Finish Four by 14th Reveal!

So Valentine's Day came and went, and I completely forgot to post the reveal! It's been a busy month, so I'm sorry this is so late! But without further ado, here's how I did!

December 2015

February 14

Lip Smackers Lip Balm in Kiwi
I'm proud to say I used it all up! While I didn't have that much to use up, I can't remember the last time I've used up a lip balm, so I'm happy about this one!

December 2015

Feb 2016

Revlon Illuminance Cream Shadow in Copper Canyon
This definitely gained a noticeable difference, especially on the left hand side of that gold shadow. Not fully used up like I planned but still some progress!

Revlon Berry Bloom Quad
I certainly used up some of the lightest pink shadow. This was one I simply stopped using after a while. I didn't like the texture of the shadow anymore, as it was incredibly dusty.

                

Skin Rx Microdermabrasion Face and Body Scrub

I'm very happy with how this has gone! I used it almost every week and have almost used it up. And since that picture was taken two weeks ago, it is almost gone now!

Overall, I'm pretty happy with how my challenge went. I finished the lipbalm, almost finished the face scrub, and made some progress with the other products. And I know eye products are so difficult for me to use up quickly, so I'm happy with how I did. I have some thoughts about other challenges I want to do, but I have to decide on the products first!

 

Panning and Finishing thoughts

Happy New Year everyone! Since the year has come to a close, I've been trying to collect my thoughts on the whole panning/finishing challenges I've been involved with over the last several months and why they can be so difficult to complete. Hope you find this interesting and can understand by the end my thought process!

1. I don't wear makeup every day
I'm sure this will come to no surprise for some of you, but for me, I find it quite difficult to work through an eyeshadow. Because I don't wear makeup every day (on average 3-5 days a week), it will take me twice as long as others to work though a product.

2. I rarely wear lip products
As you've seen, my Finish 6 by Christmas didn't pay off as much as I wanted it to simply because I focused so much on lip products. In reality, lip balm is the only lip product I wear every single day, which is why it was way easier to finish than the other products. Because my lips are fairly pigmented, I simply don't feel I need the extra colour. And there were simply too many lip products to use.

3. I get tired of wearing the same products
This was certainly one of the reasons my Pan That Palette challenge faded a bit over the fall. While I will wear the same eyeshadows and products when I'm busy and don't want to think about the makeup, in general, I like choosing different colors and shades to wear every day. That is the appeal of makeup for me. When I get boxed in and limited to only a few shades, I feel stifled, and then wearing makeup isn't as much fun.

So from these three points listed, you may ask, why should I continue on with these panning challenges? Here are my reasons why:

1. I need to use up my makeup
Having been fortunate enough to not have started acquiring makeup till university years, I am happy that I don't have decades-old makeup from teenage years. However, I still have perfectly good products collecting dust that either need to be used up or tossed. These challenges, however slow they can be, can motivate me further to use up.

2. Rediscovering old products
You know that feeling when you find an old top or favorite piece of clothing that you loved and still want to wear? I get that feeling with my makeup. I remember how pretty certain shadows look together, and I want to use them again.

3. Finding new and creative ways of application
I am still discovering new combinations and ways to wear my makeup. Although I don't watch nearly as many as I used to, a new makeup tutorial can still spark that creative urge in me to try out new ways and different techniques or shades.

Overall, I know it is so invigorating to purchase new products. But simply put, we don't need a million different shades of purple, or 5 different neutral palettes. Let's be satisfied with the things we have and work on chipping away at our own makeup collection instead of continually buying things we don't need. As for me, I'll continue to love my collection and work on using up products. I may have to find different ways of doing that instead of panning challenges, but the overall goal is still the same.

Finish Six by Christmas Reveal!

Hello everyone! I hope you had an awesome holiday and enjoyed the break! I know I definitely appreciated being with family and ate way too much food! I am still currently enjoying the Christmas/New Year's holidays, but will resume my regular blogging schedule.

So without further ado, here's how my Finish Six by Christmas challenge went!

Sugar Lip Treatment: Clear (finished!)

Back in November

By Christmas!

Now this may look like an easy balm to finish off, but it certainly lasted a while! I was using this every day the week before Christmas, trying to finish off every little bit! I loved this lip balm's smell, which made it easy to use, and I also applied it nearly every night before bedtime. Overall, I'm proud of myself for using up this balm, has I've had it for a while, and now I can start on another one!

Makeup Forever Lipstick in No. 9
While I really liked the shade of this lipstick, the smell was quite unpleasant. (I can't describe it other than old-ladyish, classic smelling). While I liked the shade, I couldn't stand the smell, and I only ended up wearing it about three times. It's a shame, because this lipstick in quite pretty, and I don't have a shade like this in my collection.

Elizabeth Arden Skin Renewal Serum
I thought this was nearing it's last dredges, but this stuff kept coming and coming! I haven't finished this yet, but I'm okay with that, as I really enjoy how soft this makes my skin feel. I'm looking forward to finishing it up over the next month or so.

Burt's Bees' Super Shiny Lipgloss in Sweet PinkI believe I used this once or twice, but with all the other lip products I was using, this one fell to the wayside. I enjoyed using this lipgloss in the past, but I really don't wear gloss that often anymore, and it's more of a special occasion type thing. Nowadays, I'm more likely to wear a neutral lipstick than a gloss. Plus, I hate the hair getting caught in gloss situation that often happens. I thought this was one of the few glosses that wasn't too sticky, but nevertheless, it was still moderately sticky. I don't think I'll finish this off, as I simply was not drawn to wear it.

NARS Pore Refining Primer (finished!)
I almost forgot about this one! I enjoyed how this primer made my skin feel, and was able to finish this one easily, as it only had one use in it anyway.

Decco perfume sample (finished)
This sample was easily finished off, as I was just able to use it once. I won't repurchase it again, as I simply don't enjoy perfume that much, and no matter how much I appreciate the scent, it becames too strong after a while. I much prefer body sprays that have a pleasant scent and then eventually fade.

So overall, I finished 3 out of the 6 products I started with. Not bad, considering three of them were lip products, which I rarely use! For my first finishing challenge, I'm pretty happy! I'm hoping I'll do as well in my Finish 4 by the 14th challenge!

Were there any products you wanted to finish by Christmas? Let me know in the comments below!

Finish Four by Feb 14!

I think it's time for another finishing challenge! I know I still haven't completed by Finish Six by Christmas challenge, but I wanted to give myself a full two months to use up these products! Since it is incredibly hard to finish products, my goal for two of the products will be to diminish them rather than finish them.

Lip Smackers Lip Balm in Kiwi
I've had this a long time and it definitely needs to be used up! I've been so encouraged with my progress on the Sugar Fresh Lip Balm that I've decided to use up my other lip balms as well! This scent is quite yummy, and has certainly gotten some love!

Revlon Illuminance Cream Shadow in Copper Canyon
I've been working on that white gold shade for a long time, and I feel if I wear it every day, I might be able to finish it up! I've finished one Revlon cream shadow shade before, so I'm more confident in my ability to do so.

Revlon Berry Bloom Quad
I bought this quad way back when this collection was still around. I'm still a little miffed I didn't buy the lavender quad in this collection, as these shadows are quite pigmented and fairly long lasting. They can be a tad chalky, but I'm not too worried about that. The top light pink shade is one I'm going to be focusing on in the next two months, and I'm excited to diminish it!

Skin Rx Microdermabrasion Face and Body Scrub
I received this in a topbox, and I want to finish it up! Since I only use it about once per week, it will last for a while, but I thought I'd add this skincare product in to mix things up a bit.

For those of you who were wondering why there were five items in the picture, I've included a bonus item:
Maybelline Moisture Extreme lipstick in Nude Blush
I don't wear a lot of lip products; thus, that is why this is a bonus item. This is such a beautiful pink shade, and it is super moisturizing, which is a plus! It feels so smooth and like I'm applying a balm. And it has a yummy watermelon scent! This has since been discontinued, but I did buy a backup when everyone on YT was raving about this lippie. Overall, this lipstick is one I'm focusing on diminishing, since I know I'll go through this much more slowly.

Pan That Palette Finale!

And it's time for a (possibly final) update on my Pan That Palette series! I'm pleased to say that this month I've made some decent progress on some of my shadows, and I have enjoyed using most of them!

So first up, the L'Oreal Bit of Glam quad!

As of October

As of December

 I know I didn't make much progress with the bottom left shade this month. And to be honest, I'm not really enjoying this shade as much as I want to. I simply have other taupe shades that I like better. So I'm going to leave this shade out of the next update. I might give you another update of this shade in a couple months, but for now, this will be the last of this shade for my Pan That Palette.

Next up, the Wet N' Wild palette in Paradise Cove!

As of December

This shade didn't get quite as much use as it could have, but I'm still excited about how much pan is showing! I think if I work at this one, I'll be able to use up most of it in a couple months!

And finally, my favorite shadow, Annabelle Cloud

October

 

December

While you may not see a huge difference, in real life, I can tell how much more pan is visible. I'm honestly really proud of myself for making it this far! I used this shadow quite a bit during the last month, and I'm happy with the progress!

Overall, I'm fairly happy with how I did in this challenge. I was able to increase a significant amount of pan in two of the shadows, and I used them quite a bit. I think this will be the last panning update for a while. I'm planning on taking a break from the panning challenge after this year is over. I'm thinking I would love to work with other kinds of shadows instead of limiting it to this three. I'll have a clearer picture in the new year as to where I want to go with this type of challenge. Until then, see you next time!

Finish 6 By Christmas!

 

In the spirit of using up my makeup, I thought I'd try this bold challenge to finish 6 products by Christmas! I have less than 40 days to go, but I figure I'd try this anyway! And the products I've picked are all sample size, so the odds of finishing this challenge aren't astronomical. :)

Full disclosure here: I have a really hard time using up my makeup. Whenever I use things like skincare or eyeshadow, I tend to only use a much as needed and don't tend to pile product on. I've never finished a lipstick, and hit pan on a handful of eyeshadows. So this challenge is a way for me to use a little bit more, and also enjoy products I haven't used in a long time.

Sugar Lip Treatment - Clear
This lipbalm smells so delicious! It smells exactly like lemonade! That said, I do find that it leaves my lips a little dry after it's worn off, so it's not my favorite. It's also a tad sticky, so I don't think I'll repurchase. I do, however, think I'll be able to finish it before Christmas!

Makeup Forever Lipstick in No. 9
Like many of us, I received this in a sample size during a Sephora Beauty Insider Birthday gift. While I didn't enjoy the Smoky mascara that came with it, I think this shade is pretty, as well as one that I would wear more often, since it's not too bold or bright.

Elizabeth Arden Skin Renewal Serum
I received this in last month's topbox and still haven't finished it yet. I know I'll be able to finish this one!

NARS Pore Refining Primer
I received this sample a way back, and again, I still haven't finished it! Another easy one.

Burt's Bees' Super Shiny Lipgloss in Sweet Pink
I don't wear lipgloss too much because I find they are usually too sticky for my taste. This gloss, however, is quite moisturizing, the glitter isn't super gritty, and does not make my lips sticky at all. I'm don't think I will finish this by Christmas, but we'll see!

And as a bonus, I thought I'd include the Deseo perfume sample for fun. I received it a long time ago, and have almost used it up. This one's just a little extra!

I know this will be a challenge, as I don't wear much more than lipbalm on a regular basis. I wanted to include mostly lip products to get myself a bit more comfortable wearing gloss or lipstick, and because they are way easier to use up than an eyeshadow! While this products may all seem easy to use up, I wanted my first challenge to be somewhat attainable. Wish me luck!