It’s empties time again. Time for an update on my Project Pan empties progress. You will remember that I met my goal of using up 100 beauty products in 2019 a couple of months ago, and I revised my goal to 125 empties by year’s end.
So what did I use up in November?
Skincare
- City Beauty Multi-Action Sculpting Cream: I used this rich, thick cream along my jawline and sometimes on my neck. It seemed like when I used it my jawline looked and felt a little tighter. Repurchase? Yes, I did. I think I’m addicted.
- The Body Shop Drops of Youth Gentle Foaming Wash: I got this Gentle Foaming Wash from The Body Shop in January, I think, when TBS created a product duo with this cleanser and my favorite exfoliating mask. The Gentle Foaming wash was indeed gentle, and it didn’t strip or dry out my skin. It was perfect for my use during the warmer weather when my super dry skin was less dry. Repurchase? Although the Drops of Youth Gentle Foaming Wash had disappeared from the TBS website, it is back! Yippie! This affordable cleanser was a dupe for the Skinceuticals Foaming Cleanser. BTW, if you haven’t tried it already, try the Drops of Youth Youth Liquid Peel my favorite exfoliator bar none, and it’s on sale for $15 now.
- First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair BarriAir Cream: I was quite taken with this unusual moisturizer that strengthens the skin’s barrier. It has the consistency of cotton candy, and it seems to regenerate itself in the jar when I take some out. Odd stuff, but I really like it. Repurchase? Yes, I did.
Skincare Samples
Because these sample packets are so small and allow for only a few usage occasions, they don’t count toward my use-up goal. Also, these are just initial thoughts and reactions.
- Algenist Genius Liquid Collagen: After using this golden liqui-gel collagen three times, it seems promising. It might be worth purchasing if it’s on sale.
- The Body Shop British Rose Fresh Plumping Mask packette: I had forgotten how lovely this thick rose-scented plumping mask is! It left my skin plumped and feeling hydrated. It reminded me that I have a full jar of TBS British Rose Plumping Mask, and I must take it out and start using it now while my skin is so dry and uncomfortable due to the drying indoor heat and outdoor cold.
Bath and Body
- Rituals Ritual of Dao Foaming Shower Gel: I got this travel size can of Ritual of Dao Foaming Shower Gel in a Rituals gift set last month. The white lotus scent is delicate and divine. I love to use foaming shower gel as shaving foam as well as to gently cleanse my skin. Repurchase? Yes, I did. It was on sale for $5 for the full size can at Lord & Taylor!
Fragrance
- Sylvaine Delacourte La Collection Muscs Discovery Set: I bought this discovery set from the former nose at Guerlain who launched her own fragrance brand a couple of years ago. I liked two of the scents in the discovery set so much – Florentina and Lilylang – that I bought several purse sprays of both scents in a gorgeous rose gold metal box. I have finally used up the other samples in the Musc set. Sylvaine Delacourte makes two other discovery sets: Vanilla and new Orange Blossom. So far, I’ve tried the Vanilla, and I’ll try Orange Blossom next.
Makeup Tools
- Clean Apothecary Solid Brush Shampoo, scent Grapefruit: I received this fab makeup brush shampoo in my Beautylish Lucky Box two years ago, but I waited to use up my BlenderCleanser before digging in. I believe that this jar and bar that’s much bigger than the BlenderCleanser but similarly priced has lasted me at least a year. Repurchase? Clean Apothecary is handmade by a woman in the midwest, and I’m not sure it’s a full time thing for her. It is still sold on the Beautylish website in five scents for $15 each. Damnation, I just discovered that her $5 sale on her website cleanbrushes.com ended last night. On her website, Clean Apothecary Solid Brush Shampoo refills sell for $10 plus shipping. Vanilla is the scent in stock now. Right now, I am going to use the BlenderCleanser that I bought quite a while ago, but when it’s time to replace it, I’ll go back to Clean Apothecary Brush Shampoo that’s natural, organic and less expensive for a larger size.
Tosses and Expired Products
I have to get serious about tossing products that I don’t use, so I’m trying to get rid of a few every month. I definitely need to get more aggressive about it. But here are a couple for this month. They don’t count toward my Project Pan totals since they’re not used up.
- Highlight Liquid Lipstick: Although I love the color of this liquid lipstick that’s creamy on application but that dries to matte, my poor dry lips can’t handle it. Since I have used it and can’t give it away, I’m tossing it.
- Magnetic Matte Lip Color, shade Greystone: I can’t find the brand name on this travel size tube of brown matte lip crayon that I got ages ago in an Ipsy bag when I subscribed to the regular bag. Whatever possessed me to even try a matte brown lip crayon instead of giving it away, I don’t know. The shade would make me look like a corpse, and a matte crayon is a no-no. Out it goes since I did try using it.
- The All Natural Face Lip and Cheeks, shade Dusky Rose: I was so sad that I didn’t use this beautiful indie natural brand blush very much. I forgot I had it. It is a gorgeous deep mauve shade that was perfect for fall and winter. It has an expiration date on it: 12/18, so I am a year overdue in tossing it. The former creamy multitasker is now completely solid. Definitely time to go. I discovered that I got this beauty in a Beauty Box 5 subdue box that may no longer exist, but the indie brand “The All Natural Face” still does! The vegan matte blush costs $6.59, and it is well worth it. There seem to be about 20 other shades in addition to Dusky Rose. Worth a look!
So I used up 6 more beauty products in November, less than half as many as I used up in October (13 empties) when I reached 121 beauty empties for 2019. Now, I’m at 127 so yippee, I surpassed my revised goal of 125! December will be gravy.
BTW, check out the empties posts of two of my colleagues, Renu from Cosmetopia Digest who started our Project Pan chapter and Helen from Lola’s Secret Beauty Blog.
Do any of my empties speak to you? What did you use up this month?
Nice job, Allison! That’s very ambitious that you are doing 125 in 2020, but since you did 100 in 2019 this seems like a realistic goal!
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Actually, I changed my 2019 goal to 125, and I’ve already exceeded it! In 2020, I’ll try for even more 😉
Yay Allison! I sooooooo need to chuck some stuff. I was doing really well in the emptying of samples and tiny things but I totally fell off the wagon upon returning from a couple back-to-back trips. Did you wonder where on earth I’d been lurking? LOL Hope you had a happy Thanksgiving!
Anything at all is probably happier than the current state of my vanity drawer…yikes.
Full size stuff- I cleaned out another (holy grail) FAB Anti Redness Serum. I still have another one but in poking about today I noticed that it’s gone from the Sephora site. This sent me into a bit of a panic and when I checked the FAB website it’s discounted and marked as final sale. [insert OMG,NOOOOOOOOOO face here] I’m hoping they’re just “improving” it or redoing the packaging, but companies are cutthroat nowadays and I’m not taking any chances on it not coming back. I stocked up. One out, three in- there’s beauty math for you!
Also emptied some Olaplex shampoo and conditioner, a Jack Black lip balm, and a travel size Origins Mega-Mushroom Treatment Lotion, which I’m going to count as full-sized because it comes up as a Sephora 100pt perk or promo-code often enough that I’ve never had to buy a big one! Now that I’ve said that though, just you watch, they’ll not offer it again for 8 or 9 months and I’ll have to buy one….
Rachel, you read my mind! I was thinking about you. I was moving my arrow heart pin to another beret, and I thought I hadn’t heard from you in a while. And I also thought about you when I decided to take advantage of the Barney’s going out of business sale buying a bottle of Frederic Malle Musc Ravageur body oil. All the Byredo scents were/are discounted, and I know you have some faves among them. I’m glad that you were traveling and not sick or anything like that, yay. You are wise to stock up on things that are disappearing! As I mentioned in the post, I was surprised to find out that TBS discontinued the Drops of Youth Foaming Cleanser. It was such a terrific product. Who knows what goes on behind the scenes! Do you like Olaplex? I have never tried it, but I think I’ve heard good things. I have so much shampoo and conditioner to finish up, but I do still have a wish list. Next time I see the Origins Mega-Mushroom Treatment Lotion as a 100 point Sephora freebie, I’ll grab it – but what does it do? Hope you had a good Thanksgiving. Mine was really excellent this year 🙂
So happy to hear that your Thanksgiving was amazing. 🙂 Ours have been much less stressful since we all decided that a restaurant was the way to go, hahaha.
And well I guess it’s rare for a product to be so universally hated that no one is sad when it is discontinued, so there’s pretty much always going to be someone who is disappointed. But darn it, why does it have to be us?!? LOL. I thought about buying some of that Byredo at Barney’s (thought of you and your Frederic Malle too!!!) but with the amount of holiday shopping I’ve already done I couldn’t justify it. I’ll have to catch a different deal sometime.
I do indeed love the Olaplex. My hair was turning into a snarly rat’s nest and I decided to give it a go since nothing else I’d been trying had helped. I think the shampoo is the best value in the lineup since it’s pretty concentrated. The no3 perfector is a tiny bottle and while I DO like my hair when I’ve used it (and could stand to use it more often…) it’s expensive and I’m lazy and don’t want to add yet another step to my (long enough as it is) routine. The conditioner is nicely concentrated as well, but I’m a person that needs a LOT of conditioner, so the value there is totally dependent on how much one uses at a time. I concentrate it on my most damage-prone areas and then slather the rest of my hair with my normal drugstore OGX argan conditioner. I am happy with this result but if money were no object I would switch to Olaplex alone and be done with it.
The Origins Mega-Mushroom Treatment Lotion is an essence/toner product designed to hydrate and calm skin. If you’ve already got an essence you love that works for you I’d say you could give this a pass. I’m all about soothing products though since my skin can be finicky, and I like this one a lot. I also put it (and the aforementioned FAB serum) on contact dermatitis and such!
I have never gone to a restaurant on Thanksgiving, but years ago, my friend Tony took me to Easter brunch at a fancy hotel in NYC. We got dressed up, and it was such a memorable day!
Honestly, I have gone wild taking advantage of all the sales everywhere…to the extent that I am getting worried about myself being out of control and getting worried about the bills that will be coming due soon. I don’t have tons of people to buy gifts for since Hanukkah isn’t as big a deal as Christmas, and I started my shopping early thank goodness. But I will be on a “no buy” very soon!
I will definitely give Olaplex a try at some point. I will see if I can buy some travel sizes. Like you, I either need a lot of conditioner or a very rich conditioner – that’s why I either stick with JOICO K-Pak or with Sebastian Penetraitt since they are both very rich.
My favorite essence is SK-II, and I can’t afford it. I tried a Tony Moly essence earlier this year but I used it up and forgot the name. I will check out the Origins Mega-Mushroom Treatment Lotion if I can find a tester someplace. I don’t need the calming so much, but I need the hydration. I am looking for a hydration essence that has a watery consistency. I bought HA from The Ordinary, but it’s too thick and I hate it. I also bought a hydrating essence from a Korean brand, and I liked it more than The Ordinary but it’s still not watery enough. I wear so many layers of things that I need an essence that completely sinks in like SK-II.
Speaking of fragrances, I have gone down the rabbit hole of vintage fragrances. Big mistake – hard to find and $$$, lol. On a more affordable note, I just got a sample of Replica Jazz Club. I was hoping that Sephora was going to give us another percent off coupon so I could buy the rollerball version. Instead, it’s $20 off $75, and I have already met my VIB status for 2020 so I won’t use it. Maybe I’ll get it on sale around Vday and if not, I’ve got plenty of others to wear in the meantime.
I’ve been finishing and tossing lately. Several old products didn’t pass the feel or smell test anymore. Staples or new loves got used up. But I’ve stopped saving them since I never get around to posting about them. You did a great job for 2019!!
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I’m always so happy to use things up, and make room for more. In our town and neighboring town, we have a “Buy nothing” FB page where you can give away things you no longer want or need. I’ve given away a bunch of household things and have several more, but I think I’ll take a look at my unused beauty products and offer a few of those too.
I love the City Beauty Sculpting Cream and The Body Shop Rose Mask–just used it last night!
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two star products for sure!
You’re doing great with what you’re using up!
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You are doing amazing! I totally failed on keeping up with this challenge and only finished like five products. However, I decluttered BAGS of products but I just wound up tossing them and not actually noting and photographing them.
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Cassie, with your big move and starting a new job, you had too much going on to bother with saving empties 😉
This is great! I definitely need to toss my old make up/skincare products too. I have a bad habit of holding on to them forever!
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