Hey guys! It’s time for another project pan update!! I actually forgot that I was supposed to do an update this month which is why it’s up a little later. Better late than never!
If you don’t know what a project pan is, the idea is to focus on a few products and either hit pan or finish the product. I’ve been doing a project pan since January but in July I decided to switch up the products I use. I picked five products, so let’s get into it.
The first product is the the Jaclyn Hill x Morphe Eyeshadow Palette. I’ve hit pan on one eyeshadow which I’m very happy about! I never managed to do that in my last project pan. I also think I’m making good progress on the second brown shade on the top row. I’m hoping to pan another two shadows by my next update.
The next product is the Maybelline City Bronzer & Contour Powder. This is the never-ending bronzer. I use so much bronzer, especially since it was summer. And I’ve barely made a dent in it. Hopefully by my next update ‘ll have made some visible progress.
I might not have hit pan, I’m do think I’m making progress with my Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in the shade Paaarty. I can see the outline of the pan underneath pretty clearly now. I think by December I’ll hit pan.
I can’t wait to finish this powder because I’m sick and tired of using the TooFaced Born This Way Ethereal Setting Powder. I find that it leaves a yellow cast on my skin and just isn’t the best at setting my face. But I’m SO CLOSE to finishing it that I’m just going to power through and finish it.
A product where I’m making good progress is the Temptu Liquid Glow. I wanted to be at the bottom of the Boxycharm logo by this update. I’m not there yet but I’m quite close so I’m pretty happy about that. I will say that I am getting bored of using this highlight because I’ve been using it since April. I think I’m going to use it until December and then take a break.
And the product I am officially retiring from my project pan is the Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer in the shade Fenty Glow. I do really like using this lip gloss, but I like changing up my lip too much to do a project pan with a lip product. Some days I don’t want to wear a gloss and other days I want something cool toned so I don’t use this gloss. I think just based on my personal makeup habits that it doesn’t make sense to do a project pan on a lip product.
And that is my project pan update! I am going to continue using all the products except for the lip gloss for the next couple of months. I’ll post an update in January and will probably change up the items then. If you guys are doing a project pan let me know in the comments how your progress is going!
Hey guys! It’s been a couple of months but today I’m going to be sharing some of my product empties. I always like doing these posts because I’ve finished the product so I have a good idea of what the product is like. So let’s get into it.
The first product is perfume! Back in the spring, I got into wearing perfume daily. I never wore perfume much and found all my perfumes were just sitting unused. So I made it my mission to use them more and because of that, I finished the True Religion Hippie Chic. I’m 90% sure that this perfume is discontinued because it’s only available on Amazon and eBay. Which is fine with me because I wouldn’t repurchase it. This was the first perfume I got as a teenager and while it’s a good teen scent it’s not as much my thing anymore. The notes are Red Apple, Raspberry, Pomegranate, Hibiscus, Lily-of-the-Valley, Star Jasmine, Wood and Musk. It’s much fruitier than what I typically go for. It was good for when I was a teen but now I like other scents.
The next product is the Cetaphil Extra Gentle Daily Scrub. I’m currently on the hunt for my favourite exfoliator. I liked the Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser and I’ve been comparing everything I tried to that one. I like an exfoliator that has something physical to it, but not necessarily St. Ives level of physical. That’s why I liked the Murad one because it was slightly physical but also chemical as well. This Cetaphil one was just too gentle for me. It says that there are micro-fine bamboo particles but I didn’t feel any. It wasn’t bad, like my face still felt clean after using it. But it was more similar to using a cleanser than an exfoliator. Still on the hunt for my favourite but it might be the Murad one.
I think the next product has been discontinued or at least renamed. I finished the Tarte Ready, Set, Radiant Skin mist and I can’t seem to find it anywhere. But on the Tarte website, they have the Rainforest of the Sea 4-in-1 Mist which sounds similar. Either way, I’m not sure I would repurchase it. The mist isn’t the finest and sprays droplets everywhere. I also found that the formula is more hydrating than setting down makeup. Then I read somewhere that it’s good to wet the face before applying hyaluronic acid and decided to try this mist and loved it for that use! Since the mist wasn’t fine it got my face wet quickly. It also provided extra skincare benefits on top of the hyaluronic acid. And finally, it has a cucumber scent that is nice while applying skincare. The reason why I wouldn’t repurchase is I think I can get a mist for cheaper than this that would do a similar job.
Taking a step away from skincare, I had a deluxe sample of the Drunk Elephant Sili Body Lotion. This lotion is meant to restore dry, dull and irritated skin. It was a thin liquid but was quite hydrating. It was easy to spread all over the body and sank into the skin easily. The scent was pretty basic. There is no added fragrance so it just smells like a combo of the marula and shea butter in the lotion. If you don’t like overly fragranced body lotions, then you’ll love this. I, on the other hand, love scented body lotions so I won’t be picking this up again because the scent was pretty basic.
Another body product, this one I did not like, was the Quo Vanilla Brulee Salt Scrub. I was looking to try a new body scrub and saw this one. I wasn’t able to smell it so I just bought it on a whim. I thought it would be a nice vanilla scent but no it just smells like straight-up salt and vanilla extract – not very pleasant. I also find that the scrub melts away easily so I can’t get a good scrub in before it dissolves. Was not a fan and will not be repurchasing.
The next product is a sample of the Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash. This cleanser should be right up my alley because it’s meant for oily skin to remove makeup, impurities and surface oils. But I found it was a little too aggressive. My face always felt tight after I used it. It also has a strong mint scent, which isn’t my favourite. I always had to hold my breath while using it. Overall not my favourite and I wouldn’t purchase a full size.
If you’ve read any of my product empties posts, then you’ll know I love the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser. Sephora usually has the deluxe sample as a point perk so I always have one kicking around. And for a good reason because this cleanser is gentle but effective. This is a great second cleanser to use after removing makeup because it’ll get rid of any leftover makeup and cleanse the skin but not strip it. And I love the light cucumber scent. You need to try this cleanser if you haven’t already yet.
A product that I haven’t finished but will be throwing away is the Wander Beauty Lift Off Purifying and Brightening Peel Off Mask. I know that peel-off masks were big a couple of years ago and I had this one kicking around because I got it in my Boxycharm. I decided to use it the other day after not using it in months. It broke me out so badly. And not just around my chin, where I normally get acne. I had small pimples all over my face. I know for sure it was because of this mask. It might be expired but I believe my face just doesn’t like peel-off masks so I decided to get rid of it.
Now one of my favourite products that I have already repurchased is the Ole Henriksen Balancing Force Oil Control Toner. I can’t live without this stuff. I do notice a difference in the texture of my skin when I don’t use it. The toner evens out my face and helps keep the oils at bay. If you deal with texture skin and oiliness, you need this toner in your life.
Now for a drugstore product, I have the NYX Dewy Finish Setting Spray. I’ve mentioned this spray quite a bit on my blog because it’s so good. It helps melt all the product into the skin and makes me look dewy but not oily. And it’s also so affordable, it’s only $11. This is like my third bottle and I see myself buying more in the future. I purchase the Radiant Finish to test it out and see if it’s any different compared to the dewy.
And the final product is my BareMinerals Translucent Powder Duo. If you’ve been keeping up with my project pan then this powder is probably familiar to you. I finished the matte side of the powder and don’t like the glow side so I decided it was time to just toss it out. It feels pretty good to finish a makeup product up because that doesn’t happen very often. Unfortunately, the powder has been discontinued so there isn’t much point in me giving a review since you can’t purchase it. But I just wanted to mention it since I’m proud that I finished it!
And those are the products that I finished recently! Let me know in the comments if you guys have tried any of these products before and what your thoughts were on them.
Hey guys! It’s been a couple of months since I’ve given you an update on my project pan. I want to give you a final update on my original product pan products before I switch things up. It’s going to be a lengthy post, but bear with me because I thought it would be better for it to be all in one post than two!
First let’s start with the product I used the most, the BareMinerals Translucent Powder Duo. I mentioned this in my April update but I figured out that I didn’t like the glow side that much so I stopped using it. I’m happy to report that not only did I hit pan on the matte side, but I basically finished it! It took me a while to hit pan, but once I did it was pretty quick to finish the product. There is barely anything left so I feel satisfied in getting rid of it. I’m proud that I was able to finish one product.
The most disappointing is the Colourpop x Kathleen Lights Dream St Palette. I thought I would hit pan on a few on the shadows but I’ve barely made a dent. I made the most progress on the shade “Shooting Star”. It’s hard to see on the overhead view but I did make a dent in the shade. Until recently I wasn’t wearing eyeshadow much, or when I did I was testing out palettes for other posts. I do like this palette but I have learned that it takes more effort than I thought to pan eyeshadows. I am keeping this palette since I have a lot left in the blush.
The other product I hit pan on is the Wander Beauty Trip for Two Blush and Bronzer Duo. I just barely hit pan in June and by July I fully hit pan on the bronzer. The blush on the other hand looks barely used. It’s funny because I would always use both the bronzer and blush. I guess I just use way more bronzer than blush. I am keeping this but taking a break for awhile since I’ve used this so much.
Next, we have the Maybelline Lipstick Colour Sensational in Nearly Nude. In April I started measuring how much I have left in the bullet to be more empirical. Except I made zero progress. I swear I wore this lipstick but it seems like it didn’t make a difference unless I’m measuring wrong. I’ve decided to not pick a new lipstick for the next round of my project pan. I found that I always wanted to match my lipstick to my outfit instead of using the same one. It’s also nice to have one product that I can switch up while trying to pan the rest. So that’s it for lipstick.
While it felt like I made no progress with my lipstick, I think I did a good job with my MAC Cremesheen Glass in the shade Calypso Beat. It’s hard to photograph, but when I swirl the wand around I can tell that I’ve used it a lot. I can now see through the tube, something I couldn’t do in January. It’s still not done but I’m satisfied enough to pick another gloss.
And finally, I have the Temptu Liquid Glow. I picked this product in April, so it’s only been a few months compared to the other products. And this is the only product I’m going to continue to use since I started using it in April. Unfortunately, I took a different shot for each month (my bad). But you can see a bit of a difference between May and July. It looks like it’s gone down by a millimetre, which I’ll take haha. I would love for the highlight to be at the bottom of the Boxycharm box by the time I do my next update.
And now for my new products. Like I mentioned I was getting bored with my other products and wanted to change things up. I made sure to pick products that weren’t discontinued this time around. I asked you guys which products I should use, so these are the winners.
For my eyeshadow palette, I will be using the Jaclyn Hill x Morphe Eyeshadow Palette. This is a classic palette that I think many people have in their collection. It’s a big palette so I have a lot of options to pick from. I’m going to try and focus on the top row when it comes to my panning project. I’m also hoping that since I’m now working and wearing more eyeshadow, I’ll be better at panning.
Instead of doing a blush and blush palette, I have individual ones. For my bronzer, I picked the Maybelline City Bronzer & Contour Powder. This bronzer has a slight glow to it so it’ll be nice for the summer months. And I thought it would be nice to have a few drugstore products in my project pan.
For my blush, I’m using the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in the shade Paaarty. This was one of the birthday gifts that Sephora gave in 2017. I got this blush four years ago so I’ve had it for a while, to say the least. I’ve made some progress over the years because the embossed pattern is gone in the middle. Not sure if I’ll hit pan soon but I can cross my fingers.
For powder, I picked two products because I think I’ll finish the first quickly. I had a mini sample of the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder and I’m super close to finishing it. I believe I can finish the powder by the end of the month so I selected another one. The powder I’m going to use after Laura Mercier is the TooFaced Born This Way Ethereal Setting Powder. I’ve been trying to finish this powder forever because it’s not my favourite powder. It works well but I find it pulls yellow on me. It’s hard to tell because the packaging is frosted but I think I have about a third left. Let’s see if I can finish it.
The final product I’ve picked for my project pan is the Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer in the shade Fenty Glow. I’ve had this gloss since it was first released, so a couple of years now. I do like this gloss and I’ve used it quite a bit. I’m thinking that I might be able to finish this gloss, or at least get close, by the time I do my next update.
And those are my new products for my project pan! I’ll do an update in October on here, but I’ll post monthly updates on my Instagram. I frequently use the products in my Youtube videos as well. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions on the products since this post was focused more on the progress than the products!
Hey guys! Today’s post is inspired by the lovely Allana Davison, who recently did this in video format. She shared her top five products from her top five makeup brands. I wanted to do this myself. This was a little harder than I expected because while I might love a certain brands, I didn’t necessarily have five products from them. But I managed to figure it out. I have 25 products so I will try and keep it brief otherwise this post will be super long! Let’s get into it.
When thinking of my top brands my mind immediately went to Fenty Beauty. I have three foundations and I love each one. I have the Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation, the Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation and the Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint. I discussed this in my Eaze Drop review but each foundation is unique. Both long-wearing foundations are full-coverage, but the finishes are different. The Eaze Drops have a lighter coverage but last just as long. Fenty Beauty is also known for having a large shade range, so there is a very high chance that you can find a shade that matches you. If you are looking for a new foundation Fenty Beauty is a great place to look.
Another one of my favourites is the Fenty Beauty Sun Stalk’r Instant Warmth Bronzer. Just like the foundations, the bronzer range is quite extensive with nine different shades. This is unlike other brands that might have three shades. The bronzer is quite pigmented so just make sure to use a light hand!
I can’t talk about Fenty Beauty without mentioning the Gloss Bombs. These came out right when gloss was becoming big again. The doe-foot applicator is larger than other glosses so it’s easy to apply the gloss in one easy swipe. I have the original Fenty Glow, which is a rose nude. But the shade range has expanded, and they also come out with limited edition shades all the time. If you love gloss then you have to check this one out.
The second brand that came to mind is Maybelline. When I was a teenager and didn’t know anything about makeup, Maybelline was the brand that I gravitated towards. Now that I know more about makeup I still reach for them. My absolute favourite product from them is the Maybelline Fit Me! Matte & Poreless Powder. This was the first powder I purchased, and after testing out other powders this one is still great. It’s silky smooth and feels so soft and does a great job of mattifying my skin but doesn’t make me look cakey. This powder is an oily girl’s dream.
Within the Fit Me! range, I also love the Fit Me Concealer. I’ve found that I prefer more natural concealers, and this one fits the bill. It’s thinner and so it blends out seamlessly. The shade I have is my summer shade. This is the perfect concealer to wear in the summer when I want some coverage but don’t want anything heavy or cakey. A great drugstore concealer.
Maybelline powder products are amazing. The Maybelline Master Chrome Highlighters are gorgeous. The formula is so creamy, so I can apply a small amount for a soft glow or pack it on to make it blinding. Another great powder is the City Bronzer. This is the perfect summer bronzer. It has a soft sheen in the powder so it creates a beautiful, bronzed, glow-from-within look. A great drugstore bronzer.
And my final favourite product from Maybelline is their Colour Sensational Lipsticks. Their formula and colour remind me of MAC lipsticks. There are different finishes and SO many shades that you’re bound to find one you like. So if you need a new lipstick, check out Maybelline.
The brand that I easily own the most products from is Colourpop. The majority of products I’ve ordered myself, but I have received a few from my Boxycharm as well. My favourite product is their Super Shock Shadows. I own quite a few of these. These are creamy eyeshadows that dry down on the eyes and last all day. I prefer the glittery ones because they’re just so pretty and such an easy way to apply glitter to the eyes. I will often just put bronzer on the eyes and a Super Shock Shadow for an easy but fun makeup look. I highly recommend this.
Colourpop’s eyeshadow formula is also amazing. I have so many palettes from them. The one I put in the photo is the So Jaded palette, one of my more recent purchases (which of course is now discontinued. Of course I pick the palette that’s discontinued lol). But I also have a magnetic palette with some of their single shadows. Their mattes are pigmented and easy to blend. And the shimmers are impactful and easy to apply. I love all their palettes, but they do discontinue them quite frequently so it’s hard to recommend one. So just pick one that has a colour story you like because it’s probably good.
Another eye product is their false lashes! Besides Ardell, these are the best affordable lashes that I’ve tried. They have a thick band so it’s easy to apply and stays put pretty easily. I have the styles Queenie and Dame. If you’re looking to get into lashes but don’t want to shell out a lot of money, check these out.
I love cream blushes, I really do. But most of my favourites are quite expensive. The Colourpop Blush Stix is the best affordable option I’ve tried. It’s quite pigmented AND blends easily, unlike a lot of affordable cream blushes. I can swipe this on my face and blend it out no problem. I have the shade Splash, which is a warm rose, but there are other shades as well.
Colourpop has so many great lip options, but my fave is their Just A Tint lip tint. There are some of the best hydrating lipstick formulas I’ve tried. It’s very hydrating and comfortable on the lips. But for being a tint it has a pretty good colour payoff. I have the shade Rise n Shine, which is a peach tint. I would recommend adding these to your cart.
When I was thinking about what some of my favourite products are, I realized I had quite a few from Tarte. They’re not necessarily a brand that’s always on my radar, but everything I own from them I love! Tarte mascaras are some of my favourites. The Tarteist Lash Paint Mascara is one of my all-time favourites. I don’t currently own it, but I have the Maneater Voluptuous Mascara and it’s pretty good as well.
I also love Tarte lip products. The Tarte SEA Quench Lip Rescue Balm is one of my all-time favourite lip balms. I bought a new one at the beginning of winter and I’ve almost finished it already. The packaging is sleek and I prefer twist-up balms the most. It hydrates by chapped lips and adds the lightest tint as well. I also have one of the Tarteist Quick Dry Lip Paints and they’re some of the most comfortable liquid lipsticks. My favourite shade is unfortunately discontinued by the formula is still great. It dries quickly, doesn’t crack and is long-lasting. Everything you need with a liquid lip.
I got a Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in one of my Sephora birthday gifts many years ago and it looks like I’ve barely made a dent even though I’ve worn it so much. This is a blush that will take you forever to get through. It’s a very soft formula so you don’t have to worry about getting clown cheeks with this blush.
The final product is one I just recently finished – the Ready, Set, Radiant Skin Mist. I always found it a little too wet for makeup use. But then I saw someone using a mist before applying hyaluronic acid so I got the idea to use this mist. And it works perfectly for that! It’s easy to wet my face and it has skincare benefits as well! Just goes to show that sometimes getting creative and reworking products can be beneficial!
My final brand is Wet n Wild. I’m not a huge fan of the packaging, it’s pretty cheap, but the products are worth it. For example, I am in love with the Wet n Wild MegaGlo Highlighting Powder. The lid doesn’t even properly close, but I deal with it because the powder is so beautiful. It’s very similar in consistency to the Maybelline highlight; it can be soft or blinding depending on how you apply the powder. Great drugstore highlight.
Another great powder product from Wet n Wild is the PhotoFocus Pressed Powder. Unlike the Maybelline one, this almost feels like a baked powder. It’s quite light so it’s perfect for setting the skin. And with all the products in the PhotoFocus range, it’s meant to not create photo flashback.
Speaking of PhotoFocus, the PhotoFocus foundations are great. I have both the Matte and the Dewy foundations. Both foundations provide great coverage and are quite long-lasting. The only difference is the finish. I love using these foundations to mix with others. They add great coverage and can alter the finish depending on the one I use. And because they’re affordable, I own different shades as well. So I can use mix them or with other foundations to create my perfect shade. A great affordable foundation.
And the final product is the Wet n Wild Colour Icon Eyeshadow palettes. I’ve said this before but these are some of the eyeshadows at the drugstore. The shimmers are a little lacklustre, but there are only two in the palette. I can use the mattes to create a beautiful base and then add a colourful single shadow (such as the Colourpop Super Shock Shadows) to complete the look. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get good eyeshadows.
And THAT IS IT. Wow, that’s a long post haha. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Let me know if you would want to see do a second part! And let me know in the comments what some of your favourite brands are!
Hey guys! I’m back with another product empties! I love product empties because I’ve used up the product so I’m able to give you guys my in-depth thoughts about a product. I also try and not waste products so I feel like I usually have a good mix in between hits and misses. This time I have a good mixture of products, so let’s get into it.
Let’s start with makeup products. First I have a mascara that has reached its end, the Lancome Monsieur Big Mascara. I didn’t like this mascara at first because I felt like it didn’t do much. Once it dried out a bit, I would say maybe a month after I’ve opened it, it got so much better. I would say for me this mascara gave my lashes lots of length with a big of volume. I prefer length over volume, but it’s good to have some volume to balance out the eye. This mascara is perfect for when I wanted a bold lash but I didn’t want to put on false lashes. It’s started to get clumpy on me though which is a sign that it’s getting old and tired. To be honest I’ve had this mascara for a very long time so it was time to get rid of it. I would recommend this mascara if it sounds interesting to you. I would consider getting this mascara again. I have a pretty large open mascara collection currently that I need to go through before considering buying another mascara.
Up next is the Colourpop Freckle Pen. I mentioned this in my Colorupop haul update, but somehow the cap accidentally fell off and it was unopened for an unknown period of time. Instead of drying out, the pen turned to a weird blue-green-grey colour that looks like mold. Not cute. So I’m throwing it out. Kinda pisses me off that the cap fell off so easily and now the product is unusable. So I won’t be repurchasing and wouldn’t recommend it. I think it’s possible to create the look of faux freckles easily with other products as well.
I’ve been trying to use up my primers because I have so many open, half-used primers. The only I recently finished a sample of the Tarte SEA Quench Hydrating Primer. This feels and acts just like a moisturizer. It has a gel consistency and blends into the skin and gives great hydration. It’s literally a moisturizer! I think I could just use my moisturizer and get a similar effect. So far that reason I don’t think it’s worth it. When I use a primer I tend to use it to give me a luminous shine to the face or blur my pores. I don’t need hydration. I wouldn’t recommend this primer. I would recommend just getting a good moisturizer that you can use all the time instead of just priming the skin.
The final makeup product is the Laneige Lip Glowy Balm. I do enjoy this balm! I actually like it more than their sleeping mask. I find the packaging to be so easy to use. I just squeeze it out and I don’t have to dip my fingers into a pot. Where the product comes out is curved so I can rub it on my lips. The balm is super moisturizing and has the most beautiful shine. I can wear it on my lips almost like a lip gloss but it’s way more hydrating than a lip gloss. I have the pear flavour and it smells amazing. It’s more expensive than a drugstore lip balm but it’s lasted me a long time. I will be purchasing it again in the future.
Okay let’s talk about my one hair empty. I recently finished the Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Honey Moisture Deep Conditioning Mask. This is the best Briogeo mask I’ve ever tried, which is sad because it’s limited edition. The honey version of their regular Don’t Despair, Repair hair mask came out for the holiday season. I find that the mask does a great job of making my hair feel soft and smooth. I’ve found it difficult to find a good hair mask that doesn’t include silicone and this is the best one I’ve tried yet. It’s been a few years since I’ve tried the original so it’s hard to remember it but I do have a mini of it. So I will try it out and see if it’s as good as the honey version. If they bring this mask back I highly recommend picking it up.
I have two body lotions. The first being a deluxe sample of the Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Unscented. Even though it’s unscented, there is a faint argan oil scent to it – which makes sense, it is argan oil. Even though it’s a body lotion is does have an oiliness to it that is quite nice and hydrating. I liked using it after I’ve shaved my legs because I find that’s when my legs are the driest. I think I would have liked it more if it was scented but I got this for free with my Sephora points so I can’t complain. I like using scented body products more. I probably won’t repurchase because for the price I prefer L’Occitane products. But I would use my points to get it again.
The second body lotion is the OGX Coconut Miracle Oil Lotion. I got this at Shoppers. It does smell nice, a combination of coconut and vanilla. It does a pretty good job at hydrating. But what I find annoying is that it takes a while to absorb into my skin. For being such a thin formula I have to work it in and it takes forever to dry. I have lotions that are just as if not more hydrating that I don’t have to work into my skin as much. So I wouldn’t recommend it. I think there are better options on the market.
Speaking of hydration, I finished quite a few face moisturizers. The first being the Kyrpis Antioxidant Dew. At first I wasn’t sure how I felt about this but the more I used it the more I fell in love with it. It’s a very thin and liquid formula that comes in a serum dropper. I love droppers because they are easy to use. I put it on my palm and I don’t have to dip my finger into a tub. I hate getting products under my fingernails. It’s quite lightweight but still gives me the hydration I need. I will say that it has an odd scent that I’m not a fan of. Even though I love how this works, I will not be repurchasing it. With taxes and duties, this moisturizer would be $112. That’s insane. I cannot afford that and I would never recommend a product that expensive to you guys. I think there are other moisturizers on the market that do just as good of a job as this one.
Moving onto a moisturizer I wasn’t a huge fan of – the Glamglow MOISTURETRIP™ Omega-Rich Cannabis Sativa Seed Face Moisturizer. There is just something in here that breaks out my skin. I used it on my face and just found that I got breakouts. So I started using it on my body. I do that to not waste any product. But I found it broke out my chest and shoulders. Luckily it’s winter so it doesn’t matter. I thought it did a decent job of moisturizing. It also has a green tinge to help with redness. But as someone who does have a lot of redness, this did nothing for me. Overall not a huge fan of this moisturizer. I wouldn’t recommend it.
Time for another moisturizer. I had a sample of the Biossance Squalane + Omega Repair Cream. This is a pretty thick formula that I knew wouldn’t work for my face so I used it on my chest and back. If you have oily skin stay away but if you have dry skin then you might like this. It is quite moisturizing. It’s fragrance-free but it has the weirdest scent. I guess it’s the natural ingredients that smell weird? Either way, not the most pleasant scent. Listen I’ll never purchase this for my face, but if you’re interested just maybe try and smell it before you purchase it to see if you can handle the funky smell.
The final moisturizer I have is a sample of the Tatcha The Water Cream. I actually didn’t like it. I tried it on my face a few times and then relegated it to body moisturizer. It goes on very watery, just like the name suggests, but then it dries down to almost a matte finish. Which you think, as an oily person, I would enjoy. But I didn’t find it hydrating at all! While I don’t want something thick and heavy, I still need some hydration. I was shocked because I know this cream is a fan favourite. But I wasn’t impressed and wouldn’t recommend it.
On the other hand, I did enjoy the Tatcha The Deep Cleanse Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser. I got a sample of this along with The Water Cream. I don’t know what’s in it but there’s something that gives a gentle physical exfoliation to the skin. It’s not hard beads – it’s hard to explain but you can kinda see it in product shots. It just gently exfoliates the skin leaving it soft and clean. It’s gentle enough that I could use it every day. If you have sensitive skin and are looking for an exfoliator this is a great one to check out. Something I did notice though is that the packaging is made out of hard plastic making it difficult to get the product out. Wish they would change it to a squeezy tube or a pump. I like it and would recommend this cleanser. But I like the next exfoliator more.
The final product is the Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser. I got this in my Boxycharm and fell in love. I keep it in the shower and my brother uses it (much to my chagrin), and he loves it! This is a combination of a physical and chemical exfoliator. It has jojoba beads that great rib of any dead skin and debris. And it has salicylic acid, lactic acid, and glycolic acid to help even the skin and brighten it. My brother and I both have oily, acne-prone skin and find this just helps prevent breakouts and help scars. Highly recommend this one and I am considering purchasing it again.
And that’s my thoughts on some products I recently finished! It’s so funny that I have so many moisturizers. I guess it makes sense since it’s winter and my skin is drier. Let me know in the comments if you’ve tried any of these products, and if so what did you think!
Hey guys! I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season. Because Christmas Day and New Year’s Day land on Friday I haven’t been posting as much. But don’t worry, I will always post my Boxycharm! I got my box pretty late this month so I haven’t tested it much so this post is mainly my first impression. Let’s get into it!
I’m very conflicted on the Ofra Cosmetics Pressed Banana Powder. When I wear the powder in person my under eyes look very yellow and unnatural. But then in photos, it looks brighter and more even. So it’s hard because sure it’s nice to have something that looks good in photos, but I rather look good in person. So if you have a yellow undertone you’ll probably like it, but if you’re like me and have a more neutral/pink undertone I would skip this powder. Price: $35 US
With banana powder
Without banana powder
In this month’s box, we have two repeats. The first is the Spongelle Body Wash Infused Buffer in the scent Cherry Tonka Musk. In my March box, I got the same sponge in the French Lavender scent. My opinion on the sponge is the same as before. At first, it’s pretty scratchy but over time the sponge softens up. This scent isn’t my favourite for a shower product. I find it to be very spicy and musky which is a little overwhelming in the shower. But hey that’s my personal preference when it comes to scents. Price: $20 US, $27 CAD
Down to an Art (top) and Velvet Teddy (bottom)
The second repeat is a MAC Cosmetics lipstick – this time I got the shade Down to an Art which I love. This is a peachy nude and is similar to Velvet Teddy which is my favourite MAC Lipstick. Down to an Art is just slightly darker and warmer than Velvet Teddy. I’m pretty happy with this lipstick because it’s a shade I like. The only thing is that I don’t wear lipstick much right now with COVID, what with masks and not leaving the house. Price: $19 US, $24 CAD
The next product is the Tarte Maneater Mascara. You guys know I enjoy Tarte Mascara and this one is no exception. I still want to try it out more because mascaras do change as they dry out a bit. But so far it’s good. I find that this is very lengthening and separating. It gives a little volume but it’s not the most volumizing mascara I’ve tried. But it gives such long and feathery lashes which is right up my alley. Very excited to continue to use this. Price: $23 US, $20 CAD
And the final product is the Artist Couture Caliente Palette. I love the colour story in this palette, it’s unique to anything I own. The neons are so bright, photos don’t do them justice. They are also very vibrant on the eyes. The only thing is that the sensual is very orange on the eyes so there isn’t a brown in the palette. I would use this with a neutral palette to create a complete look. But ya girl has so many neutral palettes, that’s not a worry for me. Price: $30 US, $40 CAD
The overall price of my box is $127 US. I’m conflicted about the two repeat items in my box. On the one hand, I wish I got other things besides the Spongelle buffer. But on the other, I like the MAC lipstick that I got. I guess it depends on the product I’m receiving which isn’t very fair. But overall I would say that this box is pretty good. Let me know your thoughts on repeat products in the comments below!
Oh and P.S. my 2020 beauty favourites will be going up next Tuesday! See you then 🙂
Hey guys! It’s that time of the month where I review some products and pick some more to review lol. Every month I picked two products to focus on using up. I used the two items I picked for October quite often, so I have pretty definitive thoughts on the products. So let’s get into it.
The first product is the Too Faced Born This Way Ethereal Setting Powder. I was hoping to finish this powder but it’s still going strong. What I like about this powder is that it looks very smooth and soft on the face. It’s not too matte but it does help keep my oil at bay. The only thing is that I’ve noticed that it has a slight yellow tint to the powder. I always thought it was my concealers but I’ve come to realize that it’s the powder. Now that’s helpful is I apply a concealer that’s pink-based because it will help neutralize it. I just need to be careful because if I apply too much underneath my eyes I notice the yellow tint. For that reason, I prefer other powders, but it’s still good. I will continue to use it until I finish it.
The second product I picked for October is the Tarte Big Ego Mascara. This isn’t my favourite Tarte mascara. This one has a big mascara wand and I’m not a huge fan of those because I always manage to get mascara all over my lids. So that’s somewhat annoying. I also don’t like the formula. It’s more lengthening than volumizing, but even the length is pretty mediocre. It just doesn’t do much to enhance my natural lashes. And finally, I wore this outside one day when it was really cold so my eyes were watery. And it smudged all over the place! I’ve never had that happen to me before. Now this all might be because this mascara is ancient (aka I’ve had it for over a year) so that affects the quality of the makeup. I think based on my experience but also its age I’m going to throw it away.
Okay now for November! I’ve been trying to pick basic products that I will hopefully use even on days where I don’t wear much makeup. So keeping that in mind I have decided to pick a powder and a setting spray. The first is the Glossier Wowder. I got this powder back in August and I don’t think I’ve used it once since. So I thought it would be good to use it. The second product is the Milani Make It Last Setting Spray. I am pretty close to finishing this spray so I thought it would be good to finish it up and give my thoughts on it.
So those are my products for November. Let me know in the comments if you’ve tried either my October or November products and what your thoughts were on them.
Leave it to Lea 