring Blush and Bronzer - I decided to get rid of this. There is still a bit of product left in it and I was going to try to finish it this year, however I have had this for way too long for me to still feel comfortable about using this on my skin. The bronzer always looked patchy on me and I liked using it as an eye shadow more than as a bronzer. The blush, not my favorite formula and life is too short and there are too many blushes in my collection for me to spend the rest of the year trying to use this up. Also, there was always hard-pan on it and that really bothered me. 

Chapstick - Strawberry flavor - I love this. Will always repurchase. This is my favorite lip balm for when I am at work.

EOS - Strawberries and Cream - as much as I love the smell of this, I won't be repurchasing. I have other lip balms that I think are just better and I am not a fan of the shape of this one at all.

Temptu - Pink Pearl highlighter - Had to toss this because it started to really separate and it wasn't coming out of the bottle the right color. Didn't want to risk applying it to my face if it has gone off.

Jordana - Best Lash Extreme - I don't get the hype over this mascara. I think my lashes look alright with it. If I remember correctly, it gave me pretty good volume, but I am not sure about length. I don't know if I would repurchase this, but I would consider it....you know, once I get through the million mascaras I already own now.

Maybelline - Great Lash in So Very Berry - This was alright. I liked the color of it a lot, but it smudged like crazy under my eyes. Would look into purchasing colored mascara again, just not this one.

Rimmel - Lash Accelerator Endless - This is the mascara that opened up my eyes to what a fiber mascara can really do. My lashes would touch my eye brows when ever I used this and it didn't clump up my lashes or anything. However as good as the length was the volume wasn't always there. This is a good mascara to pair with others that need a little help in the length department.

So I got through quite a bit of products in the last 2 months. I really need to start moving some of my older products out, so I think it is safe to say that I will be getting through more skin care products in the next few coming months. 

Dec. 2015 Empties - Hits and Misses

Hello lovelies, I have today my empties from the month of December.

Maybelline Clean Express Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover. This was my second one of these I believe, and I won't be repurchasing. I have a different eye remover to get through, but I don't really use them that often to be honest. If I am playing with makeup and I do something really dramatic, then I use it, but I dno't like to reach for the extra step. I typically wash my face in the shower and that gets rid of everything. I don't wear waterproof makeup either so I don't really need a product like this.

Avene Thermal Spring Water. This is something that I got in ipsy. I have a backup of this, but I think this one got really old because it started to smell like the can if that makes sense. I didn't feel comfortable using this on my face anymore. I prefer other sprays over this because it comes out pretty strong. Wouldn't repurchase.

Loreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions. I love this mascara and already have 2 backups. It makes my lashes literally look like falsies, to the point I have actually been asked if they were my real lashes more than once! Will repurchase forever...my only problem with this is that it flaked a bit, but I put up with that for the effect it gives my lashes.

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara wand. I used this to comb through my brows because I feel like it is the perfect size for that, however the brow pencil I have been using is way too creamy and the wand keeps getting gunked up. I have cleaned it enough and I got a spooly and eye brow brush in my ipsy this month so it is time to retire this.

Skyn Iceland Eye Gels. I put these in the fridge before I used them because I heard that helps. However, I didn't really feel like these did much. I have another set so I will have to test it out again I guess. 

Eco-Beauty good day, day moisturizer. This was nice, kind of smelled like fresh cucumbers. I loved that even though it was a foil packet, it came with a twist cap and was actually a larger size. I used this for a while before I finished it. Nothing incredible though, so I won't be repurchasing. 

Equate Makeup Remover Wipes. Nothing new here, I will repurchase these because they are a great value. I use these to wipe down my desk, to remove swatches, to clean my hands if I get makeup all over them. I just wish the packaging was better because the last few dried out because I had completely ripped off the cover by accident. 

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash. By far my favorite cleanser. I especially like it to take off my makeup. My skin looks its best when I use this. I have a few other cleansers to get through, but once I do I will definitely be repurchasing! 

epice Purifying Exfoliant. This worked well enough. I felt like the little particles in this were too harsh though, like they were cutting my skin. Won't purchase.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Boosters Cleanser. This was nice, not a big enough sample for me to know how well it worked because I left it in the shower and someone used it all up. I only used it twice, but I do have another sample like this so I will have to test it out again...maybe just not leave it in the shower haha!

I feel like I finished up a decent amount of products this month. I hope that 2016 continues this way but with more makeup involved. 

Project Pan Roulette Update #2

Hello lovelies, I have yet another update for you all on my project pan roulette. I am only going to be updating you on the products that I actually have progress on. Some of the others I either haven't used or I have used and you just can't see a difference. 

First of all, I finished one of my products! I had planned on only needing to hit pan on the NYC Sunny bronzer and I have finally done that. I am still using this since it is in my z-palette, but for the purposes of this project it is done! 

The Salon pro brow pencil is so close to being finished. I probably only have about a week left, if that. It is getting a bit hard to sharpen. 

Artistry Light Up lip gloss in Champagne....I made the line for this as a guess. I tried the whole putting it in hot water trick, but it just wasn't working to bring down the product. I am happy that this is getting close to just being done. I won't take out the stopper because I don't like it enough so once the product stops coming out, then that would be it. 

ELF Mist and Set, I use this just about everyday. I am right under the line, using nailpolish is not that great of a marker but I couldn't show you all otherwise. 

Jordana Easy Lip Liner in Rock n Rose is still my favorite liner. I haven't used it as much as I would have liked to, but there is still some progress on there. 

Urban Decay Naked Skin has been one of the only things I have used a lot of. I have been having a lot of "no makeup" days since I am always running out the door. I am basically just wearing this, my brows, and some mascara and I am out the door for class. I prefer the extra 15 minutes of school over wearing a full face of makeup honestly. I have used it enough that I can actually start marking my progress.

You can see from this photo that I have made some serious progress on the eyebrow pencil. Also there is less progress this month compared to the first update on the lip liner. 

As for the other products, I will kind of give you a quick run down on them.

Used but can't see progress:

NYC Smooth SKin Loose Powder - It is a loose powder and it is kind of really hard to track this. 

Wet n Wild - Heather Silk blush - I am not using this as much as I had anticipated. I don't use much because it is so pigmented, but I have worn off the detail slightly. 

Kat Von D - Love Craft lipstick - I have used this quite a bit, but the pointed part of it isn't wearing down. The rest of it is though, and I don't know if it is because it is such a mini size that it is doing that, but the lines for the update hasn't changed.

Bare Minerals - Get Ready lipstick - this is the same case as the Kat Von D lipstick except I haven't used this one as much as I have the other. 

Products I haven't used:

Stila - Stay all day concealer - I don't plan on using this any time soon because I am working on 2 others in my Love to Project Pan Finish 14 by Feb. 14. So until those are both gone, I won't be using these.

NYC - 24 hr eye primer - I haven't used this because I am trynig to use the base in my other project. 

I really needed to think about these products before choosing them. Also, the no-buy that I was on was a complete fail because a week after the last update I made a huge order on Ulta and then another on Sephora during black firday. I have zero will power haha. 

Alright so my goals for next time are to finish the ELF mist and Set and the Brow Pencil. I am going to have this project go on until Feb. 10 and then I will start a new one. I want to see how much I can finish in that time. 

November Empties

Hello lovelies, I decided that I am going to start doing my empties on a more monthly basis. Since I am going to be doing the project use it up next year as well as 365 days of samples on my instagram (subtlebeauty27blog), I will hopefully be having more empties. There are quite a few here so I will just jump right into it! 

Loreal - Total Repair 5 Damage Erasing Balm - I have had this for so long and am happy that I have finally gone through it all. I first bought it when I had bleached my hair and I had read good reviews and so I gave it a shot. I absolutely love this stuff! It makes my hair feel so incredible. I enjoyed using it the most when I was using it with the matching shampoo and conditioner. I have other deep conditioners to go through first, but once I am done with them, I will definitely be repurchasing this. It is inexpensive and really works!

Better Homes - Rustic Woods - In the past I have really enjoyed these candles (you can get them at Walmart and they are really inexpensive!), but this one wasn't that great. It didn't burn very well and there was next to no scent-throw. I don't know if the size of it has anything to do with the lack of scent throw because I have a few other ones from the same brand that smell amazing and have great scent-throw.

Equate - Regular Nail Polish Remover - I like this. It made taking my nail polish off really easy. I have refilled it as well and didn't find that I had any problems with it after that. I am only tossing it because I have been wearing a lot of darker nail polishes and the remover in there now is darker tinted and I just don't like it, it doesn't stain my fingers or anything though.

Vaseline - Total Moisture - love the smell of this and it really moisturizes my hands really well. I already have a couple of back ups of this. Really great lotion.

Jergens - Wet Skin Moisturizer - I went through 2 packets of these. I got about 3 uses from each packet so I am comfortable enough in saying that I would not purchase a full size of these. First of all I really didn't enjoy getting cold while I was putting this on because your body has to be wet, secondly it wasn't very moisturizing at all. If gave my skin a luminous look, but I don't really care for that so it was a fail for me.

Nivea - In-Shower Body Lotion - This was just as awful as the Jergens one. I didn't understand the concept of rubbing it all over and then just washing it away. It made the floor of my shower really slippery too. 

Nivea - Extended Moisture Body Lotion - This however was a great sample. I have a random spot on my thigh that gets really dry and itchy in the colder months, I used this for that only and it hasn't bothered me since. I am going to buy a full size of this once I get through a few other lotions. I would definitely recommend if you have dry skin! 

Jack Black - Daily Facial Cleanser - A product like this is why I love trying samples before I commit to a full size. This smelled so heavily of sage leaves that it kind of irritated my eyes, which is crazy because I love sage and I drink it with my tea all the time. Didn't feel like it did much for cleansing either.

Maybelline - Great Lash in I See Blue - I have had this for so long and decided that it was time to toss it because it began to flake on me. I really liked wearing this on my bottom lashes when I wear blue eyeliner because it really helped to enhance that color. Blue makes my brown eyes really glow and I am going to miss having a blue mascara but probably won't purchase another one unless it was a bit darker so that you can't tell that I am wearing blue mascara. 

Garnier - Ultra-lift Miracle Sleeping Cream - I feel like my skin is too dry for something like this right now. I didn't feel like it helped much at all. I wouldn't purchase a full size of this.

Aveeno - Positively Radiant intense night cream - I was not a fan of this. It was okay during the summer when my skin is more oily, but for the rest of the year it did nothing for me whatsoever. It irritated the eczema I have on my cheeks and since I have it all of about 8 months out of the year and I couldn't use this product during that time, you can imagine how long it took me to use this up. Wouldn't repurchase. 

Figs and Rouge - Hand Cream in Rose Berry - This was alright. I got it in an ipsy bag. It wasn't my favorite smell, so that is one of the reasons that it has taken me forever to use it up even though it isn't that much product. Roses and berries just don't make a very appealing combination in my opinion. Also, it made my hands feel slick in a very weird way before they felt moisturized, it wasn't that great at moisturizing either. 

Secret - Clinical Strength - I got this in a Walmart Subscription box. I am really happy I got to try it because I couldn't get myself to pay $8 for a deodorant unless I was sure about it. I don't really need the clinical strength, but I like the smell of this one. It isn't overpowering at all. I liked that if I did sweat, this is what I would smell.  I will probably purchase one in the future if I found a deal on it, otherwise probably not.

BBW - Pocket Bac in Vineyard Berries - Really loved the smell of this one. I have a few of these to go through, but I would most likely repurchase this in the future.

Crest - 3D White Luxe in Diamond Strong - I love this toothpaste and I never thought I would be one of those people that is specific about my toothpaste, but now I am. I like this specific one and I do feel like using this did help make my teeth whiter. They aren't glowing or anything, but it did lift some of the stains from all the coffee and tea that I drink throughout the day. I have already repurcahsed. 

So I finished up a lot of different products this month. Only one makeup product, but since I am going to do these monthly that is probably how it is going to be. There is also the fact that I don't include the makeup items that are in my project pans since I already write about them in those posts so much.  

Plans for 2016!

Hello lovelies, so as the title states I wanted to share what my plans are for 2016. I am hoping that this is the year that I rediscover my collection, use things that I have bought but haven't even taken out of the packaging yet. I also want to make it my aim to post at least twice a month, I have been getting better at posting more often and I really want to keep that going. I want to start posting favorites and reviews. I am not the best at reviews, but I guess practice makes perfect right? 

As for Project Pan plans, I am already doing one that will go into the middle of February, so I will definitely be continuing project panning. I really enjoy making sure I am getting use of all the different products that have been in my collection for a while. I want to use a lot of the new things that are in my collection that I have been purchasing lately, so I don't know how many projects I will be doing. I think I want to do another roulette once that one is finished and maybe 2 or 3 more seasonal challenges. 

I also plan on doing a Pan that Palette this year. I would love some input on which one of these palettes I should choose. I have posted individual pictures of all these palettes on my instagram: subtlebeauty27blog so go follow me there and take a look at the pictures. I also explained why I picked each one of these palettes, but I will just post it here too.

Hard Candy: Birthday Suit - I chose this because all the shadows are matte and I already have pretty good use on some of the shadows. I also like the fact that I can pull from other palettes and shadows and that I won't be limited to the shades in here. 

Tarte: Away Oui Go holiday set 2014 - This is from last years holiday set that Tarte had exclusively with Ulta. I added this because I feel like I haven't used the set enough and I want to see if I can get through that blush as well. I like that there are only four shadows to get through even though the pans are on the larger side, I still think I could do it. Also these are some of the shades that I always gravitate for and are an easy look for me to put on when I am in a rush.

Stila: Not so Nude - Like with the Tarte one I would use this entire palette including the highlight and cream blush. The pans on the shadows are definitely smaller and I already have decent use out of them. I wouldn't be worried about getting through all of them.

Lorac: Get Hot - I really enjoy this palette. Again it is full of colors that I gravitate for all the time, but it can go many ways. I can do a matte look or something more. I have a pretty good dip going through some of these as well.

Urban Decay: Naked Basics - This is the most expensive of all the palettes here. It is also the oldest, so I want to go with this one, but I am not sure about the black shade in there. I also think that I would get bored with these as well. 

There is my reasoning for each of those and I would really appreciate any input as well as any tips because this will be my first time panning a palette and I am as much nervous as I am excited!

I will also be partaking in Project Use it Up during 2016. I have created a master list of all the products that I would like to go through. That will probably be its own post. I often see people having monthly goals, and I think that is what I want to do, however I am having trouble organizing things just because I am not sure how long it will take me to finish certain products. I am sure that even if I made a list now, it would continue to change throughout the year based on what I am using and how quickly I am getting through them. I still need to fine tune a couple of things before I write out y post about this. 

Lastly, I want to really hold myself more accountable for all of my makeup purchases. Now, I was going to go on a no-buy, but I can't do it. I have a serious problem, and I am okay with that. I will be more conscious of what it is that I am purchasing and how much I am spending on it. I will be writing down everything I am purchasing and the price of it as well as the cost of the things I am using up. I will most likely include the products I get from ipsy even though I am not paying full price for it. I want to do this mainly because I am curious because I am trying to save up for travel and I know that I spend a lot of money on makeup. I am going to start keeping track from now (Dec. 2015) and keep going throughout next year. I won't be adding all of the little foil packet samples that I get unless it is for something more expensive. 

So there you have it. A rough guide of what to expect in the coming year from me. Let me know if you have any ideas for posts that you would like to see or specific products you would like me to do a review on! 

Mascara Mania

Hello lovelies, recently I decided that it was to clean out my mascaras and instead of adding them to my empties post, I could give them their own! 

1. Elizabeth Mott - It's So B!G - this was an alright mascara. I honestly don't remember it wowing me too much. It gave me good volume, but I had to layer it to get any sort of length.

2. Tarte - Lights, Camera, Lashes - I like this, if I was ever going to buy a high end mascara, this would be the one. It gave me good length and volume.

3. Maybelline - Colossal Volume Express waterproof - this wasn't my favorite. I hate having to try so hard to take my mascara off, and since this was waterproof I would come out of the shower and my lashes would still look the same. It is a wetter formula than I like and it never really dried out the way that most mascaras do. I won't be repurchasing this because it just didn't do much for me.

4. Covergirl - Be a Bombshell - This is a 2 step mascara and I could never really understand why. My lashes looked alright with this, nothing magical at all. This wasn't waterproof yet it always refused to get off of my eyelashes. I am pretty sure I have lost a few lashes to this mascara. I definitely won't be repurchasing this.

5. Maybelline - Mega Plush Volume Express - I was not a fan of this at all. I didn't feel like it did much for my lashes. Also the wand was terrible. I felt like I had no control over it because it was one of those flexible wands. I also remember the wand being very large and it would always make a mess on my eyelids.

6. Model Co. - Volumeyes - This was a decent mascara. I don't think I will buy it, but I remember it working pretty well. It didn't hold my curl well enough though.

7. Urban Decay - Perversion - I don't care for this mascara much at all. I think it works well enough, but to pay that much for a mascara that I am not in love with just doesn't make much sense. I remember getting the same effect with this as with the Model Co. one. 

So there you have it, just a quick run down of what I thought of these mascaras. I am still in search of the perfect mascara that gives volume, length, and holds a curl. If you have any suggestions, leave them below!

Empties #4 Hits and Misses

Hello lovelies, I have yet another empties post. I would like to add since most of my posts recently have been project pans that I am obsessed with doing lately, that the products I finish in those I do not add here. I just feel like there is no sense in talking about them more than I do when I do those posts. Anyway, on to the products that I have finished! 

Maybelline Great Lash mascara in clear. I was using this as a brow gel, but I think I won't be repurchasing this again. This is the second one I have gone through and I feel like it just doesn't hold my brows in place the way I need it to. I am currently using the Loreal Brow Stylist Plumper which I did a review on here. 

Too Faced Born This Way foundation sample. This came with 3 different shades and they were decent sized samples. I wanted to use it to see if it was something I would get with my 10% off coupon at Ulta, but this foundation broke me out. I was really sad about that because I had herd such good things about it. At least I got to try it out before wasting my money though. I had another one of these but gave it to my sister who loves this foundation. It wasn't enough coverage for me, but she gets along with it well. 

Tarte Lash Primer - I got this as part of a set that I had bought off of Hautelook. It is alright, but I won't be purchasing a full size of this.

ELF Instant Lift Brow Pencil in taupe. I used this all of twice before it broke and went missing. My carpet found it. I don't know if I will be repurchasing this just yet, I have a few other brow products to get through first, but I will consider it if I am ever making an ELF order.

Covergirl eyeliner - won't be repurchasing this. It skipped or if I went over where I already had product, it erased the product that was there. Also I found that this would often crumble off.

Lancome Dual Finish powder - there wasn't enough in this sample for me to actually see if I liked it or not.

There isn't much makeup there, but it has been quite a couple of months for skincare! 

Bath and Body Works Rome Honey Suckle Amore lotion. I love the smell of this, but I just don't find the lotion to be that moisturizing so I don't think I will be repurchasing this.

Soap and Glory Hand Food - this didn't finish, it actually just went bad. That was a bit of a wake up call and I need to start using what I have instead of buying more because I am literally throwing away my money. I do like this and have another one in stock already.

Olay Foaming Face Wash - this was really thick. I enjoyed using this to take off my makeup at the end of the night. It works well for when I have dryer skin and need something more moisturizing. I would repurchase if it was on sale.

St. Ives Fresh Skin exfoliater - I like the one for acne prevention, I think it is in the orange tube, better than this one, so I won't be repurchasing this particular one again.

Neutrogena oil free moisturizer - I like this and have another one. Works well and has SPF in it.

Tony Moly Skin Purifying sheet mask - This was nice. I don't know how well it worked but it was an interesting experience. It felt really slimey on my skin. 

So there you have it, all the products that I have gone through recently. I am doing a Project Use it Up over on my instagram that is full of skin care. If you would like to keep up with that my instagram name is subtlebeauty27blog. I am looking forward to starting the new year with a little less so I can have a fresh slate. 

Love to Project Pan! Finish 14 by Feb. 14 - Update #1

Hello lovelies, I have the first update of my Love to Project Pan Finish 14 by Feb. 14. There are a lot of products here and so I won't go on too much.

1. Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in Honey. This isn't going as fast as I had hoped it would. I reach for it as often as I remember, but there just isn't much progress. This stains my lips pretty pink so I am not as big a fan of it as I thought I was. 

2. Smashbox Photo Finish Primer and Benefit Porefessionals. I am half way through the porefessional. I am enjoying it more than I thought would. I haven't touched the Smashbox one yet.

3. Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation. I am making decent progress on this. I don't know how accurate my marking for it is because there is an air bubble in there that I can't get out, but I use it just about everyday and at this point I am confident that I will have it finished by Feb. 14. 

4. The Balm Nude Dude single shadow in Flirty. There is a decent dip in there and I am close to hitting pan. I bought the Lorac Mega Pro 2 and got distracted from using this, but I have put that away until I finish this. I enjoy the shadow so I don't have much of a problem with that.

5. It Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye. I have been using this everyday, but there is yet another air bubble and I am afraid if I try to get rid of it, all the product will come squirting out. I can't really tell if there is much progress or not so I just didn't make a new mark. I need so little of this and it will definitely take me a minute to get through it all.

6. Benefit Watts Up Highlighter. I wish I had more progress on this, especially after seeing how much Kristen Kay (one of the creators of the project) had made with the same product, but there isn't much. The issue is that I have been running late for class and this is an extra step that I opt out of. I just need to make sure I am actually trying to use it and I am sure my progress would be more. 

7. Noyah Desert Rose lipstick. I am not the biggest fan of this so the progress going slow is not that surprising. It is not a flattering color on me at all and I only wear it at home, and I am not at home much between school and work. I will not be missing this when it is gone.

8. Mary Kay Nourishine Lipgloss in au Naturel. I made decent progress on this. It is something that I put on when I remember. I realized that I am just not too big a fan of lipgloss. If it wasn't for project pans, I probably wouldn't use them that much at all.

9. Maybelline Babylips in Grape Vine. I am making decent progress on this. It was basically a gimme product, but I am trying to get through all of my babylips and I won't be repurchasing them at all. They just aren't as moisturizing as I would like. 

10. Bare Minerals 5-in-1 eye base. I have been using this a lot, but I can't see any actual progress. I can't wipe the sides with the brush and the stopper is impossible to get out. I guess I will just keep using it until there isn't anymore coming of the brush.

11. Maybelline instant age rewind brightener. I was using the bye bye undereye more than this, but I think I am going to switch to putting all my focus on this until it is done. I feel like you can go through these rather quickly, so it shouldn't be an issue.

12. Tre'stique mini matte lip crayon in Nantucket Nude. I thought I would have more progress on this as well. It makes for a great highlight for the center of the lips. 

13. Rimmel Scandaleyes in Nude. Kristen Kay has this in her project as well, and she suggested using this as an eye base after her eye primer and I think I am going to try that because I am not making nearly as much progress as I should. 

14. Pacifica eyeliner in Fringe. Not enough progress on this because I got a Jordana brown eyeliner that I was loving and I should have been using this instead. I put away all my eyeliners aside from these 2 so I don't fee tempted to use anything else. 

I haven't finished any of my products yet, but I am hopeful for next month. If I focus more on one specific item as opposed to bouncing between all of them I think I would get through them or at least see more progress on them.

Goals for next month: 

1. Finish the Benefit Porefessionals

2. Be almost completely done with the Maybelline Instant age rewind

3. Hit pan on the Flirty eye shadow.

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Update: Right after I posted this I made it my mission to use that Noyah lipstick and as I was putting it on it broke. I will try to keep using it even though it looks like a mess, but if for whatever reason I deem it unusable, I will replace it with another Maybelline Babylips.