little white truths

Good morning to you and welcome to my next Project Dent 2016 update! Around two weeks ago, I introduced these four Ardency Inn pressed pigments into my Project Dent series (see my last post here) because I just hadn't been using them enough and wanted to get some dents happening.

Part of the reason I wasn't using them was because they're all singles and who can be bothered, but I'd also been ignoring them because they're quite intense and much better for night looks (at least for me), and this past year I haven't been out much at night - a tough pregnancy and now an infant plus a toddler will do that to you - so they've been sitting around gathering dust.

But I've since depotted them into a Z-palette along with my Becca Ombre Nudes Eye Palette because the shades work well together, and I've been busy testing them over the last couple of weeks. While I'm not quite ready to review them, I'm definitely ready to move them out of Project Dent circulation and focus on something else: I've had quite enough of all that metallic sheen and glitter for the moment!

Anyhoo. Here's how they looked two weeks ago:

Going clockwise from the top centre, the shades I own are Sunday, Heaven, Rose Gold and Disco. I do really like the colours but they're not shadows I reach for on a daily basis, given how intense they are, because I prefer a more natural look.

Plus I've had some issues with fall-out (I'll talk about that more when I review them), and the Rose Gold and Sunday shades in particular make my eyelids look crepe-y, which isn't unusual for me these days given that I'm over 30 and sleep-deprived/constantly dehydrated to boot. And I have dry skin. And dry skin and metallics ain't a great mix.

But I digress. Here's how the pigments look now, after two weeks' daily use:

As you can see, I've definitely made some good progress in only two weeks. The Sunday and Rose Gold shades in particular are beautifully soft and loosely packed, meaning you pick up quite a bit on the brush each time and I don't need to build them for good colour pay-off. They'd probably make good subjects for Pan that Palette and I could see myself getting through them faster than other shadows, so I'll keep that in mind.

The Disco and Heaven shades are slower going, but I've definitely got some dent action happening in Disco. This is because it's the least pigmented of the four and the hardest to the touch, so I really need to dig my brush in there and build the colour to get it to show up well on the eye. That makes it sound unattractive, but it's also the shade that looks best on me because it doesn't emphasise lines, so there are pros and cons to each shade and how they're all formulated.

Anyhoo. That's all from me for now. I'm looking forward to reviewing these - I'll do that soon, so stay tuned - and I also can't wait to pick out my next item for Project Dent 2016.

Speak soon x

I was sent a few Burt's Bees products to review recently, and while this wasn't one of them, reviewing those other products reminded me that I had this one lying around.

I received it from a sub box some time during the year, and I put it to one side because I remember not thinking much of the Burt's Bees formula when I first tried it years ago, plus I received this gloss in pink - a colour I don't normally wear.

Unfortunately I don't like the Burt's Bees formula this time any more than I did the first time, and while I'll finish my product because I don't like waste, it's not one I want to try again.

Let's kick off this update by saying that I've finished off two more of my Project Pan products in the last few days. 

The first is the above Davroe hair treatment, which I had to use as a pre-wash mask because it just didn't work for me, and the second is the last of three Nars foundation samples, which I was starting to think I'd never get through. Thank god for that!

This means I've finished off ten products in November, which from memory makes it my best Project Pan month of all time. Huzzah! I often find that products do start dropping off more quickly towards the end of the year, and that's generally because you pick things that you think you can finish by then (or at least I do).

Anyhoo. Here they are:

 And here's what my list looks like, as of today:

That's seventeen products in total, so it's a little more than I'd like but I plan to narrow it down by Project Pan 2017.

Let's have a quick look at each item in turn.

First up, my non-makeup items. The RCK glowy body lotion has just been moved into circulation so you'll only see one marker on that (see photo below) and I'm hoping I can finish it by Christmas. I don't like it on its own but it's fine when mixed with another body cream to make that last longer.

The Tresemme leave-in hair product is one that's been on my list for a while and I only use it after washing, and I wash my hair twice weekly max so it's slow-going but I don't mind that because I like the product.

There are my markers:

I can't believe that Estee Lauder perfume is still going! I honestly thought I'd easily be through it in November but it's hanging on 'till the very end. Fingers crossed I can knock it off within the next week or so because I'm keen to reduce my list as much as possible before 2017.

As for the Mine Tan tanning mousse, I'm regretting including it now because it's so hard for me to find time to use it. With a toddler and a newborn, finding a moment to apply it a few hours before my husband gets home (when I can finally have my shower) isn't easy. Indeed, I mightn't be able to start using it more often until he's on leave.

Next up, my base products. You'll see below that the Revlon BB cream has a nice dent in it now, and it's just possible that I'll finish it in December. I'm using it mixed in with my daily sunscreen, just to make the latter last longer because the Revlon product isn't a great base on me but it does have a decent SPF.

Those Bodyography powders are going to last out next year at least (see markers below), but I'm determined to finish them because they're such great products. I've had them for a couple of years now so it's time to get moving. I use them daily to set my makeup, but I only use a tiny bit because my skin is dry so I need to go easy on the powders.

As for my Marc Jacobs foundation, I'm really enjoying panning this one because it's a great product and one that gives a beautiful finish. Normally I don't like using the same base product every day but I've been happy to do so with this and I may well finish it before 2017. We'll see.

That Bodyography concealer is in for the long haul (see progress below). It's a good product but gosh there's so much of it, and it's so concentrated that you only need enough to cover a pin-head each time. I'm getting through it by adding a drop to my foundation, just to reduce how peach that is (this concealer is very yellow)

My Lust Have It highlighter is getting some good use on the body now that the weather's warmer and my shoulders and collarbones are out, and I plan to finish it this month by crushing up what's left and adding it to a body lotion. I'm keen to move in another powder highlighter for next year so I'll do what I have to in order to finish this one.

The Josie Maran highlighter is a newer inclusion so there's only one marker, and I'm hoping to get through it by the end of the year because I really don't like it.

I'm using it mixed in with my moisturiser because it's too metallic to use any other way (at least I find it so), and I also reckon it's not the easiest product to work with because it sets quickly and doesn't blend as easily as other liquid highlighters.

Lips and eyes next. The Savvy eyeliner makes a great inner corner and lashline highlight, plus I've occasionally been using it on the lips because I'm loving the gold lip trend. Rather than buy a gold lipstick, why not use this? It will take me some time to finish it (see progress below), but I'm enjoying the product so that doesn't matter.

The Bodyography gloss is taking me a while and I haven't marked it because I can't tell how much is left without taking the stopper out each month and then putting it back in, so I'll just give you estimates because I'm lazy ; ). I reckon there's about a quarter left and I'm looking forward to finishing it so I can move on to something else.

There's my progress on the Savvy eyeliner and Bodyography lipstick above. 

I like both the Bodyography lipstick and gloss but I'm going to focus on them more throughout December because I'd like to bring in some new lip products in 2017. Lip products I find easy to finish because my lips are so dry that I need to keep reapplying them, so I'm confident that I can finish at least one, if not both, by year's end.

Last up, my pots. If you'd like to see progress on the older ones, see my last update here, but the Vivito and Adorn products are new inclusions so you'll only be able to track them from now on.

The Vivito blush is too pale for me and I don't love pink on my colouring, so I'm mixing it with my setting powder to make that last longer. It's in for the long haul so expect to see it still on my list well into next year.

The Adorn blush will also be around for ages. There's only about a quarter left in the tub because I've pressed the rest into a pan, but I don't want to use it every day (blush is my favourite and I like mixing things up), so I'm happy to use it a couple of times a week only until it's gone.

The Josie Maran blush I'm actually using on my lips as a stain because I'm sick of using it as a blush. It's a gorgeous colour and I do love the formula, but I've over-used it of late and I'd prefer to use it as a lip tint only. Once it's done, I'll be moving my only other non-powder blush into circulation because I don't want either to go off before I've finished them.

The Becca under eye corrector continues to show good progress, but you only need a little each time so this will likely last out most of next year. That's fine because I enjoy the product, but I would like to finish it eventually so I can justify buying another corrector (I'd quite like to try Becca's papaya one).

In sum

Thank golly I got through that update! It's been one of those mornings here where one of the kids has always needed something, so it's taken me longer than usual to write this. But I got there in the end so I hope you've enjoyed seeing where my products are at for this month.

Looking forward to bringing you my Project Pan 2016 finale post next month! Hopefully I can knock off another few items before then.

Speak soon x

We received this hair treatment in one of our Maslow & Co boxes (unboxed here) and it's taken me a while to review it because I've kept trying to find a way to like it. Problem is, I just don't and I can't seem to make it work for me.

You know how sometimes you come across a product that has hundreds of glowing reviews but you just can't see what the fuss is about? This is one of those products for me and I'll probably have to slot it into Project Pan, just to make myself use it. Otherwise I can see it gathering dust and eventually going to waste. 

Indeed, I've just finished off a haircare item from my Project Pan list so you may well see this included sooner rather than later.

Reverie claims/product details:

• An oil-cream formula that tames frizz for silky, soft and healthy-looking hair
• Includes nourishing ingredients derived from coconuts, olives, almonds and other natural sources
• Contains a rich blend of 16 essential oils that imparts a fresh, herbal scent
• A leave-in conditioning treatment that does more than tame frizz: it also repairs damage
• Lightweight formula also protects and moisturises, leaving hair soft, silky and shiny without weighing it down
• Suitable for all hair types
• Free from parabens, sulfates and phthalates 
• Vegan
• Silicone and gluten free
• Handcrafted in California in small batches using wild harvested, sustainable and certified organic ingredients
• To use: apply evenly all over damp or dry hair; safe for daily use and colour-treated hair; use throughout the day for touch-ups to keep hair frizz-free
• RRP $63 AUD for 100ml; received 30ml sample valued at $23

Verdict

This product does nothing for me and it's one I would likely give away if it were a full size because I couldn't bear to force myself to use it, but since it's a deluxe sample and I can get through it easily enough, I'll likely throw it into Project Pan so I can finish it and then keep the little bottle, which I quite like and which will be good for travel.

It's a cream that smells strongly of ginger, and while I don't mind the scent, I also don't really want my hair smelling like that because the scent does linger and it can interfere with your perfume - or at least it does for me.

I love the sleek black packaging and it's a product I'd be happy to display in the bathroom or whip out in public because it just looks classy and luxe.

I've tried this product in various ways - using less or more of it, using it on wet or dry hair, using it only once after washing or using it every day - and in each case it's the same. All it does is weigh my hair down (no matter how little I use) and leave a film behind that I can feel when I touch my hair, and it does absolutely nothing towards taming frizz. Not a thing.

It also makes my hair look dull (perhaps because it's been coated) and it does nothing for condition either - it doesn't make my hair softer, shinier or more manageable - so there's really nothing I can use this for. Perhaps it will work as a pre-wash treatment, so that's something I'll try.

On the claims: no it doesn't tame frizz; no it doesn't leave my hair soft or silky; and no I don't think it moisturises either. It may well help protect it, given the coating I've mentioned, but it also weighs it down and makes it feel a touch sticky, so I wouldn't use it for the protection factor alone.

All in all, this treatment just doesn't work for me and I've given it a 'disappointing products' tag because I was expecting to love it: it was the sneak peek item in the box for that month so it was hyped-up at the time, and all the rave reviews I read set it up to be more disappointing than it might otherwise have been. Plus it's expensive for a haircare item so I'd certainly test it before committing to a purchase.

Just not for me.

We've hit new heights of exhaustion in our house this month because my little boy still hasn't worked out that day is day and night is night (he's six weeks old and counting). 

This means I'm up all night feeding him and then chasing my toddler around all day long, and while my husband is taking as much of the load as he can, Mother Nature (who I personally think is in fact Father Nature) was mean enough to give men nipples that don't do anything. 

I mean, if men can't help us out with the breastfeeding, then why give them nipples at all? That's just cruelty, if you ask me. I have a lot of bones to pick with Mother/Father Nature. I'll write her (him) a letter, if I ever have the time.

Anyhoo. Favourites. Thank god these products have helped keep me sane...

Becca Ombre Nudes Eye Palette

Full review here. I brought this one into circulation this month as part of Project Dent because I wasn't using it enough, and turns out I really like it. Which of course isn't surprising because I generally love Becca products, so I'm glad I've finally had some solid use from it!

The shadows are beautifully soft and silky, and for the most part they blend very easily and apply well. I like this so much that I've now depotted it into a little Z-palette along with some shimmers, and I already know that it will be getting plenty more use now that I've realised just how versatile it is. Yes it looks a little boring, but gosh it's a handy palette to have.

Sunday Riley Blue Moon Tranquillity Cleansing Balm

If you read my review of this product (see here), you'll note that while I think it's lovely, I just don't think it's worth the price tag. 

Nevertheless I've loved using it this past month as a hydrating mask: with all this breastfeeding and sleep-deprivation, my skin has been drier than usual - and on those dry mornings I whack this on, leave it for 20 minutes or so before washing it off, and find that my skin's a lot happier for it.

So even though I wouldn't repurchase it because I don't think you need to spend over $70 AUD on a cleansing balm, I'm certainly enjoying using this while I have it.

IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream with SPF 50+

Sometimes over-hyped products thankfully live up to the hype, and for me, this was one of those products. I've reviewed it here.

What I love about it is that it gives such a natural coverage that can be sheered out or built up, depending on your preferences. It took me a while to get this right because the coverage is too much for my personal tastes, but if I make sure I'm super hydrated before application, I can blend it out to get the lighter base I'm after. 

Now it's one of those rare foundations I can whack on and know it will always look good, no matter what my skin is doing on any given day. Love.

Rituals The Ritual of Sakura Shower Foam

Full review here. This is probably my favourite bath & body product of all time, and indeed one of my favourite products of all time, full stop.

While I love all the versions of this foam that I've tried thus far, the scent of this one is probably my favourite because it's complex and manages to be sweet and refreshing at the same time.

If you haven't tried one of these yet, I urge you to - the foam they create is so rich and velvety that you'll be forgiven for thinking you're using a super expensive product. But you're not: at $15 AUD a pop, they're an absolute bargain.

Alpha-H Beauty Sleep Power Peel

If there's one brand that's featured the most in my monthly favourites posts, it would have to be Alpha-H. Alpha-H products just work for my skin, and quite a few of them are now staples that I can't imagine ever being without - this one included. I've reviewed it here.

This is one of those products that does enough that it makes people start asking you what you're doing different with your skin. I can't tell you how many people have told me my skin's looking better recently, and this is the product I have to thank for it: it's made my face look brighter, healthier and more even, and just happier overall. Another love.

In sum

It's been a great month of good products with quite a few decent things crossing my desk recently - indeed, it wasn't easy to narrow things down to five items this month, but I was determined to choose only the best of the best.

Do let me know what things you've been loving throughout November - I'd love to hear.

Speak soon x

I received this sample liquid illuminator in one of my Mecca Beauty Loop boxes, and I was thrilled to see it because I'd been wanting to try it and had almost bought it a couple of times: I'd seen it raved about on youtube and I'd planned to buy it once I'd knocked off the illuminators I'd included in Project Pan. Don't you love it when something saves you a purchase?!

Even better, the inclusion saved me a bad purchase: I just don't like this product, and I've recently seen that I'm not the only one. More on all that below.

And again, natural light (indoors):

There it is again, direct sunlight (it looks darker and golder here so it mightn't work for paler skintones):

Verdict

This product doesn't work for me unfortunately, for reasons I'll go into below. I've gone so far as to give it a disappointing products tag, because I was expecting much more from it given the hype - plus I thought it would be more versatile (liquid highlighters usually are), but this one isn't and I've put it into Project Pan because I want to see the back of it sooner rather than later.

It's a golden illuminator that's quite concentrated and metallic, which some people will like but I'm not a fan of overly metallic products and I can't use this as a spot highlighter because it doesn't look natural on the skin. Even if I only use a little bit, my cheekbones look like they're wearing reflective gold helmets, which isn't the look I'm after. It emphasises texture too.

The consistency is also thicker than other liquid illuminators I've used, which means that it's harder to blend out (or at least it is for me), and it also dries down so you'll need to work with it reasonably quickly or you won't be able to sheer it out and it will clump up. For this reason I suggest working with one area at a time, rather than dabbing it where you want it all in one hit before working with each section. If you do that, the later sections may have dried too much before you can blend them.

Since I can't use this as a spot highlighter, I tried it mixed in with my foundation - but I didn't like it for that purpose either because it made my face look too shiny (and this is coming from someone who loves the look of glowy skin). This means the only way I can use it is to mix it in with my moisturiser, because by the time I add primer and my base product over the top, you can't see it so much.

Another thing to note is that this does contain noticeable glitter bits, so it doesn't just offer a sheen - you'll see flecks too. This mightn't be a problem for some but it will be for many, so I'd test this first because it mightn't be for you.

Also, I've seen a few people say that they can't use this as a spot highlighter because it lifts their foundation and turns it patchy. I haven't had this issue, but it's worth mentioning anyway because enough people have said this that it might be a common problem.

All in all, I don't like this product and I've given it a disappointing products tag. While I'll be able to use it beneath my foundation via Project Pan, it's not something I'm enjoying and I'm looking forward to finishing it so I can go back to Becca.

Not for me.

 

Welcome to my November Pan that Palette update! It's been a pretty exciting month for me because I've finally finished my first eyeshadow pan in its entirety (see below), that being Bliss from the Stila In the Light palette. 

I started Pan that Palette back in July and I only introduced the Stila shades into my Makeup Geek Travel Vault later on, which is why I'm only finishing off my first pan now.

In other news I've just made the decision to remove my Gorgeous Cosmetics bronzer out of my palette because it's starting to annoy me. I'm still using it, but I'm keeping it in a separate container because it keeps flaking all over my palette and the other powders wind up with bronzer chunks all over them.

So, here's the empty Stila Bliss and the Gorgeous Cosmetics bronzer: 

There's where the bronzer was last month:

And here's where it is now:

I don't think it will last out December because what's left is a very thin layer that's showing more and more pan by the day. 

I'm getting through it so quickly because it's a little pale for me (so I wear more of it than I would other bronzers), plus it keeps developing a crust that I have to remove. On top of that, it's been re-pressed a few times already - and as many will tell you, once you re-press something, it starts vanishing much more quickly. 

Next up, my Hourglass Ambient Lighting palette, which I love to death. I'd cleared out Dim Light before introducing the palette into this challenge, and over the last few months I've been working on panning the other two shades. 

I want to finish it because I have a full size Dim Light (and now, the Hourglass Surreal Glow palette), so I'd rather use this up before it gets too old so I can focus on my newer Hourglass products.

I'm using the shades mixed together as a finishing powder, and I often use them mixed as my highlighter too. Radiant Light also makes a good bronzer-topper, so I'm getting through that a little faster than I am Incandescent Light.

Here's how it looked at the end of October:

And here's where it is now, at the end of November:

I'm not sure if you can tell from the photo, but I've just hit pan on Radiant Light: along the left side, from the middle of the pan and travelling upwards, the first few diamonds of pan have started to appear. Yay! I'm also not too far away from hitting pan on Incandescent Light, so I hope to do that next month.

I hope to have this palette done within the next three months, but I'm not confident I can do this - the powders are good value because they last for ages!

There's my re-jigged Travel Vault, which looks rather different now that I've removed the Gorgeous Cosmetics bronzer. Round pans are fine when the whole palette contains round pans, but man they cause so much wasted space and just look wrong when combined with square pans!

Here's what my palette looked like at the end of last month:

And here's what it looks like now:

Just look how much more stuff I've been able to squeeze in!

You can see where Bliss was in the earlier photo (you can also check out last month's post here). I'm sorry if it's annoying that I've moved the shades around now that I've been able to fit more in, but I've done it for a reason (more on that in a sec) and hopefully you can track my progress well enough by comparing the two palettes. 

Going forward I'll continue to give you close-up photos of all the shades, as I've been doing previously, but for this month it's all a bit confusing so I'm just giving you the above two photos as a direct reference between last month and this one.

You'll see that Stila's Bare (the cream shade) is showing more pan now (I've been using that as a setting powder to get through it more quickly), and Stila's Sandstone (the dark brown) has a bigger dip (I've been using that on my brows).

All three Nars pans are also looking more worn. I'll talk about those below.

Top row, from left to right, we have Stila's Sandstone, a copper colour from Coastal Scents and a shimmering pearl from an old Lancome GWP duo. I've included the latter two because I love the Coastal Scents shade (I rescued it from the Cairo palette before discarding the rest) and the Lancome shade is there because it makes a good mixer for the nectarine shade in the St Paul de Vence duo (below).

Bottom row is Nars Charade and Stila's Bare. I hope to have Bare done by the end of the year and I'm confident I can do that because I'm using it as a setting powder (I don't need much because my skin is dry, which is why it doesn't leave a white cast on me).

Charade is probably my favourite Nars duo of the ones I own, but I don't love the Nars formula (I find it drying and it makes my eyes look crepe-y, for starters), but I can get away with using just a little of these as base shades and they also work well when mixed as a blush.