little white truths: 2015

Happy New Year and welcome to Project Pan 2016!

I had thought about not doing Project Pan this year but it ended up being quite a rewarding exercise in 2015 because I got through a bundle of products, so I'm happy enough to do it again.

My opening Project Pan list is carried over from last year because I thought I may as well keep going with things after making a start on them:

ModelCo Colourbox Eyeshadow in Tahiti
Emite Make Up Precision Eye Pencil in Spir
Bloom Eye Definer Pencil in Dark Brown
Dd'ell Stay Forever Gel Eye Pencil 04 in Espresso
Be a Bombshell Eye Base in Nudist
'Tini Beauty Eyetini Cordial Eyeshadow + Base
'Tini Beauty Pearl Fizz Eyeshadow
Croquis Duo Concealer
Evelyn Iona Concealer in Flawless
Australis AC ON Tour kit
ModelCo BB+ Cream in Medium
Royal Nature The Soothing Blemish Balm
Lipsi Cosmetics Aphrodite Powder
Benefit Cha Cha Tint
The Cosmetic Kitchen Pressed Mineral Blush in Raw Cacao
Lust Have It Sunset Strobe Natural Highlighter
Pureplus+ Milk Bebe Lip Treatment
SweetPea & Fay Liquid Lipsticks in Ranunculus and Beluga
Shangai Suzy Lipstick in Miss Amy Baby Pink

That's a whopping nineteen products - twenty if you separate the SweetPea & Fay products, but I'm counting those as one because I'm alternating them.

While it's a lot of stuff to keep track of, quite a few items are heading towards empty so the list should shrink pretty quickly.

My Lust Have It Sunset Strobe Highlighter and The Cosmetic Kitchen Blush in Raw Cacao are new inclusions so there's not much of a dent in them yet.

I've put them on the list because I'm determined to get through at least one powder blush and one powder highlighter this year, although I'm not sure if it's possible to finish products like this within that timeframe. I'll certainly try!

Both my ModelCo BB+ Cream and my Royal Nature Blemish Balm are on their last legs, so I'm expecting them to be gone by the end of January or so.

I'm looking forward to finishing them because they've been on the list for ages now and I'm sick of them. Once they're gone, I have a couple of Bodyography foundations that I'd like to move onto the list, not because I want to finish them but because I've been rationing them (they're my favourites) and it's now time to use them or risk them going off.

I can't believe how long these pencils are lasting! The Emite Cream Pencil in particular (that's the bottom one) has lasted way longer than I'd expected, but I can't see it going for more than another month or so.

The Dd'ell and Bloom pencils have also been around for a while, but I don't mind that because I don't have replacements for them. I use the Bloom one on my eyebrows and the Dd'ell one to line my lower waterline, and I don't use a lot of product each time so they're lasting ages.

My SweetPea & Fay Liquid Lipsticks are new inclusions and there's a tonne of product in each tube so I can't see myself ever finishing them. The point of putting them on the list was to give them a good run, just so I could say I've got my money's worth from them.

The Pureplus+ Lip Treatment was my best lip gloss find of last year, but I've been rationing it for too long and it's now time to finish it. There's heaps of product in there though so it should last a good few months.

That Be a Bombshell Eye Base in Nudist is a crappy eye base but I'm using it to add a sheen to my collarbones and shoulders now that it's summer. It's ok for that purpose but it's certainly not a product I would buy again.

I've hit 'pan' on my Evelyn Iona Concealer - woot woot! I love this concealer but I do have a back-up for it and I've also got a couple of other concealers that I'd like to move into circulation, so I'll be glad when I've finished it.

That Shanghai Suzy lipstick is definitely looking smaller now that it's been in circulation for a while. I tend to get through lip products pretty quickly because my lips are so dry that I spend half my life putting something on them, so I reckon this will be gone by March.

My 'Tini Beauty Eye Cordial is still plodding along, and I'm not surprised that it's lasted this long because there's heaps of product and I only use a little each time. It makes a decent eye base so I'm happy to use it most days.

That Croquis Concealer is going to last out the year, I'm sure of it. The darker end isn't quite the right colour for me so I only use the smallest amount to conceal redness around my nose, and the highlighting end is good but I don't use it every day because I'm more tanned now so my dark circles don't show up as much as they do in winter (meaning I need less coverage).

I can't believe that Benefit Cha Cha Tint is still going! It's just a small size and I've been using it at least once a day, but it seems to be one of those never-ending products. Let's hope it's done by March so I can move on to something else.

Curse the day that I ever bought this Australis AC On Tour Kit. It was actually the product that caused me to break my spending ban last year: I'd seen all the hype over the product and it was always sold out, so when I saw it in Priceline I felt compelled to buy it. Big mistake!

The darker shades are so muddy on me and they're a bloody nightmare to blend, so I find them unusable. The highlight shades I'm forcing myself to use, and I can't wait 'till they're gone so I can turf them. Mind you, I've started to use the middle brown shade as an eyebrow colour and although it's a bit pale for my dark brows, I can get away with it so I might keep doing that for a while. Can't wait to see the back of this product though!

In sum

That's it! Another long list of products to get through, but I'm committed to at least one more year of Project Pan because I think it's useful. Not only because it forces you to use and finish things, but also because it helps remind you of how long it takes to finish things - meaning you're less likely to make impulse purchases because you know you may well regret it.

I'll check back in soon with another update : ) Here's to another year of empties!

Happy New Year everyone! Here's to hoping 2016 is one of those years that people remember for being all things good, and challenging only in a good way.

Today I'm sneaking in my last empties post of December 2015 before the empties sack gets too full. It's been a pretty big month for empties but as always some of my finished products aren't in full size containers, so it's much easier to get through them.

Ipuda Eggplant Soothing Gel

Full review here. This may well be the most hysterical packaging I've ever seen (!). It's not a great product in that it's not very hydrating for my dry skin, but it's quite cooling (and indeed soothing) so it's been a good one for these hot days. It's rather sticky though so it's not for everyday use (at least for me) and my skin needs something with more punch. Purchase? No.

Eleven Australia Miracle Hair Treatment

I've talked a lot about this product through Project Pan 2015, so I won't rehash too much about it here except to say that I don't mind it as a hair treatment but I've used better and by the end I was sick of it. I've reviewed it here. Purchase? No.

Stila CC Color Correcting Cream SPF 20

Full review here. I'm sad I've finished this one because it's been discontinued, and it costs $65 AUD these days so I'm not sure I would buy it again - I reckon that's too much for a tinted moisturiser that's not going to last as long as a foundation.

This product however is sensational and it won top spot in the tinted moisturiser category in my yearly favourites: it's such a beautiful product that leaves me with natural, even and dewy skin. I'm testing a few other bases at the moment and none are as good as this one - I'm going to miss it! Repurchase? Yes, if I could and if it were cheaper.

Tocca Hand Cream in Cleopatra

These Tocca hand creams are lovely and I reckon this is my favourite scent of the three I've tried. Full review here. It's a wonderfully silky cream that isn't too heavy, and these 30ml sizes are perfect for your handbag. Cleopatra is a light and complex scent that lingers on the skin but isn't overpowering. Sad to see it go! Repurchase? Yes, although I'd like to try other scents, just for a change.

Alpha-H Liquid Gold with Glycolic Acid

This is another product that showed up in my 2015 favourites and if you read this blog, you're probably sick of hearing me go on about it! Full review here.

It's one of the few products that makes a real difference to my skin and I always notice when I stop and start using it. With this product my skin is clearer, brighter and healthier. Repurchase? Already have.

John Frieda Beach Blonde Cool Dip Purifying Shampoo

Full review here. This is a great clarifying shampoo and I rationed it so I could use it every few weeks to remove build up from my hair.

I'm already missing it now that it's gone so I might have to buy it or something like it. I wouldn't use it as my standard shampoo because it does strip the hair a bit, but every now and then it's just what my hair needs because I use a lot of product to help with dryness and frizz, which can weigh my hair down unless I use a clarifying product like this one. Purchase? Yes.

Polished London Nail Enamel

I thought I'd reviewed this product but looks like I haven't so I'll comment briefly here. It came in one of my sub boxes ages ago and I wasn't using it so I switched it to my Project Pan list for a bit but I didn't keep it there because I wasn't using it enough.

It's a great colour but it chips in a heartbeat so I haven't been using it on my hands but only on my toenails (because they're less likely to chip). To finish it, I used the last gluggy bits to decorate some Christmas cards because I wanted to get through it. It's not a great polish and I need something that doesn't shift as easily as this does. Purchase? No.

Redwin Perfect Naturals Coconut Balm

Full review here. This is a great little product and I got through it faster than I'd hoped because I was using it on my feet for some extra hydration and my tootsies have been dry recently so I was slapping this on almost every night.

It smells divine, hydrates well and it's cheap. Plus it's multipurpose so I think most people would be able to find some use for it. Purchase? Yes.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel

I've reviewed this here. I don't love the product and I think it's expensive for what it is, but I was sad to finish it because I don't have a replacement so I'll have to buy one.

It's an ok product but I wouldn't fork out $40 AUD for something like this, and while it does the job, it also has a habit of 'dissolving' whatever colour I've put on my brows and shifting it before it dries. Plus it doesn't stay clear for long because it gets dyed by your brow products, and in any event I prefer tinted gels because there's less filling required when I use those and I'm lazy so that suits me. Purchase? No.

Maybelline Color Elixir Color Sensational Creamy Lip Lacquer in 040 Vision in Violet

What a title. It kind of annoys me when products have ridiculously long names, but of course it's what's inside that counts ; ).

Full review here. I won't talk about this product too much because I've done that via Project Pan, but I loved this shade and I quite like the formula of these too. I wouldn't pay full price ($18) for these, but you can often find them on special somewhere so it's worth waiting for sales. Repurchase? Maybe, if I didn't have so many lip products already!

In sum

Hooray for the last bunch of empties for 2015! Let me know if you've finished any great products this month.

My favourites in this lot are those from Redwin, Alpha-H, John Frieda, Stila and Tocca. Looking forward to using many more fun products in the coming year : ).

Welcome to my last Project Pan post of the 2015 year - huzzah!

It's the first year I've done Project Pan, and while it's been difficult to commit to getting through some of my products, it's been worthwhile because I've made a dent in my collection and I now don't feel like I have too much stuff: I have enough to keep things interesting, but not so much that I'm feeling overwhelmed.

Nevertheless, I've decided to go ahead and do Project Pan 2016, purely because I've started this thing now and I've still got a few products I want to finish.

I don't think that Project Pan 2016 will be as big as this year's: this year I had a bundle of half-finished products to get through and, since a lot of those are now gone, I've got less stuff to work with and what I do have is reasonably new.

Anyhoo. Here's my tally of finished products for the 2015 year:

Primers: six
Base products (BB/CC creams, foundations etc): eight
Face powders: three
Brow gels/mascaras: one
Lipsticks and glosses: eight
Lip pencils: one
Blushes: one
Bronzers: one
Eyeliners/brow pencils: four
Eyeshadows: two
Concealers: one
Highlighters (liquid): two
Nail polishes: four
Hair products: one

So the total is 40 products, which was what I was aiming for when I counted up the products I'd finished so far back in August. Woot woot!

I won't rehash my current PP list (and I haven't taken fresh photos for this post) because I'll do that in the coming days when I kick off PP 2016.

Between now and then, I'll be looking at my collection and working out what I have too many of and what's getting a little old. As always I have some base products that need to be used, so I suspect it will be another base-heavy year - but at least those things are possible to finish off, unlike eyeshadows and blushes, which last centuries!

'Till then : )

I've been putting off doing my 2015 skincare favourites because I knew I had so many products I've used and loved since I started blogging, but when it actually came to picking out the best ones it wasn't as hard as I thought!

As I mentioned in my other 2015 favourites posts, I'm going to use existing photos rather than take fresh ones of everything because many of the empties are long gone, and I'm also limiting this post to products I've already reviewed (meaning that some products I'm currently using won't get a mention).

So without further ado and in no particular order, here are my top skincare picks for 2015:

Best Facial Exfoliants: Alpha-H Gentle Daily Exfoliant and Suki Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser

This Alpha-H product is a new discovery but I knew within the first few uses that it had earned a permanent place in my skincare armoury. Full review here.

It's a powder product that you mix with water to form a paste, and somehow it does a remarkable job of exfoliating without the use of harsh grains. My skin always looks brighter and feels smoother after using this, and even though I've only been using it for a few weeks, I can't imagine life without it!

There was no way in hell I could choose between this Suki exfoliant and the Alpha-H one, so I decided to include both of them as winners under this heading. I've reviewed the Suki product here.

This product is just divine to use: it smells like lemony heaven (ha) and leaves my skin feeling beautifully clean. If I had to get picky, I would say that the Alpha-H product does a better job of exfoliation but this one is more enjoyable to use and less of a hassle because you don't need to mix it.

But I love them both and plan to use them FOREVER.

Best Facial Wipes: Essenzza Fuss Free Naturals, Natural Facial Cleansing Wipes

Another product I plan to use forever. I've reviewed these wipes here.

I like the green ones the best but that's only because I like the smell of those - otherwise I can't detect any difference between the three types. These have plenty of moisture and they come with a smooth side and a rough one, so they exfoliate and cleanse well and do a great job of removing makeup.

I need to get myself some more of these: I've run out and I miss them!

Best Facial Cleanser: Alpha-H Liquid Gold Anti-ageing Cleanser

Full review here. I'm surprised by how much I love this product since I normally prefer foaming cleansers, but this one is too good to ignore.

It leaves your skin feeling fresh, clean, soft and supple, and I think it has a brightening and resurfacing effect too. It also dissolves makeup and grime unbelievably well, and I don't need to double-cleanse with this product because it does enough on its own.

I've finished my tube but it's on the wishlist for next year and I can't wait to use it again.

Best Toner: Nivea Daily Essentials Refreshing Toner and Happy Skincare Raindrops on Roses Hydrating Tonic

I couldn't pick between these two so it's another tie under this heading.

The Nivea toner smells so wonderful and refreshing that I get a lift each time I use it - so much so that I've been known to open the bottle and give it a sniff when I need a pick up! I've reviewed it here.

My skin loves it and my face looks fresher and brighter after use. It's not harsh or astringent, and it somehow manages to be gentle while still getting the job done. It's great for removing not only dirt but also makeup, plus it costs a measly $8 at full price. Bargain!

This toner from Happy Skincare costs more than three times the Nivea product but that's still not a ridiculous price for decent skincare. Full review here.

It really does smell like raindrops on roses, and it's a great refresher and plumper. It feels nice on and my skin looks and feels clearer, cleaner and fresher when I use it - plus it offers some rejuvenating and youth-promoting results.

I haven't bought one of these for a while but I reckon I'm just about due for another one...

Best Serum: Darphin HydraSkin Intensive Moisturising Serum

I obviously haven't used great serums this year because this was the only product that stood out and I would have preferred to mention it if I'd been through a full size, but this little sample did last almost a month because I rationed it (I only used it on my face) so I was still able to get a good sense of it. I've reviewed it here.

It's a super lightweight product that feels like water to the touch and has a faint, refreshing fragrance. You wouldn't think that something this watery would pack so much punch, but it does and it leaves my face looking less lined, brighter and more fresh - plus my skin feels hydrated and just happier overall. This one's on the wishlist so I hope I can pick it up sometime next year.

Best Face Cream: Alpha-H Liquid Gold Rejuvenating Face Cream

Full review here. Few skincare products make a huge and noticeable difference to your skin, but this one certainly does. When I first used it, I noticed the change immediately and the benefits were even more marked over time.

When using this, my skin looks and feels healthier, smoother and more plumped, and it's had an impact on fine lines too. I'm dreading the day that I finish this travel-size (it's my second one) because I'll have to buy the full size and it ain't cheap. Still, it's worth it and it's hardly the most expensive skincare product on the market (plus Alpha-H is often available on sale, so it's worth waiting for promotions).

Best Eye Cream: Mario Badescu Glycolic Eye Cream

I'm so glad I've finally managed to find an eye cream that's this good and does this much for my dry, sensitive eyes without costing a bucket. This little gem costs $26 AUD and it far outperforms many other eye creams I've tried that cost over a hundred. I've reviewed it here.

I love this because it's super thick and hydrating, and while it might be a little heavy/greasy for some, my dry skin loves it. Mind you, I do only use it at night because it's too full-on to wear under makeup (I think it's too slick to use for daytime). But if you're no longer in your twenties and need something extra nourishing, this is a good pick and it won't break the bank.

Best Facial Treatment: Alpha-H Liquid Gold with Glycolic Acid

Full review here. I'd say most beauty-lovers would have heard of this product, and it really does deserve all the hype.

Like the Alpha-H cream above, this is an excellent resurfacing product that leaves me with glowing skin. I always notice the difference in my skin when I stop using it and then start again, and I can't imagine ever being without it. It's a cult product for a reason and I urge you to try it if you haven't already.

It also has an effect on fine lines and is good for targeting break-outs, so it's a kind of 'catch all' product that really delivers.

Best Face Mask: Cellilux Glacial Mineral Gel

Full review here (and please excuse the photos - it was one of my earliest posts!). It's hard to imagine that my yearly winner under this heading will ever be another mask: it's one of the few masks that makes a real difference to my skin, that meets all its claims, and that's so good that my skin suffers without it.

This product exfoliates, resurfaces and has a plumping and smoothing effect. I also think it does something towards fine lines and evening out skintone. The only downside is that it costs almost $70 AUD and it's not easy to find in Australia. I'm desperate to buy another one but sadly I'll have to wait until we can afford it.

Best Oils (Face and Body): Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse and Happy Skincare Organic Tamanu Oil

Both these oils are multipurpose but I prefer the Nuxe oil for my body and the Happy oil for my face. There's no real reason for that, although the Happy oil costs a bit more and does more for redness so I guess that's why I divide them that way.

The Nuxe oil is a cult product for good reason: it's hydrating and smells divine, plus it works well for your hair, body and face so it's a useful one to have in your kit. Plus a little goes a long way so a bottle lasts for ages. I've reviewed it here.

This Happy oil is just divine and I miss it but I have so much skincare to get through that I can't justify a purchase at the moment.

It's lovely and thick and so moisturising - everything about it just feels good for your skin. It smells like walnuts and leaves my skin beautifully soft and plumped. I want more of it! Plus Happy Skincare is an Australian brand and I do love supporting home-grown companies.

Best Body Cream and Best Self-tanner: Garnier Body Summer Nourishing Lotion

Full review here. I've put these two categories together because this product is a clear winner on both fronts.

Not only does it deliver a natural, even tan, but it's also a super nourishing body cream that my dry skin can't get enough of. Plus it smells good and feels so silky against the skin. And it's cheap!

'Nuff said.

Best Facial Spray: MAC Fix+

As you may know, I'm not a huge MAC fan - I just feel like I've been there, done that and have better options - but this product and MAC's Strobe Cream are staples for me and I keep coming back to them. I've reviewed Fix+ here.

It's hard to imagine that any other spray will ever beat this one: what I love about it most is that it takes five years off my face whenever I use it. Plus it just seems to make your makeup merge together and look more polished and natural. I've heard that MAC has brought out some new 'flavours' for this and I'm desperate to try them, so watch this space.

Best Body Scrub: Mr Bean Coffee Bean Scrub, Coconut and Villainess Dulces en Fuego Smooch! Body Scrub

Oh how I love this Mr Bean stuff. I've reviewed it here. I love it so much that I picked up the LHI Spring Eco box purely because I saw that it included this product, and I'm glad I got the mandarin version the second time around so I could try it, but I do prefer the scent of this coconut one hands down.

Every time I open this product, I get a lift. It smells like coffee and coconut in a rich, complex way and I enjoy using it for that reason alone. It also adheres to the skin better than most dry scrubs - maybe because it's not quite dry - meaning you don't wind up losing half of it in the shower. It also exfoliates well without being too harsh and there's something hydrating about it too.

Damn I miss this product: even just looking at it makes me crave it. If only Violet Box hadn't closed operations, otherwise I'd still be using it. Full review here.

It smells out of this world divine, has a nice texture and does a good job of exfoliating the skin. It's also an interesting product because I've used nothing else like it, so it's worth checking out if you're sick of the same old scrubs.

Best Handcream: Camille Beckman Glycerine Hand Therapy and Burt's Bees Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Creme

Ever since having a baby, I've started using handcream on a daily basis. Not only that, I need a heavy duty handcream that's not too light. This means both my choices are on the heavier side so they mightn't suit everyone.

The Camille Beckman product (reviewed here) is the lighter of the two but it still packs a punch. It comes in nice packaging that I'm happy to have on display and everything about it just feels luxe. Plus it smells divine and does a great job of hydrating my parched hands.

This Burt's Bees handcream isn't for the faint-hearted and I say this for two reasons: first, it's so heavy that I can only use it overnight because it does leave a slick feeling on the skin for a good while; and second, it absolutely reeks of fake almonds and if I didn't love the cream so much, I would have dismissed it for the overpowering scent alone.

But it's been a staple for me this year and this is my second tub. The first was a sample size that lasted ages, and that's another good thing about the product: it's not expensive and you only need the tiniest amount each time, so it's a worthwhile investment. This tub has lasted six months and there's barely a dent in it. On top of that, nothing else I've tried has hydrated my hands quite so well, and I've been through a good few handcreams this year so that's saying something.

In sum

Phew! I was beginning to think I would never get through this post. Obviously, Alpha-H products agree with me: the brand has cleaned up this year!

Can't wait to discover some new favourites in 2016.

Let me know what your top skincare picks are for this year - I'd love to hear them : )

I've just posted on my 2015 favourites for both makeup and haircare, and while I'm yet to draft my 2015 skincare favourites, I wanted to sneak in this little post first because there are some clear winners this month in terms of what I'm reaching for most often and I didn't want them to get lost in all the favourite-ing ; )

The most exciting find for me this month is that rubbish Adorn eyeshadow - I say rubbish because I bought it since it's called 'matte' and I liked the look of the colour as displayed on Adorn's website, but when it showed up in the post I saw that it definitely wasn't matte and the colour was so different from the colour I was expecting (it's much brighter in real life and not something for everyday wear).

BUT when I was having a declutter and almost passed the Adorn product on to someone else, I realised that as a yellowed orange it's not so different from Nars Esoteric, which appears in the limited edition Nars Steven Klein Despair blush palette. More on that below.

Here are my favourites for December, in no particular order:

Alpha-H Gentle Daily Exfoliant

Full review here. This is a new discovery because I only opened it this month but I already love it and it's found a permanent place in my collection. I'll be rationing this travel-size container and when it's finished, I'll definitely buy the full size.

It's a powder exfoliant that you mix with water and then rub over your face, and it does an insane job of resurfacing the skin without the use of harsh grains. My skin always looks brighter and more even after using this - it's been hard not to use it every day!

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse

I've been through countless sachets of this stuff, a full-sized bottle and another travel-size like the one pictured, and this little bottle is my last one - argh! Full review here.

I absolutely love this stuff: it's a dry oil that you can use on your face, body and hair so it's multipurpose. It smells divine and does a great job of hydrating my dry skin. It's a little on the pricey side but it's often on special in pharmacies so it's worth waiting to buy it on sale. Can't recommend this one enough.

Adorn Mineral Matte Eyeshadow in Citrine Orange

As mentioned above, I was so disappointed in this product when I received it and I still hate it as an eyeshadow because it looks crap and it's nothing like I was expecting: due to the picture on Adorn's website and the name of this product, I was expecting a subdued, burnt orange MATTE eyeshadow and instead I got this glittery bright yellowed orange thing that doesn't even wear well.

But I've recently been on the look-out for a yellowed orange blush after testing Esoteric from the Nars Steven Klein Despair Cheek Palette - a colour that suited me well, but I wasn't going to buy the whole palette for one colour.

When I was going through my collection earlier this month and weeding out the things I never use and didn't want to keep, I swatched this and noticed that it's a similar colour to Esoteric. Score! They're not exact dupes but they're definitely in the same colour family, so I've been wearing this as a blush and it's a good colour on my cheeks. Huzzah!

Bodyography Veil Foundation Primer in Tahitian Glow

Full review here. I'm not normally a fan of these silicone-y, pore plugging primers but I do like this one because it's a great shade and a very good base for some of my more greasy BB/CC creams (that'd be the sunscreen in them).

I've been using this heaps throughout December and have been choosing it over my other, more hydrating primers - purely because I don't need to powder my face if I use an overly dewy tinted moisturiser since this primer does the work for me.

I'm not sure if I would repurchase this product because I've discovered this year that cream primers work best for my skin, but if I wanted a gel primer again I would definitely pick one from Bodyography.

Cheek Room Lip Palette

This was a Memebox inclusion and the quality isn't amazing - it's not bad, it's just that the formula doesn't stand out - but I love these four shades and the palette is so versatile. I've reviewed it here.

As you may know, I prefer orange and purple lip products over eg pink and red ones, and out of this palette I can get an orange, a coral, a plum, a lavender lipstick and a lavender gloss.

It's a great product to cart around in my handbag for touch-ups on the go, not only because it's small and contains a few shades, but also because I can get the colours to work for just about any look, depending on how I mix them.

This isn't a product I would buy but I'll use it until it's completely gone and I know that I'll miss it once I've finished it - so much so that I've already started keeping an eye out for a similar replacement from another brand.

In sum

It was easy to pick out my favourites this month although I did have a few too many and had to narrow the list down, so the products I skipped this month will likely show up in my January favourites.

Let me know what you've been loving this month : )

I was going to write my skincare favourites today but it's been a bad night so I've decided to do my top haircare products of 2015 because it's a shorter post and it was already half drafted.

As I did for my 2015 makeup favourites, I'm limiting this post to products I've already reviewed - meaning a couple of open products won't get a mention this year - and I'm also going to use the photos I've already taken (rather than shooting fresh ones) because some of the products are finished so the empty containers are long gone.

Without further ado, and in no particular order:

Best Shampoo & Conditioner: Organix (OGX) Hydrating Macadamia Oil Shampoo & Conditioner

Full review here. These products are just sensational for my dry, frizzy hair and I'm so glad I've finally found them!

I've always been one of those people who needs to load my hair up with product to keep it looking half-decent, but this shampoo/conditioner combo is so good that I don't need I need to do that. The reason being, these leave my hair shiny, hydrated and more manageable, and they do a great job at banishing my frizz too.

If you have unruly hair, I urge you to give this line a go.

Best Hair Mask: Royal Moroccan Hair Mask Treatment

This product does an amazing job of nourishing my hair and leaving it soft, shiny and hydrated. I've reviewed it here.

As with the OGX products, when I use this one I don't need to load my hair up with product after washing because it already looks decent and is much easier to manage. It also targets frizz and is especially good for knotty hair. It's a little pricey but you can find it on special so it's one to look out for during the sales because it really is fantastic.

Best Leave-in Conditioner: Cedel Conditioning Foam with Argan Oil

I've reviewed this here. This was probably my most surprising haircare find of the year because Cedel is a budget brand and I've never liked its products.

This foam however completely blew my socks off, and it's the best leave-in conditioning treatment that I've found. It makes my hair soft, shiny and nourished, plus it's a great detangler. And you can pick it up at the pharmacy for a song. Woot woot! Love this one.

Best Strengthening Treatment: Valley Sous Hair Solution Protein Therapy Perfect Mist

This is one of the few products I received from Memebox that I really loved. I've reviewed it here. It's a different kind of product from the ones I've mentioned above because it's not so good at hydrating my hair, but it delivers in terms of strengthening, detangling and adding shine.

It's also super easy to use because it's a spray and it's so light that it never weighs my hair down, and I can spray it each day without being worried about build-up. I do need to use a hair oil on the ends of my hair when I use this because it's not hydrating enough, but I'm prepared to overlook that because it does such a good job on other fronts.

Best High-end Treatments: Aveda Color Conserve Daily Color Protect and Aveda Dry Remedy Daily Moisturising Oil

I'm including two products under this heading because they're both very similar in terms of what they do and they're also from the same brand.

The color conserve (above) is a leave-in treatment that does a beautiful job of detaingling and de-frizzing without weighing the hair down. I've reviewed it here. The best thing it does is tame the frizz around my hairline: it doesn't do this perfectly (no product does), but it performs light-years better than other products on this front.

Problem is, both this product and the one below cost $50 for the full size, so I won't be buying them any time soon because I'm not willing to spend that much on haircare.

This has a similar effect to the above Aveda product, but it's an oil. Full review here.

I've received three or four of these samples from sub boxes over the past couple of years and they last ages because you only need a little each time, plus they're great to carry around in your handbag because they're so small.

Do be aware of the smell of these products, however: they smell strongly of ginger and the scent lingers, so if you don't like fragranced products I would give these a miss.

In sum

It was pretty easy to pick my haircare favourites this year because there aren't many and I have firm preferences.

I'm not looking forward to my skincare favourites because I have so many! I'll check back in with those soon : )

Let me know what your favourite haircare products have been this year - I'd love to hear.

little white truths

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