Project Pan: Foil Packet Samples

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My Finish 5 By Fall Project Pan challenge features four makeup products so I wanted to start another project pan that focuses on other types of products. I have so many foil packets laying around that I want to use up so I figured a Project Pan would remind me to use them. Every time you order from Sephora you get three sample packets and if there is a special promotion going on you can get even more. Ulta also gives out sample packets with purchase, as do a lot of companies when you order from them. That being said, I didn’t pay for any of these samples. Most are one time use only, so this Project Pan should move quickly.

What’s a Project Pan, you ask? The goal of Project Pans (made popular by YouTuber Amber F) is to use up products or hit pan (read my Beauty Lingo Defined post here for a definition of hitting pan) on products. They help you use up products that you’ve had for a while or just want to finish up.

Here are the 10 samples I picked for my Foil Packet Samples Project Pan:

1. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo in Dark Brown

Anastasia is very, very popular for their brow products so I’m excited to get to try them. The samples are on a card so it should only last me a couple uses, but enough to get a sense of whether I like it or not.

2. NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation in Deauville/Light 4

I have a feeling this color will be too dark for me, so I’ll try this on a day I’m not going out. Even if the color is off, I should be able to get a sense of whether I like this product.

3. Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Buttercream in Sweet Lime

4. Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment

An iconic product in her line.

5. fresh Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask

I have two samples of this so I will be able to try it a couple times.

6. GLAMGLOW Supermud Clearing Treatment

This is supposed to be good if your skin is acting up and breaking out.

7. Nuxe 24 Hour Soothing and Rehydrating Fresh Mask

8. Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil

I have three samples of this and have tried in the past. It is too rich for me to use as a moisturizer so I will use it as a body moisturizer, on my cuticles and in my hair.

9. Agave Healing Oil’s Oil Treatment

This is supposed to tame frizzy hair and provide nutrients for your hair.

10. Perfumes: Victoria’s Secret heavenly and CLEAN Shower Fresh.

Neither of these samples are full so I’m counting them as one sample. Heavenly has notes of sandalwood, vanilla, peony and musk. Shower Fresh smells really clean and like a shower—yup.

I'm hoping to work through these pretty quickly--I've got plenty more samples/foil packets to use up! Are you Project Panning? Let me know!

Disclaimer: All products are purchased by me or my lovely husband unless otherwise noted in the post. All opinions are 100% honest and my own. I do not provide positive reviews for payment. Products that work for me may not necessarily work for you. This post is not sponsored.

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Finish 5 By Fall 2015 Challenge: Update #1

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In this challenge, I am trying to use up five products by the beginning of Fall (September 23^rd). I first saw this challenge on PrettyPistol86’s YouTube channel. There is a whole community of YouTubers that do challenges like these throughout the year to try to finish up products in their makeup collections. I decided to jump on this challenge because I want to use up products I have that are not cruelty-free. Since I try so many products to review, I want to make sure I focus on finishing up some so I don’t have a lot of extra products lying around. You can read my introduction to this challenge here.

Here’s the progress I’ve made in the month I’ve been doing this challenge:

1. Philosophy Amazing Grace Firming Body Emulsion (32 oz.)

I didn’t make as much progress on this as I thought I would. You can see my starting line and the progress I’ve made since I introduced this challenge I’ve used up about a quarter of the product I had left. I thought I would be halfway done since I’m using it every day, but I don’t think that I will finish this up by September 23^rd. This lotion absorbs into the skin really well, which is always appreciated so that your clothes don’t stick to your skin. It has a slight floral scent that is not overbearing.

2. L’Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Makeup SPF 17 in N1 Neutral Soft Ivory

I’ve made some good progress on this foundation but I’m not sure if I can use it up by the 23^rd. I have over 50% of the bottle to go. I will be sad to see this foundation go, but I have a few other foundations I need to use up too.

3. L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara

There is definitely less product on the mascara brush now, so I know I’m getting close to the end of this product. I’ve had this mascara open for a little bit and would have to throw it out at the end of September anyway so I wanted to use it up. This is an all around good mascara and it very popular among YouTubers. You can read my full review of this mascara here.

4. Maybelline Color Tattoo in 135 Hydrangea Hype

*sigh* I feel like I’m making no progress on this Color Tattoo even though I use it just about every day. I’m also getting sick if using this. Since it’s purple, I can’t use a lot of my other eyeshadows and I’m just getting bored with it. I didn’t think that I would use this up by Fall, but I thought I would have some noticeable progress. I’ve seen YouTubers doing “finish it up” challenges (oftentimes called “Project Pans”) where one of their products is a Color Tattoo—they seem to make good progress, but it’s not happening for me.

5. Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in 04 Mega Melon

The Clinique Chubby Sticks are one of my favorite lip products. I’ve made good progress on using this up—I’m about halfway through as evidenced by the lines on the product cap. This color doesn’t go the best with the silvery-purple Color Tattoo so I wish I had thought that out better. It doesn’t look bad, just not ideal.

This is my first Project Pan Challenge and I’m definitely learning a lot; like, that I underestimated the amount of time it takes to use up a product. Oh well…

Are there any products you are trying to use up? Are you doing or contemplating doing your own Project Pan Challenge? Let me know!

Disclaimer: All products are purchased by me or my lovely husband unless otherwise noted in the post. All opinions are 100% honest and my own. I do not provide positive reviews for payment. Products that work for me may not necessarily work for you. This post is not sponsored.

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Review of Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup

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If you read My Foundation Stash--What Will Be Left After Going Cruelty-Free? post you know that I am left with no cruelty-free liquid foundation going forward. I have the tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation (a powder foundation) to wear, but I wanted to try out one cruelty-free liquid foundation just so I have at least two foundation options. I have heard a lot of good things about the Urban Decay Naked Skin foundation and Urban Decay is cruelty-free (they also make awesome eye shadows). 

To Sephora we go!  …

Color Selection: I got the shade 1.0. There are 18 shades available at Sephora, with a good range of shades from light to dark.

Claims: This foundation claims to be weightless, light diffusing, paraben/sulfate/fragrance free, like you’re wearing nothing and have invisible demi-matte finish. It contains peptides, brightening properties, vitamins and antioxidants. That’s a lot of stuff! I can’t say I noticed a change in my skin after using this for about a week.

Packaging: The packaging is plastic, but looks nice. The top is a typical Urban Decay metallic touch and the product is protected by two layers of clear plastic. The top stays on snugly so there isn’t a risk that product will get everywhere. There is a pump to dispense the product (always a huge bonus with foundations). You have to shake the foundation up before you wear it, and it sounds like you are shaking a can of spray paint.

Consistency/Application: This foundation is liquidy, which makes sense given that it is supposed to be weightless and sheer to medium coverage. I applied this using the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge and the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, and I prefer the brush. Since the foundation is so liquidy the sponge sucked up some of the product and the dampness of the sponge would actually remove the foundation from my face. Upon application, this foundation looks natural probably because of the thin consistency of the product. This is buildable up to medium coverage, I would say. I usually prefer full coverage but this was enough for me.

Finish: The foundation is supposed to have a demi-matte finish. For me, it was a very, very dewy finish. At some points, I looked downright oily with light reflecting off the “dewiness” even though my skin tends to be dry. If you like a dewy look then you might like this foundation, but it wasn’t for me.

Wear Time: Not so good for me. I found this foundation started to breakdown after a few hours, particularly in my t-zone and around the perimeter of my face especially if I applied bronzer to the perimeter. It also rubbed off very easily even if I used a setting powder.

I did have a co-worker comment that my “face looks flawless” which was very nice to hear. From far away this foundation does look very nice and natural. But when I looked in the mirror I did not like what I was seeing in terms of staying power and dewiness.

Needless to say, I’m returning this product and will continue my search for a cruelty-free liquid foundation. tarte has a liquid version of the powder foundation I use so I may try that out. I’m not in a rush though. I will be transitioning to cruelty-free foundation once my current products run out and I’m sure I will find a good alternative by then.

Have you tried the Urban Decay Naked Foundation? What are your thoughts? Let me know what foundations you are using or are interested in trying!

UPDATE: Upon further review, I think the extreme dewiness of this product may have been due to the moisturizer I have been trying out (post to come soon!). I'm not sure if the oiliness I was experiencing was from the foundation, the moisturizer or a combination of both. Staff at Sephora did say that this foundation is on the dewy side though. I'm contemplating giving this foundation another try down the road, just in case the issues I was having with it were due to the moisturizer. I may get a sample from Sephora. My advice: don't try multiple new face products at once....I knew better too!

Disclaimer: All products are purchased by me or my lovely husband unless otherwise noted in the post. All opinions are 100% honest and my own. I do not provide positive reviews for payment. Products that work for me may not necessarily work for you. This post is not sponsored.

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My Foundation Stash – What Will Be Left After Going Cruelty-Free?

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I wanted to take stock of my foundations to see what is cruelty-free, and you also get to see all the foundations I have in my collection. I currently have four liquid foundations and one powder foundation.

Liquid Foundations

I really like all four of these foundations, but none are cruelty-free so I will not be re-purchasing them.

1.  L’Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Makeup in Soft Ivory N1 Neutral. I included this foundation in my If I Could Only Have 5: Drugstore Edition post here. This is my favorite drugstore foundation. L

The next three were fully reviewed in Beauty Battle: Full Coverage Foundations. You can read that post here.

2. MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC15.

3. Revlon ColorStay Normal/Dry Skin in 150 Buff.

4. CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation in 810 Classic Ivory.

I’m searching for a cruelty-free liquid foundation to replace these. I will most likely use these four foundations up so that I don’t waste products (most I got for free—read how in my Saving Series posts here).

Powder Foundation

I have only one powder foundation. The good news is I like it and it’s cruelty-free so at least I’m left with one foundation! The other good news is it has been my favorite foundation lately so I don’t need to change up my routine immediately. I’m talking about:

5. tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation in Fair-Light Neutral. I reviewed this foundation in my June 2015 Favorites. Thankfully, Tarte is a cruelty-free brand. I think I get the most natural look from this foundation so no complaints that it’s the foundation I’m left with. I may need to get a lighter color but there are a lot of shades in the range.

Stay tuned for a review featuring a new (cruelty-free) liquid foundation I’ve been trying out.

What foundation(s) do you use? Let me know if you have any cruelty-free suggestions!

Disclaimer: All products are purchased by me or my lovely husband unless otherwise noted in the post. All opinions are 100% honest and my own. I do not provide positive reviews for payment. Products that work for me may not necessarily work for you. This post is not sponsored.

Referral Links:

Starlooks: https://subscriptions.starlooks.com/?refer=REF5869 / Subscriptions.Starlooks.com

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Finish 5 By Fall 2015 Challenge

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I stumbled upon the YouTuber PrettyPistol86 the other day and she inspired me to try the “Finish 5 By Fall” challenge. It’s that simple—finish up five products by the Fall (September 23^rd). I’ve been feeling a strong urge to minimalize and I want to use up my products that aren’t cruelty-free (none of the 5 mentioned in this post are cruelty-free) so this was just the challenge I needed to help me focus on these two goals.

Here are the five products that I want to use up by Fall:

1. Philosophy Amazing Grace Firming Body Emulsion (32 oz.)

I’ve had this for quite some time and have used it off and on. I want to finish this up since I’ve had it for like a year. I’m about halfway through now, as you can see by the line I’ve drawn on the bottle. This is one of Philosophy’s signature scent and has a soft floral scent. The scent does stick around, but it’s not offensive to me. This lotion is very moisturizing.

2. L'Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Makeup SPF 17 in N1 Neutral Soft Ivory

I love this foundation, it’s my favorite drugstore foundation. It is very blendable, as the name implies. It provides good coverage and this color is a great match for me. It lasts well throughout the day too. Needless to say, this will be a hard product to replace since L’Oreal is not cruelty-free. I’ve used about 25% of the bottle.

3. L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara

This is a great mascara. I have a full review here. This should be the easiest product to go through because you should only use a mascara for about 3 months and I’ve had this one open for a little while. I have a bunch of mascaras that aren’t cruelty-free to go through. I (thankfully) get all of my mascara pretty much free—either through couponing (see my Saving Series posts here) or using my points at Sephora.

4. Maybelline Color Tattoo in 135 Hydrangea Hype

This Color Tattoo is part of the Spring 2015 Rebel Bloom Maybelline collection (see my haul here). This color is a really nice silvery light purple. I love this Color Tattoo—it goes great with my green eyes and pale skin. I want to use this up, not only because Maybelline isn’t cruelty-free (are you getting sick of me saying cruelty-free yet??), but also because Color Tattoos can dry up if you don’t use them quick enough. I’ve used this a handful of times and really like the color.  I think this will be the hardest product to use up. Even if I don’t use it up entirely, I will feel okay throwing it away if I make a really good dent in it.

5. Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in 04 Mega Melon

I absolutely love the Clinique Chubby Sticks. Alas, Clinique is not cruelty-free so I will be using up my Chubby Sticks and then not repurchasing. The color is so nice—a muted pink peach. I just love it! I have about ½ inch of this to finish. I got this as part of a set of four and I’m assuming the size is a deluxe sample size. I will be sad to see this go.

Are there any products you are trying to use up? Let me know!

Disclaimer: All products are purchased by me or my lovely husband unless otherwise noted in the post. All opinions are 100% honest and my own. I do not provide positive reviews for payment. Products that work for me may not necessarily work for you. This post is not sponsored.

Referral Links:

Starlooks: https://subscriptions.starlooks.com/?refer=REF5869 / Subscriptions.Starlooks.com

ipsy: https://www.ipsy.com/r/ts6i8

POPSUGAR:  http://popsu.gr/uXzQ  Save $5 off your first box with the code REFER5

Ebates: http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=hbpGf26lDsl%2F2zOsOOaIRw%3D%3D&eeid=26471

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Boxycharm: https://www.boxycharm.com/rewardsref/index/refer/id/41854/

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