Project Pan 50 - Part 4 (items 16 - 20)

Items 16 - 20 that I've finished recently for my Project 50 Pan.  I wanted to finish all items in the one brand for this post.

You'll notice I have more than a bit of a soft spot for Japanese brand Shiseido.  This is a brand I've used regularly over 20+ years and that my skin loves.  There's a couple of Holy Grail products here.

The cleanser, toner & day moisturiser were part of a boxed set that was only around $45 on sale. I also bought a matching 75mls night cream from Myers.  Most moisturisers are 50mls, but Shiseido have generous sizing in their products. Items are all in The Skincare range, which is suited for most skin types & works beautifully for my combination skin. 

16) Shiseido The Skincare Extra Gentle Cleansing Foam - my Holy Grail, favourite cleanser, & the best product in this range. This 75ml size tube lasted me months.  I need only a tiny amount to cover my face & neck easily.  It removes makeup effortlessly & leaves my skin feeling clean, fresh & renewed.  I will definitely be buying this for years to come.

17) Shiseido The Skincare Hydro-Nourishing Softener.  Toner perfection in a bottle, this works brilliantly with the cleanser. A quick swipe always leaves my skin softer, refreshed & never tight or dry.  This is my Holy Grail, favourite toner.  The bottle lasted me many months. Will repurchase.

18) Shiseido The Skincare Day Moisture Protection SPF15 - this one in the boxed set wasn't full size, but still lasted me easily a month.  It's lovely and light, an excellent base for makeup & has moderate broad spectrum protection built in.  Works really well with the cleanser & toner.  Will repurchase.

19) Shiseido The Skincare Night Moisture Recharge Light - a generous 75ml size with a pump dispenser.  This moisturiser is nice & light on my skin, ideal for summer when other creams are just too dense. I'd like to try the regular one for winter, once I get through my stash of products!  Will repurchase.

20) Nair Sensitive Hair Remover Cream with sweet almond oil.  For years I used the raspberry one Nair produced that's been discontinued.  While that is my favourite, this isn't a bad alternative.  As long as I'm careful using, and leave the cream on for it's maximum time, this is a very effective hair remover.  I've learnt the hard way to not rub the cream (even accidentally), as products can irritate & burn skin.  I prefer using this to shaving or waxing, as it gives longer lasting results.

Have you tried any of the products listed here?  Do you have any holy grail skincare products you can share here?

Project Pan 50 - Part 3 (items 11 - 15)

I've been very busy using up more products on my Project Pan and am almost now at the half way mark.

It's been a challenge at times to stay on it - a visit to a local pharmacy a couple of weeks ago that had every Rimmel & Natio item selling for just $2 each (with lots of fabulous items in lots of baskets) was impossible to resist.  So I have strayed a bit, but in general have been able to stay firmly on track.  

I've been busy using off skincare, lots of hair products & tapping into a big stash of samples.   Here's items 11 to 15 - this is a group that's heavy on samples!

11. Schwarzkopf Marrakesh Oil & Coconut Express Mousse Treatment.  I like this lightweight, moisturising mousse.  Usually used on damp hair, it's a leave-in treatment that's very pleasantly scented & works well. Would repurchase.

12. Sasy n Savy Empower Floral Spray - This is a deliciously scented floral spray that can be used as a fragrance, or sprayed on linen or in a room.  I only wore it on me, and kept in my handbag for quick refreshing on the go.  I enjoyed using this, and would repurchase.

13. Burt's Bees Facial Cleansing Towelettes - These are very pleasantly scented & work well at makeup removing, though I do need to use an eye makeup remover to removed mascara.  I've bought these a couple of times and would repurchase again.

14 & 15. Samples or single use items x 10

a) Crabtree & Evelyn Pomegranate Argam & Grapeseed ultra-moisturising hand therapy - great size for the handbag, this is a beautiful hand cream that's deliciously scented, has a texture that's rich but not greasy & it works a treat.  Would buy the larger size.

b) Sanctum Body Soothe - a lightweight, deliciously scented body lotion.  I received this sample in a hotel stay in 2013 & enjoyed using.  Would buy full size.

c) Sanctum Body Spa - deliciously scented body wash with organic ingredients. Enjoyed using & would buy full size.

d) Clinique Take The Day Off Remover - one of my favourite eye makeup removers, this can remove mascaras easily that other brands struggle with.  I received this in a GWP set and will definitely buy again.

e) Invisible Zinc Tinted Day Wear Light SPF30 UVA & UVB - a generous size sample from a magazine, this is a really great base for when I'm going to be outside for hours & need fail-proof, sweat-proof sun protection & base.  This is a thickish formula, but once on - stays on.  Would buy full size.

f) Eleven Miracle Hair Treatment - this product is amazing, I've had a few little tubes & will hunt down a local stockist & buy full size.  It's put on as a leave in treatment in the morning, and makes such a difference to how my hair looks and behaves.  Highly recommended, I'll be buying full size.

g) Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair - I have this in full size already, this is a GWP / travel size.  Estee Lauder doing what it does best, this is truly a wonder serum.  Will buy again.

h) Sanctum Shampoo - nicely scented shampoo I had from a hotel stay.  It has a lovely, natural oils scent & cleansed well.  Would buy full size.

i) Sanctum Conditioner - nicely scented conditioner that was fairly lightweight so didn't weigh down my hair. Worked well at de-tangling & conditioning, would buy full size.

j) Thalgo BB Cream SPF15 - small tube so only had one use.  Enjoyed using it, it has a nice texture & feel on my skin.  I'd like to buy full size in the future.

So big list, but another 5 off my total - I'll be posting up items 16 to 20 in a day or two!

Have you used any of these products?  And have you tried doing a Project Pan or spending ban? 

Why I love Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream SPF30 Hydrating Color Corrector

I recently voted in the Glosscars awards on Beautyheaven - an annual vote by members of the community for their favourite items released in the most recent year. There are dozens of categories and products to vote for, with a special extra points voting system for your special favourites.  

I didn't hesitate choosing my favourite product from 2013 - Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream SPF30 Hydrating Color Corrector. 

 

If I had to take just one product to a desert island, this would be the one I'd be packing.  It's my first CC Cream, and while I'm sure I'll try others, they'll have a lot to live up to. 

Clinique have 4 shades in the range, and I have shade Light which suits my complexion perfectly.

There are 40mls in the tube, and mine has lasted ages & is showing no signs or running out..   It retails for $45.00. 

I've swatched the cream so you can see both how well the shade matches, and also how well it blends.  How it imparts a lovely soft glow. 

According to Clinique, this wonder product  has:-

• Sheer, light-scattering optics help neutralise imperfections by reflecting light away from flaws—creating the look of more even-toned skin.
• Sallowness and dullness brighten. Redness diminishes. Grey becomes a natural glow.

My thoughts

It combines all the skincare benefits of the Clinique Moisture Surge skincare range with SPF30 UVA & UVB protection.  I love that it's fragrance-free, has an oil-free formula & is allergy tested.

What I really love about this is the colour correction.  I have had cheeks that are naturally red for as long as I can remember - this product eliminates the redness completely.

It makes my skin look and feel beautifully hydrated, fresh and calm.  It's a delightfully lightweight formula, I can barely notice I'm wearing it.  It also has great staying power and doesn't sweat off my skin on a hot summer day. 

While this can be a base and a foundation applied over it, I've never felt the need to do so.  This gives me all the coverage I need. 

I'd highly recommend trying this - personally I find CC Creams are a better product than BB Creams - they just offer so many extra benefits.  I hope Clinique make this forever!

Have you tried this CC Cream or others, please share your favourites.

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?

Beautiful beginnings

I've always been a fan of all things beauty.  I blame my Mum - from an early age she drummed into me the necessity to 'look after your skin now, you'll be glad you did when you're older'.  Plus she had an appreciation for fine fragrances & makeup that often found me playing with & trialing her favourites.

Now I'm older, I am very glad I looked after my skin from a young age.  The calendar may say I'm in my mid-life prime but I look & feel a good decade younger.   Part due to being an early beginner on skin care & part because I'm a bonafide beauty addict.

Yep, where's a 12 Step Program when you need one?   I guess if I do have an addiction, at least it's to something that benefits me rather than does harm!

So what is this blog going to be about?  Well I'm always buying, or trialing, or reviewing, or adding to a pretty decent size collection of beauty products.  I love mixing up brands, trying new products, or getting onto the latest thing nice & early.  Hope you like it & return.