Project Ten Pan

Project Ten Pan: Lip Balms

I've been really enjoying other people's project pans lately, and I have far too many lip balms, so I decided to do my own project pan with my lip balms! The rules are that I can't buy any more lip balms until I use all of these ones up, and I've "hit pan" when I can no longer use the product without scraping it out. The only product I've used a noticeable amount of is the EOS, which I've used maybe a third of. I use lip balm every day and before I go to bed every night, so this shouldn't be too difficult. I'll do my best to do an update once a week.

My first product is a new favorite of mine, and it only costs a dollar! It's the BeautyTreats Bunny Balm. It's really moisturizing, so I like it a lot. If you want to try it, got to ShopMissA! This will probably be the first thing I use up.

This is my YuBe lip balm from Sephora. I used to really like it, but since then I've found better lip balms that are also cheaper, so I've stopped using it regularly. I want to be done with it.

I love the scent of this! It's a raspberry creme ChapStick. It's pretty moisturizing, and I keep it on me while I'm out and about to use as a daytime balm.

My fourth item is this L.A. Colors color balm. I included this because not only do I like it, it's tinted, so I can use it on days when I want red lips as well as whenever I feel like using it, so it'll be easier to use up.

Fifth is this Electro Baby Lips in Oh! Orange. It's also tinted, so I'll use it on days when I want an orange lip, as well as at home in the evening.

I really want to use up these three Starburst LipSmackers in watermelon, cherry, and strawberry. I got them together in a pack on sale at WalMart because I thought they would be fun to have, but I'm already over them. I just want them out of my collection, but I don't want to waste them.

My overnight balm/butter is the Nivea lip butter in caramel cream kiss. This is great for moisturizing and it's totally saved my lips from getting destroyed from the cold.

Lastly, I have a medicated tangerine EOS. This is a nice balm for the evening because it's not so thick you want to just wear it overnight but not so thin that it does nothing.

Finish Five

Finish Five by February: Mini Lippies!

I have another project pan! This time, I can purchase new lipsticks while I'm using these ones up, but I have to finish all of them by the 1st of February 2016. I've made it easier for myself by including glosses that can go over the lipsticks, and all of the products are deluxe sized samples rather than full sized products. I've included nudes for everyday and reds because that's a nice holiday color.

First up is this little Too Faced lipstick in Naked Dolly. It's a nice nude color that doesn't wash me out, so I look forward to using it.

Next is a Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie lipstick in Speak Your Mind. It's slightly nude but mostly pink and it also doesn't wash me out.

This product is a Laura Mercier Creme Smooth Lip Color in Red Amour. It's just a nice, simple red that will be nice around the holidays.

I have another Laura Mercier lippie, a Lip Glace in Blush. I think it'll look good over the two nude lipsticks I included.

Lastly, I'm going to try to use up this Hourglass lipgloss in Icon by using it over the red lipstick.

Makeup Declutter

A Makeup Decluttering

I've accumulated a lot of makeup in the past few months, and I decided it was time to get rid of the makeup I wasn't using. A lot of it is older than a few months, but if it was still any good or unopened, I put it in a plastic bin of things I wasn't keeping. I will keep the bin around so I can give it to family and friends that want it. I got rid of a fair bit, and there's a couple of items I'm going to throw away that I'll feature in an empties post. It's been way too long since I've really taken inventory of the makeup I don't want, and I plan to do it more often in the future.

I'll start off with a couple of hair things - they aren't makeup, but I'm still getting rid of them. I cut my hair really short a while back, so I no longer have a use for hair elastics. I got the smaller ones more recently to style a wig for Halloween, but I never ended up doing that, so I decided I might as well just give them to somebody who will use them.

Starting on makeup, I got the little palette on the left from the Dollar Tree and the single on the right from ShopMissA. I never use either of them, and I could easily get new ones if I start to miss them, so I'm giving them away.

Next up are these Wet' n' Wild single glittery eyeshadows. I don't like their glitter formula, so I never use them. The one on the right hasn't even been opened because I found the one on the left so difficult to use.

After that I've got an L.A. Colors jumbo eye pencil I never reach for. I have one that's just white and I use it all the time, but this one is just a bit whiteish with a lot of glitter, and I just don't see myself ever using it.

I have this e.l.f. Eyebrow Kit in light that I've only used a couple of times, and I found an eyebrow pencil that looks better on my brows, so I know I'll never end up using this.

These false eyelashes had a very stiff band that I found difficult to work with, so I'm hoping somebody else will have better luck.

All of these eyeliners and lipliners were just sitting there and never getting used, so I'm finding them a better home. I kept a couple of eyeliners in similar colors and lipliners that were colors I might actually use, but these just don't need to be part of my collection.

I never use the Sephora gloss because the color just doesn't look good on me, and the other two lip products have never been opened, so I know I don't need them.

The lipstick on the left is frosty, which doesn't appeal to me. The other three products either don't get enough use for me to justify keeping them or aren't a very flattering color on me.

Somehow, all of this type of Wet' n' Wild lipstick that I own are either frosty or look bad on me. From left to right, the colors are Light Beige Frost, Dark Wine, Fuchsia With Blue Pearl, Hot Red, Noveau Pink, and Breeze.

My skin just doesn't look good with dark brown lips, so I'm letting go of this.

Lastly, I'm getting rid of ten nail polishes. Ten! I don't tend to use pearly pinks, I have a double of the black, and the rest of them are either really close to another color I own or just don't appeal to me.

Eye Makeup Tutorial

Makeup Revolution Iconic 1 Palette Tutorial

This tutorial uses shadows from only one palette - the Makeup Revolution Iconic 1 palette. I absolutely love the Iconic 3, so I bought the Iconic 1 and 2 as well.

Apply the 5th shade from the left to your crease. I made it extend out a little bit to guide where I would put the winged eyeliner later.

Apply the 6th shade from the left to your entire lid. I used a slightly damp brush to get a more intense look.

Apply the 2nd shade from the left to your inner corner for an extra pop of shimmer.

Put on eyeliner, curl your lashes, apply mascara, and you're done! I paired this look with a nude lip (NYX Butter lipstick in Pops) and a more natural face. It would look good on a flawless face or with bold red lips as well.

A Face of First Impressions

A Full Face of First Impressions

I wanted to do a first impressions post, and I had a lot of products to try out, so I decided to do a full face of first impressions. I didn't have any new mascara or eyeliner, but everything else I tried out was either brand new or something I had tried a couple of times a long time ago.

Here is my skin before applying foundation...

...and here it is after. I used the Covergirl Ultra Smooth Hair Smoothing foundation in 805 Ivory. It comes with a silicon applicator, but when I started to use it, I thought, "wow, this looks terrible!" and decided to take it off and apply it with a sponge, which is how I've been applying all my foundations lately. As you can see, although the coverage isn't great, it isn't bad either. Paired with a good concealer, it would probably cover up whatever you need it to. I set it with the NYC Smooth Skin pressed face powder in translucent.

Here is my eyebrow before...

...and here it is after. I used the Essence Eyebrow Designer pencil in 04 blonde and the Essence clear Lash & Brow Gel Mascara. This was my first time doing my brows, and I think they turned out okay. The pencil and mascara were both easy to work with.

Here is my eye makeup. I used the NYX Love in Rio eyeshadow trio in Nighttime in Rio, the Essence Gel Eyeliner in 01 Midnight in Paris, and the Covergirl SuperSizer mascara. I used the black shade from the shadow trio in the crease, the pink shade all over the lid, and the purple shade in the outer corner.

For my lips, I used the Ulta Matte Lip Cream in Artistic. It dries matte, so I was worried it might dry out my lips, but it wasn't too bad.

Here is my skin after 8 hours. It looks pretty much exactly the same as it did when I put it on, even though I didn't use primer or setting spray! I'm super impressed by how well it stayed on, and it probably would have stayed looking good for longer if I hadn't taken it off. Overall, I'm impressed by it.

My eye makeup also looks mostly the same as when I first put it on. The color does seem to to have faded just a tiny bit, but not enough for me to be disappointed by it. The eyebrows still look good as well, although I really need to get them waxed again soon.

Finally, the lips. Surprisingly, the matte lip cream wasn't too drying, even though it dries matte like any other liquid lipstick. It didn't make my lips quite as uncomfortable as other liquid lipsticks do, and it lasted very well.

October Favorites

October 2015 Beauty Favorites

I've liked a lot of things in October, most of them Halloween related. There were only 8 beauty favorites this past month, and since I wasn't wearing much makeup, most of them are body stuff rather than face stuff.

My first favorite in October was this Paris Amour Golden Sugar Scrub from Bath and Bodyworks. It smells lovely, and it exfoliates really well. This is my third tube if it.

Another thing I loved in October was this set from Bath and Bodyworks. The Suncrisp Apple Harvest things smell absolutely amazing, just like a candy apple. So I've been walking around smelling like a giant candy apple after I shower, which is fantastic.

The third thing I really enjoyed in October was this Nivea Creme tin. I got it at the Dollar Tree because I love other Nivea products and wanted to try out a new one. I ended up loving it when used as a hand cream because it smells good and absorbs quickly without leaving my hands all greasy and gross. It's also super moisturizing.

Another thing I've been loving is this TRESemme dry shampoo. I haven't tried any other dry shampoos before, so I can't compare it to other brands, but it works super well and smells great. It can leave a slight white cast on the darker parts of my hair, but most of my hair is light pink so it doesn't really cause a big problem.

One of my absolute favorites in October has been this Beauty Treats Bunny Balm. I was surprised by how incredibly smooth and moisturizing it is, since it was only a dollar. It's one of my new favorite lip balms of all time, and I'm thinking of getting a bunch more to give to friends.

Another favorite for October was this Hard Candy setting spray. I have long days - they range from 10 to 12 hours without a chance to touch up my face makeup - so this has been a life saver when it comes to my makeup. It keeps my makeup looking perfect all day, even through physical activity and eating.

A new favorite of mine has been this sponge I got from the Dollar Tree. I know it's dirty, but I haven't had a chance to clean it yet this week. Don't get grossed out, though, I plan to wash all my brushes and sponges very soon, I'm not a huge fan of it for blending out foundation, but for concealer, it's great. I've never owned a Beauty Blender, so I can't compare it to that, but if I ever get one then I'll do a comparison post.

My last October favorite has been the Makeup Revolution Iconic 3 palette. My favorite shade is the sixth one from the left, which is a very nice shimmery gold. I usually pack it on the lid for a pop of shimmer. I also love every single other shade, and none of them have gone unused.

Another Ulta Haul?

Another Ulta Haul!

I know that my last post was an Ulta haul, but an actual Ulta just opened up near me, and I've never been inside an Ulta before, so of course I had to do some shopping. I also got some makeup wipes at Ross, but I decided not to include pictures of those. If they end up working well (or terribly) then I'll do a review.

The first thing I picked up was the Covergirl Ultra Smooth foundation in 805 Ivory. It's a little bit dark for me, but if I blend it well and only apply a sheer layer it still works. I got it because I thought the applicator was interesting. It's a silicon-feeling oval, and the directions say to apply product onto the applicator first, then the face. I'll probably do a first impressions and review of it because it's so interesting to me. It cost $6.99 USD.

The next thing I got was the Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid-Touch foundation in 10 Porcelain Ivory. It looks too dark and too yellow for me in the swatch, but it's actually not bad on my face once it's blended out. I've been wanting to try it for a while now, and it was on sale for $4.99 USD, so I decided to finally get it. It feels like it's not there at all while still providing decent coverage, but I have yet to wear it for a full day.

The last face product I got was the NYX HD Concealer in 10 Porcelain. It was $4.99 USD. I've heard a lot of good things about it, so I'm glad I found it in a shade that matches me pretty well. Almost all of the foundations and concealers I swatched in the store were too dark for me, even though I always went for the lightest shade. There wasn't a tester for this one, but it looked light enough, so I got it anyways.

Next up is a NYX Love in Rio eyeshadow trio in Nighttime in Rio. I got it for $2.99 USD (I believe it was on sale) and the colors are lovely. They aren't super pigmented, but they aren't so bad that I can't easily work with them. They had a lot of eyeshadow trios but this is the one that appealed to me the most.

Next, I got an Essence Eyebrow Designer pencil in 04 Blonde. I find it difficult to find the right eyebrow products because my eyebrows are rather greyish, and the majority of eyebrow products are reddish or brownish. Since this was only $1.99 USD, I decided to just go for it and hope it works.

Moving on to lip products, I got an Ulta Matte Lip Cream in the shade Artistic. It's a pretty nudeish pink and I got it for $4.00 USD because it was on sale. I'm not huge on liquid lipsticks, and this claims to dry matte, but it didn't seem to do that when I swatched it in the store, so I decided to get it. I find most liquid lipsticks too drying for my already easily-chapped lips, so hopefully this one won't be.

Next I got a NYX Butter Lipstick in Pops. It's a pretty pinky-brown nude that I thought looked nice on my skin color and tone. Most nudes wash me out, but this one actually looks nice, and I got it for just $3.99 USD.

Lastly, I got this Essence clear Lash and Brow gel mascara for $2.99 USD. I need a brow mascara, and I'm never sure what color to get, so I went for clear instead.