First PROJECT 20 PAN finished!

I started my first Project pan in January including 20 products that I wanted to finish by 1st of April. Usually you don’t pick more than 10 products but I was very courageous and here is what got actually used up:

1. The Multitasker face powder by Milani - DONE
2. Prep & prime face primer by MAC – almost, going into the basket for next Project pan
3. Shadow insurance Eye shadow primer by Too Faced - DONE
4. Pro Longwear concealer by MAC – I haven’t used it up because it went bad, so it’s going into trash (well, to MAC under “Back to MAC programme”)
5. Double wear stay in place concealer by Estee Lauder - DONE
6. Outlast stay fabulous foundation by CoverGirl - DONE
7. Face & Body foundation by MAC - I haven’t used it up because it went bad, so it’s going into trash (well, to MAC under “Back to MAC programme”)
8. Fix plus by MAC - DONE
9. BB cream Skin miracle by Garnier - DONE
10. SuperShock eyeshadow base pot by Avon – not yet, going into the basket for next Project pan
11. Brow gel by Anastasia - not yet, going into the basket for next Project pan
12. 2 in 1 eye boosting eyeliner by Physician Formula - DONE
13. Eyeshadow pencil in colour Champagne Toast by Milani - not yet, going into the basket for next Project pan 
14. Eyeshadow pencil in champagne by WJ cosmetics – no, going back to my stash, I’ll come back to it later, maybe
15. Eye pencil in colour Bronze by Bourjois - not yet, going into the basket for next Project pan
16. Lash exact mascara by CoverGirl - DONE
17. 2000 calories mascara by Max Factor - DONE
18. Volume mascara by Essence - DONE
19. Lipstick in colour Angel by MAC - DONE
20. Lip pencil in colour Nude by NYX - not yet, going into the basket for next Project pan

All together I used 11 products, 2 went bad, 1 back to my stash and the rest, 6 products, are going into the next Project pan. Apart from products in this challenge, I also used up another 6 items:

1. Lipbalm by Plante System
2. Hypnose Drama mascara by Lancome (it dried out after 1 month and half!)
3. Brow pencil in Taupe by Peggy Sage
4. Balance n Brighten powder by Laura Geller (finally after 3 years!)
5. Deluxe size highlighter in Angelic by Tarte
6. Speed dry top coat nail polish by Nutra Nail

All in all, I used up 17 products! I’m quite happy although I realized that using up products in pencil format will be a major challenge this year:(. I’m already preparing next project pan (although quite late) so stay tuned!

Maybelline Color drama Intense velvet lip pencil

The spring is coming and so are new products. As every year companies are launching new product lines which of course make my heart jump when seeing them at new stands. As always I could not resist and bought some new products. Let’s start with Maybelline colour drama lip pencil.

Price: 6,95€ which is not cheap if you use it just as a pencil (but the main point I think is to use it instead of lipstick).

Maybelline Color drama Intense velvet lip pencil in colour 150 Fuchsia Desire

Texture: pencil has creamy texture that glides on lips very easily. The fact that it is a pencil makes it precise to apply and its thickness makes the application very quick.

Finish: it has matt finish, the colour looks good on the lips during all its wear, it is consistent and it doesn’t cling to dry patches.

Colour: I bought 150 Fuchsia desire which is bright cool tone pink-fuchsia. The colour is vibrant all the time and I think perfect for spring.

Maybelline Color drama Intense velvet lip pencil in colour 150 Fuchsia Desire

Longevity: the colour stays on all the time unless you eat. After the eating you will have to reapply but then it stays on all the way to the next meal. It doesn’t dry my lips at all I totally forgot that I was wearing something matt.

Final verdict: I love this pencil. It is easy to apply, nice to wear and the matt bright pink looks great. I’m actually thinking of going back to the drugstore and buying some more colours!

AHA and BHA peeling

Renewal of skin top layer is its natural process. When your skin is young, it goes without problem, but more mature we are, harder it is for skin to renew itself and it needs some help with it. The reasons behind the slower renewal process is not only the age (decreasing level of hormones) but other factors such as sun related damage, smoking, unhealthy lifestyle.

To help your skin renew its top layer you can try peeling. Of course, first you can think of is classic manual peeling with small or bigger grains in it. The problem is that this kind of peeling is not the best for your skin. The grains cause small microscopic wounds which are not visible to the eye but they disrupt top skin layer that aims to protect it. I use manual scrubs only when the dry patches are extremely visible (only in January and February).

What should I use instead of scrub? BHA and AHA acids! First time I heard about these acids was in the book „The original beauty bible” by Pauly Begoun (chapter 9):

AHA (Alpha hydroxyl acids) peel off the very top skin layer, they are great for sun damaged skin or for dry skin. You can find them under these forms: glycolic acid, lactic acid (these two are the most effective), then malic acid, citric and tartaric acid.

AHA and BHA peeling from Paula's choice

BHA (Beta hydroxy acids) are lipid (oil) soluble acids that penetrate deeper in the skin, in its pores. These are filled by sebum and if they get clogged up the bacteria that leave there feasts on it and multiplies. It causes then the inflammation or acne which can be avoided by using these beta hydroxy acids. You can find them only under salicylic acid form.

My experience:

To find a product that has good amount of the acids is quite difficult, especially in Europe, so I ordered the products from Paula’s Choice website.

First (well in 2010), I ordered AHA because I have dry skin. I used them, as recommended, every night on my clean skin, before applying night cream. After 1 month I noticed that my skin wasn’t extremely dry as it used to be, no severe skin patches and skin peeling, no tight skin after each shower. Yeah! Since then I haven’t stopped using the AHA, I only restrain myself from using it during summer months when I use self-tanner and when the sun is too aggressive to the skin. I still have dry skin but not extremely dry and most often it is dry only during the winter months, during the summer I have quite normal skin.

Last year I discovered BHA which I use when I suddenly get acne and I need to really clean my skin well. Also a friend of mine who has oily skin tried it as well and she is extremely happy with it.

Daily and weekly AHA set by Paula's choice

Recently I bought Resist Weekly and daily resurfacing AHA duo. I especially love the weekly AHA, my skin looks like baby one following morning. The daily AHA from Resist edition is about the same as regular AHA peeling, just lower percentage, so I gave it to my mum for her name’s day.

Price: 28,90€, currently on sale for 23€. I know it’s a lot, but one bottle will last you all year and the result is really visible. You can order it from European Paula’s choice website and it comes home within 2 days. If you still prefer to look for different brand, search on beautypedia.com to find other brands that offer good quality AHA or BHA.