After slightly missing my mark for 2021, I have started off 2022’s Project Pan with a bang. Lots of empties of all sizes and in all beauty categories. (Ignore the Vegamour jar. It was from November, but I was saving the useful glass jar. When I discovered it, it was too late to take the picture over again.)
I Bought This, PR Samples, Retail GWPs, Affiliate Links
Skincare
PRAI BEAUTY AGELESS Throat & Decolletage Creme: I can’t believe that I have had this bejeweled jar of PRAI Throat & Decolletage Creme for at least 4 years. But the container was huge (200 ml/6.8 fl. oz.), and I kept checking it to see if it had gone “off” but as far as I could tell it was fine. The bejeweled jar, not so much. After 3 years, it started losing its jewels particularly near the top of the container. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this neck cream a lot. It was a fluffy, relatively lightweight cream that for me worked best in the warmer weather. I bought my jar on HSN at a discount. The product comes in 4 different sizes, and it comes in less expensive regular jars. The bejeweled jars come in many different colors and patterns. Repurchase? Someday, I will though I will probably buy the smaller “regular” size jar without the jewels. I would love another bejeweled container, but I might try a serum in a crystal container because it’s smaller. For now, I have returned to my longtime fave, StriVectin TL Anti-aging Neck Cream, a much thicker option that’s perfect for winter.
City Beauty City Lips, Clear: No matter how many other lip balms I try, City Lips continues to be my fave. It lasts the night, instantly hydrates my lips if I apply it after wearing a drying lipstick, and it just feels good. Repurchase? I will, but I still have a couple more tubes in my stash that I bought during a sale.
Derma E Hydrating Night Cream with Hyaluronic Acid: This travel size version of Derma E Hydrating Cream came in a makeup bag travel or discovery set that I received. The Hydrating Cream is one of my favorites for winter because it is very rich. Repurchase? I have another larger size already open.
LaRoche-Posay Anthelios Light Fluid Sunscreen SPF 50, trial size: I was surprised that this LaRoche-Posay sunscreen mini lasted me almost a month. This L-P sunscreen was a mineral sunscreen with Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide. It was a white lotion or fluid, and because it was a mineral sunscreen, it did apply with a white cast that disappeared as I rubbed it in. Though technically lightweight, it did leave the shiny finish that most sunscreens leave on the skin, though it disappeared after it got totally absorbed. Repurchase? Hmmm, not sure. I liked that it was mineral and SPF 50, but not sure it was my favorite. I wish there wasn’t such a trade-off with mineral sunscreens.
SkinCeuticals Hyaluronic Acid Intensifier, trial size: Like the LaRoche-Posay sunscreen, this mini size lasted me about three weeks or so. In the past, I had a negative opinion of SkinCeuticals based on my experience with their Vitamin C-E-Ferulic Serum that smelled awful (a friend gave it to me and maybe it had gone off). I shouldn’t have judged the brand based on one product. Although I have a million hyaluronic acid serums, I LOVED this one from SkinCeuticals. The liquid was lightweight, fast-absorbing, and it actually felt like it was doing something. Repurchase? Because I am frugal about using what I have, I won’t buy this HA serum yet. But after I get through some of the HA serums I already have, this one will be a prime contender for replacement if I can find a sale! The price, yikes!
CBD Gummies
I have to do a post on my experiences with CBD gummies. Another company had emailed me to ask if I wanted to try theirs a few weeks ago, but nothing has materialized, so I think I will review the three brands I have tried so far in the near future.
Just CBD Vegan CBD Gummies, Exotic Fruits: On the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend, Jeff and two of my friends and I went for a sail in Gloucester harbor on a beautiful sailboat. We had several more events planned in Gloucester till late at night. Sadly, I had a bout of IBS that came out of nowhere. I decided to try to see if CBD would help. I had some CBD gelcap at home, but they weren’t doing me any good there. We stopped into a CBD store in Gloucester, and I bought this pouch of gummies. I took two 10mg gummies, and I felt much better within a half hour. Yay! Repurchase? Yes, I did last weekend, but I bought a larger size jar that wasn’t vegan this time.
Keoni Hemp Gummies, 1000mg/40 gummies: Keoni gummies are the most delicious CBD gummies I have tried so far. I could just eat them as candy which is probably not the best thing, lol. These have 25mg per gummy, so I get more bang for my buck. Repurchase? Yes, I will. I actually tried to buy another jar on their website, but the site didn’t accept American Express though it said it did. I will probably wait a few weeks since I just bought the Just CBD gummies last weekend. I recommend both brands.
Health & Beauty
Popmask Starry Eyes Self-Warming Eye Masks: These self-warming eye masks are a god-send for traveling for people who have dry eye and blepharitis like me or for those who just want a very relaxing treat or help with falling asleep. Because they don’t require electricity, they’re so easy to use. And I am pretty sure they are TSA-compliant. The box contains 5 single use masks. The downside to the masks, however, is that end up in landfills. Repurchase? I just found them on sale for half the regular price at Walmart.com, so I bought another box to keep for travel purposes.
Bath & Body
Aveeno Skin Relief 24-Hour Moisturizing Lotion for Very Dry Skin: I love this rich, fragrance-free lotion. It’s a terrific everyday lotion for my dry skin. Plus since it’s fragrance-free, it doesn’t compete with whatever perfume I’m wearing. Repurchase? As usual, I want to use up the body lotions and butters that I already have. Nevertheless, I loved this one and will repurchase someday. However, my next body lotion/butter will have ceramides for skin barrier strengthening, and this one doesn’t have it.
Hey Honey Honey & Propolis Hand Cream: As you may remember, I strong disliked this hand cream that I bought from Hey Honey, a brand whose products I usually love. I detested the “fresh scent”, and it wasn’t hydrating enough for my dry skin. Repurchase? No way. However, on their website, other purchasers loved it.
Sol de Janeiro Brazilian 4-Play Moisturizing Shower Cream-Gel: I bought this large size shower cream a couple of years ago after trying a travel size version that I liked a lot. Truth be told, after a while, I got sick of the scent of this moisturizing shower cream. Repurchase? Not for quite a while, and next time, I will get a travel size.
Vitabath Heavenly Coconut Cream Paraben & Dye-free Body Wash: I’ve been using Vitabath shower gels since I was in college. The Heavenly Coconut Cream scent, a gourmand scent that smells to me like birthday cake, is one of my favorites. I think this was my third one. However, it used to come in a plastic pump bottle, I think it was, and when they made the formula paragon & dye-free, they switched to a tube. The tube was much less convenient to use in the shower. And every time I tried to pry up the plastic flip-top, I thought it was going to break off. Though it didn’t break off, I hated using it because of the packaging and I reached for it much less often than when it came in the previous packaging. As a result, I think I had this tube for about 3 years. Repurchase? Unfortunately, it’s still in the tube, so no, I won’t buy it again. Plus, I love the sophisticated scents from Molton Brown much more.
Makeup
butterLONDON Bloody Brilliant Lip Crayon, shade Teddy Boy: I absolutely loved this uber-creamy lip crayon with a built-in sharpener. This was my fourth one! But I guess I was alone in my love because the line was discontinued about three years ago. I found this one a year ago on Ebay. People complained that it was too soft and creamy, had to be sharpened too frequently, and made a mess. None of those things bothered me. And I love Teddy Boy, the perfect shade of pink-mauve. There are no more to repurchase, boo hoo. But I will save the sharpener.
Fragrance
Thank goodness for fragrance samples and decants. They are the way to go especially now that I am not doing a lot of in-person shopping. And when I do shop in a store,I ‘m wearing a mask which is not the best way to sniff a new fragrance.
Atelier des Ors Iris Fauves: I bought this one-month size decant from The Perfume Court (I think) after trying a smaller decant. I wanted to really make sure this powdery iris scent suited me before I sprang for the full size bottle since it is soooooo expensive. I came upon this spray decant recently in one of my drawers, and I finished it up. Repurchase? I bought the full bottle a little more than a year ago. I love it so much, I’m halfway through it already.
Serge Lutens Santal Majuscule: When I bought a bottle of Frederic Malle’s Musc Ravageur at Barneys a few years ago, the kind salesperson loaded me up with samples that normally sell for quick a bit. This was one of them. Though I like Serge Lutens Chergui, a deep unisex scent, Santal Majuscule, though technically considered unisex, is a bit too masculine for me. Purchase? No.
Francesca Bianchi The Dark Side: I bought several small decants from Indigo Perfumery a couple of years ago. Although the unisex scent, The Dark Side, sounded like it could be a good prospect for me as it was characterized as Balsamic, Woody and Powdery. Alas it wasn’t a match for me. Here are the notes: honey, spices, iris, viiolet, sandalwood, cedar wood, vetiver, amber, styrax, incense, patchouli, vanilla. So many of my favorite notes, yet not quite for me. Nevertheless another Francesca Bianchi decant I bought along with The Dark Side, Under My Skin, was a total success, and I have since bought a full bottle. Purchase? No.
Elizabeth & James Nirvana Black: I keep thinking I will find an Elizabeth & James fragrance that suits me, but so far a number of scents are close, but no cigar. Nirvana Black was another near miss. Oh well. Purchase? No.
Loewe 001 Man and Woman: This pair of coordinating fragrances from the luxury house, Loewe, was very interesting. Both fragrances had Bergamot as the top note, and Sandalwood and Musk as the bottom notes. The middle notes differed: Cypress and Violet for Man and Jasmine and Vanilla for Woman. I thought it was a very interesting concept. While neither one suited me well enough to buy a bottle, I enjoyed trying them out. Both are beautiful scents. Purchase? Probably not.
Final Tally
In January, I used up 14 beauty products. I did count the LaRoche-Posay and Skinceuticals minis because there was enough inside to last for almost a month of every day use. I didn’t count the small fragrance samples though I used them up over long periods of time. Hmmm, inconsistent reasoning I guess.
Fourteen empties is a very good start for me. I worry about February, though I have three products that are almost empty now, so at least I know I will have something!
How about you? What did you use up in January? Any favorites?
Very impressive job with your empties, Allison! I used up my Sol de Janeiro Brazilian 4-Play Moisturizing Shower Cream-Gel last month, I believe, and I loved it down to the last drop! I have too many bath and shower gels to use before purchasing any more, but that one is on my list for a future purchase as well!
Lola+Seicento recently posted…January 2022 Empties Galore!
Thank you! You always do well with your empties, an inspiration to me 🙂 The Sol de Janeiro shower cream is lovely. The large bottle that I bought was just too big for me. I will buy more eventually, but a small container 😉
The “empties” post is my favorite post each month! I bought the neck cream from HSN based on your recommendation and I love it. Thank you! And no, I never seem to use anything up. I was shopping a new moisturizer at Ulta yesterday and decided to see what I had at home instead – I had four. The struggle is real. Thank you for your posts, I learn so much!
You are the sweetest, Denise! Thank you xo I feel the same way you do about empties post coz you find out what is worth repurchasing or trying. I’m glad you decided to finish up your moisturizers before going on to the next, lol. I grew up without a lot of $, and I still have this thing about not throwing away half used things unless there’s something wrong with them, lol. I’m really glad that you like the PRAI neck cream. I love the fluffy consistency. For me, it is perfect for 3 New England seasons out of the year. For winter, my neck is happier with rich, stiff StriVectin, but boy do I miss that pretty, sparkly PRAI container!
Did you set a goal for this year like you have the last few? I did use things up this month plus I had a lot of tosses because of age: finished is GlamGlow eye cream which I’d buy again if I needed another eye cream. Also 2 eye creams from a natural company whose name I already forgot. They might not have been full size. (I meant to make a list). Tossed the Maybelline mascara that I reviewed here a few weeks ago. I also finished a Eyebrow serum and will start a new one tonight.
Marcia recently posted…Project Pan Beauty Empties January 2022
I decided to keep last year’s goal of 130 that I didn’t quite make and try again! I didn’t know that GlamGlow made an eye cream. You have encouraged me to open my GlamGlow silver mask and use it tonight! You did well this month on empties 🙂
I love those eye masks too! You do have excellent taste in skincare!
I hope you’re keeping that bejewelled container, Allison! I’ve just started using the Aveeno moisturiser on my face (my derm recommended it), after my skin got fried. I use it along with a ceramide toner, and it does a great job soothing and smoothing the peeling.
CosmetopiaDigest recently posted…MAKEUP AND SKINCARE HAUL HOLIDAY 2021
I love SkinCeuticals HA Intensifier too and won’t repurchase for the same reason. It’s such a beautiful product but I feel like there are so many other HA products on the market.
Glamorable recently posted…Empties vol. 51