Project Pan 50 - Part 2 (items 6 - 10)

Pleased to say that I'm progressing well on my Project 50 Pan and have another group of completed items to talk about. I'm also well into my next group of 5.  I'm actually surprised at how quickly I'm using products and also at how relatively easy it's been to date. 

I think when I get around the half way mark, I'm going to find the going tough - but so far, so good.

What I've used this time - it includes 4 x full size items & 1 x set of 5 (deluxe size) samples, which I'm counting as 1 x full size. 

1. Redwin Vitamin E Hand Cream - I grabbed this for around $3 at the supermarket & have enjoyed using it.  Lightweight, easily absorbed, good hand cream for daytime use.  Would repurchase

2. Avene Thermal Spray - my summer saviour.  This little 50ml treasure retails for around $10 & is currently my favourite skincare item - I carried it in my handbag, and a couple of spritz's on a hot day would quickly & easily calm my overheated skin.  Will definitely repurchase this many times, it's brilliant for anyone who hates getting overheated or uncomfortable in summer.

3. Manicare Tea Tree Nail Polish Remover - a decent nail polish remover with Acetone that retails for a few $$.  I don't mind the scent either, not too strong & it does the job.  Would repurchase

4. Nature's Organics Pure Sensitive Cleansing Wipes.  These retail for around $6 and are terrific for removing makeup at night when I'm too lazy or tired to do my usual cleansing.  Also so handy for traveling.  These are Australian made & owned & I'd rate them almost as good as my favourite Neutrogena wipes.  I like the natural ingredients & they never irritated my skin.  Would repurchase.

5. Samples or single use items x 5.

 a) Bioelixa Body Shaper Body Lotion - first time using the brand, this is a really top notch product.  Would buy the bigger size.

b) Joico KPak Restorative Styling Oil - just a few drops of this on dry hair, and instant moisture, and taming of the frizzies.  Would buy the bigger size.

c) Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair - legendary for a reason - I have a bigger bottle ready to go already, this is EL at their best.

d) L'Occitane Shea Hand Cream - another product I have a bigger size of, ready to go.  L'occitane's Shea range is amazing, I've loved everything I've tried in it.

e) Princess Skincare Hyaluronic Acid Mask (full size, single use).  I'm not counting my cloth masks in the full size count, as they're single use & I've plenty on hand. I received this in a beauty box recently & with Hyaluronic  Acid in the title, was keen to use when I needed some extra moisturising.  I've never heard of the brand before, but really liked this & will look to buy it when I need more cloth masks.  Unlike others I've tried, it didn't leave a sticky residue of serum, it was easy to apply & seemed to have the right amount of product.  The mask was also protected with a plastic sleeve inside the packet, I think that helps hold the shape & not give you a mask that's dripping with too much product.

I'll be finishing up my next 5 in just days & will post them up pronto.  If you're doing are Project Pan, how are you going?  Have you tried any of the items I've finished up this week?

Project Pan 50 - Part 1 (items 1 to 5)

Yay, I have finished my first 5 items already & have been sticking faithfully to my spending ban - time to put $25 in the piggy bank for my future splurge when I finish my Project 50 Pan.  Here's what I've finished off this week:- 

1. Lux Exfoliating Shea Scrub. It smells like a caramel eclair in a bottle, I love the gorgeous scent.  It's soap free, pH balanced & moisturiser enriched. I've had this bottle in the shower for months as I alternate exfoliating between this & a Salt Scrub.  May repurchase, once I get through the other numerous scrubs on my dresser.
2. Kit Hand Cream: Pomegranate & Pink Grapefruit. Kit state on the tube it's "Your Juicy Mood-Lifter Kit".  All I can say is yes, yes Kit, it does lift mood & I love the scent, texture & how delicious this smells. Yum! I wish I had this in a bigger size, it's 30mls & full size. It lived in my handbag/car for a couple of weeks & I loved every time I used it.  The scent is amazing.  Definitely will repurchase.
3. Hanskin Collagen Lifting B.B. Cream spf35 PA++.  A well-worn tube of my first Korean B.B. Cream. I really enjoyed using this product.  It is a very light shade, so if you're fair skinned & looking for a great B.B. Cream, try this one.  I think it's a fabulous B.B. Cream for anyone 30+ who wants a moisturising B.B. Cream.  The texture is light, it's very moisturising & always blended beautifully.  A firm favourite, I'll definitely repurchase.
4. Pantene Pro-V Single Dose Intensive Treatment Programme Rinse Off Treatment.  This comes in a box of 5 tubes, all individual doses, & I was lucky that I found it on special at Priceline & bought a box for just a few $$.  This is my last tube. Normally retails near $20.  This is a hair mask that works a treat & is so travel friendly too.  Easy to throw a tube or two in a suitcase on a trip away.  Each tube contains 15mls.  It's a top notch mask, and so easy to use.  Will repurchase.
5. Revlon Photoready 3D Volume Mascara in Blackest Black. I've never tried a Revlon mascara I didn't like, and this is no exception. It has a long brush & delivers great volume.  It doesn't smudge & I love that it also removes easily (unlike a new one, different brand, I've just started using!).  Will repurchase somewhere around 2018, ie when I get through the other 15+  mascaras I have as 'spares' on my dresser.

I'm really happy I'm 5 products in - and with some of my favourite skincare about to run out & an eyeshadow 90%+ gone, it won't be too long before I post my next 5 up.

Have you tried a spending ban, or doing a Project ... Pan? Have you tried any of the products in my first 5, and if so, what are your thoughts on them?

One of my favourite summer body lotions

Body care products are my weakness. I can't resist a Lush store, or an online sale that has great body care products on sale.  

So I have quite a 'stash' to work through while on my Project 50 Pan. Plus I'm avoiding Lush stores & my favourite online sale sites currently!

I can't really commit to one single favourite body lotion - I love trying new formulas, brands, and switching from lightweight lotions / milks to rich butters in colder weather.  If it smells beautiful & will nourish my skin, it'll land in my bathroom at some stage.

This is a favourite I'm using through this hot Perth summer.  I purchased this from Adore Beauty in 2013.  I love that website, it's full of my favourite brands & I purchased this during one of their VIP sessions - I received a matching full size shower gel for free which I'll review another time & paid just $21 for this product. Did someone say b.a.r.g.a.i.n?

This is L'occitane Delice des Fleurs Rose & Violette Body Milk.  The Body Milk is enriched with Grape Seed Oil & shea butter & contains May Rose & Violet Leaf absolutes.

What I love about this body milk is it's lightweight formula - I find the hotter the weather in Perth, the lighter I like my lotions.  A body milk is lighter than a lotion & perfect for this time of year.

It nourishes beautifully & sinks in like a dream. I can dress as soon as I put the body milk on, no need to wait a few minutes.

The other thing I love the most about this lotion is the scent - WOW - I am a sucker for anything that smells like roses and with May Rose in the ingredients, this of course has a delicious rose scent.  The Violet takes it to a very different place.  It adds a sharpness to the scent that turns sweet roses into something very different.  Sweet & sharp at the same time, it's hard to describe the scent but I adore it - I think I may just have to buy the perfume in the range when I'm off my spending ban.

What are your favourite body lotions you're using in summer?

My favourite face mask

I'll be posting regularly in coming weeks about my favourite makeup and skincare items, starting with this amazing face mask from The Body Shop.

Warming Mineral Mask is suitable for all skin types and comes in a large 100mls size.  It's also very reasonably priced (under $30).

It is the most unique mask I have ever tried and I love using it twice weekly.  The mask is a self-warming, deep cleansing kaolin clay treatment.  It also contains ginger & cinnamon oils to invigorate & algae to purify & condition.  It contains no colouring.

I have combination skin that is also quite sensitive around my t-zone & have tried many clay based masks over the years.

I love using this mask for a number of reasons.  Firstly, I only use a very small amount so the tube lasts many months. Excellent value for money.

I can't really describe the self-warming stage, other than to say it is the most delightful feeling I've ever had from any skincare product.

Also a pleasant surprise is how light-as-air it feels on my skin.  I've never tried a clay mask that feels so soothing & comforting.

It is only on my skin for 5 minutes & rinses so easily with warm water - unlike most clay masks that tighten up & are harder to remove. Afterwards my skin looks and feels so soft, clear and bright.

I recommend this mask for anyone, it has made such a delightful & ongoing change to my skin.  Let me know your favourite masks, I love suggestions.

Project 50 Pan

What is a Project 50 Pan?

It's a commitment by me to both save money & rescue my dresser & bathroom from having enough beauty, hair, skin, makeup products to almost kickstart my own beauty franchise.  

During the Project 50 Pan I will not be buying (for my own use) any of the following:-

• hair care products ie shampoo, conditioner, styling
• makeup products
• skincare products
• fragrance products
• body care products ie soaps, shower gels, scrubs, self-tanning, sunblock
• nail care products ie polish, tools, treatments
• hand care products ie handcreams, scrubs, soaps

I'm committing to finish 50 items from my current product stash (either I'm using already or have bought already) before I purchase any more beauty related items.

What are the rules?

During the duration of the P50P, I will not purchase any new hair, skincare, fragrance, body products, makeup, hand or nail products - unless I'm specifically replacing an item I do not have more of already i.e. if I run out of sunblock or nail polish remover etc

 

Items must be full size items, items I use personally i.e. not family members, and emptied or finished to be counted in the total.

What are the exceptions?

1. I have 3 x monthly Beauty Box subscriptions that are paid annually - these will continue to arrive during the P50P.
2. I am invited regularly to trial beauty products & review them.  As I'm not purchasing these personally, I will happily accept suitable trial offers & products.
3. I'm pretty lucky &  love entering competitions so may win some beauty prizes during the P50P.  Again, I'm not buying these items.
4. I have a fair amount of samples to use up - I will include (5) deluxe samples I finish using as (1) full size item

Other info

I'll review each item as I finish & post my progress every time I use up 5 items.  It'll give you a secret peek into my favourite items & why I love them, or in some cases, why I wouldn't repurchase.  

I hope you enjoy following me on this challenge & I hope to see my bank a/c growing & my stash reducing.  No idea how long it will take, I expect a few months easily.

Have any of you done this challenge before, and if so, how was it?  Or are you inspired to join me and do one of these too?

It's that time of year

Happy 2014 everyone!  

A new year brings so much promise & the inevitable new year resolutions.

I know half of Australia will wake up today vowing to never drink alcohol again, but outside of those 'morning after NYE' resolutions, I like to use this time of year to take stock of my life, health, family, friendships, finances, travel plans, hopes & dreams for the coming year ahead.  

Personally, I'll have an intense focus on improving my health in 2014.  2013 has shown me how invaluable it is to every part of your life, when injury and/or illness (or both in my case) affect you & your life circumstances.

Outside of being physically in a better place in 12 months, there's one other resolution I simply must make & I blame my beauty addiction for needing this!

I stood in my bedroom this morning wondering if my beauty & skincare products are mating overnight, or if they're in some secret CIA cloning program - honestly, how did I get SO much stuff?  

I must admit, I've been incredibly lucky in 2013, including winning early in the year 1 of the  "Glosscars" prizes from Beautyheaven.com.au - one big box delivery from Oz post & I suddenly had 60 or so new makeup, hair, skincare, body, sun, beauty tools & fragrance products to add to my already groaning dresser & bathroom. An amazing prize, and a highlight of 2013, I'll be happily working my way through it for years to come.

But I need to do something to bring my stash under control - so my new year beauty resolution will be to kick off the year with a Project 50 Pan - it probably should be a Project 200 Pan, haha, but like all New Year resolutions, it works better if it's realistic! 

I'll post next time of the rules I'll be following.  What's your New Year resolutions?  Are you doing any beauty related ones?