2016 Skincare No Buy and Make-up Low Buy Finale

Tsk tsk, I know - so very late of me to be posting the finale of my 2016 Skincare No Buy and Make-up Low Buy (click here for the Introduction post) in February of 2017. Nonetheless, given how much you guys enjoyed my updates on this project I embarked on last year, I thought I'd share one last post on how I was doing the final quarter of 2016, and my overall experience and thoughts on this volontary beauty shopping ban I subjected myself to.

In short, I didn't REALLY follow my skincare no buy and make-up low buy anymore from October til December of last year. I wasn't really beauty shopping a lot either, given that about 98% of my energies were focused on the tiny human who joined our family. To be completely honest, I couldn't really be bothered anymore to follow my strict self-imposed rules. So yeah, sometimes when I was slumped on the couch during one of Julian's naps and I needed a little pick me up, I'd go online beauty shopping - mostly at Ulta to be precise. I somehow managed to hit Platinum status there, but in my defence, a lot of the things I buy from there were for my husband or gifts for other family members, so I don't feel too guilty about that.

While I'm not going to hunt down every purchase and list it in this post (not just because I'm lazy - I also think that would be boring for you guys), here are some of the make-up things I bought that I can recall right now: 3 MLBB mauvey lipsticks, one cream finish and two mattes, because that's what I've been wanting to wear the most, one liquid pen eyeliner (as I had none in my collection and wanted to wear one again) and one waterline pencil liner (not satisfied with the longevity of the ones I own), one brow pencil I've had on my wishlist for over a year (so now I own 3 brow products total), one blush and a holiday set from Laura Geller including a blush (not sure how I feel about it, may give it away), a lipgloss and a face primer. I also purchased a liquid lipstick and a new foundation, but returned both - I'm now resigned to the fact that matte liquid lipsticks make my lips look dry and shrivelled up, and the foundation was a wrong shade and I thought made me look too oily in the T-zone halfway throughout the day. Looking at this list, definitely most of what I bought wasn't necessary, and I certainly surpassed my allowance of two products a month. But you bet it was fun and I am in fact using and enjoying my new pretties - the ones I felt iffy about went back immediately. Isn't that the whole point?

The other aspect I wanted to touch on is free gifts with purchase, which I somehow scored quite a lot of in 2016. I'll come clean with you - I really, really enjoy hunting down coupon codes or buying during retailers' special events to get freebies. So even if I'm not placing orders for myself or only purchasing replacements, I'll usually still receive extra products to add to my collection.  What can I say? I know it's a loop hole and if the GWP doesn't contain items I was going to buy anyway, there's no sense in striving to get one - so I do try to only go for the ones I'm genuinely interested in trying. Sometimes I will still receive something that I don't care for, or that doesn't work out when I do test it, and on such occasions I simply pass on the product, be it full size or deluxe sample, to someone else who may get more enjoyment out of it. The same applies to PR samples I'm occasionally sent for review.

In terms of skincare, I purchased two affordable products: a new cleansing balm (my current cleansing oil is half used up already) and exfoliating pads, which I'm already using as I managed to finish some other acid toners from my stash. I could have postponed these purchases until a bit later, say beginning of 2017, but I was placing an order for something else and wanted to get to free shipping (or a GWP, in all honesty), so that's what I opted to do. Again, I don't feel too guilty about breaking my no-buy: sure, I didn't absolutely need those products right away, but I am using or will shortly be using what I bought, so it's not a big deal really.

Back-up drawer as of last update, September 2016

Back-up drawer in January 2017

Throughout the last quarter of 2016, I did continue using up my back-up skincare as well as giving away products I realized I wouldn't use, and as a result I believe that my back-up drawer is looking much better - I even have some space in it now should the need arise to store a new purchase or a PR sample. My husband has also been using more skincare, so I have his help in getting through at least some categories of products, like face wash and facial oils.

Overall, I have to admit that I haven't had huge success with my limited shopping allowances in the last months of 2016 if you look at the number of products I purchased. However, I don't actually care about that and weirdly enough, I do feel succesful about this year-long project. The main reason is that I believe my mentality towards beauty shopping has in fact changed for good. Yes, I still love buying and trying out new make-up and skincare, but I don't go crazy purchasing every new release and most certainly I've stopped buying products which are not relevant to my preferences or lifestyle. I buy products that I enjoy and use consistently. Do I buy too many? Definitely - it's not like anyone NEEDS to own as many lipsticks or blushes as I do. I like having them though, and that's okay.

This is also how I feel about going on low buys or no buys in the future: I think I'm ready to move away from doing structured projects and instead just continue working on keeping a healthy balance between shopping and using what I already own. In the skincare category, I still want to continue using up my back-ups and ensure I'm not purchasing extra products that are not needed at the time. In terms of make-up, I do want to give myself leeway to get something I'm interested in if I believe I'm going to be able to enjoy it right away, but at the same time, I'd like to give some love and attention to the beautiful products already in my stash. If I happen upon something in my collection I don't like anymore, I will pass it on or throw it away with a clear conscience, but I don't really care about 'ideal numbers' or inventoring my make-up - as long as I enjoy everything I own, even if it's a lipstick I only wear a few times a year, I'm completely fine with 'having more than I need'.

I will also be working on actually using up some make-up products from my stash - and not just mascara - and I'll be documenting my progress on Instagram if you're curious to see it. Last year I managed to use up 23 make-up products (both full size and minis, which I counted as half of a product, so 2 make-up minis = 1 full empty), but I think this year I'm not going to have as much time to wear a full face, so I'm going to set my goal at 17 (17 in 2017, get it? Not an original idea by the way but I don't know who started these '16 in 2016' and other challenges so I'm sorry but can't give credit). Who knows, maybe I'll surprise myself and use up even more. Knowing myself, I know these products will mostly be of the cream and liquid variety and not pressed or loose powders, so for my eyeshadows, blushes and bronzers I would like to see some pan occasionally, but not at the expense of forcing myself to use one and the same product for months if I don't feel like it.

Whoa, now that was a long and rambly post to get through, wasn't it? I felt however that I needed to get some closure on this Skincare No Buy & Make-up Low Buy challenge, and wanted to share my current thoughts on the spending bans and panning projects (more ramblings on make-up panning can be found here, and my opinion still stands). Were you satisfied with the results of your limited spending projects in 2016? What are your plans going forward?

Here's Why I Won't Be Panning Make-up Anymore

Right now, for the first time in over 2.5 years, I'm not actively trying to use up any make-up. In 2014 and 2015, I participated in two year-long Projects Make A Dent, and then since July 2015, I did three back-to-back Project Pans, completely finishing or at least getting very good use out of some older products in my stash. My initial plan for 2016 was to do three 4-month seasonal Projects 10 Pan, and I managed to complete two - but as you know, with the arrival of our baby, I decided against doing that third Project, reasoning that I wouldn't have much time or mental energy to wear any make-up.

And you know what, I'm really, REALLY glad that I don't have any panning challenges going on anymore. Even if it wasn't for my imminent new mama lifestyle, I think I would have probably copped out of that final Project Pan for 2016 anyway. I've been thinking a lot about this for the past two months of desperately trying to finish as much as I could from my last Project Pan, and I came to the conclusion that at this stage, I really need to take a step back and reevaluate my reasons for doing these challenges in the first place, and whether they still apply to what I want to gain out of my make-up collection and make-up hobby in general.

If I'm being completely honest with myself, my main reason for panning make-up is to use up as much as I can from older and/or unloved products, and thus be able to remove them from my collection without feeling the guilt of 'good products going to waste'. That's it. Yeah yeah, I could also say that I love rediscovering old favorites, or experimenting with combining, layering and repurposing my products, but at the end of the day - no, I just want to get them out of my stash. Not because they're bad products; I've thankfully learnt my lesson and never include product hates in my Projects anymore - but for some reason or another, I know they're nearing their time and I just want to give them that last chance. Or, uhm, more like multiple months of daily wear number of chances. They may be old favorites I've abandoned at some point and no longer remember why; they may be products I've worn only a handful of times and don't know very well; they may be products I already have functional dupes/ back-ups of already in my stash. Either way, I just know I don't really need them anymore, and want them gone.

So if I want them gone so bad, why wouldn't I just declutter them, or in case or really old products, pitch them straight in the trash? Well, uhm, because like I said above - I mostly like, or at least used to like these products, and getting rid of them straight away triggers a lot of guilty feelings. And then it does happen on occasion that I just didn't know the product very well, and including it in a Project Pan makes me realize how much I actually enjoy it. But I don't think guilt trips are such fantastic motivation to make yourself use a certain product for months at a time. And in my two and a half years of panning, I've realized there's a lot of downsides to my method.

Unfortunately, I believe most project panners fall into the phenomenon of absolutely hating at least some of their chosen products at some point in their Project Pans. Obviously sometimes, a product just turns out to be a complete dud, but even in the case of the good ones, forcing yourself to use them day in and day out can quickly turn a favorite into 'I just can't look at you anymore'. You may have included your Holy Grail red lipstick in your challenge, but do you really now want to wear it a couple times a week? What if it turns out you're not into red lips at the moment? This is something I've privately dubbed 'abusing your make-up products'. You'd rather wear a My Lips But Better shade, but you've made the committment, so you reach for the red anyway. What used to be a cherished shade for special occasions becomes a high maintenance make-up statement you're dreading to wear on a casual Tuesday.

What I'm trying to point out is that whatever product selection you pull out for a given Project, those products become the driving force of your make-up style and application for the duration of the Project. Here are examples of some conundrums I've personally come across during my challenges: I like contour and bronzer SOMETIMES for certain looks, but I absolutely don't want to wear them every day with everything. I really like shimmery cream eyeshadows, but no, I don't want to wear shimmer on my eyes every day for months. I enjoy wearing a bold lip, but I'd rather decide spontaneously when and which shade exactly as opposed to making myself wear a deep berry at least twice a week. When I make myself wear these products as if on a schedule, I lose the joy of wearing precisely what I want at the time. That makes me feel frustrated, and unhappy with my make-up, or even itching to buy more products for my collection just to feel inspired again - even though I may already have things in my stash I could use to achieve my desired look.

Some of you may say that what I'm describing here can be easily avoided if I just allowed myself to rotate my chosen products with other things in my stash when I feel like switching my looks. However, based on my individual experience, I can't do that at all if I'm hoping to finish my Project Pan products in a reasonable amount of time. And by reasonable, I don't mean a short amount of time at all - in fact, I'm absolutely incapable of using up anything within a couple months. Examples of my personal panning 'times': 3-4 months for a creamy pencil eyeliner. 4 months for a lipstick or lip gloss when rotated with two other lip products. At least 12 months for a pressed face powder and foundation. Closer to 2 years - or more - for a concealer. Probably about 2 years for a bronzer or a blush, used exclusively. Don't even want to think how long for an eyeshadow palette - here's my progress on the small-ish Nude'Tude, used for 8 months straight. See what I mean? If I was also wearing other make-up while trying to finish items from my Project Pans, I would probably need to spend over a year doing just one little challenge.

And ultimately, what for? Just to proudly display my empty make-up containers for all the Internet to see? To feel a little less guilty about having a crap ton of stuff in my collection that will never be used up completely? What am I trying to prove to myself? Maybe the time has come for me to finally accept that most of my make-up will expire before I'm able to finish it. Is that such a bad thing? Is it so terribly wasteful to pass on, or toss an eyeshadow before I scrape the last bits out the pan? Can't I just enjoy it for as long as I want and then simply move on?

I've realized that I don't want to force myself to use anything in my stash at the expense of completely abandoning other perfectly good products that I'm naturally more inclined to wear at the time. While in theory, it makes sense to get good use of older or less used products first instead of constantly reaching for the same selection of current favorites, in practice you're just making yourself miserable by preventing yourself from using what you're inspired by at the time. Make-up should be fun, right? Then why go to all these lengths to make it seem like a chore?

Now, I feel the need to point out the obvious and say that this is just MY (current) experience. I do feel a great sense of achievement in finishing make-up products and I think it's a lot of fun to share my make-up empties here on the blog or on Instagram. However, that fleeting satisfaction from seeing a large amount of pan in my powder doesn't outweight the fact that I'd probably much rather be using something else and just remove the damn thing from my sight. Your experience may be different though; make-up is extremely personal and I can see a whole number of reasons why panning may work much better for other people. So you do you - I'm just trying to explain why it no longer works for me. You know, all in the spirit of friendly discussion :)

This is also not to say I'll never finish another make-up product in my life - I AM hoping to use up things in my collection, but I'd just much rather not put any deadline on myself to do so. I'd rather it happen organically and spontaneously, just by me wearing what I feel like at any given time. I now want to get to know every single product in my stash, not just a select handful. I'm hoping that by having a better grasp on everything I own, I will not only become more creative and satisfied with my looks, but maybe also be able to further downsize my make-up stash (uhm, we'll see about that). In terms of an actual 'game plan', I'm planning to utilize the 'make-up basket' system from now on - basically rotate my products every couple weeks or so to make full use of my stash. I don't want to be super strict about it though - if I feel like using something else and have the exact picture in my mind of the product/look I'm aiming for, I'll just reach for that instead. If after a couple months, I notice there are certain products I'm actively avoiding in the rotation, then that's a good indicator that they should hit the road. We shall see how that works out - let me know if you sometimes want to see my make-up baskets in the form of a blog post!

How do you feel about Project Pans and using up make-up in general? Is this a system that works great for you or you can't even imagine making yourself reach for a specific dozen of products for a few months? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

2016 Skincare No Buy and Make-up Low Buy Update #3

These last three months have really flown by and I can't believe that a) I'm mere days away from my due date, b) summer is finally over, c) this is the last update before my final progress check for the end of the year. Do you guys know this quote from Gretchen Rubin that 'the days are short, but the years are short'? This is how I feel. Well, months maybe, not years - not yet.

I think this is going to be an interesting update for you because I have a big fat fail to report on both the skincare and make-up fronts, but you know what? I'm not even feeling very guilty. I guess my perspective on these shopping freeze challenges is changing as the time goes on; while I still believe they're wonderful tools for being more mindful about our purchasing habits, I've found that there comes a time when it's okay to free yourself from the self-imposed rules and just do what you feel is right for you at that particular moment. Hmm... does it sound like I'm excusing myself? Let me elaborate.

In terms of my make-up low buy (two product purchases allowed per month), I haven't purchased anything between April and July - which I gloated about in this post - but then in August, I bought... 6 things. Where they absolutely necessary purchases? No, of course not; it's not like I run out of mascara or some other staple, but they were not accidental impulse purchases either, well maybe with the exception of one thing. Before I go into the actual products, the chief reason I decided to buy these products all in one month instead of spacing them out a bit further is because of the finale of my latest Project Pan at the end of August and the imminent arrival of the baby bean. What I mean by this is I figured September was going to be the last month for me to play with new make-up shades or techniques - before I was ultra focused on only using products from my panning projects, and in October... well, let's just say I won't have a lot of free time on my hands for careful make-up application.

So I was placing an order on Ulta to repurchase some bodycare, and there were also two categories of make-up I really wanted to experiment with: nude or My Lips But Better lip liners and some very warm eyeshadow shades. These were both 'gaps' in my make-up collection, meaning that I didn't already own other things that could serve the same purpose. I ended up purchasing two nudey neutral lip liners - one with a warm and one with a cool undertone - and two NYX eyeshadow singles, one in a matte chestnut brown and one in a shimmery rusty red shade. I'm happy with all of these purchases and I can safely say they're different from everything else I own, but I think the NYX single eyeshadow purchase opened up a bit of a rabbit hole for me, because now I've noticed I don't own any berries, mauves, warm purples or plums in my collection either and I would really like to play with those shades again. I spent a few blissful hours online yesterday browsing all the beautiful single shadows from different brands but in the end, I talked myself out of another purchase and closed the browser tabs. I realized that even if I bought them right then and there, I would probably only have a handful occasions left this year to wear them, and I just bought other things I wanted to bond with, and lastly I would have really, really preferred to see and swatch them in person on the counter.

The last two make-up products that found their way into my shopping bag in August came by way of participating in the K-Beauty Peach & Lily sample sale in New York. Both were $3 each, so I'm sure my decision to get them was spurred by the bargain hunter mentality, but at least one of them I've wanted to try for a while and didn't have a functional dupe in my stash I was already using; after finishing the Pixi pencil eyeliner in Black Noir in my recent Project, I felt somewhat justified purchasing the Clio Gelpresso Eyeliner in Golden Black (matte black with fine gold shimmer). I didn't however need another base product - but I got the Mizon Correct Combo Pact, a sheer liquid foundation in a compact - which at the time seemed like an easy option to quickly get ready in the morning between feeding and shushing a hungry baby. Yeah, I'll let you know how that works out ;) So overall, this was a bit of an indulgent month for make-up purchases (more so in number of items though than actual spending total because everything I purchased was drugstore and/or heavily discounted), but not above my allowance for the entire quarter.

Now if my make-up purchases were kind of indulgent, kind of justified, I don't have a good reason why I purchased quite a few skincare products even though I'm on a complete skincare no buy for the year - well, other than... There was a SALE! I don't know you guys, you just gotta laugh at yourself sometimes. At that same K-Beauty Sample Sale where I purchased my black eyeliner and foundation compact, I also purchased a face cleanser, a spray toner and an essence. Nope, I was not out of, or even nearly out, any of these types of products, but I just wanted to try some new Korean skincare finds and I do feel like I'll be able to crack them open sooner than later after finishing what's currently in my medicine cabinet (I'm in fact already using the essence).

In September, I also placed an order from The Body Shop (again because there was a really good sale: 40% off entire website, high cashback on Ebates, and additional $15 off $50 cash back offer from AmEx) and I got some more necessary bodycare I'm already using, but also their Chamomile Silky Cleansing Oil because my current make-up remover is just way too ineffective, time-consuming and generally annoying. Again, that order wasn't absolutely necessary - I did have other things I could focus on finishing up instead - but I wanted to treat myself to products I knew I preferred, and instead decided to trash/ pass on three things I was unhappy with (which were all gifts/PR samples by the way, so I'm not beating myself up too much over sunk costs - it was not my decision to select them for myself in the first place).

Back-up drawer in June 2016.

So in general, two important lessons learnt: firstly, I am quite susceptible to sales tactics and I love a good deal (something to watch out for in the future), and secondly, I do feel much happier not forcing myself to use up products I dislike just because they're there. Life's too short for awful products, and it defeats the purpose to try to use them when you're devoting precious time to pampering yourself.

Back-up drawer in September 2016.

Last thing I wanted to touch on is the state of my skincare back-up drawer; as you may be able to see, it looks fuller than at the last update, but that's mostly because I condensed my storage space - again. I used to have another more shallow drawer in the same unit dedicated to nail polish storage, but after my last declutter (here) I decided to move the two remaining nail polish boxes into my skincare drawer and use the now empty drawer to store baby bean's blankets and swaddles. So in the space of about a year, I've gone from having a three drawer unit all to myself and my beauty stash, to having one drawer crammed full and the other two for two other members of the family (the third one houses my husband's off season shoes - he has a lot of shoes, you guys). You may have also noticed that the products inside my back-up drawers have mostly changed as well in the space of these past three months, and that's because I'm doing my best to actively finish skincare and move on to using the back-ups, as well as constantly reassessing and passing on things I'm not interested in or that haven't worked out for me.

Okay, I think I've talked your ears off on the topic of my purchasing habits - but I hope this was an enjoyable read and I know many of you visit the blog specifically to see how I'm doing because you're moving towards similar goals. This quarter I definitely gave myself some major leeway to buy and experiment with new things, and maybe I was a bit overindulgent; however I still don't think I've now gone off the deep end. I don't see myself purchasing anything else until the Sephora November sale, and the products I want to purchase then have been on my wishlist for a very long time. Now, how are you doing on your no buys, low buys and practising general consumerist mindfulness? Please share, we're all in this together!

Project Pan That Palette 2016: Update #4 & Finale

Here's my fourth and final update for Project Pan That Palette 2016, and I'm excited to share my progress with you. But first, let's address the elephant in the room: it's obviously not the end of 2016 but I have decided not to continue working on this Project. The reasons are manifold, but probably the first and foremost is that I'm thoroughly done using my theBalm Nude'Tude every time I wear make-up. I feel that I have now exhausted all creative possibilities out of this palette (meaning those that are relevant to my lifestyle and preferences) and while it has taught me a lot in the process, there's nothing left to gain from panning it until the end of December. The other chief reason is that I'm going to be taking care of a new family addition starting in October, and I'm sure wearing eyeshadow will be the last thing on my mind anyway :)

My palette at the end of June 2016 (6 months of use)

Above photo shows what my palette looked like at the last (third) update at the end of June (click!). My goals for these two months were to hit pan on Snobby (pale yellow), Schitzo (shimmery bronze) and Serious (matte black). I also wanted to deepen the dip in Sexy (matte burgundy) and expand the pan on Sassy (white pearl) and Stand-offish (metallic champagne).

My palette at the end of August 2016 (8 months of use).

I'm very happy to say that I have managed to hit all of these goals, and have additionally expanded the pan on Sultry (matte medium brown). I hit pan on Serious just mere days after my last update, and to be honest, haven't really touched it since - I quite dislike this shadow simply because I get terrible fallout from it, and it continues throughout the day so that I have to be constantly on the lookout for black dots all over my face. Snobby was relatively easy to hit pan on because I'd combine it with Sassy to use as a face highlight, or wore it as a base under other shades. I did struggle a bit with Schitzo - not my favorite bronze shade on my coloring - but finally hit just a little bit of pan two weeks before this update.

I'm honestly very relieved to be ending this Project now. I absolutely do not regret embarking on it in the first place because it taught me a few priceless lessons about my eyeshadow preferences and purchasing eyeshadow palettes in general (expressed here) but I will say that I probably could have ended it at six months instead of eight. I've persisted out of sheer ambition and stubbornness, although these last few months, I really wished I was wearing other shadows from my stash instead - so that's what I'm going to be doing all through September, until my due date.

As far as my plans for what's left of the Nude' Tude, I went ahead and depotted my favorite and most-used shades into a MiniMint palette (it's a magnetic freeform palette I ordered on Etsy here and I'm really enjoying it so far! Great craftsmanship). It also houses some other eyeshadow depots from Inglot, Stila and other brands, and I'll be chiefly reaching for these shades in September. I trashed the rest of theBalm shadows from the palette together with their mangled cardboard packaging, and I like how the depotted shadows look in the magnetic palette so much better than they did in the original palette. Yes, they're 'boring neutrals', but I find this color gradient so much more pleasing to the eye, not to mention more economical in terms of storage.

There you go, guys - my Pan That Palette finale. I did the best I possibly could on this Project and I'm really happy with my progress. However, I don't think eyeshadow panning is for me; if I truly wanted to use up the entire Nude' Tude, which is one of the smaller palettes on the market in terms of volume per shadow, I think it probably would have taken me 2+ years of nearly everyday use. I personally don't see the point of committing myself to a dozen of shadows for such a long time when I have a drawer full of other eyeshadows I like at least just as well if not more than these. So I guess it goes without saying that I won't be starting another Pan That Palette anytime soon :)

If you're currently panning an eyeshadow palette, how's your progress? And those of you who are not but were cheering me on anyway - first of all, THANK YOU, but also, what are your thoughts on the whole process? Would you consider joining this challenge in the future? I'd love to know!

4-Month-Long Project 13 Pan: Finale

At long last, the time has come for the finale of my 2016 Project 13 Pan! I'm wrapping up this challenge a few days early because I have another panning finale coming up, and I wanted to space them apart a little - and truth be told, I'm SO done with the products in this project. But let's not get ahead of ourselves here; if you haven't seen my introduction post and the halfway update, you can do so here and here.

Flat lay of products after 4 months of usage (May - August 2016)

Now, are you ready to see my final progress?

1. MAC Blot Powder in Medium. My initial goal for this Project was to use up what was left of this powder after working on it for 6 months last year in a Project 10 Pan (here). As you can see compared to my last update, I have again made decent progress, but I'm nowhere near finishing the whole compact. Basically, the amount of pan that you see now is the result of 10 months of very regular (probably 5 times a week) usage. I definitely feel a little sick of it after using it for so long, so it's going back in the drawer for now and I may reassess at the end of the year whether I want to keep or get rid of it.
2. The Body Shop Honey Bronzing Powder in 02 Fair. I haven't set a strict goal for this product because already at the start of the Project, I was aware of the fact that it would be impossible for me to use it all up. I was right - obviously - but I'm quite proud of my progress. However, using a bronzer daily has made me realize I'm not a huge fan of bronzing and it's not an essential part of my make-up routine, so I'm getting rid of what's left of this battered bronzer and won't be rushing out to purchase a replacement (I have two more bronzers left in my collection).

3. Buxom Full-on Lip Cream in Cherry Flip (review with swatches). Full success, it's completely used up! While the Full-on lip gloss formula from Buxom is one of my absolute favorites, I won't be purchasing another bright/ more pigmented shade for a while - I just prefer sheer lipsticks or tinted balms for that more subtle pop of color.
4. OPI Nail Lacquer mini in Red Lights Ahead... Where? Even though it looks like there's still about less than a half left in the bottle, this nail polish has now gone completely thick and stringy, AND (that's the kicker, you guys) the brush doesn't reach all the way down the bottle (!!!). On my last mani, I was only able to coax out one coat from it. I enjoyed the shade, but I don't do well with wearing the same color on my nails repeatedly for a few months.

5. Giorgio Armani Rouge d'Armani Sheers in 301 (review with swatches). I was working really hard to get this lipstick all used up but I didn't quite make it; the firmer formula makes the progress pretty slow. However, I only have a little stub left now, and I'll do my best to have it finished by the end of the year.
6. Bite Beauty High Pigment Lip Pencil in Sablé. From the three lip products I included in this Project, this was the easiest one to use up. I really enjoyed this Lip Pencil but I'm glad that I resisted the temptation to get a back-up (a friend kindly offered to sent me hers that she decided to purge), because I'm now more into somewhat deeper mauve shades on the lips - more along the lines of Bite Lip Pencil in Rhubarb that was also included in the same Holiday kit.
7. Pixi Beauty Endless Silky Eye Pen in Black Noir (review with swatches). I used it all up with about a month to spare and after I've moved on to my other shades of the Pixi liners, I definitely think the Black was getting pretty dried out. I liked it, but unfortunately this always smudged when I tightlined with it, and sometimes even on the upper lashline, which is something I don't experience as much with other eyeliner colors from Pixi. I'm now using an old pot of Clinique Gel Eyeliner in Black and so far, I'm liking it much more for both my lashline and waterline.
8. NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Taupe (review with swatches). All finished at the halfway update (here). It's a good product, but I want to try the Hourglass 'Arch' Brow Sculpting Pencil, hoping it'll be quicker to fill my brows with.

9. Laneige Cushion Concealer SPF30 in Light* (review with swatches). To be honest, in the last two months of this Project I just couldn't wait to finally be done with it. This is a light to medium coverage concealer that NEVER sets - but somehow can still look cakey under the eyes at the end of the day. I'm really glad this is leaving my stash now.
10. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly. In all fairness, I did say in my Intro that I didn't think this concealer would be all used up by the end of the 4 months. I've done some more progress on it but it's still nowhere near finished. I keep going back and forth on what I should do with it now - it's pretty old at this point (over 2 years of pretty much daily use), I don't like it all that much anymore, and I have unused back-ups of concealer in my stash; but on the other hand, the shade matches me really well in the winter and uhm, it was rather expensive. I may just keep it until the end of the year and see if I can use it some more.

11. Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream in 31 Ivory (review with swatches).  My goal was to only have 1/4 left in the tube at the end of the Project and I succeeded in doing that - I actually think there's less than that left in it now. I'd like to keep on using the remainder and have this all finished by the end of the year.
12. Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer (review). All used up, including scraping out the last little bits by unscrewing the pump. It was alright as a primer but I wouldn't repurchase it, or another face primer for that matter - at least for a while. Again, not an essential step in my routine and I have one more deluxe sample of another primer left when I occasionally feel like using it.

13. Maybelline Color Tattoo in Just Beige & (bonus) KIKO Eyeshadow Stick no.25 (progress shown on the card above). My goal was to use up half of the Color Tattoo, and I'm estimating that I roughly managed to do that. However, after about a week from my last update, I grew so frustrated with how dry it looked on my lids that I decided to replace it with the KIKO Eyeshadow Stick as my eye base. I'm glad that I did - not only did I like the KIKO so much more, but I also managed to use up more than a half of it. I'll continue reaching for the KIKO stick and I'm hoping to have it all used up within the next couple months.

Overall, I'm evaluating my succes with this Project at 10 out of 13 (counting the two eye bases as one full product used up), or 77%. That's quite alright, I think - I can't see how I could have done any better on it in terms of my committment to using these products, which was probably 99% of the time I wore make-up in the past four months. I actually have a lot more thoughts on panning make-up in general after completing this Project, but I think I'll be writing them all down in a separate post in the very near future, so stay on the lookout for that.

How are you doing on your Project Pans? Have you already switched to a different seasonal (fall) Project? Please link your update posts in the comments, I love looking at your progress!

4 Months on a Beauty No Buy: Some Thoughts and Tips

August arrived in a blink of an eye and it made me realize that I haven't bought any beauty products for over four months now besides essentials like body wash and a replacement face mask. No other skincare or bodycare, no haircare or nailcare, and absolutely no make-up, which has always been my biggest struggle. I talked more about my limited shopping allowances in my June quaterly progress report (here), but I feel like I have more to share about my experience and since a lot of you seem interested in this topic, here it goes.

Right now, I find a complete no buy much easier to stick to than a low buy. In 2014 and 2015, I (more or less) successfully followed a limited allowance of 2 make-up products per month, and I've kept that goal at the beginning of 2016, buying a few things here and there. However, since my last purchase in March, I haven't been seriously tempted by anything. When that first month of not buying was over, my reaction was 'Cool! Now I can roll over my 'unused' purchases to April!' but then in April, there wasn't really anything I wanted either. Neither there was in May, June and now, July. The longer I keep not buying make-up, the less I want to buy any new make-up. Distinguishing between needs versus wants and shopping my own stash instead became second nature, and new releases would never get more of a reaction from me than 'It sure is pretty to look at, but I already have something similar/ wouldn't use it/ it's nothing special'.

It's definitely very true that the longer you follow a low buy or a no buy, the less tempted and more rational you become in your purchasing habits. But for me, I think a no buy is much less challenging than a low buy because I don't have that (limited - but still!) allowance to look at new things and agonize over which two I would like to buy that month. When I decide not to buy anything without exception, I can't/ don't/ won't occupy myself with researching products and putting them on and off of my shopping list. Since I'm not buying now or in the nearest future, spending mental resources on beauty buys isn't worth it, and instead I'm able to focus my energy on other beauty-related pursuits or even altogether different hobbies. This vastly reduces any lemmings, folks.

Deciding to do a no buy also completely eliminates impulse purchases, or even those purchases that you've been wanting for a while, but ultimately know are not right for you. You're not buying any beauty products, so why even go look at the beauty aisle in your local drugstore or grocery store? You know you won't buy that tempting new palette that just came out, so instead you put it on your wishlist and go experiment with what you own. In my personal experience, 9 times out of 10 I won't even be interested in it anymore in a few months; I either have a comparable product already, find something I'd potentially like better, research more reviews after the hype dies down and realize it's not that amazing after all, or realize it doesn't suit my needs and preferences.

And since this shopping freeze made me focus on my existing stash instead of new purchases when I was feeling inspired by a new to me color combination or technique, I wouldn't recommend doing a Project Pan or Pan That Palette while being on a no buy. If you see a beautiful coppery smokey eye featuring a just released eyeshadow palette but at the same time, you're not allowing yourself to go and play with all the warm shades you already have to recreate it, you'll be feeling like you need that new product right now. But it's so easy to burst the lemming bubble if you sit down at your vanity, admire what you own, and do that eye look - or something very similar - right away. It makes you feel smart, accomplished and excited about make-up all over again, all the more for not having to spend a penny to experience it.

Being on a no buy broke my vicious cycle of playing with a new product for a few weeks only to put it back and not see it again for months, or even years. In the past, I would buy a new product, test it out for the blog and play with it for a little bit, and then either have another new item to try out or feel so guilty about abandoning the rest of my stash - especially older products - that I would make myself put it back and use something else instead. This is a terrible habit of mine for various reasons: a) it shortens my attention span so that I always feel the need for new stimuli, b) it deprives me of experiencing full joy from what I just bought, c) it doesn't give me enough time to truly familiarize myself with the new product, so in case it turns out to be less than ideal in the long run, I can't return it anymore, d) it forces me to use 'just alright' products from my stash instead of what I truly want and what inspires me right now - which in turn usually makes me feel unmotivated and unhappy with what I own, and increases the need to shop for more.

At the moment, I'm not concerned about rebound or going off the deep end once I allow myself to buy. I have a much better grasp now of what make-up I like and what I already have that I really like, and I would rather play with that than run out to get new stuff that may leave me feeling disappointed. Sure, I have a few things on my wishlist - none of which I really need but would be fun to incorporate into my make-up game - but I'm in no rush to purchase them. I have unused gift cards to both Ulta and Sephora, my birthday is coming up in a month, and my husband just left for London - and none of these 'shopping opportunities' make me particularly eager to get new beauty stuff right now. So who knows, maybe this will extend into a 5-month beauty no buy? Or even half of the year? ;) I'll let you know what I decide.

Another reason I would rather wait with purchasing my wishlist items is that I prefer to use up or at least make a final decision to declutter some of my current staples before replacing them. Downsizing my stash, be it by project panning or purging to friends and family, made me visualize my ideal 'inventory' in more detail - the perfect (for me!) balance of having creative variety while being reasonable and not letting products go to waste. When (and if) I finally pull a trigger on a purchase, I want to use and enjoy it right away. No more back-ups, ever - and I'm talking about not just back-ups of the exact same item, but even functional (an unopened under eye concealer) or shade (another mauve lipstick) back-ups of items I already own and use in my make-up routine.

Not buying make-up has also made me more critical towards purchasing things from other categories: clothing, accessories, home and (yes!) baby stuff. I'm happy to say that not allowing myself new beauty products didn't turn me into a fashion victim, even though I had more money in my budget to indulge in those things. With clothes and accessories, since I'm currently pregnant and have finished shopping for my maternity wardrobe a few months ago, I again don't want to buy anything I wouldn't be able to wear right now - or anything I'd only for the next two months. I'm also feeling a little bit... cheap these days. Maybe it's because I started researching things we'll soon need for our baby boy (and even when trying to stay quite minimal it's quite a lot - and it will cost a lot), but buying just about anything right now that isn't absolutely necessary seems superfluous and frivolous. However, I have no qualms over spending that money on good food (be it organic veggies to cook with at home or a nice meal out) or experiences. It's not like I've become some sort of anticonsumerist hermit - I just really question the value of goods we bring into our life.

I think that about sums up my deep thoughts on not buying beauty products these past few months. I will add that while I haven't personally purchased anything, I'm lucky to have received generous PR samples (some make-up, skincare and haircare) that have helped to keep product boredom at bay. Before you all jump at me and scream bloody murder, allow me to say that I have been quite successful in either using those products right away - as I am also working on using up a lot of older back-up products and thus have started to need replacements - or passing them on if they don't suit me - or keeping them by incorporating a 'one in, one out' policy (mostly for make-up products that I can't hope to use up in a reasonable amount of time). Maybe that is cheating; but you get to see some new products on the blog and I get to stick to my non-hoarding goals all the same. So there.

I hope you enjoyed this post and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out. Have you ever been on a no-buy? What was your experience and thought process like? Please share in the comments!

Project 13 Pan 2016: Halfway Update

Similarly to my progress on Project Pan That Palette, I'm quite happy with how my current Project Pan is going. I have worn make-up a lot more often the past two months (due to working and socializing more, as well as using my products during our two week holiday), and I think it shows in the results. Here's a flat lay of all 13 products from the beginning of the Project two months ago, in May:

And here's a current shot:

Now let's talk about my progress on each individual item and how I'm doing on my goals stipulated in the Intro post (here):

1. MAC Blot Powder in Medium. I've expanded the pan but not as much as I would have liked. You may be able to see that I've been concentrating my brush in one area mostly and there's a definite dip showing, so my goal is to further expand my pan there in the next two months. I don't think I'll be able to use this entire powder up by the end of the Project.
2. The Body Shop Honey Bronzing Powder in 02 Fair. This again is moving, but moving slowly. I also picked one side of the compact to focus on and there is progress there, but there's no way I'll be finishing this entire bronzer up in the next two months. My deep down motivation to include this product was to toss it at the end of the challenge and replace with a new product, but now that I've been using a bronzer every single day, I don't think I'm much of a bronzer person. I like to wear one occasionally, but definitely not all the time - and since I have two more bronzers aside from The Body Shop one in my stash, I definitely don't need to purchase another one for my collection.

3. Buxom Full-on Lip Cream in Cherry Flip. I've been working quite hard on this and there's very good progress - I'm definitely on the way to finishing it all up in July and August.
4. OPI Nail Lacquer mini in Red Lights Ahead... Where?. Decent progress here but I could have done better - this is just three applications, one mani and two pedis. I would have liked to wear it more on my finger nails, but I don't like matchy-matchy fingers and toes, and it's all I've been wearing on the toes in May and June. Hmm. It is getting thicker though so it should be done in two months either way.

5. Giorgio Armani Rouge d'Armani Sheers in 301. I'm anticipating trouble on this lip product - even though I made alright progress so far, the formula of this lipstick is so thin that it doesn't go down as quickly as most other products with thicker textures, like Revlon Lip Butters for example. That's okay though - I still really like it so I don't mind having a small nub left at the end of the Project.
6. Bite Beauty High Pigment Lip Pencil in Sablé. Really good progress and I'm certainly on track to finishing it all up by the end of August. I'm still really liking this shade although I think it's better suited to the cold season when my skin is at its palest. I sometimes like pairing this nude lip pencil with a slightly darker mauve lipstick, or a MLBB gloss to give it more depth.
7. Pixi Beauty Endless Silky Eye Pen in Black Noir. Again, great progress and should be very easy to finish the rest off in the near future - especially that I can't sharpen these pencils all the way down. I'm still enjoying this pencil but it's better suited for the upper lashline than the waterline - it smears in the outer corner for me when I tightline with it, so I won't be replacing it once I run out.
8. NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Taupe. Woohoo, all done! I quite liked this eyebrow pencil for its precision, but the past week I've been using eyeshadow in my brows instead and I think I may like that softer effect a bit better than pencil.

9. Laneige Cushion Concealer SPF30 in Light*. I could be doing better on this concealer but there were two weeks when I haven't touched it at all, so all things considered my progress is fine. I'm still not a huge fan of this product: I like that it's lightweight and melds into the skin seamlessly (I can even use it alone on bare skin on days when I can't be bothered with foundation), but it never sets and moves around a lot during the day unfortunately.
10. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly. Despite using this nearly every day, there's not much progress to be seen here. Yeah, so maybe it wasn't the best idea to put this product in my Project - I don't think I'll actually be able to use it all up in the next two months. I don't know how some people can use up a concealer like this in just a few months; I have to use it very sparingly or else it looks heavy and cakey on my face. Anyway - I'm still doing my best.

11. Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream in 31 Ivory. My progress is more or less what I expected it to be. Even though I wore foundation on more days than I usually do, I use very little for each application, so I'm not flying through this tube. My plan is to try and use a bit more and see if that helps to use it up faster (my initial goal however was to use up 3/4 of the tube, not the whole thing).
12. Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer. It seems that I'm right on track to finishing it all up by the end of August. I think this product works all right but I wouldn't repurchase by any means - it has also separated a bit in the bottle and I can't mix it back up.
13. Maybelline Color Tattoo in Just Beige. Slow going on this one - I'm using it every time I wear make-up but these Maybelline Color Tattoos are very difficult for me to use up. Either way, it's drying out more and more, so I'll be tossing it at the of the Project.

I'm content with my results so far and I haven't been feeling too terribly bored or constrained by my choice of products - and I think that once I use a few more items completely up, it'll be fun to play around with adding other products from my stash into the mix and coming up with new color combinations. I find it interesting how by panning a contour powder in my first Project Pan this year, and now a bronzer in my second Project, I have completely lost the interest in purchasing more products in those categories. I found that while I consider blush to be a must-have for me, bronzing and contouring is just not essential and doesn't even look all that great on my fair skin most of the time. I think realizations like this are the biggest reason why I do these panning projects - it's just fun to know your individual preferences and taste a bit better and adjust your make-up routine accordingly.

How are you doing with panning your make-up? Have you discovered anything new about your likes and dislikes in the process? I'd love to hear about that!

Project Pan That Palette 2016: Update #3

It's hard to believe, but I have now been using ONE eyeshadow palette for six months straight! That's half of the year gone wearing the same palette day in day out. I mean... Wow. But yes, another two months have passed, and I wanted to show you my progress. Just to recap, here's how my theBalm Nude'Tude Eyeshadow Palette looked like at the end of April:

My palette after 4 months of use, April 2016.

At that point, after four months of use, I had hit pan on three shades: Sassy, a pearly white, Stubborn, a light pink, and Selfish, a greyed taupe. I also had some dips going on in Snobby, a pale yellow, and Sultry, a warm medium brown - as you can tell, I'd definitely been staying within the lighter half of the palette, which isn't surprising considering my fair skintone as well as my opinion on some of the darker shades in this palette, expressed here. Now here's how my palette is looking today:

My palette after 6 months of use, June 2016.

MOAR progress! I have now also hit pan on Stand-offish, a metallic champagne, and Sultry, my matte crease shade. I have also further expanded the pan on Sassy, and have good dips going on Snobby, Schitzo and Serious. To be honest, I think I'm just milimeters away of hitting pan on the matte black, which I use to either darken my lashline or set my black pencil liner. I have also sporadically used Stubborn, the light pink shade, but the pan hasn't moved really, and I have not touched Selfish since hitting pan - it's not my favorite taupe in general, but I also haven't been feeling very cool-toned eyeshadow looks.

My plan for the next two months is to hit pan on Snobby, Serious and Schitzo - although I feel that this last one will be a bit of a struggle because this shade is firmly pressed in the pan and also has great pigmentation. I would also like to expand the pan on Sassy, Stand-offish and Sultry, and deepen the dip in Sexy, a matte burgundy. Even though I use Sexy multiple times a week to darken the outer corner of my eyes, this shade is pigmented and hard pressed in the pan, so my progress is very slow.

And there you go! My current feelings about panning this palette oscillate between 'OMG, I've never hit pan on so many eyeshadows in my life!' to 'Why the f*ck am I even doing this'. I have realized that there's no way I'm going to finish this palette within the span of a year - I don't even think I would empty it completely within two years. I'm not sure how other 'palette panners' do it, but I just don't use that much eyeshadow in one application. And I'm certainly not going to rock smokey eyes for four months just to use up the dark shades in my palette.

While I'm okay with not finishing the palette and simply putting in my best effort instead to see how far I can get, I often question my motives to continue this Project. I have a lot of eyeshadows I like better than this palette that I have not touched in 6 months, because I'm stubborn like that - once I decide to do a panning project, I want to do it the best I can, even if I would rather wear different products, or a different style of make-up altogether. On the other hand, I'm glad I've embarked on Pan That Palette this year, because the project has very effectively quenched my interest in new eyeshadow palettes, as well as taught me valuable lessons about my own preferences when it comes to eyeshadow. So there's that - I do think it was worth it - but am I still learning new things now, after 6 months of panning? I'm not so sure.

So these are the thoughts running through my mind most days when I open up the Nude'Tude to do my eye make-up. I haven't really come to any conclusions and for now I just keep going, but I do sometimes incorporate other eyeshadows, housed in my small Z-Palette (shown here), to break the routine a little bit. I will tell you now I'm definitely not doing this Project next year - and possibly, never again. I actually seriously question if I should wrap it up at the end of September, before my baby is due - realistically, I don't think I'll be wearing much eyeshadow for the last three months out of the year.

Anyway, how are my fellow panners doing? Do you ace your powder products, or are they always a bit of a challenge? I find all powders pretty hard - even face setting/ finishing powders move very slowly around here, despite daily usage. Do you have any tips?

2016 Skincare No Buy and Make-up Low Buy Update #2

Another three months have passed in a blink of an eye and it's time to update you on my beauty shopping freezes. I know many of you are trying to limit your cosmetics purchases as well, and ramblings from other sufferers can be both helpful and motivating, so I like sharing my progress with you - please comment if you're doing anything similar this year, I'd love to hear from you!

Let's start with my make-up low buy, which consists of limiting myself to purchasing no more than two products per month, with the possibility of rolling unused purchases into the next month. Soooo... You guys, I haven't bought any make-up in the past three months. Nothing. Nada. I don't know exactly why it turned out this way, because I wasn't actively trying to go on a no buy - it just kinda happened that I wasn't too terribly tempted by anything, and the things I've tentatively put on my wishlist in the meantime, I decided to purchase at a later date - maybe for my birthday in September.

I couldn't however resist the Sephora 15% off sale in April, even though I said in my last update that I wasn't planning to shop, or would only get one utilitarian thing, the Beautyblender Solid Cleanser. I did purchase that, along with a fresh Beautyblender (mine's on its last legs but I'm still refusing to trash it), some skincare for my husband, a new hair brush as we left ours in a hotel in NoLa, and lastly - I'm feeling a tiny bit guilty over this - I cashed in my points for the Laura Mercier lipgloss mini in Bare Baby, because I've had one before and enjoyed the formula. I was also somewhat tempted to purchase two Wayne Goss brushes from Beautylish since I've been really enjoying the one eye blending brush (I believe it's number 06) from his range that I own. But then, I was able to convince myself that these brushes weren't going anywhere and Beautylish doesn't really do sales or promos anyway, so there was no rush to get them then and there. I have also downsized my nail polish stash by further 13 bottles - I have snapped a shot of them on my Instagram if you're curious - I just figured those shades weren't exciting me much anymore and I was happy to see that when I brought them to work, every single one found a new home rather quickly; even our security guard took some for his wife to try out (I believe he called them nail make-up :).

Overall, I'm very happy with my progress, but what makes me even happier than the result itself is the fact that I wasn't really obsessing over any new products in those three months. I still watched YouTube beauty gurus and read blog posts about new releases, but personally, I wasn't too interested in any of the products. What I think helped the most was shopping my own stash, especially when it comes to eyeshadow (here's a recent bronzy/ orangey/ warm brown swatchathon), coming to some realizations on my personal preferences while using the products I already own, and also distracting myself with past times not related to beauty. In April and May, I completed shopping for my maternity wardrobe, and then going on vacation also helped to occupy my mind elsewhere. I have also been spending more time in the kitchen, trying out new recipes. This week, I'm planning to bake my first sourdough bread in two years (I've made bread a couple times in the past but wasn't satisfied with the result) and try my hand at making apricot jam. (*Update*: My first sourdough bread was a complete fail, most likely due to a poorly starter, while apricot jam turned out wonderful!) The abundance of summer produce is making me feel inspired and curious to experiment with new things.

Back-up drawer in March 2016.

Now when it comes to skincare for the face and body, I think I've been equally successful. Above is a shot of my back-up drawer from March, and the one below is what it looks like currently. I have replaced some of my recent skincare routine empties with those back-ups, used up quite a few bar soaps as well as skincare minis, and I've also been focusing on using my body oils. Again, I have also received a number of new PR samples, so the drawer may look nearly as full to you overall; I'm however succeeding in finishing older products from my stash before moving on to the fresher stock. Two factors that have been helping me in moving products out is the fact that my husband is now more into skincare and uses a cleanser, moisturizer and an oil from my stash, as well as my attempts at using up the bar soaps by making them into a countertop cleaning spray and possibly a liquid hand soap (haven't tried that last project yet but it's on my list).

Back-up drawer in June 2016.

As for skincare purchases, I have bought one skincare product in the past three months - an exfoliating mask - but since I've used up all my other masks with that same purpose, it's a replacement and doesn't break my no buy rules. I was a little tempted by some organic bodycare from an Icelandic brand while we were on holiday, but in the end, I didn't think the products were all that special and I resisted. I bought an Icelandic wool hat and a silver necklace from a local jewelry designer instead :)

I think that's all I wanted to say! Maybe it's not the most exciting update since I wasn't really torn over anything in the past three months, but that's just how it is: if you're just starting out with a no buy or low buy challenge, it does get a lot easier as the time goes on. I'm thinking part of it is just getting used to the new self-imposed rules, but perhaps a bigger part is learning strategies to cope with lemmings and getting to know one's preferences and priorities a lot better. How have you been doing with your minimalist challenges? Any major breakthroughs or lightbulb moments you'd like to share?

2016 Skincare No Buy and Make-up Low Buy Update #1

Since my various shopping limitations have somewhat decreased the number of review posts that have been going up lately, I thought I'd compensate by sharing my experience with my 2016 Skincare & Bodycare No Buy (read the introduction post here), as well as my continuing Make-up Low Buy I implemented over two years ago now.

So far, both of these projects have been a success. Let's start with the make-up part, because it's the more challenging for me personally, and I think more interesting to hear about. My low buy consists of allowing myself to purchase no more than two make-up products a month, including nail polish but disregarding make-up gifts with purchase, gifts or PR samples. I haven't purchased any make-up products whatsoever in all of January and February, but I did have four drugstore products (two from Bourjois and two from Kiko) I purchased in Warsaw late last year. I wasn't sure how to count them in - I decided to transfer them into the new year count, which would max out my limit for two consecutive months (Jan and Feb). Since then, I sold one of those products in a blog sale (Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Nude-ist), leaving me with one product below limit for the year.

In March, I purchased two products from a friend's blog sale, but out of the two, I decided to keep only one and pass the other to a friend as it wasn't a lipstick shade that suited my complexion very well. I have also placed an order at Ulta, prompted by a few things: a) expiring points - a $3 discount, b) 5X the points for my anniversary of being a reward member, c) husband requesting some new skincare items - would you like to see what he uses some time? d) an awesome bareMinerals gift with purchase - if you ever need to place an online order, wait until Wednesday, which is when Ulta usually sends out an email with a link to a deluxe GWP. It would all be well if I stuck to just purchasing products for my husband, but then I remembered that I also needed a travel-size dry shampoo for an upcoming trip, and Ulta had a special discounted price for Lorac glosses I've been hearing good things about, and then if I only purchased one or two more drugstore items, I could use the $3.50 off $10 coupon...

So in the end, I also ordered a new concealer from Catrice that Polish Youtubers have been raving about, and the Lorac Alter Ego Lip Gloss in Seductress. That puts me at three products for March and exactly within the limit for the year. I'm not sure yet if I'm going to keep Seductress - I may end up gifting it to someone instead. So yeah, I indulged a little bit; but I'm working on using up two concealers from my stash, and then the gloss just looked like such a pretty color; I didn't need it, but I wanted it.

I have been trying to appease my guilty consience by telling myself I probably won't shop for any beauty products in April, which means I may not take advantage of the annual Sephora's spring 15% off sale. There's nothing I particularly want or need from Sephora at the moment, and I feel like I can hold off until their 20% off in November. The one thing I'm curious about is the beautyblender Solid Cleanser - I may purchase that in-store during the sale, using the remaining balance on a gift card. We'll see.

As for my Skincare and Bodycare No Buy, I have been 100% successful, and I haven't been tempted to shop almost at all. I have however some mixed feelings about my progress: on one hand, I've used up a whole lot of products already (empties post coming soon!), but on the other... I received some very generous PR samples, which have increased my stash almost to the starting point.

I've used up a lot of skincare minis (top left corner of the drawer) and am now able to store my bar soaps in that space.

Please don't misunderstand me, I'm very grateful to receive products for review, and I think it's very helpful in posting reviews for you guys, and alerting you to some brands or products you may not have heard about previously. However, it does somewhat negate my efforts to downsize my skincare stash. I have come across the opinion that accepting PR samples while attempting to simplify via decluttering/ using things up is hypocritical and pointless, but I don't personally see it that way. To me, such train of thought would suggest that there is only one 'correct' way of reducing your possesions, and it's all or nothing - either you only keep one of each of everything (the right way to downsize), or it's a free for all and you can keep ALL TEH THINGZ. I guess my position is somewhere in the middle: I want a smaller stash I can manage, but as a beauty blogger, I'm not going to escape having a couple products in each category. It's okay - to be honest, I'm feeling a lot more laid back about my products, even when I realize something may not get finished before it expires.

All that being said, I have been able to transfer my back-up bar soaps to my main skincare and bodycare back-up drawer and I now keep my base oils in the bathroom cabinet, so I got rid of one extra storage box; I much prefer having everything in one space (you can compare what my back-up drawer looked like in November 2015 here). I have also selected just a few products to pass on to a friend - I simply realized there's no way I'm going to be able to use them up in time, and I'd much rather have her try them and see how she likes them. It's not exactly 'one in, one out' strategy, but it makes me feel like less of a hoarder.

And that's it - all in all, a rather satisfying quarter. If you're just embarking on a shopping ban/ limit for the first time, I promise it does get easier; in the past, I was constantly tempted by new product releases, and deciding not to shop a Sephora sale - any Sephora sale - was absolutely out of the question. So, how are you doing with your low buys and no buys? I'd love to hear about your thought process in the comments below!

1st Project 10 Pan of 2016: Halfway Update

It's March and two months out of my four-month long Project 10 Pan have passed already! What better time to update you on my progress, am I right? The photo below shows all my products neatly lined up at the start of the Project in January... (click here to read the Introduction post):

And here's what they look like after two months of regular use:

Now, I realize I chose some pretty anti-climactic items that don't really show any progress, so I'm going to explain how I'm doing in more detail.

1. Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation in PK-1: My Project goal is to use up half of the bottle (it was completely full at the beginning). As you can see by my sharpie mark, I only got down to the top of the lettering, which is not quite 1/4 of the entire foundation. However, I can't really fault myself - I've used the Aqua Foundation every single time I wore make-up in the past two months. I could probably speed things up by using more foundation each time, but I really like this one and I'm not in a terrible hurry to get it out of my stash.

2. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light: I wanted to see a bigger dip in the middle, and it may not be quite visible in my photos, but on the right side of the pan where I usually tap my brush, there is a bit of an indentation. I'm hoping to make it a bit deeper by the end of this Project.
3. Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Bluefin: I can't show you my progress since this retractable pencil doesn't wind down, but I've been pretty happy with my usage - I don't use it every single time I do my make-up, but I use it about 90% of the time, either on my upper lashline or to tightline.
4. NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base: It's difficult to judge my progress on this one: there's still plenty of product stuck to the sides of the tube, but I've been steadily scraping that off. Unfortunately, I think that after taking the stopper out, this product does begin to dry out more quickly, so it will be done by the end of April either way - I just want to get as much use out of it as possible.

5. NYX Powder Blush in Taupe: Yes, I've hit pan!!! That's probably my biggest success so far in this Project. I've been using this to contour my face every time I do my make-up, but also as a transition shade in the crease of my eyes - which is how I was able to hit that pan in the very middle. I have to admit though that it's not my favorite sculpting shade for my complexion - it actually pulls both a bit too warm and muddy. I will probably be saying goodbye to it after the Project ends.
6. Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfector in Rose Shimmer: Now, I could be doing better on this one. When I hold it up to the light, I can see a lot of product missing in the middle of the tube, but there's still a LOT left. My problem with this gloss is that I can't really layer it over other lip products (it's too creamy and slippery) - at least not the ones in this Project, which is what I've been wearing all the time - and as a stand alone product, it currently makes me look a bit washed out. I've been using it in lieu of a lip balm at home, but not very consistently. Oh well - I'm trying.

7. Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie: Compared to my January photo, I think I've used slightly over half of the bullet, which means I should be right on track to using it up completely by the end of April. I'm still really enjoying this lip color - quick and easy to apply, and perfect to perk up pale, winter skin.
8. Revlon Superlustrous Lipstick in Cherries in the Snow: I wear this lipstick about once a week, and reapply once throughout the day. That, coupled with the fact that this is an incredibly pigmented lipstick, makes my progress rather slow. But that's okay - I am still using it, I just haven't been feeling a bright lip all the time.
9. Zoya Nail Polish in Jem: This one is a bit of a fail - I think I only used it three times since the start of my Project. Not because I'm bored of this color; I just haven't been really painting my nails at all. I'm not sure why; I'm either too busy or find something else to do when I do have time. I'll try to do better in the next two months, although the weather is turning more spring-like every day, and I may shortly be in the mood for a different shade. We shall see.

The Balm Nude'Tude at the beginning of the Project in January.

 10. theBalm Nude'Tude Eyeshadow Palette: I'm very happy with my usage on this palette - there's not pan showing yet, but you can see quite significant dips in the lighter and mid-tone shades. I'm quite decided that I want to pan this palette for all of 2016, although knowing myself and my eyeshadow-wearing ways, I'll have to exclude the darkest shade out of this palette, or only aim to hit pan. I'm just not going to wear a black smokey eye every day just to use up Serious - ain't gonna happen. But I am still enjoying using the palette and coming up with different color combos or layering options.

My palette after two months of consistent usage.

And there you have it! Overall, I think I'm doing as well as can be expected. I know that I'm not a panning rockstar, which most likely stems from the fact that a) I don't wear make-up every day, b) I use a small amount of product each time, but that's okay with me, as long as I feel that I'm giving these awesome products plenty of love. How have you been doing with your Projects? 

Pan That Palette 2016: 5 Eye Looks with The Balm Nude'Tude

One of the main post ideas I had after writing my rambling rant on how I'm currently not so much into make-up products (here) was to do different eyeshadow placements all focusing on a single palette. That palette is obviously The Balm's Nude'Tude, which I'm trying to pan this year.

From my understanding, there's some sort of general consensus online that Nude'Tude is not a great neutral eyeshadow palette - the undertones are weird, it lacks a matte highlight shade but has too many dark mattes, and so on. And yeah, I can see that - for my fair complexion with cool undertones, a lot of the shades in this palette are not ideal, even though the shadows themselves are pigmented and easy to apply. But while these shades may not be ideal, they're still absolutely workable and wearable. Let me show you how :)

1. Gradient Gunmetal Smokey Eye:
Use a dark eyeliner at the lashline as base; I'm using the Stila Bluefin Smudgestick from my current Project Pan - that's where the teal microglitter is coming from. Set the liner and blend it upwards and inwards from the wing with a matte black (Serious). Apply a shimmery taupe (Selfish) to the center of the lid and the lower lashline and blend out. Continue building the matte black at the lashline to the desired depth, smudge a very small amount on the outer part of the lower lashline. Highlight the inner corner with a white pearl (Sassy), blend out the outer corner and crease with a warm matte medium brown (Sultry). Finish with lots of mascara and black eyeliner on the upper waterline.

2. Daytime Cat Eye:
Apply a mix of yellow and pink pearl shades (Snobby + Stubborn) all over the lid and highlight the inner corners with Sassy. Define the crease with a matte brown (Sultry) and the lower lashline with a shimmery bronze (Schitzo). Line the upper lashline with Silly mixed with a drop of Inglot Duraline; it's a liquid silicone product that turns powders into long-wearing cream formulas. I just poured a drop directly into the corner of my eyeshadow pan so that I can still use the rest as a regular powder eyeshadow with my brushes. I have to admit that I was disappointed with how Silly performed as a liquid liner; I was hoping for a subtly glittery wing but the result was that of a dark matte brown, very similar to the shade Sleek from the palette. So far, no matter what I do, I cannot make the beautiful shimmer in Silly show up on my eyes :(

3. Sophisticated Khaki Smokey Eye:
Apply a darker taupe/ grey/ khaki cream eyeshadow all over the lid, blending it out into the crease - I've used Benefit Creaseless Cream in Skinny Jeans. Blend out and warm up the crease with a matte brown; I decided to use my face contour shade (NYX Taupe), but you could use Sultry from the palette. Define the outer corner with a dark khaki brown (Sophisticated) and dab a little yellow pearl (Snobby) on the centre of the mobile lid with your finger. Brighten the inner corner with a mix of Sassy and Snobby; I decided that Sassy alone would be too cool-toned. Line the lower lashline with Sophisticated, pop a little Snobby in the center of the lower lashline to mirror the lid placement. Black mascara on the lashes, black eyeliner on the upper waterline, green eyeliner on the lower waterline (optional - I had TIGI Perfect Eyeliner in Green lying around, so I thought why not).

4. Aegyo Sal-inspired:
This is one of the looks I liked from the Korean Beauty Secrets book I've recently reviewed. For those not in the know, aegyo sal is that little roll of fat on the lower lashline that babies often have (some adults too), and of the trendier looks in Korea is to either highlight or mimick that by applying a shimmery eyeshadow to the under eye area.

I'm saying this is aegyo sal-inspired because I do not have that 'baby eye fat' and what's more, I actually have some fine lines in that area that look more pronounced when covered in shimmery eyeshadow. So I've only applied a mixture of white pearl (Sassy) and shimmery champagne (Stand-offish) to the inner half of my lower lashline and around the inner corner, and a medium matte brown on the outer half of lower lashline. For my lid and crease, I applied a light layer of satin pink (Stubborn) all over as a base, and topped with another fine layer of warm matte brown (Sultry), buffed out into the crease. I also applied a smidgen of dark matte brown (Sleek) along the outer portion of my upper lashline, but otherwise skipped eyeliner.

5. Typical Monika Daytime Definition:
I realize that in my photos, this looks exactly like the second look (Daytime Cat Eye), but it's a little different: a typical Monika look has a more defined/ darker outer corner, and the upper lash liner is thinner and less winged out. For this look, I used the shimmery champagne (Stand-offish) on the lid, a matte medium brown lightly through the crease (Sultry), and a matte aubergine (Sexy) in the outer corner. A mix of the champagne (Stand-offish) and pearl white (Sassy) on the inner corner, medium matte brown (Sultry) along the lower lashline. The upper lash line is accentuated with a darker eyeliner (Stila Bluefin), lightly set with a matte black (Serious). A black eyeliner to tightline and lots of mascara.

I was the happiest with my Aegyo-sal inspired look - it was quick and easy and yet quite a bit different from my comfort zone (look 5). For a bit more drama, I also liked the first look - I quite like the smoked out lashline as opposed to lots of darker shades in the outer corner of the eye. But all in all, I've been leaning towards less eyeshadow lately, and I'm particularly not that fond of eyeliner at the moment. I think that daily eyeliner wear (due to having various pencil liners in my Project Pans/ Projects Make A Dent) has started to feel a little boring to me, and I appreciate the cleaner/ more effortless look of having only mascara-ed lashes against the lighter background of the eyelid.

All in all, it was a good experiment. I've been using The Balm's Nude'Tude for over a month now, and I can't really say that it has felt like a challenge so far. Every time I reach for the palette, I'm able to come up with little tweaks or slightly different placements. I've also been mixing and layering all the shades quite a lot, and it's fun. There's a whole LOT you can do with 12 different eyeshadows - and I actually feel like the variety of looks I've been able to achieve comes more from trying various approaches and styles as well as combining shades as opposed to having a variety of actual eyeshadows to choose from. What I'm saying is - I don't need 10 neutral eyeshadow palettes. For me, there's going to be more variety in looks in the scope of a single palette versus across those ten different selections. Almost every single neutral eyeshadow palette has a light shimmer, a medium brown, a cool and/or medium shimmer, a dark brown. Sure, the undertones may be different - but the basic placements remain the same. Once blended together, a lot of eyeshadows from palletes that may at first seem very different in the pan will actually look nearly identical on the eyes.

Which look was your favorite? Do you tend to do the same eyeshadow look every time you do your make-up, or do you like to experiment?