Finish 13 by Halloween - A Project Pan Challenge

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own. 

I know I just did a post about products I'm trying to use up not very long ago, so it probably seems pretty silly that I'm doing one again, but this one is going to be slightly different. 

I had mentioned in my previous post about the Pan that Palette Challenge that I'm working on with my Lorac Pro Palette. That challenge introduced me to the panning community on YouTube and other social media sites. They do a variety of panning challenges throughout the year, with different time frames and different amounts of products. I love the idea! It is such great motivation seeing other people who are focused on using up products. 

I first saw this challenge on Amber F's YouTube channel. You can see her introduction with her products here. 

Although Amber is taking part, the two YouTubers who came up with this challenge are Megan and Tatum. You can see their introduction videos here and here. 

As you can probably guess, the rules of this project are pretty simple. You pick 13 products that you want to use and and see how far you can get with them by Halloween. There are no restrictions on the products themselves. I've seen some people use deluxe samples or groups of mini samples. I've seen some people choose products that were nearly new but say that their goal was to just hit pan on the product instead of using it up completely. I love the flexibility of it. 

Most of the products that I chose for this project were already mentioned in my previous post, so it is going to be a little redundant, but I'm going to go ahead and show them again with updated pictures. Several products already have visible progress, which is really exciting. Just as a note for the sake of timeline, all of these product pictures were taken on July 25, a week before this post will actually go live. As another note, some of these products are not cruelty-free, and they are in this project specifically so I can finish them up and move them out of my collection.

Product #1 - Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation in 0.5: I haven't been using this foundation since my last post since I've been using the NYX one. In order to better track my progress when I do start using it again, I have drawn a line to show where I currently am with it.  

Product #2 - NYX Invincible Fullest Coverage Foundation in Ivory: I've been liking this foundation quite a bit. As you can see, I have used a binder clip to keep some of the air squeezed out of the tube. 

It's a little ambitious of me to have two foundations in here, but as you can see, I really don't have a whole lot left of the Urban Decay one, and it feels like the NYX one has a lot gone in it too. I can almost roll the tube over one more time. If I don't finish both of them by Halloween, I expect that I can at least have them both done by the end of the year. 

Product #3 - Tarte Colored Clay CC Primer in Fair: This wasn't in my post before about finishing products up, but it was in my face product inventory post. I've got two of these, and the color is a little bit dark for me. I figured I would try and use it up now while the weather is still warm, and I can pretend I have a tan. I've got it rolled all the way up here, so you can see how much product there is. Like the foundations, I don't know that I'll be able to finish this by the end of the project, but I'm hoping. 

Product #4 - Silk Naturals Blush Samples in Guava and Lychee: Because of the size of the samples, I am counting these two samples together as one product. Guava is a great shade for this time of the year, and I think Lychee will be a nice color to start transitioning into fall.

Product #5 - Darling Girl Torrid Eye Shadow Sample: This looks a little silly by comparison to have two blush samples and this tiny sample by itself, but this color is one that I only use as a liner, so I only use a tiny bit for each application, and it isn't something I will use every day.

Product #6 - Nars Laguna Bronzer Mini: This is one of the products that is already showing quite a bit more pan than what it did a couple of weeks ago. I use it with a big fluffy brush to do a light dusting around the perimeter of my face. As long as I keep using it consistently, I don't think I'll have any trouble finishing it.

Product #7 - Tarte BB Tinted Undereye Corrector in Fair to Light: This is another one that is already showing a good amount of progress. You can see that I've hit the edge of the pan.

Product #8 - Stila Smudge Pot in Kitten: I can see a lot of progress on this product too, but this is definitely a long-shot product to finish it by Halloween. I might end up using it until then and just getting rid of it. This is one of those products that I want to move out of my collection because Stila is not cruelty-free.

Product #9 & #10 - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils in Zero and Ransom: These were mini eyeliners, which is one of the reasons I chose them. The other is because Zero works well as a base for the Darling Girl eye shadow sample I'm trying to use up, and Ransom works really well as a base for Deep Purple from the Lorac Pro Palette, the palette I'm working on using up.

Product #11 - Lorac Baked Matte Satin Eye Shadow in Posh: This is the shadow that I'm using as my regular browbone highlight shade, so I'm hoping to move it out pretty quickly. 

Product #12 - Urban Decay Primer Potion Mini: You can see my binder clip trick again here. I used to love this primer. It was my favorite, but it doesn't seem to work as well as it did. I've been using it with another base (currently the Stila Smudge Pot), and it has been working okay that way. 

Product #13 - Nude Eye Shadow from the Lorac Pro Palette: In my other post, I mentioned that I'm working on the Pan that Palette Challenge started by Amber F, and I'm trying to pan the Lorac Pro Palette. I'm working on using up Nude right now by using it as a layering shade. Currently I'm layering it over Gold from the same palette because I find Gold to be too intense on its own. 

Those are my 13 products for this project. Have you taken part in any kind of panning challenge? How did it go for you? 

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own. 

I'm Back (I Think) - Still Working on Finishing Products

Disclaimer: All of the products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Well...I'm going to try and start blogging again. I doubt I will be very consistent because life still feels really crazy sometimes. We'll see how things go. I'm not going to give a personal update yet explaining where I've been the past year, but maybe I will eventually. The short of it is that life keeps moving forward, and I keep moving with it.

Even though things have been silent here over the past year, I've still been working on my project to use up some of the products in my collection. That's where I've decided to pick things up again.

Just as a reminder, part of the reason for trying to use up some of these products is that they are by brands that aren't cruelty-free, and I'm trying to get those products out of my collection without just throwing them away. If the brand is cruelty-free, odds are pretty good I chose the product because it was a smaller size or already had a decent dent in it. I don't want to overwhelm myself with what I'm trying to finish.

Here's a current look at what I'm trying to finish up and move out of my collection.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation in 0.5 (or NYX Invincible Fullest Coverage Foundation in Ivory) - I've been working steadily on the Urban Decay foundation, but lately, I haven't been liking the look of it very much, so I will probably do some alternating between the two. As you can see, I've got a good dip in both of them, so I hope to see one of them gone within the next couple of months.

Tarte BB Tinted Undereye Corrector in Fair to Light - I've got a pretty good stock of correctors (including two more of these), so this was just the next one in the lineup to work on finishing.

Urban Decay Primer Potion Mini - This primer hasn't been working all that well for me lately. It's really frustrating. Thankfully, with the next product, my shadow still lasts all day.

Stila Smudge Pot in Kitten - Stila isn't a cruelty-free brand, which is why I'm specifically trying to use up this product. Like I mentioned above, this really does help my eye shadow last longer. Because of the heavy shimmer, I stick up just apply it to the lid and keep it off my crease and browbone. That weird dent in the middle was made with a cotton swab because I wanted to see how close I was to the bottom of the jar. Sadly, I'm not nearly as close as I thought.

Lorac Pro Palette - Okay...you are probably looking at this page thinking I'm nuts right now have a whole palette listed. I'll admit, it is quite the undertaking. This year, I stumbled across Amber F on YouTube, who does a Pan that Palette Challenge. Last year, she panned the Naked Palette (yes, the entire Naked Palette). This year, she is panning the Lorac Pro Palette. I personally chose the Lorac Pro Palette because Lorac isn't cruelty-free. Do I expect to finish this entire palette by the end of the year? Absolutely not. My goal is to finish off as many of the colors as I can. Once I've finished off quite a few of them, I'll depot the rest and stick them in a Z Palette. It's a little hard to see in this picture, but I've finished off Cream. I also finished off Light Bronze (there was only one use left when I took the picture). I've got a lot of pan showing on White, and I've got good dips going in Nude and Champagne. I just finished the crease shade that I was working on (that was an individual pan), so I'll be starting to work on Taupe now too.

Lorac Baked Matte Satin Eye Shadow in Posh - This is another Lorac product that I'm trying to use up since the brand isn't cruelty free. The dome is basically gone, and you can see that I've got some pan showing. Since this is the shade I use on my browbone every day, I'm hoping to see it gone soon.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils in Zero and Ransom (Minis) - I chose a couple of mini pencils since they will be easier to work through the full-sizes. They also work well with eye shadows I'm trying to use up. I've been topping Ransom with Deep Purple from the Lorac Pro Palette. The two together balance each other out and make a bright purple that isn't too bright for daily wear. Zero is working well with a shadow I have below. 

Silk Naturals Shantung Eye Shadow - This was a gift with purchase shadow from Silk Naturals a long time ago. I think I even have a second one. I don't necessarily want this out of my collection, but it doesn't exactly do any good just sitting in a palette. It's a subtle highlight shade that I use in my inner corner occasionally. I need to try and remember to use it more often.

Nars Laguna Bronzer Mini - This was one of those products I chose to work on finishing off because it was a mini size, making it more manageable to try and finish. 

Silk Naturals Guava Blush Sample - I've finished off several Silk Naturals blush samples this year, and this is just another one to finish off. The color is nice for the summer, which is why I chose it over some of the other samples I have left.

Darling Girl Torrid Eye Shadow - I have had this sample since Darling Girl was just a fledgling indie brand. It's just another sample I chose to work on, particularly because the teal color is nice for the summer. I've been layering it on top of UD's Zero to make it a little deeper. 

DKNY Be Delicious Perfume Duo - I have a lot of perfumes (mostly rollerballs) that aren't cruelty free. The Be Delicious scent is a nice one for this time of year, so I chose to work on it. Obviously, I've been working on the original scent side, but I'll move on to the other one next. 

Well....those are my products that I'm currently working on finishing up. Obviously, some seem pretty manageable while others are much more ambitious. 

Are you working on using up any products? 

Disclaimer: All of the products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Finished It!!! Volume 10

Disclosure: There is nothing to disclose in this post.

I've had a little bit of motivation over the past couple of days. I've been trying to organize a little better in my office and declutter. Since I also had to take a few blog pictures of new products, I figured I would do an empties post too.

John Frieda Luxurious Volume and Sheer Blonde Highlight Activating Conditioners - If you have a good memory, you might remember that I had a tube of the Luxurious Volume conditioner in my last post of finished products, and I said that it was good but I wouldn't buy it again unless there was a good deal. Well...there was a good deal. I believe the deal was to buy one John Frieda hair dye and get a hair care or styling product for free. On top of that, I had a coupon for the John Frieda hair dye AND got a CVS coupon for hair dye. Score! I still feel the same. I would repurchase either of these if there was a fantastic deal.

Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Shampoo and Conditioner - I didn't buy these. A friend of mine gave me a bag of stuff that she didn't like, and these were in there. They were maybe half full when she gave them to me. They were okay, but I mostly just mixed them in with shampoo and conditioner that I have and like better to finish them. I won't purchase them for myself.

Renpure Solutions Cleansing Conditioner in Rosemary Mint - I finished this a while ago. I liked it well enough. It wasn't life-changing. It did the job. I've said before with cleansing conditioners that I keep them around for those nights when I'm feeling really lazy and don't want to deal with two products. I would buy this again if it was a good deal.

Organix Moroccan Argan Creme Conditioner - I bought this in a pinch. I mentioned in a previous post that I had to make a trip to visit my mom that ended up lasting longer than I expected. I ran out of conditioner, so I went to the drugstore and grabbed this. I liked it a lot. Again, this is another product I would repurchase if there was a good deal on it.

HerStyler Shampoo - These were sold at a kiosk in the mall. I got them last summer with a serum and a bottle of conditioner. I didn't really want them. These did spark my brainstorm that I could add tea tree oil to shampoos like this that don't already have it to help keep my flakes at bay. These wouldn't worth the price they "retail" for. I try and avoid those kiosks like the plague because I hate the hard sell that they do.

Kronos Liquid Theory Conditioning Detangler - This is another product that I got last summer. It was in a swap box a group of friends and I passed around. I remember that it was an expensive product because I researched it to make sure I exchanged it with something of similar value. It was nice but not amazing, and I have a couple of other less expensive leave-in conditioners in my stash. I won't go out and purchase this on my own.

Dr. Bronner's Hemp Lavender Pure-Castile Soap - I love the almond version of this soap. It has become my standard hand soap in my bathrooms. The lavender scent was okay, but it wasn't my favorite. I'll continue purchasing Dr. Bronner's soaps, but I don't know that I will buy the lavender scent again.

Bath & Body Works Signature Vanillas Shower Gel in Berry - I really like Bath & Body Works shower gels. They foam up really well and I enjoy the scents. I really liked the Signature Vanillas line, but it is sadly discontinued. I think I have one or two more bottles from the line left in my stash.

Neutrogena Acne Stress Control 3-in-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment - This has been a standard in my skincare routine for a while now. I have a couple more of these in my stash as backups because I can't find this in my area, so when I get it, I stock up.

Clean & Clear Advantage Mark Treatment - I bought this because it was on clearance. I didn't like it as much as the Neutrogena one. I don't know if this product still exists, but I wouldn't repurchase it anyway.

Philosophy Miracle Worker Miraculous Anti-Aging Retinoid Eye Repair - This was a deluxe sample from Sephora. It didn't work miracles for me. I won't be purchasing a full size.

Benefit Refined Finish Facial Polish - This was okay. I have face scrubs that I love a lot more than this. I also have to give a short complaint about the packaging. The plastic of the tube was so stiff that it made it practically impossible to get the last of this scrub out.

Simply Lip Balm in Acai Berry - This is the last of these lip balms from my stash. I bought a bunch of them last summer. I would repurchase more if I could only find them!

Darling Girl Cosmetics Sweet Lips On the Go Sugar'd Lip Scrub in Creme Brulee - I loved this product!!! It's a lip scrub in a tube, which makes it really convenient. Not only that: you get to pick the flavor. I haven't repurchased it yet because I've got another lip scrub I'm trying to use up, but I will repurchase it in the future.

Mystery Face Powder - I know the jar says Meow Cosmetics Pampered Puss Mineral Foundation. I finished that off a long time ago (and have another one that I'm using now). However, I refilled this jar with other powders. I think the base was Meow's fuller coverage foundation in a shade darker than I normally use. I then mixed in other random face powders that I had around. It was wonderful to finish it off, even if I can't remember what exactly was in it.

The Body Shop Peppermint Smoothing Pumice Foot Scrub - When my friend gave me the Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner, she gave me this. I already used up one of these. It's not very exfoliating and doesn't do much for my feet. I won't purchase a full size.

Mario Badescu Whitening Mask - The was a sample. I only got one use out of it. I have no idea if it did anything for my skin, and I've had other MB mask samples dry out on me. I don't use masks all that often, so I don't think I'll purchase a full size of any of them.

Luxury Lane Soap Whipped Up Sugar Scrub in Blackberry Tea - I got this small jar as part of a tester program. I loved this stuff! I purchased a full size already in a different scent. I really enjoyed the Blackberry Tea scent; I just wanted to try other scents. I can see this becoming a staple in my shower.

Samples - I don't think I have much of anything to say about these. The jar was Meow's Cat in Tree eye shadow, which was a shimmery deep green.

There we go...more stuff to go in the trash. I need to get back into working on the products that I want to finish. With the summer, I haven't been wearing makeup very often, so I've hit a bit of a wall on finishing those things. School (aka: work for me) is starting back up in a couple of weeks, so maybe that will help...

Have you cut back on wearing makeup this summer too? Have you finished anything lately?

Disclosure: There is nothing to disclose in this post.

Pressing Mineral Eye Shadows - Part I

Disclaimer: This post is not being sponsored by anyone. I purchased all of the materials used myself. I will be including links where you can purchase items, but they are not affiliate links. 

Hi ladies!

If you haven't noticed, I'm having a giveaway right now that you can check out here! I have to say that I'm thrilled with the turnout I've had so far. I hope all of my new followers stick around even after the giveaway is over.

I went on a pressing spree over the weekend and took some pictures to share with you. I love mineral eye shadows. The colors can be so unique, and if you shop indie, the prices are phenomenal. However, having tons of little individual jars takes up a lot of room. That's where pressing has been a great space saver for me.

If you want to try pressing your eye shadows, here's what you'll need:

1. Paper towels (and lots of them)
2. Toothpicks (or some other small stirring tool)
3. Pressing medium
4. Rubbing alcohol (the higher percentage of alcohol the better)
5. Loose mineral shadows
6. Pans to press the shadow into
7. Tamping tool and pressing tiles (not necessary, but they make things a lot easier)
8. Labels for the bottom of pans (also optional)
9. Someplace to put your pressed shadows (you can see a few different options here)

I ordered the special pressing items that I needed (like the pressing medium and pans) from TKBTrading because their prices seem to be the best. I got the 2 oz bottle of the MyMix Press-It Binder, which is huge. Unless you have a ton of shadows to press, stick with the 1/2 oz bottle. I think I was able to press around 100 shadows with the 1/2 oz size. Another benefit of the smaller size is that it comes in a dropper bottle. I had to decant my MyMix into a smaller bottle that I had on hand (the second bottle from the left - it looks yellow because there is a old label on the back). The third picture is another dropper bottle that I decanted my rubbing alcohol into. I like the dropper bottles because they make it a lot easier to control the amount of liquid coming out.

Left to right: 15mm pans, 36mm pans, 52mm square pans

This is a look at the pan sizes that I have. For reference, I purchased the 15 mm size for my stash of Silk Naturals gift with purchase shades that come in 3g jars. Darling Girl petite sizes also fit in this pan size. The 36mm size is what I would consider the standard size. They are the size of Mac shadows. I use these for pressing 5g jars of shadow, which is the standard size for full size mineral eye shadows. The 52mm square pans were purchased to press some Everyday Minerals blushes that come in 20g jars. They are huge and aren't necessary for most projects.

Note: Nearly all of the pans that TKB sells are tin (there's one set that has aluminum pans), which means that they will stick to a palette with a magnetic base (like a Z Palette); aluminum pans will not. Tin pans are also sturdier than aluminum. If you order from someplace else, you might want to pay attention to the material of the pans. The benefit of aluminum pans is that they don't rust, and tin pans can if you aren't careful.

Pictured directly above the pans are the pressing tiles. The pressing tiles are pieces of acrylic that are cut to fit perfectly inside the pans. The ones in the picture above still have the brown paper covering they come with. TKB recommends removing the paper before you begin pressing, but I find it hard to get off, and I don't think it affects the process, so it stays on until it decides to peel off on its own. For the larger pan sizes, I didn't feel the need to use the pressing tiles. The tamping tool works well on its own. For the 15mm pans, using the pressing tile and just my finger for pressure felt the most stable for the initial pressing.

The tamping tools are at the top of the picture. They are essentially a pressing tile glued to a handle. As I just mentioned above, for the larger pans, I just used the tamping tools to do my pressing. Basically, use whichever method you feel more comfortable with.

TKB sells "press packs" that include a tamping tool, two pressing tiles, and 9 tin pans in a variety of sizes all for around $3-$4 dollars. I'm going to link you to their page that includes all of their pressing supplies here. If you scroll down, the press packs are some of the last items listed.

I'm also going to draw your attention to their Press Your Own Makeup: Beginner Kit. This is what I originally purchased when I wanted to see if I liked pressing my mineral shadows. It costs $14.95 (shipping for just this kit is $3.50) and comes with:

• Two 4-well magnetic palette made of eco-friendly cardboard yet with good, durable finish (pick from nine colors!)
• Eight 26mm round tins which fit inside the palettes
• One Tamper Tool and one press tile for pressing your powders
• 1/2 fl oz TKB PressIt Binder with preservative added
  
• Pressing Ribbon
• 8 zip lock baggies
• TKB MyMix Press Base (this is intended for if you are making your own shadows, not just pressing them)
• 2 scoops and 1 spatula
• Pair of latex gloves

It gives you everything you need to try out pressing without being a huge commitment.Once you decide whether pressing will work for you, you can buy in larger amounts.

Stay tuned for Part II where I'll walk you through the steps for pressing.

Have you pressed any of your mineral eye shadows or blushes?

Disclaimer: This post is not being sponsored by anyone. I purchased all of the materials used myself. I have included links where you can purchase items, but they are not affiliate links. 

Products I Want to Use Up! Volume 2

It's been just over a month since my first post of products I want to use up, and I've made some really good progress. It seemed like time to give an update.

Here was my original list with the finished products crossed out:

Lumene Double Stay Long-Lasting Makeup in Vanilla Meringue
Revlon Photoready Perfecting Primer
Tarte Clean Slate Flawless 12 Hour Brightening Primer
Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark-Circle Roller
Darling Girl Cosmetics Sweet Lips on the Go Sugar'd Lip Scrub in Creme Brulee
Yankee Candle Lip Balm in Pomegranate Fruit
Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lip Gloss in Naked - Mini Size
Burt's Bees Radiance Body Lotion with Royal Jelly
EcoTools Sustainable Softness Body Lotion
Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream
Silk Naturals Colt Eye Shadow Sample
Physicians Formula Black Eye Liner (From the original Nude Eyes set)
Hard Candy Pencil Concealer
Urban Decay Primer Potion Mini
Silk Naturals Naked Eye Shadow Sample
Silk Naturals Bone eye Shadow
Silk Naturals Panache Blush Sample
Silk Naturals Lovelace Blush Sample
Meow Ballerina Blush Sample

I've gone through and taken pictures of everything again and added in new items. I shot pictures of the old items to show my progress. I did forget to take a picture of the Bone eye shadow, which I've hit pan on.

Here's a look at my new list:

Bath & Body Works Night-Blooming Jasmine Body Splash

As you can probably tell, this is really old. When they were originally discontinuing this scent, I stocked up. Little did I know that they would keep pulling it out during their semi-annual sale. I've still got another full bottle of this.

Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil Roller Ball

The reason for me wanting to finish this one off is pretty obvious from the second picture. The cap is busted, so I have to be very careful to keep it upright: otherwise, it leaks. I use this as a cuticle oil.

ELF Zit Zapper

I'm not a huge fan of this, especially being a roller ball. I'm trying to use it up by putting it on bumps and ingrown hairs that I constantly get on my legs and arms.

Revlon Photogready Perfecting Primer

I haven't made a lot of progress on this. My skin was acting up and being really dry, so I cut back on using a primer for a while.

Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark-Circle Roller

This is the product that just won't end, and it taunts me because I can't see how much is left. *sigh*

Holika Holika Essential Petit BB Cream

This is the foundation product that I'm now trying to finish off. I squeezed the extra air out of it to show its current usage.

Mario Badescu Summer Shine Body Lotion

Darn shimmery lotions. This is the only one I have left.

Yankee Candle Lip Balm in Root Beer Float

Yep, I'm working on another one of these.

Darling Girl Cosmetics Sweet Lips on the Go Sugar'd Lip Scrub in Creme Brulee

This is getting really close to being gone!

Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lip Gloss Mini in Crush (From Roller Girl Palette)

I'm really proud of myself here. You all know that I finished the mini Lip Junkie in Naked. I've also got a mini Lip Junkie in Midnight Cowboy that is on its last legs (it is so close to gone that it seemed silly to put in this post).

Urban Decay Primer Potion

This seems like it is really close, but it could last a lot longer than I expect.

Urban Decay 24/7 Liner Pencil in Rockstar

I really love this color. It's a great color that looks neutral. I have another mini and a full size in my stash, so I might as well try and get this one gone.

Hard Candy Pencil Concealer

It doesn't look like I've made much progress on this one. It's going to last forever!

Physicians Formula Black Eye Liner (From the original Nude Eyes set) 

The second picture shows all that I have left of this liner. It's almost there!!!

Silk Naturals Panache Blush Sample

I think I've only used this once in the past month. I need to work on that.

Meow Uncharted Eye Shadow Sample

I added a little bit of another color into this a long time ago. It's lighter than the original. It's been hanging around way too long.

Meow Cat in a Tree Eye Shadow Sample

This is another one that has been hanging around too long. I used to use this regularly as a liner, and I need to get too it again to get it gone.

Silk Naturals Lovelace Blush Sample

I haven't made much progress on this one since the last post either.

Silk Naturals Maybe Baby Blush Sample

This is just another sample that I pulled out of my stash to finish off.

Final Thoughts

Well, that's my updated list. It looks daunting, but it isn't too bad considering I'm not giving myself a time limit, and I'm not sticking myself on a no-buy until these are all finished. It's just a way for me to try and declutter my stash.

What are you trying to finish up?

Finished It!!! Volume 8

It's time for another round of showing off my trash. I'm excited about this one because I have a few items from my list of products I want to finish that I get to include (those products will be labeled with a star).

Let's get started:

The Body Shop Love Etc... Body Wash - I wasn't in love with the scent of this, and the lather seemed to disappear pretty quickly. I won't be rebuying.

Bath & Body Works Berry Vanilla Body Wash - I loved the scent and the lather is fantastic. I have several bottles of Bath & Body Works body wash left in my stash. I don't think I can get this scent again, but I will probably end up buying more of this product in the future.

The Body Show Satsuma Body Wash - This body wash smells amazing! The lather didn't last as long as I would like, and it didn't always do a good job of helping my razor glide along my legs (I don't use shaving creams). I probably won't repurchase.

Yardley London Vanilla Sugar Soap - I wanted to love this, but I'm just not a fan of bar soaps. Sadly, I have a couple more of these left to use or get rid of in some way.

 Bath & Body Works Cherry Blossom Lotion - This isn't the most moisturizing lotion formula, but it isn't bad. This is one of my favorite scents, and my fiance really likes it too.

Scentsations Vanilla Sugar Body Lotion - I got this at Kohl's a long time ago with a coupon. It is really watery and not very moisturizing. I won't be repurchasing from this brand.

Burt's Bees Radiance Body Lotion - While I like the idea of shimmery body lotions in theory, I hate them in practice. The shimmer gets everywhere and sticks on my hands much longer than I'd like after applying it. I won't be picking this up again.

Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion - This was a freebie from some Ulta order. It was okay, but it wasn't anything special. I don't plan on picking this up again.

Silk Naturals Kiss Cleanser - This is a holy grail product for me. It's a great, simple face wash. Silk Naturals suggest putting it in a foamer bottle that they sell and diluting it with a 70:30 ratio of water to cleanser, so one bottle lasts a long time. I already had a backup, and I will continue to repurchase it in the future.

Neutrogena Acne Stress Control 3-in-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment - I've used this for a long time, and it works well for me. I still have a couple of tubes of this in my stash.

Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Eye Cream - I like that this eye cream has retinol in it, but it wasn't quite moisturizing enough. I don't plan on repurchasing it.

Tarte Clean Slate Primer - This is the old formula and/or packaging. I liked it. I've got several other primers to use up and at least one other one that I want to try, but I might eventually repurchase this.

Lumene Double Stay Long-Lasting Makeup in Vanilla Meringue* - One of the major positives of this foundation is that it matches my skin. Unfortunately, it isn't easy to get here in the US. I ordered it off ebay when I bought it. I've got other foundations that are easier to get that match me, so I don't plan on getting this again.

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment - This was a freebie from Sephora. I was glad I got to try it, but it didn't seem overly moisturizing to me, and it was so soft that I had to depot it into a jar before I was even halfway through it. A full size is also really expensive. I won't be purchasing a full size.

Darling Girl Raspberry Mist Lip Balm - I really like Susan's lip balms. I love that she has so many flavor options. I've gone through several, and I will probably buy more in the future.

Yankee Candle Pomegranate Fruit Lip Balm* - I liked this balm well enough. I think the packaging is really cute since it looks like a mini candle, but it's also too bulky for someone who likes to keep her balm in her pants pocket. These aren't easy to find, so I probably won't pick this up again.

Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lip Gloss in Naked* - This was the mini that came with the Naked 2 palette. I really liked the color. I wasn't a huge fan of the consistency because it was a little too sticky. I won't buy a full size.

Perfume Samples in Marc Jacobs Daisy, Betsy Johnson Too Too pretty, and DKNY Pure - I already have a mini of the DKNY Pure. I don't plan on purchasing Daisy or Too Too Pretty (BTW: those two stopped spraying, so even though there is still perfume left, I can't get to it).

 Lots of Random Samples - I didn't love any of these. The only one really worth noting is the Silk Naturals Colt Eye Shadow Sample*. It's a nice color that is a dupe for Urban Decay's Darkhorse. Since I already have two full-size pans of Darkhorse, I feel no need to purchase the dupe.

Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Curl Boosting Mousse - This left my hair feeling too crispy. I'm glad to see it gone. I won't pick it up again.

Those are my empties! Have you finished up anything lately?

Products I Want to Use Up! Volume 1

I've had a container of products I want to use up sitting on top of my makeup table. After seeing carlyjeanx's video about products she wants to use up in 2013, I realized that would make a good blog post series.

Let me be clear that I'm not attempting a project pan here. I'm not going on a spending ban. I know I would fail miserably if I tried. I am trying to cut back on my beauty spending, but that's not the purpose of this.

My purpose here is to use up products that I would like to see go away or products that I have multiples of in my collection (like foundation, black eye liners, etc). I tried to pick things that I use daily or smaller sized items that I'm more likely to finish. I don't want to get frustrated with myself or get completely bored with the colorful products.

Let's take a look at what I'm currently working on:

Lumene Double Stay Long-Lasting Makeup in Vanilla Meringue

Confession: I finished this prior to getting this post written. I've already switched to a new foundation product: a Holika Holika BB Cream.

Revlon Photoready Perfecting Primer

There's no particular reason why I threw this into the mix except that I've got several primers, so I picked this one to try and finish up first.

Tarte Clean Slate Flawless 12 Hour Brightening Primer

I threw in this sample primer too because it's formulated for drier skin, so it makes my face look greasy before the end of the day. I try and use this on short work days or days when I'm just running errands.

Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark-Circle Roller

This product just won't die!!! I've been using this consistently for over a year now. I don't love it and don't plan on repurchasing, so I just want it gone. 

Darling Girl Cosmetics Sweet Lips on the Go Sugar'd Lip Scrub in Creme Brulee

I love this stuff. The best part is that you get to choose the flavor. I'm trying to use it up because I've had it around for a while and I don't want it to go bad.

Yankee Candle Lip Balm in Pomegranate Fruit

I like this lip balm well enough, but the size makes it a little awkward to put in my pocket. It's getting close to being gone, so I'm trying to finish it off.

Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lip Gloss in Naked - Mini Size

As you can see, this is almost gone. I have too many lip glosses in my collection, so I chose a mini size to try and use up first. After this one is gone, I'll probably work on another mini Lip Junkie.

Burt's Bees Radiance Body Lotion with Royal Jelly

I dislike lotion with shimmer in it, and this one has shimmer. It's small enough that it won't take me too long to get it out of my collection.

EcoTools Sustainable Softness Body Lotion

If you've followed me for a while, you probably know that I have a big stash of lotion since I end up mentioning it when I have a lotion in a finished it post. This is a small bottle, so I grabbed it to try and use up. I'm also not a big fan of the smell.

Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream 

I'm not in love with this cuticle balm, I've had it for a really long time, and I've hit pan on it. It's time for it to go. I've got a mini size of this to work on after this one is gone.

Silk Naturals Colt Eye Shadow Sample

This was a sample made for me by a friend. Colt is a dupe for Urban Decay's Darkhorse (By the way, Silk Naturals now has dupes for the Naked 1, Naked 2, and Naked Basics palettes). A friend sent this to me a long time ago. I have too many baggie samples in my collection. This will be a start in the right direction.

Physicians Formula Black Eye Liner (From the original Nude Eyes set) 

I have a lot of black eye liners in my collection because so many brands throw them into value sets. After I finished off a mini of Urban Decay's Zero (it'll be in my next finished products post), I pulled this one out as the next eye liner to finish off.

Hard Candy Pencil Concealer

This came with the Glam-o-flage concealer. I'm using it to brighten up my lower waterline. Even though the pencil is quite small, it's going to take me a long time to finish. I've used it a handful of times already, but I haven't had to sharpen it yet.

Urban Decay Primer Potion

I use this every day. I have a full size and a jumbo of this in the old-style packaging. This mini tube is almost gone.

Silk Naturals Naked Eye Shadow Sample

This is a dupe of MAC's Naked Lunch. At first look, you might this this little baggie would be easy to finish, but you would be mistaken. If you've had baggie samples like this, you'll know that they last through quite a few uses.

Silk Naturals Bone Eye Shadow

I pressed this a while ago. It's a nice browbone highlight, but it doesn't match my Wet n Wild Brulee, so I want to finish it off. My goal is to work my way through my matte highlight shades that aren't Brulee and then not purchase any more. For the quality and the price, I don't think anything else can beat it.

Silk Naturals Panache Cream Blush Sample 

This has been collecting dust, and it shouldn't be too hard to finish if I just grabbed for it regularly.

Silk Naturals Lovelace Blush Sample

This is a much brighter peach than it is appearing in the picture above. I'm not a big peach blush person, but I really like this one. The second picture was included to show how much product is in the jar. Again, it doesn't seem like a lot, but this will last through quite a few uses.

Meow Ballerina Blush Sample

Again, this baggie holds a deceptive amount of product. I'm hoping since the color is pretty light I can go through it faster than a brighter color because I'll be able to apply more of it.

Those are the products I'm working on right now. Do you try and focus on finishing specific products? What products are you working on finishing right now?