Hope you had a wonderful long holiday weekend. I did in spite of my woes of early last week. My wasp stings are finally getting a lot better, though still a bit itchy and pinkish. I’m trying hard to get back on track.
I’m still participating in Project Pan, the group of bloggers committed to using up beauty products each according to her own goal. June was a good month for me – I made some good progress towards my goal of using up 100 beauty products in 2019. In fact, through May, I have used up 73 beauty products. So I only need 27 more to achieve my goal.
Let’s see what I used up in June.
Hair Care
- Hair Rx Professional Revitalizing Shampoo: Hair Rx is an online hair care brand where you customize your products based on your hair’s needs and your preference. I chose the Revitalizing formula for dry, color-treated hair. By accident, I selected the low suds version, and if I reorder someday, I will get the regular version that makes lots of suds. I also chose the delightful coconut scent. I liked this shampoo a lot except for the low suds aspect. Repurchase? No because I have so many open bottles of shampoo. But Hair Rx is an excellent quality brand.
- Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Nightcap Overnight Perfector: For some reason, Living Proof, an excellent haircare brand, just doesn’t suit my hair type as well as some other brands do. And to be honest, I don’t enjoy using overnight hair products – too messy and I hate sleeping with wet, coated hair in a shower cap. Repurchase? A strong NO for me.
Skincare
- Pili Ani Youthful Glow Facial Cream: I loved this luxury anti-aging face cream made with natural, organic ingredients derived from trees in the Philippines. It was a rich moisturizer that is perfect for winter or very dry skin like mine. Repurchase? Sadly, this face cream is priced at $100 a jar so it’s out of my price range, but I loved it.
- InstaNatural Moroccan Rose Water: I adore this rose water. It has a strong, very authentic rose scent, and it’s so refreshing and gentle to use any time of year as a toner. Repurchase? I am currently using Jurlique Rose Water that also has a lovely rose scent. But when I finish up the Jurlique (that has alcohol in the formula and is much more expensive), I will repurchase the InstaNatural Moroccan Rose Water because it doesn’t have alcohol, it’s natural, made with organic ingredients, and it is much more affordable yet fabulous. I highly recommend this rose water! And it’s now in a more beautiful package!
- Pixi Skintreats Rose Tonic Rose & Elderflower Nourishing Toner: My dear blogger friend, Kathryn the Fabzilla, sent me the new Pixi Rose Tonic that came out this past spring. Although I liked it, it doesn’t have as strong a rose scent as the InstaNatural or Jurlique rose water toners. Repurchase? No, I’ll stick with InstaNatural.
- Age Reversal Bratoxin Natural Soothing Serum for Wrinkle Smoothing: This clinically dosed anti-aging serum is jam-packed with ingredients from the Brazilian rainforest. Repurchase? No, though I enjoyed it, this serum also contains alcohol that I try to avoid because my skin is so dry. But it is a good serum.
- First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser with Antioxidant Booster: FAB Face Cleanser is one of my favorite creamy cleansers especially for the colder weather because it is so hydrating. Repurchase? I already have another tube waiting in the wings for when the cold weather returns.
- belif Hungarian Water Essence: I am all about essences. They are a lightweight, almost watery step after toner and before serum that add moisture to my skin. I always use one. I bought this full size belif Hungarian Water Essence after receiving a smaller travel size in a belif holiday intro kit. It is a translucent lotiony essence that worked well for me. Repurchase? Not at this time because I am using a different belif essence that recently came my way. Stay tuned for that review in a week or so.
- Chamonix GenuCell Jawline Treatment: I was most eager to try the GenuCell Jawline Treatment because I’m always looking to firm up the skin on my jawline. Though this was a very nice skincare product, I can’t say that I saw or felt any jawline tightening. Repurchase? No. But I like several of the other Chamonix GenuCell skincare products.
- Eminence Organic Tropical Vanilla Day Cream, sample: I need to start taking notes on the samples that I try because I honestly don’t remember this cream very well. I may have gotten this sample of luxury cream from Dermstore. I think I remember being disappointed that it didn’t smell like vanilla, but I don’t remember if it had a scent. It was a rich, white cream. And though they called it “day cream”, it didn’t have any sunscreen in the formula. Purchase? No.
Bath and Body
- Molton Brown Fiery Pink Pepper Shower & Bath Gel, Christmas ornament from a holiday set: I complained bitterly to Molton Brown about how I couldn’t get my favorite Plum scent of shower gel to come out of the bubble-shaped ornament. Strange that I had no problem getting Fiery Pink Pepper to come out. At first, I didn’t really like the Fiery Pink Pepper scent, but it grew on me. Repurchase? Although I ended up liking the spicy, sharp scent, I think there are other MB scents that I prefer. I may buy Fiery Pink Pepper again in the future, especially if it’s part of another variety set.
Makeup: Lip Products
- Tarte The Lip Sculptor Lipstick & Lipgloss in one, shade Sass: It took me about three years to use up Tarte The Lip Sculptor even though this mauvey shade of lipstick and gloss is my absolute favorite. I find myself reaching for it most often. It was a huge tube. I used up the gloss a little faster than the lipstick, but it worked out fine. I love the emollient formula of both the lipstick and gloss. Repurchase? Yes, I already did. I also have a few other shades, though Sass is my favorite. Highly recommend The Lip Sculptor if you have dry lips like me.
- City Lips, shade Clear, from City Beauty: I’ve been singing the praises of City Lips for a few years. I love how this clear slightly plumping, amazingly hydrating, thick but not overly sticky lipgloss stays on my lips. In fact, I often wear it to bed to hydrate my lips. Repurchase? Yes, I just bought two more tubes of Clear during a recent City Lips sale.
Beauty Tools and Accessories
- Swisspers Premium Cotton Rounds: I’ve written about these a million times. I buy them in bulk at Costco, and since discovering the luxury, organic cotton pads from Koh Gen Do, I mostly use Swisspers for removing nail polish or applying toner rather than for removing my makeup. Repurchase? I still have several more “sleeves” in my stash. But I recommend these because they don’t have lint, they don’t fall apart, and they’re soft.
Expired Beauty Products or Things I Didn’t Like
- Noyali Lipstick sample, shade Currant News: I can’t remember where I got this mini lipstick. Maybe Barney’s or Dermstore? Any way, vampy deep burgundy shades don’t suit me. I tried to make it work, but no luck so I am tossing this. Sad.
- Tarte Maneater Voluptuous Mascara, travel size: This particular mascara doesn’t suit me. It has a large and long wand with plastic teeth that I find hard to manipulate, and the formula is a little too wet for me. But others may love it.
- Rimmel ScandalEyes Eye Crayons: 4 shades: I bought these eye crayons about 4 years ago, and though I liked them when I bought them, they’re old and need to go.
- Maybelline Color Tattoo Concentrated Crayon, shade Silver: I bought this silver crayon a couple of years ago when Maybelline first launched the stick form of their popular Color Tattoo cream eyeshadow that I had bought in the little pots. Somehow I never fell in love with the crayon formula.
I feel like I made some good progress in recycling or throwing out unused things this month. I used up 13 products (I’m not counting the Eminence sample), so that brings me up to 85 products used up so far in 2019. Only 15 more to go! Who knows, maybe I’ll make it to 125 or even 150 by the end of the year!
So, what did you use up in June?
26 Comments
The pixi rose tonic is a must for me — so soothing! And i just discovered that First Aid Beauty line! I have the cleanser, primer, exfoliating pads and face cream. OMG, im totally buying it all when I finish them. They feel so good for my skin which is tempermental and goes from normal to sensitive and dry. If you havent tried the primer yet I highly suggest!
First Aid Beauty is one of the best buys in facial skincare! I think I have the primer. Gonna check
Such an impressive job with all of your empties, Allison! Work has kept me so busy that I haven’t had the time to do an empties post in quite a while, but you are definitely inspiring me to do it again!
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I have no choice but to try to finish up as many products as possible because there’ll be no more room in my house!
These are some great finds!
Ouch with that sting!!!! Good to know you’re feeling better. That’s a lot of empties. The Pili moisturizer sounds divine but way too pricey for me too.
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Thank you! I’m feeling a lot better. Wish the Pili Ani moisturizer were more affordable coz it’s a good one especially for the colder weather
You are on the way to 100 and will be there by the end of summer. Lots of lovely products even if I don’t like rose scented ones personally. Keep up the good work.
Thanks, Marcia! I’m getting there!
This is always one of my favorite type of post to read. I love your analysis and repurchase or not status. You used up some great products.
Thank you, Stacie!
Great job of using up your cosmetics. You know I love the tarte Lip Sculptor too, but I have yet to finish one!
It took me almost 3 years to use up Tarte Lip Sculptor, but I did it!!!
You’re making great progress working through products! I’ve emptied a few things myself and have hit my goal for the year already!
I’m impressed that you’ve met your goal already! Woohoo!
You’re doing such a great job with your project pan.
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You’ve got so many, and doing so well overall!
There’s a mini Jurlique mist in my bag right now. I started carrying it around when I busted the cap on my Tatcha bottle. :/ I think when it’s empty I’ll just refill it with whatever, because apparently that bottle CAN survive the perils of schlepping about with me on a daily basis. I’ll look into the InstaNatural.
Your empties are always impressive. I re-evaluated some of the stash today and I tossed….one slightly dry creme shadow. Good job me. *rolls eyes at self*
I have, however, finally used up the dribs and drabs of two face cleansers and an spf I did not love (Kiehl’s, was okay but seemed the same as the Neutrogena I could buy at the drugstore) as well as emptying my Drunk Elephant Tlc Framboos serum and yet another bottle of hyaluronic from The Ordinary. The DE I already had a backup of, and I have a different hyaluronic to try this time (Inkey List) but TO is a longstanding repeater and I’m sure it’ll get purchased again at some point. Oh and I still haven’t found my HG eye cream. The SKI-II I sampled was nice but far too $$$, and the DE C-Tango does not cause me any complaints, but I’m not sure it’s worth the price tag either. We’ll see how I feel when it’s empty. That’s my one complaint about opaque packaging- while I can appreciate that it’s probably keeping the light away from my products, it irks me that I can’t see how much is left in there. Oh well, trade-offs.
Oh, you have done well, Rachel! I have a bottle of The Ordinary HA somewhere that I should try to find, though I am really loving squalane instead these days. I love the SK-II Essence, but you are right, it is just too expensive to buy it. I still haven’t tried Drunk Elephant yet. I should have taken the DE sample at Sephora that was the birthday gift instead of the Tarte makeup that I gave away. I think you are very brave to toss the semi-dry cream eyeshadow 😉 Finding an HG eye cream is tough. I wore L’Oreal eye cream in the little white glass pot for at least a decade before my needs changed and I started searching for my new HG. I still like the Shiseido gel-like serum and I’m on my third jar of belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb so I guess that’s my HG now. But I am also using Murad Retinol Eye Serum for my crow’s feet and under eye area, and I like that a lot – I got it in my Ipsy Plus box a couple of months ago. LMK what you discover! I agree with you about opaque packaging – I hate that I can’t see what’s left.
Re: the rose water mist, definitely check out the InstaNatural. The scent is just as lovely as the Jurlique, and it doesn’t have alcohol in the formula and it costs half the price. But I too will hold onto my Jurlique glass spray bottle – so pretty (tho’ InstaNatural has new nicer packaging now)
This is a great collection of empties!
I have been finishing a lot of skincare but I find it harder with makeup especially eyeshadows. You’re doing brilliantly with Project Pan, Allison!
Shireen L. Platt recently posted…THE PALETTE EDITION: COVER FX PERFECTOR FACE PALETTE (LIGHT – MEDIUM)
I agree, it is certainly much harder to use up makeup. I was amazed that I finished the Tarte Lip Sculptor, tho it took almost 3 years!
I get Swispers from Costco too!
Lordy, the packaging of that Pili Cream! I want it just to keep on my vanity. And the packaging of that Tarte mascara actually reminds me of Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips 2 – for a second there I thought it WAS one of those lippies!
CosmetopiaDigest.com recently posted…Estee Lauder Pure Color DESIRE ROUGE EXCESS Lipsticks Review, Swatches
I’ve been looking at those Hot Lips-2 lipsticks especially Carina’s Star, but they are so pricey! But you’re right about the packaging looking like the Tarte Maneater mascara! BTW, did you do an empties post? I went to your site twice, and I couldn’t find it