Spring Project Pan: Finale

I kinda dropped the ball on this project pan, because of everything that I had going on. I recently went back to work and working 5 day weeks. Dean started daycare and potty training. There were family dynamics to work and sort out. I had a few emotional breakdowns. I’m not gonna lie. Of course, I also was very sick last week. Hence, the week off. I seem to be gaining more of a life lately, so with work, school, Dean, and this new life that I am building, I might have a hard time keeping up with my 3x a week posting. I might only do 1 a week sometimes. But I digress, this is why I dropped the ball on the end of this project pan. I didn’t use anything in my project, but I have been using up plenty of other items in my collection.

Going forward, I don’t think I’ll be doing anymore project pans. I think I am going to do a monthly makeup rotation, where once a month, I will post what makeup items I am concentrating on. At the next makeup rotation post, I will post if I used something up or hit pan on anything. This why I get to use things that I want more on a regular basis and rotate through what I own. If I get bored, I can do more frequent rotation, but I want to start off saying monthly for now. I would like to polish off the lipgloss from my project in June, but we shall see how fast it goes. I’m ALMOST done. I wanted to just give a recap and my plans moving forward. I have a ton of posts that I want to do, but I only have so much time. It’s so refreshing to have a busy life now.

With Love,

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Spring Project Pan: Update

I am super happy with the progress that I have been able to make with all of my products. I will be making progress marks on anything that still has product left in them and if I finished anything up, I will tell you what product(s) I am bringing in to get use out of or play with. I can already say that being able to bring in an item that I really want to use is a HUGE motivator for me to use up what is in my project pan. I decided instead of rotating a new product to pan in, I will just be rotating in whatever I want to use and play with. I thought that maybe I couldn’t do seasonal project pans, but now, I see that I just needed a proper motivator. Choosing just 5 items to pan makes it easy for me to focus on them and move them out, knowing that I can play with a Stila glitter shadow or a new highlighter. Also, 5 items are so reasonable. It is enough to get almost a full look of products, but not too much where I feel overwhelmed by how much I have to use up. I also will ALWAYS make sure to include a “cheat” product that is super easy to pan, so I can get that motivating product to help me go through the rest of my pan items.

That was a long intro, but I am just in a rambly mood today. I also have so many new things in my collection that I am excited to play with everything, but I also have some existing pieces that I am still excited at getting a chance to use during my project pans. I do better with a narrow focus (less items) when it comes to a project pan and flexibility in order to not get bored. Plus, the more I push out/use up, the more items that I can buy and know that I love bringing into my collection.

The above is what we started with in the beginning of this project. Now, that is has been a month and a half, I am ready to give an update on my progress so far. This project wraps up on the first day of Summer, so this will be the only update. I was hopeful to use up 3 or 4 items out of this project by the finale. Let’s see how I’ve done thus far.

 

DKNY Be Delicious Fresh Blossom Eau De Parfum, 0.5 fl oz FINISHED

Granted, there wasn’t much of this perfume left, but it did last a month of daily use. Sometimes, I also sprayed this before bed as well. This perfume was nice and long lasting. It is also very Spring and not my favorite, so I am happy to have it out of my collection and used up at the appropriate time to use it during the year. I want the Be Delicious Green Apple, but I have to move out a few more perfumes first. It will be my Summer scent. I love the DKNY apple perfumes. They are hands down my favorite with Elizabeth and James, which I want Bourbon for a nice Fall scent. I enjoyed this perfume, but happy that it no longer clutters my vanity.

B&BW Twilight Woods, 0.28 fl oz

This is not the fun replacement that I am replacing my perfume with in this project, but I thought that I would share what perfume I will be wearing until Summer begins. This is a beautiful sweet scent that I love that is long lasting from Bath & Body Works. They no longer make this exact scent. The current Twilight Woods smells nothing like this. I have about 2/3rds of this perfume left. I’m not looking to use it up. I’m just enjoying it until my Summer Project pan scent. This is a scent that I would pan in the Fall.

 

Too Faced Bronzed Peach Melting Powder Bronzer in Toasted Peach

This is the item that I am having fun with after using up my project pan perfume. It is a super nice glowy bronzer that disappears into my skin. I have never had any bronzer look as natural as this one does on my skin. Too bad they are discontinuing it, because this bronzer is amazing. I apply this bronzer with my finger. I swirl my finger around the bronzer and dot it along my forehead, nose, under my cheek bones, and along the jaw line. I take my ELF Blending Brush and blend it into my skin. It leaves a beautiful sun kissed look that is natural. The shimmer isn’t too much and just gives the skin a glowy look. I have been SO into a glow lately. My skin looks fantastic with a bit of glow rather than the matte face I’ve been doing. This bronzer isn’t orange nor brown. It just melts into my skin. If you want more obvious bronzer, this may not be the right product for you. Oh yeah, and it smells fucking amazing.

MARC JACOBS Sugar Sugar Enamored High Shine Gloss

OMG. I didn’t realize how much of my MARC JACOBS lipgloss I used up until I had to take out the stopper to see a tiny bit left at the bottom of the tube. I will have no problem using up the rest of this before the project is done. I will be so happy to be one lippie next. I would purchase this brand of lip gloss again, just not this color. It is a concealer/sick color on my lips. It was just way too light and not a good color for me. I use this at my desk at home alternating with my favorite lip balm at the moment which is Palmer’s. I find that lip gloss goes pretty fast once you take the stopper out. I will always add a lippie into my project pan, even if I don’t use it up completely. They need attention and I have way too many, but I love it!

MAC PREP N PRIME FIX + In Lavender FINISHED

I knew that this would be an easy win, but I am happy to have it out of my collection still. I am switching to work on my coconut scented one, which will NOT be featured in my next project pan. Based on how long this one lasted, I do not think it will be used up in that amount of time. Plus, I use this every time I do my makeup without fail. I don’t need the extra motivation to use it up. I am keeping it to “Back2MAC” the whole set of three, which counts as one. I need a few more MAC empties to utilize the program. I don’t currently own enough MAC to do it. lol

MAC PREP N PRIME FIX + In Coconut

This is a full bottle. This will not be my fun replacement in the project. I just wanted to show you what I’ll be using to prime my face and add hydration to the skin. I love these, but I do not feel like it is a necessary step. I just bought them when they were on sale for $12 for a set of 3 minis. I would much rather use a regular primer and setting spray at the end to seal in my makeup. I will happily use these up and accept them as gifts. Also, I would grab them again on sale. At full price, they do not have a priority in my skincare nor makeup routine.

STILA GLITTER IN GLOW in Rose Gold Retro

I have a big window in this already and this is my fun replacement. I put the cream eye shadow down as a base and I put this on top. I want to use these up before they dry out on me. I really love them, but they seem to start to dry out fast. I have three pressed glitters in a palette now, so I feel good about using these ones up. They are very beautiful. Once I use up all of my cream eye shadows, I would buy another mini set of these. Ideally, I would like to have a nude cream stick and minis of these after I use up everything in my collection. I might be able to use this up in a month. I would say that I have a third of this left. We shall see. This isn’t something that I wear everyday, but only when I have time to add an extra pop.

PIXI Sheer Cheek Gel in 002 Sun Kissed

I have made a nice dent in this blush. I’m not sure that I can use the whole thing in a month by the finale, but this will be something that I will use up this year. I won’t be rolling this into my summer project, because I actually want to pull in that other cheek gel to try to use up. If I use that one up before the end of the project, I will put this one in there. I love cheek gels in the summer for an effortless look. I kinda love it year round tbh. lol. I just can’t get away with that sunkissed look in the winter, which is when powders come in handy.

Laura Eye Caviar Stick in Bare Nude

I think I finished a 1/3 or a 1/4 of what I started out with. I am unsure if I will finish it in time, but I am very impressed by how much I have used up since I started the project. I have been using this almost every time that I wear makeup and I love how effortless it is to achieve a nude eye look. It is a one and done cream eye shadow, which I do love for quick looks. That being said, you could easily achieve this with a powder eye shadow as well. However, when I use powders, I always use at least 3. I use my base eye shadow or lid shade, crease, and another to darken the outer V. Once I finish all my creams, I would like to pick up a nude one for quick out the door days. Otherwise, I am perfectly happy with my powder eye shadows and creating different looks.

I have used up 2/5 in this project so far and I will for sure use up 1 more item by the end of the project. For me, any used up item is a success in a project pan. I also know that I have been using everything on a consistent basis. I love doing these shorter project pans, because I can rotate through my collection better. It is no surprise that I used up my two easy items. For my Summer project pan, I think I will give myself 1 easy item to have a bit more of a challenge. If you are doing a project, leave a link or comment down below and I’ll go check yours out. I’m enjoying everything and that’s what counts!

With Love,

FITFABFUN Spring Subscription Box

I decided to try the Spring box of FITFABFUN with a $10 off coupon. I was able to chose 3 things in my box and if I think it is worth the value/money, I will get the annual membership. I like that it has a mixture of beauty, fashion, and lifestyle items. It will feed my beauty addition, but also add a few things our home needs and a few pieces to my wardrobe. If there is anything that I don’t like/need, they would make really good gifts. As long as this month, I get my $40 worth then I will continue the subscription, because it would still be worth it. I am really happy with my 3 picks and it was really easy to sign up for the box. The annual membership, you get to choose more items that go into your box, so I am looking forward to that if I decide to do that. Oh, and this is a quarterly subscription, so the next box that I would get would be in June/July. Plenty of time to decide if I want to get the year plan or just another month. This is something I always wanted to try, but could never afford before.

The Box:

The box is cute as hell and I will be keeping it to collect items for birthday gifts and such. It is the perfect size for things like that to store away in a closet. I can for sure see myself in the future repurposing more of these boxes as they are pretty, sturdy, and generally a good size to have around.

The box has a magazine insert in it that has recipes and articles, but also has the list of everything in the box and the breakdown of the prices as well. I will also be double checking the prices online to let you know how true to scale what they say you are getting in these boxes. The magazine is a nice touch and I will be reading/using it for sure. I like having light reading material sometimes.

Ciate London Extraordinary Translucent Setting Powder, $22

I am pretty darn excited about getting this one! I have a finishing powder, but now I have a setting powder that I can pair with my concealer or foundation if I want to wear those types of products or anything that really needs a setting powder to “set” it. Otherwise, on the day to day, I use my finishing powder to give my skin a soft blurring effect. I will be putting this powder to good use for sure and now, I will not be needing to buy any face powder for a long, long time. It is also a pricey brand that I wouldn’t buy unless on sale at Sephora.

OUAI Leave In Conditioner, $26

I was just talking with my boyfriend, Martin, that I recently finished up my current leave-in that was doing nothing for me and switched to using my expensive Moroccan oil and the wonders it was doing to my hair keeping it knot free. I am going to immediately start using this instead of my expensive oil and see how it compares. If it doesn’t hold up, I want to finish it up and go back to what works for me. I am willing to try new things, but my hair oil (even though expensive) does the job of detangling, moisturizing, and keeping it tangle free when I don’t wash my hair for days. I am excited to try a prestigious brand from this box. Already, this box is equal to what I paid for and I am very happy. I will give you the grand total at the bottom of this post.

Manna Kadar Champagne Body Scrub, $24

This is a huge and generous body scrub tub. It isn’t very pricey when you consider that VS sells their 8 oz tubs for almost the same price and you are getting more than double the amount in there. I will be setting this aside for when I finish my other two body scrubs from VS. I like to use a body scrub before shaving my legs and about once a week to keep my skin soft and smooth. It’s actually a “secret” of mine. It really works to give yourself baby soft skin and to keep your skin in its best condition. The best part? Most of these scrubs with oils hydrate the skin and seal in moisture. This means you don’t have to put lotion on your skin when you get out of the shower. I love skipping a step when I can, because time is a precious commodity.

Unplug Meditation Aromatherapy Diffuser, $55

We just used this last night and I am in love. It changes colors, so it is a pretty cool nightlight. I love the essential oil included. It is a sweet orange scent that is very uplifting. I filled it when we were settling into our room for the night and it diffused until we fell asleep. Don’t know how many hours it works for, but it was very nice. Only con is that it needs to be plugged into a USB port which is a pain. I will buy a USB charger/battery thing, so it can run on its own. Currently, I hook it up to my laptop at night. It isn’t ideal since I tend to knock things over and I don’t want to get water anywhere near my laptop.

Eleven By Venus Jump Rope, $15

Not sure that this jump rope is worth $15, but I will be keeping it as part of my exercise routine indoors that I need to get back to. May is a brand new month, my birthday month, the perfect month to get back to exercising again. This will be nice to rotate into my routine and get some good cardio going. I will be keeping this at my desk, which is in a corner of our living room where I will be keeping my exercise equipment/supplies as I collect them. I like having the extra space over here (next to a cement ledge), because it sort of extends the top part of my desk. I didn’t care for this item, but I will put it to good use and will use it.

Korres Wild Rose Vitamin C Brightening Sleeping Facial, $48

I thought this was a face mask, but it is more like an overnight treatment face cream? I am excited to try Korres, another high end brand that I have always wanted to try before. I will set this in my bathroom to alternate which my night time face oil, since one of the serums that I do use at night is more compatible with a cream than an oil. This will be a good pairing with that. This seems EXTREMELY STRONGLY of roses which I LOVE but may not be everyone’s cup of tea. I feel so fancy! I can say without a doubt that I am keeping the subscription right now. Not sure that I can afford to swing the annual membership for a bit, but I will as soon as I am able. That’s like paying for 3 1/2 instead or 4 boxes. Even saving $20 makes a difference, plus with the upgrade, you get to chose two more products in your box instead of 3.

Giadzy Copper Plated Measuring Spoons, $15

One can never have too many measuring spoons when cooking and these are a super nice pair and SO SHINY! I am reserving these for my dry ingredients, since these don’t separate. I am excited to have a plastic set for wet and a nice sturdy pair for dry. You really do need two pairs, because yesterday I had to use a TBS of oil and then a TBS of sugar. I had to wash and dry in between cooking. A second pair will just make things so much easier while cooking.

Dr. Brandt Skincare Needles No More No More Baggage Eye De-Puffing Gel, $42

I have a major problem with dark circles under my eyes (Genes) and my eyes are always a bit puffy in the morning. I am currently using a roller ball by ELF for $3 that I am enjoying for depuffing but it does nothing for my dark circles. I am excited to give this a try once I finish up my ELF morning treatment. This will be put in back stock until then, but at least I know that I don’t need to buy any day eye cream/gel anytime soon. My evening eye cream is getting low though. I have a few things on my list to get for my birthday that I limited myself to 4 stores: Lush, MAC, Sephora, and ELF.

That is everything that came in my box. So, I paid $42 with shipping and the value of this box was…..$247. I definitely feel like I got my moneys worth from this box and will use everything. I had nothing set aside for gifts, because I know that I will use everything. This was a very nice surprise! On future calculations, whatever I set aside for gifts will have a box total and a usage total of what I will actually use. I am very happy with my first box and I am looking forward to the Summer box in June/July.

With Love,

Walmart Beauty Box Spring 2017

This is my first season getting the Walmart Beauty Box, which is a quarterly subscription for $5 a box or $20 a year. You are only paying for shipping and nothing for the actual products inside. Let’s face it though. Companies give out samples for free, why do we pay for them? I’m glad that with Walmart I am only paying shipping and everything in this season’s box is worth the money that I paid. I didn’t get any makeup samples, which I am not mad at. I actually like getting more of the other stuff like skin care and hair care more than makeup. Please tell me that I’m not the only one?

The theme of this season’s box is Trendsetter, which looking at the items in the box, I don’t get it. Are these that popular or unique of items? I’m still happy with it and the box is really sturdy. I’m going to reuse it for something. I’m not going to throw it out. I just don’t get the theme of the box.

The paper is so pretty! I want to do something with it. I am saving that for sure. Also, today is my 25th birthday, so this is like a little birthday treat to me. 🙂

Dove Advanced Care Cool Essentials 48H Deodorant

I have used this before and I really like it. I’m trying to use more natural deodorants, but I’m not going to waste this. I will use it, especially since my degree Woman’s spray irritates my underarms if I use it every day. I’ve been putting down my Lush powder deodorant first and then spraying the Degree on top. I like to put my natural deodorant underneath my remaining aluminium deodorants. This little guy goes for $1.02.

Palmer’s Coconut Oil Luminous Hydration Facial Oil

I have tried the original version of this dry oil and I remember loving it. It was around $20 for 1 fl oz, which is cheaper than the more luxury oils on the market. I feel like it moisturized my skin well. I’m curious to see what is the difference with the luminous version. You only need about three drops of oil to cover your whole face or at least mine. I can see this lasting a week or two. I’m going to use a baby syringe I have lying around to drop it onto my face. Approximate value is $0.33.

Palmer’s Coconut Oil Facial Moisturizer

I haven’t tried their moisturizer, so this will be a nice sample to try out. I feel like you can get a few days out of this packet if you used it night and day. I think I’ll get a week of nightly use. Approximate value is $0.90.

Colgate Optic White Radiant Toothpaste

I am really excited to try this toothpaste. I have been seeing it all over Youtube and I heard that it’s a really great whitening toothpaste. I have a toothpaste mini that I am currently working on, but when that one is done, I will take this one out on a test drive to see if it is worth the money. I don’t like to spend a ton on toothpaste, so if I like it, I’ll wait for a coupon to go with it before I buy it. I’m sad there is no coupon and just an insert. Approximate value $1.74

Biore Baking Soda Acne Scrub

I’m weary of these gimmicky products from Biore. The charcoal one wasn’t very good. I hope this one is better. I will use it in my shower once I have finished my Kate Summerville scrub. I like to use scrubs in my shower, since they can be a bit messy at the sink. I look forward to trying this one out and it is a decent size. Approximate value $1.47

John Frieda Frizz Ease Daily Nourishment Moisturizing Conditioner

I love the John Frieda Frizz Ease line, especially the serum. Once I finish off my current conditioner, I will be using this guy up. I like usually like my shampoo and conditioner to match, but I have a couple of shampoos with no matching conditioner. Usually, I run out of the shampoo before the conditioner. LOL. I think I also accidentally bought two shampoos one time instead of a matching set. Opps! Approximate value $0.97

Schwarzkopf Gliss Ultra Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner

I enjoy a matching set, so I am glad that I have this to try out when I am out of my shampoo and conditioner and want a mini but not a foil packet. I am so lazy when it comes to foil packets. Anyways, I’ve never tried this brand, but I’m not too picky when it comes to my hair. As long as the shampoo lathers and the conditioner doesn’t weigh my hair down, I will repurchase. I don’t ask for very much. Approximate value $1.37 for both

Rimmel London Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation

This is just a little foil packet, so it will go rather quickly. I’m guessing at 2 to 3 uses. Hopefully, it is a decent color match. Approximate value $0.25.

Totaling up this box, it was worth $8.05, which is $3.05 more than what I paid for it. I think usually Walmart boxes are at least $5 to $10 every season. This season seems to be on the higher side and I will use everything that was sent. That is not always the case with every box, but this one scored very well for me. I would give it 3 stars, because nothing really wowed me but I will use everything that I got.

With Love ❤