As I mentioned last week, I had too many products gathered up from July through September 2023 to review them all. So here are the remainders, primarily skincare empties. Honestly, I hope I can remember what I thought of some of them! Here goes!
Beauty Tools
Natural sponge: I can’t do without natural sponges to wash my face. They’re soft, they dry quickly, and after they are used, they can be recycled in my compost pile. Recommended? Yes. I tend to buy them on Amazon.
Skincare
Pumpkin & Spice Jelly Cleanser: I received this Pumpkin & Spice Gel Cleanser over a year ago in the weeks before Halloween. This is a true pumpkin spice lover’s dream cleanser because the scent is strong! Although it smells delightfully pumpkin spicy, it’s just a little too strong for me once the pumpkin spice novelty of the season has worn off. Nevertheless, it’s a nice gel cleanser that’s good for all skin types. I had stopped using it because I had another cleanser that I needed to test for review, and I forgot I had this one. When I rediscovered it this fall, I finished it up. Recommend? Yes, for those who adore pumpkin spice scents. Right now, the Pumpkin & Spice website has a big sale: the Jelly Cleanser is marked down to $19.99 reduced from $39.99 AND it’s Buy One Get One Free.
Tatcha The Rice Wash Skin-Softening Cream Cleanser, travel size: Back in the spring, I bought a travel size of Tatcha’s The Rice Wash Cream Cleanser. I love all things Tatcha, but they’re expensive. I was glad I could try this cream version with rice powder (instead of the Rice Powder Cleanser grains that I also have) in a travel size. (I bought an introductory set with a travel size The Dewy Moisturizer at Sephora.) The floral scent is absolutely divine. The white, lightweight cream was lovely to use. It left my skin soft, hydrated and smooth. Recommend? Yes, I loved it. And I prefer the Skin-Softening Cream Cleanser to the Tatcha Rice Powder Enzyme Cleansing Grains because it’s easier to use.
Peach & Lily Power Calm Hydrating Gel Cleanser, travel size: I bought this travel size Hydrating Gel Cleanser when I needed to spend a certain amount to get free shipping. However, it is a very nice hydrating cleanser to cleanse and calm skin. Of course, it does not strip the skin of oils and moisture. It does have a lightweight floral scent that I don’t smell once I add water and lather it up. Recommend? Yes. Right now, the Peach & Lily Power Calm Hydrating Gel Cleanser is 10% off on Ulta.com.
Korres Yoghurt Foaming Cream Cleanser, travel size: Korres’ Foaming Cream Cleanser is one of my favorite products from 2023. I bought this travel size to take with me to London and Dublin. It goes on as a cream but lathers once water is added to it. It is extremely gentle, and like the Peach & Lily Cleanser, it too has a lightweight floral scent that goes away upon use. Recommend? Strongly yes!
Korres Santorini Velvet Skin Drink: I adore this lightweight facial oil from Korres. It has youth-restoring resveratrol, and it only takes a few drops to cover my face. Pressed into the skin, it disappears almost on contact. I often choose to use Velvet Skin Drink when I am using my Red Light Therapy tool or any time that my skin feels dry or needs extra pampering. Recommend? This is another strong yes from me. I’m on to my next bottle, and I have another bottle waiting in the wings. It’s my facial oil of choice!
Luna and Leaf Fresh Lift Moisturizer: Luna and Leaf is a natural, plant-powered skincare brand that flies under the radar. Honestly, I wish that Luna and Leaf had the money to spend on advertising the brand because it is an excellent and affordable brand. I tried their Lighten Up Trio (cleanser, serum & moisturizer), and I loved all three products. Nevertheless, their Fresh Lift Moisturizer with Peptide & Hibiscus was my favorite. The benefits of this medium weight, peach-colored cream include hydrating, lessening fine lines, and firming. It comes in an airless pump bottle to protect the efficacy of the moisturizer. Recommend? Yes, I do. In fact, Belk is discontinuing the brand, Luma and Leaf, and is selling Fresh Lift Moisturizer for half price, $13 for 1.7 fl.oz. It is also sold on the Luna and Leaf website and ThePerfumeSpot.com. It is also sold via Instacart where it is overpriced, boo.
City Beauty Ultra-Fill Marionette Line Treatment: City Beauty’s Ultra-Fill Marionette Line Treatment was introduced in 2023, and it too was one of my favorite products of 2023. The peach cream comes in an airless pump dispenser, and it pumps out in a thin amount like an eye cream pump dispenser does. You get just enough in one or two pumps to press the cream into the marionette line and also the vertical lines above and below the lips. I think this line treatment will prevent lines if used early enough. It softens deep lines, and it can help fade lines if used twice a day on a regular basis. Recommend? I do recommend it. In fact, I will buy another tube next time City Beauty has one of their big sales.
City Beauty City Lips (3 tubes): You know City Lips is my favorite product from City Beauty. I’ve been using it for more than 10 years. It softens my dry lips and has definitely plumped them too. Recommend? Of course!
IT Cosmetics Confidence In An Eye Cream: I love peptide-rich Confidence In An Eye Cream. It hydrates and firms my sensitive eyes. The only thing I wish is that it came in a tube or airless pump dispenser. However, that wish hasn’t prevented me from stockpiling 3 more jars of it. Recommend? Yes.
Cirem Flawlessly Floral Rose & Lavender Eye Cream: Because this eye cream had such a strong scent, I couldn’t use it on my eyes. I used it on my neck or randomly on any dry patches of skin. But to be honest, there’s still a bit left on the bottom of the jar, and I just couldn’t use that. I wish I could remember which PR person or company sent me the Cirem Eye Cream, but the price on this 15g eye cream is $799!!!! I didn’t like it regardless of the price. 😉 Recommend? No!
IT Cosmetics Hello Results Daily Retinol Wrinkle Reduction Serum Cream, mini: I received this mini when I purchased IT Confidence in an Eye Cream from the IT website. Because it was small, I only got to use it on 2 or 3 nights, but it seemed like a nice and gentle retinol cream. Here’s what IT says about it: “blend of free and encapsulated retinol, the formula is suitable for daily use on all skin types. You’ll see dramatic clinical results on more than just wrinkles! See an improvement in skin firmness and a reduction in fine lines and dark spots.” Recommend? It seemed worth a try, especially in the tube size.
Project Pan Final 2023 Part II
In the Skincare empties part of July-September Project Pan, I used up 13 products, not counting the mini retinol serum from IT Cosmetics. I ended Part I of the Project Pan Final at 107 empties, and with the 13 empties in this section, I ended 2023 with 120 empties. The goal that I set at the end of 2022 was to aim to use up 135 beauty products. I’m sad to say I didn’t make it.
Oh well! I’m certainly not going to mope about “only” using up 120! In fact, for 2024, my goal will be a hopefully achievable 120!
How about you? Any favorites or staples among the products you finished in 2023? If you follow my Project Pan posts, you sure can tell which products are my staples. 😀
