PROJECT 20 PAN

After cleaning my make-up collection and keeping just the make-up I like I realized that I still have lot of things and they are either half way used or just deluxe samples. As I always test new make-up I hardly ever use up the whole product. And this is sad because very often I test things that are, at the end, not so great while products that I really like sit aside.

This is why I decided to do a Project 20 pan. Basically I chose 20 products that I will try to use up by the end of certain time (end of March) before I move to new product in that category. For the first pan project I chose easy, well-loved products that I think I’ll be able to use up fairly quickly.

Project 20 PAN

Here is what I chose and how much use out of it I think I will get:

1. The Multitasker face powder by Milani (almost done, I expect max 2 weeks of use)
2. Prep & prime face primer by MAC (half way done, probably 2 months of use)
3. Shadow insurance Eye shadow primer by Too Faced (almost done, 1 month of use)
4. Pro Longwear concealer by MAC (half way done, 1 month of use)
5. Double wear stay in place concealer by Estee Lauder (almost done, 2 weeks of use)
6. Outlast stay fabulous foundation by CoverGirl (half way done, 1 month of use)
7. Face & Body foundation by MAC (half way done, 1 month of use)
8. Fix plus by MAC (travel size, one month of use)
9. BB cream Skin miracle by Garnier (almost done, 2 weeks of use)
10. SuperShock eyeshadow base pot by Avon (half way done, I month of use)
11. Brow gel by Anastasia (deluxe sample, 2 months of use)
12. 2 in 1 eye boosting eyeliner by Physician Formula (almost done, 2 weeks of use)
13. Eyeshadow pencil in colour Champagne Toast by Milani (1/3 done, 2 months of use)
14. Eyeshadow pencil in champagne by WJ cosmetics (1/3 done, 2 months of use)
15. Eye pencil in colour Bronze by Bourjois (full size, 2 moths)
16. Lash exact mascara by CoverGirl (almost done, maybe 2 weeks of use)
17. 2000 calories mascara by Max Factor (deluxe sample, 1 month and half of use)
18. Volume mascara by Essence (almost done, maybe 2 weeks of use)
19. Lipstick in colour Angel by MAC (1/3 left, 2 months of use)
20. Lip pencil in colour Nude by NYX (full size, 2 months to use)

As you can see some products are almost used up. But it happens to me very often that I put them aside and start testing new products without finishing anything and throwing it away. It is obvious from the picture that 20 products is quite an amount so when I finish them all, there will be quite a lot of space left behind (maybe for new products?).

If you are doing Project Pan let me know what and how many products have you chosen and what’s your “deadline” for using them up. Good luck with it!

Make-up collection declutter!

Hello girls! Long time no see! It is already 20th of January and I haven’t blogged much. Since I came back from Slovakia it has been work work work... I finally got to clean the house and I realized that it would be a good idea to talk about a make-up clean up!

 

Even if you don’t have huge make-up collection it is still a good idea to check your make-up at least once a year. Bobby Brow in her book “Makeup manual” recommends tossing make-up products that you had for certain time to avoid using them after their expiration date.

 

 

According to her the make-up products should not be used longer than:

• 2 years in case of liquid & cream foundations, concealers, powders, eyeshadows, powder and cream blushes, 
• 6 moths in case of mascaras,
• 12-18 months for lipsticks, lip and eye pencils.

 

While I certainly agree with Bobby Brown, I also have some tips on determining if the product is still usable or not: 

• in case of lipsticks: if you see small water drops around the lipstick, it means the lipstick is going bad, the formula starts separating and it's time to say goodbye,
• in case of foundations: if the color pigment starts separating from the base liquid (unless it says on the bottle "shake before use" which is written usually for the foundations that naturally separate even though they are still good),
• if you notice that the performance of the product is not the same as it used to be when you bough it,
• if you suddenly notice that you get acne from the product (and you haven't had that before when using it),
• if the color, scent or consistency of the product has changed (for example when the cream eyeshadow has dried out, or the lipstick smells really bad).

 

Personally, I keep powder products (mainly eyeshadows) a lot longer than 2 years since I don't use the same ones on the daily basis. If you keep your make-up out of the sun light and under room temperature (so not in the hot bath room) it will last longer. Also, you can sanitize it to keep it around longer (in case of powder products with alcohol, in case of cream products remember not to put your fingers in it).

 

I cleaned out my collection before Christmas: what was bad went to the trash, what was still good but I didn't like went to my family members (the fact that I don't like it doesn’t mean that somebody else will not enjoy it, right?).

 

So chop chop, go to your make-up collection and clean it out!

My favorite products of 2014 part 2: skincare, hair care and body products

Let’s continue today with what is left, skincare, hair care and body products. There won’t be as many as in make-up category since my skin is quite dry and sensitive and I don’t like to experiment with it too much.

HAIR CARE

Shampoos:

• Diamond Oil shampoo by Redken
• Orofluido shampoo by Orofluido
• Shea butter shampoo by Desert Essence

Conditioner:

I don’t have any favorites since I usually use masks instead and those that I tried last year didn’t impress me to the point that I would share them with you.

Hair masks:

• Deep repair mask by Macademia Natural oil
• Vitamino colour expert serie by L’Oreal

Styling products:

• Dry shampoo by Batiste – original or for dark hair
• Frizz Ease hair serum original formula by John Frieda – I’ve been using it since my 20s, it always worked for defining my curls.
• Healing oil spray by Macademia Natural oil
• Elnett spray by L’Oreal
  

SKINCARE

• Skin perfecting 2% BHA gel by Paula’s choice
• Skin perfecting 8% AHA gel by Paula’s choice
• Moisture boost cleanser by Paula’s choice – takes make-up off without problems, can be used on the eye make-up as well. I keep it in the shower where I usually take my make-up off.
• Purity micellar water by Corine de Farme – better than Bioderma, takes make-up off without problems and it 500ml costs 6€.
• Skin recovery mask by Paula’s choice
• Cicaplast soothing repairing balm by La Roche-Posay – when my skin goes nuts and peels like crazy (winter season).
• Anti-age cream SPF 30 by Garnier Ambre Solaire
• Super serum Sublimist by L’Oreal
• Beauty flash balm by Clarins
• As a night cream I use a homemade mixture of oils.

BODY CARE

Body lotions:

• Expert repair Shea butter body lotion by Yves Rocher
• Smooth body oil by Nivea
• Homemade body lotion for winter season

Shower gel:

• Jardin du Monde “Coffee beans from Brasil“ shower gel by Yves Rocher

Self-tanner:

• Self-tanning mousse by St.Tropez

What were you favorite products of 2014?

Related articles:
My favorite products of 2014 Part 1: make-up products

My favorite products of 2014 part 1: make-up products

Happy New Year everybody! I decided to start this year with my favorite products of 2014 since I found very nice and interesting products last year and I think it is worth sharing them with you. Let’s start with make-up products as it is my favorite part of cosmetic world.

Mascaras:

• Lash Exact by CoverGirl (the same as 2000 calories by Max Factor) – it’s been my favorite for years.
• Volum’Express The Rocket mascara by Maybelline – it holds lash curl really well.
• Better than sex mascara by Too Faced – my lashes look like fake ones (in a good way).

Eyeliners for water line:

• Master Drama in color Black by Maybelline 
• Khol pencil in color Infinite Beige by Sephora

Eyeliners for upper eye line:

• Gel eyeliner in color Black by Essence
• I’m still looking for the perfect liquid pen eyeliner, even though I tried many last year I’m still not completely happy. Still testing.

Eyebrow pencils:

• Define a brow eyebrow pencil in colour Dark Blonde by Maybelline
• Eyebrow pencil in color Taupe by Peggy Sage
• Long-lasting eyebrow pencil in color Medium by Sephora 

Eyebrow powder:

• Absolute eye color eyeshadow in color 350 Starlight Expresso by Catrice- it is a regular eyeshadow but it matches my eyebrow color perfectly and it stays on all day long. And it’s cheap.

Eyeshadow primers:

• Eyeshadow primer potion by Urban Decay
• Eye base primer by KIKO – as good as Urban Decay, it holds eyeshadows like crazy.
• Paint pot in color Soft Ocre by MAC

Single eyeshadows:

• Eyeshadow in color Kitten by Stila
• Eyeshadow n.403 from VAMP! Collection by PUPA

Eyeshadow palettes:

• Boudoir eyes by Too Faced
• Meet Matt(e) Nude by The Balm

BB creams:

• Ambre Solaire SPF 30 and SPF 50 by Garnier
• Sublimist BB cream with SPF 25 by L’Oreal

Foundations:

• Lumi Magique by L’OrealMatt co
• ntrol 18h by Dermacol
• Invisiwear by EX1
• Matt fluid by Yves Rocher

Concealers:

• HD photogenic concealer by NYXDream Lumi T
• ouch Highlighting concealer by Maybelline
• Instant Age rewind Eraser dark circles by Maybelline

Powders:

• Loose Prep & Prime by MAC for under eyes area
• Loose mineral powder in color Neutral A by Makeup Atelier Paris for under eyes area
• Mineralize skinfinish natural in color Light plus by MAC for face

Bronzer:

• Laguna by NARS

Blushes:

• Rockateur by Benefit – my most worn blush, if I don’t know what to put as a blush, I always go for this one.
• Instain long-wearing powder staining blush in color Houndstooth by The Balm

Highlighters:

• Mineral glow pearls blush in color Natural pearl by Physician formula
• Mary-Lou Manizer by The Balm

Lip pencil:

• Lip liner pencil in color Pale Pink by NYX - my ultimate nude lip liner color, I always have few in stock to be sure to never run out of it.

Lipsticks:

• Color whisper by color sensational by Maybelline – all of them but mainly Lust for blush, together with NYX lip pencil in Pale pink it is my go-to combo.
• Color sensational Vivids by Maybelline - great color choice and confortable formula
• Cremesheen formula lipsticks by MAC

Lipgloss:

I don’t like lip gloss in general, so I don’t have any favorites. What concerns price and pigmentation, I would recommend either Butter gloss by NYX or Color sensational High shine by Maybelline.

Nail polish formula:

• Super stay 7 days gel nail color by Maybelline
• All nail polish formula by Flormar
• Color riche by L’Oreal
• All nail polish formula by OPI

Fix sprays:

• Fix plus by MAC
• Finishing spray by Skindinavia
• Make-up setting spray with dewy finish by NYX