Empties # 9

Another month of empties! This will be short and sweet. I give mini reviews of each item over on my YouTube channel if you are interested in watching that!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkpF41iKn2k

Emtpies # 8

Another month gone, another month worth of empties. I have officially hit the over $1,000 mark on how much monies worth of product I have used up this year alone. I am curious to see how much I will have used up by the end of this year.

As always, short and simple, with a quick review on the product and if I will repurchase again.

Empties # 7

I have 12 empties that I used up during the month of June. Three of these are from my "pan 4x4" project. I will insert a photo of those at the end. As always, I will give my mini review of each empty product.

Empties # 6

Empties. Again. Happy June 1 everybody!!!

I will make this short and sweet with what I used up in the month of May and mini-review of each product.

Empties # 5

Another empties! So far this year I have used up a total of $436 worth of products (as of April 7th). Within one month I used another $189 of product! For a grand total of $625 in 5 months! My mind is boggled. Granted, I have not spent that much this year on these, but it is just how much money I have used...if that makes sense. Makeup/skin care/body care is expensive is my conclusion. But at least I am using it and not hoarding it all. Now, onto this month's empties (with mini-reviews included):

Clinique liquid facial soap mild - I wound up using the rest of this as makeup brush cleanser. I think it is too harsh for my face.

Almay eye makeup remover pads - I hated these. It took about 2/eye to get my mascara off. Will not repurchase these.

Bobbi Brown Extra Eye Repair Cream - This ish is expensive. I really liked it, found it moisturizing for my dry under eyes, but I won't/can't spend/justify $70 on an eye cream that went so fast. (This was a sample size valued at $35...it was half the size of a normal cream).

Laneige Water Bank Serum - $35 for ______???? Was not impressed.

Bite Agave Lip Mask - As much as I loved this, I won't re-buy it. I have found Carmex works miracles and the price is so much better at just 99 cents.

Pink Sugar & Juicy Couture Fragrance samples - meh. I have probably 50 more to go through.

Origins GinZing face mask - I guess I liked it? Made my skin feel good.

Glam Glow Thirstymud - I am pretty sure this stuff broke me out. I wound up using it on my neck. I have been super underwhelmed by the Glam Glow products.

Urban Decay Perversion 24/7 Eye Pencil - Meh again. It made my eyes water. Enough so that I won't be using the little bit left. I got my $20 out of it.

Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara sample - Lancome mascara flakes like a mother on me. Nope.

Maybelline Lash Discovery Waterproof - I liked the wand, but this stuff flaked on me also.

There we have it folks. Another month of empties outta my life and hoard. I wonder how much I can go through this month!!!

Empties #4

February 17th was the last time I posted my empties, and I have a ten more to finish up the month of February and going into March. This brings my total up to 27 empty beauty containers that I have used since January 1, 2015. 27!!! That is a lot. To me anyways...

Project Pan / Use It Up Update #3

I realize that my last few posts have been all updates, aka trash. But, since starting this journey at the beginning of this year, I am seeing the joy in decluttering and using up all the bits & pieces. Most of these include skin care samples, but in doing this I have learned what I like, what I hate, and most importantly, what works for me. My ultimate goal is to find one item in each category that is holy grail for me. Makeup and skin care is totally personal preference, so just because I dislike something, doesn't mean it won't work for someone else.

I purchased what I hope will be my holy grail foundation and primer combination. Fingers crossed my hunt is over..more to come on that later. Now, onto my trash! (With mini-reviews).

Project Pan / Use It Up: Update #2

I last posted on January 19th, and since that time I have 6 more empties! I must say it felt very rewarding to watch these go in either the trash or recycle bin after I took this photo. Here are my mini reviews of each of these products.

Soap & Glory 'Smoothie Star Scrub' - The smell of this was wonderful, but in the shower it was messy. Too messy for me to purchase another tub of it. I will more than likely go back to DIY'ing my own shower scrub as it is cheaper to make it myself.

Estee Lauder Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover - I love Neutrogena's so much better. I won't be purchasing the full size of this remover.

epice Purifying Exfoliant - This was sent in an ipsy bag, and I thought it did a good job at being an exfoliater. I enjoyed using this, but won't be purchasing a full size.

L'Occitane Hand Cream - I think this is my favorite brand of hand cream...I might purchase a full size one day when all my others have run out.

PINK Fresh & Clean Body Mist - I honestly cannot remember how many years I have had this mist. I made it a point to finish it up, but after a week of using it, I realized the smell was now non-existent, I was basically just spraying myself with liquid. There is only a tiny bit left, so I decided to just toss it. This is my all-time favorite body spray scent and next time I am in Victoria's Secret, I will probably pick another one up. I enjoy Body Sprays for work, since I do not want to "waste" my good perfume.

Cover Girl Full Lash Bloom mascara - When a mascara starts getting goopy and clumpy on me, I decide it's time for a new one. I have a backup of this to use once I finish two deluxe samples of other mascaras in my hoard.

I have a total of 13 full size & deluxe samples out of my hoard within one month! Not counting the numerous foil packet samples I have used up. It feels good! My makeup no-buy has been going very well. I have not purchased any 'color' makeup and have even fell back in love with a Clinique Foundation I thought I hated. I did purchase a Beauty Blender and some brush cleanser...but other than that, I think I am doing really good on not bringing new products in and enjoying the ones I currently own.

First Empties of 2015

Empties can be somewhat boring. As of yet, I have no makeup empties, but I am working on that! My empties posts will be to show that I really am pushing product out of my hoard. I had been keeping foil packets, but decided against showing those, because they are not 'fun'. I will also give a mini review of the empties I do have and whether I will repurchase or not.

Estee Lauder Resilience Lift Eye Cream - I felt like this took forever to use up and did a little happy dance when it was finally done. I think it dried out my under eye skin and I did not see any "lifting action" with this. Will definitely NOT repurchase because I do not like it and it is pricey.

Freeman Bare Foot Lotion - This was nice. It soaked into my feet and smelled yummy. I honestly like the Burt's Bees Foot Cream better since I like a thicker consistency, I might not repurchase this.

Fig & Rouge Hand Cream - I got this in an Ipsy bag and liked it just fine. I would not purchase a full size of this product because it was light in texture.

Model Co Mascara - Another Ipsy item. I loved this mascara for the first two weeks. Then it got ridiculously goopy and messy so I had to stop using it. Would consider purchasing a full size if I ran into one at the drug store, but only if it is under $10.

CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser - Eh...this does not leave my skin dry, and is nice as an after the makeup is off cleanser. I probably will not purchase this in a full size.

Alterna CC Cream - I know I said I would not include foil packets, but I am so impressed with this product. It is basically a blow dry cream, but made my hair ridiculously soft and I was able to go 3 days without washing my hair. I am sort of sad that I have a deluxe size Bumble & Bumble and a Carol's Daughter full size blow dry cream I need to use up, because I would definitely purchase this in the full size.

Yay for having 5 items out of my stash! I am looking forward to the day when I am able to post makeup empties!

Project Pan - The Items I Will Use Up

Project Pan here I come! I am starting out with small, actually attainable goals, with items I just want out of my stash. April 11, 2015 is 100 days from now and my deadline for using up the items in the photo below. If I use up something before the deadline I will add in another piece.

 

Starting at the top and going clockwise:

Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil - Perversion : It's almost gone! I am tired of using this already.

MAC Eyeshadow - Sweet Lust : One of my 1st MAC eyeshadows, I have already hit pan but it needs to go! It will work great as a brow/inner corner highlight.

Tarte Lip Scrub : I have hit pan already, but plan to use this nightly. There is maybe 1/3 of the product left.

Victoria's Secret Lip Primer : Twisted all the way up, this is all that is left.

Estee Lauder Illuminating Primer : Half a tube is left, it is an okay primer, but was expensive and I need to use this up so I can finally work on the sample size primers I have.

Bare Minerals 5 in 1 Cream Shadow : This is a sample size and works great as a base or by itself. Again, I just want it gone.

I will post about these products again in 2 weeks and how my progress is going. My hopes for this self-challenge is to use up what I have and save some money as I am also on a semi-serious 'no-buy', meaning I will not be purchasing any makeup for the next 100 days. Fingers crossed I can stick to it...my last no-buy lasted roughly a week. I am at the point where I am not seeing a dent in any of my products and guilt has sort of set in.

As a prequel to this challenge, I finished a can of dry shampoo, a foot scrub, two sample size mascaras, and something else (which is completely lost in my mind right now). The feeling I got of throwing the empties away was satisfying.

Here's to a great 2015!