Project Pan: June 2021 Beauty Empties

First, I hope you’ve been having a good July 4th weekend. It’s been rainy and cold here in the Boston area. We went to the Peabody Essex Museum on Sunday, the first time we’ve been there in at least 18 months. At the end of the day, the sun came out for a bit, but it was still too chilly and wet for outdoor activities. Monday should be a little warmer and drier.

Now on to Project Pan and my empty beauty products for the month and half year.

June was a pretty good month for me for using up beauty products. Glad to be able to toss or recycle quite a few jars and bottles now. 

Since I have so many products that I am trying to use what’s in my stash and I am trying not to buy a lot, I will tell you if I am or have repurchased or whether I think it is worth buying.

I Bought This, PR Samples, Affiliate Links

Bath and Body

Molton Brown Orange & Bergamot Bath & Shower Gel: You already know that I am a huge fan of Molton Brown bath and body products. I love the Orange & Bergamot scent that smells like citrusy tea. It does have a sharp note that, pardon the pun, may not be everyone’s cup of tea, lol. But I find that it is sunny, lively, revitalizing, and a good scent to use especially in the morning to wake up and get going. Recommend? Yes, I recommend it if you are a fan of a citrusy tea scent.c

Molton Brown Orange & Bergamot Hand Wash: I bought this travel size Orange & Bergamot Hand Wash as part of a duo with Hand Cream after I had already bought the Bath & Shower Gel and knew that I liked the fragrance. I feel a little bad because one of my friends bought a full size duo for her kitchen most likely after reading my review, and she wasn’t crazy about the scent. Recommend? Yes, but like I said above, you have to be a fan of a citrusy tea-like scent with a sharp note.

Secret Outlast Deodorant/Anti-Perspirant: Most of the time, I use a natural deodorant that doesn’t contain aluminum that effectively plugs the sweat glands. However, for days when I am going somewhere when I must be dry and odor free and I may be anxious about something, I do use a traditional anti-perspirant. Secret Outlast works well for me on those occasions. Recommend? If you need to stay dry, I do recommend Secret Outlast because it is easy to apply, doesn’t leave white marks on skin or clothes, and it provides protection all day.

Ravish Soap Company “My Happy Place” Bar Soap sample: When I bought two full size bars of Beach, Please!, Ravish included a sample of fruity scented My Happy Place with tangerine and grapefruit. I liked the scent, and it was a pretty bar with pink and orange on a beige background. Happy Place lathered more than Beach, Please which for me was a good thing. Recommend? If you like a handmade, natural soap that lathers, I recommend Happy Place because it was more like other soaps that I tend to use that lather up without much work.

Haircare

JOICO K-PAK Luster Lock Instant Shine & Repair Treatment: I’ve gone through a million tubes of JOICO K-PAK Luster Lock over the past several years, and it is a staple in my stash. I always have a replacement or two waiting in the wings. Since I discovered JOICO, I hardly ever use another hair conditioner because this one works so well for my coarse, thick hair, making it tangle-free, smooth, manageable, and healthy. Recommend? Yes, I recommend it if your hair is similar to mine – coarse and thick – otherwise it might weigh down your hair. 

Skincare

Abib Good morning & night Ampoules: I loved this kit of serums, 5 for morning use and 5 for nighttime use, from Korean brand, Abib. Although you are supposed to use up the entire ampoule during the 5 day treatment to revive your skin, I found that they contained so much serum that each one lasted me at least 3 days. Recommend? I decidedly recommend Abib Good morning & night Ampoules if your skin is tired, dry or dull. It is not very expensive, and I found it gave my skin a boost.

Hey Honey Open Your Eyes Lifting Eye Serum: I was introduced to the Hey Honey brand via Ipsy a couple of years ago, and I have had good luck with all of the HH skincare products I’ve tried so far. Because lifting is one of my key eye concerns, I was eager to try this serum from Hey Honey. Unfortunately, the tip of the tube broke off which was a pain, and I ended up finishing the serum sooner than I would have if the tip had remained in tact. Also, more product came out than I needed and in trying to use it, I often applied too much and it would get into my eyes and burn. Boo. Nevertheless, the products was a lightweight, loose, white liqui-gel that absorbed quickly. I used it in conjunction with eye cream for an extra lifting boost. Recommend? In spite of the broken tip, I liked this Lifting Eye Serum. I thought it gave the skin around my eyes an extra boost. Someday, I will buy it again.

Mamonde Petal Spa Oil to Foam Cleanser: I had been eager to try Mamonde rose products for ages, and I finally bought a starter rose collection at Ulta during a sale. The Petal Spa Oil to Foam Cleanser was a lovely, rose-scented gel cleanser. I am not sure why it’s called “Oil to Foam” because it doesn’t feel like oil when it comes out of the pump and the gel foams up when you lather it. No matter, it was a nice gentle facial cleanser. Recommend? I recommend this cleanser for those who are fans of rose-scented products. If you don’t like rose, this isn’t for you. I liked it. I’m sorry that Ulta seems to be only carrying one or two Mamonde products now.

PCA Skin Creamy Cleanser: PCA Skin sent me a big box of facial skincare products to try out a couple of years ago, and it has taken me a long time to make my way through it. I wish I hadn’t waited so long to try the Creamy Cleanser. I noticed the expiration date on the bottom of the plastic bottle, and the cleanser had expired in April 2020. The only change that I could perceive was that the cleanser may have been thicker and a little clumpier than if I had used it when it was new. Because it was a little difficult to get out of the long, narrow bottle, I substituted a pump for the flip-top dispenser, but eventually the tube on the pump wasn’t long enough and I had to go back to the regular dispenser that I often removed and squeezed some out. The creamy, white, thick cleanser was perfect for my dry skin especially in the winter and early spring. It left my skin feeling hydrated and plumped as well as clean. It had a noticeable lavender scent that was a plus for me, especially when I used it before bed – so relaxing. Recommend? I love this cleanser, and I just ordered another bottle from Lovelyskin.com during the July 4th sales. If you have dry skin and like a lavender scent, PCA Skin Creamy Cleanser may be right for you too.

Hanalei Kona Peptide Hawaiian Eye Cream: Another brand I discovered through Ipsy, I have been buying Hanalei Lip Balm for a few years. When I saw that Ipsy was offering a travel size Hanalei Kona Peptide Eye Cream as a $3 add-on, I decided to try it. It came in a small plastic tube with a tip. This tip didn’t break off, thankfully. The eye cream was rich and a little went a long way. It contains caffeine and skin tightening, age defying peptides, and it worked well for me to firm and hydrate the area around my eyes including the skin above my crease. Recommend? Yes, I recommend it. I just bought another travel size add-on from Ipsy that I will receive along with my July Plus Bag.

Dr. Lipp Miracle Balm: Dr. Lipp has long been one of my favorite lip treatment products because it works so well for me. I’ve gone through a lot of these over the years. Recommend? Yes, as long as you’re not vegan because it is 100% medical grade lanolin. BTW, this product has been renamed Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm.

Makeup

Milk Makeup Lip & Cheek Stick, shade Werk: I got this mini size Lip & Cheek stick in my Sephora birthday gift in 2020, I think. I really like the dusty rose shade, though it is also available in at least 5 other shades. It’s buildable and relatively long-wearing. Recommend? I was impressed by this blush (I don’t use it on my lips). It’s easy to apply, met my expectations for lastingness especially for a cream, and the color seems to be universally flattering. Worth checking out if you’re looking for a new blush.

Sample Packets

Derma E Firming DMAE Eye Lift: Firming DMAE Eye Lift is the precursor to Derma E’s new Firming Stem Cell Eye Lift. It looks like Derma E discontinued Firming DMAE Eye Lift because I couldn’t find it on their website. I love the new Firming Stem Cell Eye Lift Treatment, so it is fine with me.

Kiehl’s Bath and Shower Liquid Body Cleanser Grapefruit: After using Kiehl’s fragrance-free All-Family Gentle Liquid Body Cleanser, I was psyched to try a sample of a similar product with grapefruit. Sadly, I couldn’t smell any grapefruit in this body cleanser. So I wasn’t very impressed.

Tosses

This month, I am throwing out 3 products that are old and have either turned or broken.

Murad Age Reform Invisiblur Perfecting Skin Broad Spectrum SPF 30: I had high hopes for this pricey sunscreen that was supposed to blur lines and wrinkles. I used up half the bottle, but I can see that the clear color is now a yellowish shade and needs to be thrown out. I can’t remember the original price, but I think it was somewhere between $75 and $90 when I bought it. I was hoping for a very lightweight blurring sunscreen, but it was a much heavier, goopier product than I would have liked. The blurring effect was minimal. As a result, I was rather disappointed, and over time, I stopped reaching for it. I think I bought it at least 3, if not 4, years ago, and not surprisingly, the formula turned. I don’t really recommend it.

Can’t remember the name gold and copper eyeshadow duo: I got a cute little circular eyeshadow duo with a tiny mirror in one of my early Ipsy sample bags. The powder shadows were perfect shades for me. The shadows were highly pigmented and easy to blend. I used it a lot, but it takes a lot to actually use up eyeshadow especially when you have as many palettes as I do. Unfortunately, I dropped this cutie and the gold shadow broke into a million pieces. It’s more than 4 years old so I should have tossed it anyway.

MyChelle Perfect C Cleansing Oil: Several years ago, MyChelle sent me a bottle of their cleansing oil with vitamin C that removes makeup, cleanses the skin and leaves behind vitamin C for brightening. Although I do like using cleansing oils from time to time, I don’t use them routinely. I brought this bottle to Jeff’s for me to use there, and I didn’t use it often enough. The color of the oil turned brown so I tossed it earlier this week. Ugh.

Project Pan Progress

I used up 12 products in June. Woohoo! I don’t count the expired products or the sample packets that are only one or two uses. I ended May with 49 empties. Now at the halfway point in the year, I’m at 61 beauty empties. If my 2021 goal was 100, I would be feeling very happy, but my goal is 130 beauty empties, so I am not even halfway there. Well, I will keep at it and do the best I can.

What did you use up in June?

Today's Author

Allison Cohen

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