little white truths

Hullo all and welcome to another round of Project Pan empties for April 2017!

Please note that I'd meant to bring you my full month-end update today, but I've put my back out over the weekend when we moved my daughter's cot etc from the nursery into the 'big girl's room'. This is relevant because it's taxing on my back to take bunches of shots - which I need to do for full PP updates - so I thought I'd rest it as much as possible today and instead take a few quick snaps of my last two empties for April.

Note, though, that I've already marked the rest of my Project Pan products - so you'll still see what my April progress was when I do take photos of everything else. I hope to do this in the next few days.

Moving on. 

Yes it's true, I have finally FINALLY finished my Gorgeous Cosmetics Base Perfect Liquid Foundation in 2N-BP.

I do love this formula, but the shade was far too dark and also too neutral (I need yellow undertones so I don't look ashy), so I was panning it as a mixer with a few other products to get my perfect shade. But at the beginning of April, I'd had enough - and I'd also had enough of not being able to see how much product was left because the bottle is black and you also can't unscrew the top.

What I did was squirt the remaining product into an old container. So much was left - more than I'd hoped - perhaps half the product (so 15ml). I decided then that I needed to work on this in other ways, so I stopped mixing Becca's Topaz (also on my PP list) into my moisturiser to add a bronze glow, and instead I used this for that purpose. It worked beautifully, but I wanted to get through more - so I also started using the product as a cream contour, plus I continued to use it as a mixer for my foundation.

The result? I finished it yesterday. YAY.

I've also now finished my Bodyography Lipstick in Seductress, as of last night. I love the formula of these lipsticks but I've had this for a while now and I wasn't going to rock a burgundy lip every day (I didn't want to - life's too short for all that ; )), so I got through it by using it overnight as my lip balm.

Yes it's not a lip balm and yes I've got a few burgundy smudges on my pillow case, but the formula is hydrating enough that it worked as a balm - and half our pillow cases are so old that we'll be tossing them soon anyway, so no harm done!

You'll see the marker behind the product (I've swiped it with a purple nail polish). 

You may remember my mentioning earlier that the product had melted a little over summer, so what was left in the bullet was quite soft and also thinner than it had been because I'd previously been applying the melted bits from the perimeter of the product, rather than using the tip of the bullet. This is why I managed to pan it faster than you might expect, given it's such a dark shade.

In sum

Hooray for more empties!

I'm super glad that I've cleared out these two products, and I look forward to bringing you my full April update soon - once my back pain has calmed down a little. I'll also introduce my replacement products for these two empties in that post, so stay tuned for that.

Hope all's well with you, and speak soon x

I've dodged a thyroid bullet (touch wood)

I don't like to reveal too much personal information on this blog - partly because who cares and partly because this isn't the place for that - but I don't mind telling you that I got post-partum thyrotoxicosis after my first child.

Twelve weeks after my daughter's birth, I knew something was up. I had the shakes, my chronic insomnia was worse than usual (I've been suffering from that for twelve years now), my muscles were so weak that I could barely move, and my mood was uneven. I knew it was physical. I called my doctor and asked for a blood test. I thought my iron levels might be low.

They weren't. My thyroid had gone haywire. My GP said that, in over twenty years of medical practice, she'd only seen figures that high once before. Off I went to a specialist, only to be told that you can't easily manage post-partum thyroid issues because the available medication doesn't work. All they could do was monitor it.

Long story short, while it wasn't the worst health issue in the world and I was one of the lucky ones because my body sorted it out in three months without medical intervention, it did mean extra doctor visits and blood tests every three weeks. Just what you need when you have a baby.

Anyhoo. I'd been warned that I was reasonably likely to get it again after the birth of my son - if you've had it before, your risk goes up.

I did not get it this time around. And I've now passed the six-month post-partum period when it's most likely to happen.

Thank golly. An extra thank golly because one of my blood tests was mishandled last time: the attendant hit a nerve and I was left without the full use of one arm for six weeks. Again, just what you need when you have a baby.

But enough of all that. Happy thyroid, happy me. Moving on.

Good television is returning

Like many I really hate that period around Christmas when all your favourite shows end and then take ages to return for the next season. We are coming into TV season again, and for that I am very grateful.

We've just watched season three of Broadchurch, which was thankfully a lot better than season two (I didn't think much of that one). We're also shortly to finish season four of Line of Duty, and I have to say, that show just keeps getting better. I liked it from the beginning, but this season's the best to date.

And then there's Game of Thrones. It's coming (like winter ; )). Cannot wait.

We've just met our soon-to-be neighbours, and they are not young folk who throw parties

We've been blessed with our neighbours so far: it's been one of the many good things about moving into our new house. Our neighbours on both sides have been lovely and also very quiet - a huge thing when you're up all night with kids half the time. To be up because of loud neighbours as well is just plain offensive.

Anyway. The lass on one side is moving out. We were rather worried about what kind of tenants would move in, but we had a knock on the door yesterday and it was a man with a toddler not much younger than our daughter. He introduced himself and said he was the landlord next door, and they weren't getting tenants: they were moving back in themselves.

Hurrah! Lovely neighbours with young kids! Play dates! What more can one ask for.

'Nope, no loud parties these days, that's for sure,' he joked. 'Those days are over for us.'

Yep. They're over for us, too.

In sum

That's all from me for today. I hope you found something to relate to in this post, and that you have plenty of positives of your own for April.

Speak soon x

* All images courtesy of www.pexels.com

Gosh, is it monthly favourites time already?! 

I always enjoy writing these posts because it means I get to ramble on again about the products I've been loving, which always puts me in a good mood ; ). Plus I always hope that others will find a few ideas in these posts for new things to try - one of the reasons why I like reading monthly favourites posts myself.

So without further ado, here are my top picks for April.

Chantecaille Lic Chic in Anais

This product is on my Project Pan list because it's the only high-end lipstick I own and I want to make sure I use every last drop before it gets too old. I've reviewed it here.

While I personally don't think that high-end lipsticks are an essential because you can find so many great budget options in the chemist/drugstore, I have really enjoyed using this while I have it.

It's a beautifully nourishing formula that offers plenty of shine and plumps the lips so they look less lined (something I look for in lip products). Yes it's expensive but I like trying the occasional fancy lipstick, and I do think this one's lovely. While I wouldn't repurchase it because I don't 'value' pricey lipsticks (unlike eg powders, where I really notice the difference between high-end and budget formulas), it's definitely been a favourite for April.

Gorgeous Cosmetics Base Perfect Foundation

Full review here. This foundation is one of the few I've come across that looks like skin. Honestly, whenever I use it I'm still surprised by how natural it looks, particularly given that I haven't had much luck with foundations in the past.

What I also love is that it doesn't sit in pores and it has a slight smoothing effect so it makes my face look more even and a little fresher. Plus it sets so you don't need to use a setting powder if you don't want to - although I prefer to mix a drop or two of oil with this so it's more hydrating, just because I have dry skin and need the extra grease.

A great product. Definitely grab a sample if you struggle with natural-looking foundations like I do.

Darphin Refreshing Toner

It's rare that I find a toner that really grabs me, since most of them pretty much do the same thing and they have to either be really good or really bad to leave an impression. This one did.

It has a gorgeous, understated and interesting scent: I don't actually know what banana flower smells like, but I'm imagining that this is it. It's one of those soft, refreshing smells that adds to the experience of using the product.

Also, some toners can dry me out or leave my skin feeling overly tight: this one doesn't. It treads the right balance between being effective while still being gentle, so I imagine it would work well for skin that's even more sensitive/dry than mine. A lovely product. I've reviewed it here.

Whitsunday Myrtle Lemon Tea Myrtle Body Bar

Full review here. I'm not a soap person (I'm all about the gels and washes), but this has been a favourite this month for the scent alone.

It's a three-layered soap that smells wonderfully lemony and it lathers beautifully. Although it's not the richest lather I've tried, it's definitely creamy and I've enjoyed using it throughout April. 

While I wouldn't necessarily buy it because I still prefer body gels, I wanted to mention it anyway because it's lovely and it would make a good gift for someone who loves soaps.

Nivea Firming Body Lotion with Q10 Plus

This was one of those products that completely surprised me because it actually meets all its claims! So often brands promise the world in product descriptions so I wasn't expecting this to live up to its claims, but it did. I've reviewed it here.

This promises to give you more nourished skin in two weeks, and that absolutely happened for me. It also has a slight firming and toning effect as claimed, plus it leaves my skin feeling softer and more supple to boot.

And it's a cheapie. What more can you ask for?! This has quickly become one of my favourite body creams and I've used it do death recently - to the point that I've just finished my bottle. A definite repurchase for me.

In sum

I hope you enjoyed this favourites post. Do let me know if you've discovered anything amazing this month: I'd love to hear.

Speak soon x

While it's only a few days away from my month-end Project Pan update, I did photograph these empties earlier in the week: it's just that I'm rather behind with my posts because there's been so much going on.

Plus I'd rather sneak in this mini update now, just so I don't have quite so many items to photograph in April's full update. Those posts can be pretty taxing - particularly because it's so hard to find time to take shots during the day when I'm the primary carer of two children.

So yes, I've finished the above three products in the past week, these being my Hikari Lip Crayon in Macchiato, my Nicole by OPI Nail Polish in Play Fair and my Maybelline FitMe Concealer in Light.

You'll see from the markers on the OPI polish that there's a tiny bit left at the bottom, but the remaining part is super gunky and it never dries properly so it's become impossible to use as a nail polish. But I can use what's left as a marker for my products (as I've done on the concealer), so that's what I'll do until it's all gone. No need to keep it on my PP list just for that though!

You'll also note that I've scraped out the remaining bit from inside the Hikari crayon. I don't normally do this with lip products because I would rather move on to other things, but I do like this colour so I've popped the dregs into a little pot with a lip balm because it's too drying to keep using on its own.

I took the stopper out of the Maybelline concealer and finished it by using it as a foundation lightener, which is why the progress became a lot faster in April (I was previously using another concealer for this purpose but I finished that last month).

There's the marker for the Hikari crayon:

Progress on the Hikari product was also faster this month because I'd finished other lip products and could focus more on this one.

As for my replacement, I'm only picking one for now: I'm still working out what to bring in for next month so I'll introduce more things in April's full update.

The product I've picked is another concealer:

There's my marker above. I have around two thirds left and I'll likely use it five days a week, saving my Bare Minerals concealers for weekends.

Not sure how long this will last: three months? I don't use much concealer each time, so we'll see.

Hope all's well with you, and speak soon x

I can't tell you how excited I am about this post! If you've been following my Pan that Palette progress, you'll have seen me say that I was planning to refill my palette during the year - and only once, because I don't want to annoy anyone who likes to see empty pans ; ). That time has come.

A couple of days ago, I posted my full April update (see here) and mentioned that I planned to pour a few powders into one pan, with the aim of creating either the perfect bronzer or the perfect shade for my contour/brows/eyeliner (those three being around the same colour). 

I wanted to do this because, up until now, I've been mixing shades to create both my bronzer and brow/contour/liner, and I've gotten pretty sick of doing that on the daily so I felt it was time to pre-mix the perfect shade myself.

I've now done this, plus I've removed a larger pan from my palette that wasn't showing enough progress, and I've also pulled out the empty pans because they were just taking up space.

The result? I've now been able to move more powders into this palette, freeing up room in my other Z-palettes, which in turn has allowed me to depot two palettes and condense my collection. Huzzah! 

Let's have a look.

So, above is what my palette looked like in April's recent update. 

I knew I wanted to change the formula of the brown Stila pan (bottom right) and the two Stila shades on the left showing pan (the marsala and the dusty rose) because they kept forming hard-pan and it was getting annoying to use them. Since I'd had such luck when I threw four shades with similar issues into one pan last month to create my perfect bronzer shade (which managed the Stila hard-pan issues and also the pigment issues with the Nars shades), I figured I might as well do it again.

So what I did was throw the Stila shades into my bronzer pan with the remaining product from Bahama Mama, then added the dusty pink half of Nars Charade (bottom right) to lighten the mix. When that was too dark for contouring (and too cool for bronzing), I threw in the peach blush (right) and also the Lancome white shade (bottom left), both of which contain a sheen but not glitter - and when mixed with all those mattes, I don't have a shiny brow/contour colour, so don't worry ; ).

You'll see the result below (and note I've enhanced the shot for clarity).

Just look at all those new shades to play with: woot woot!

Ok, so let's walk through what I've done.

First, every pan that was in my palette is still in the palette in some shape or form - minus the large Croquis highlighter, which I've decided to remove because I wasn't getting through it fast enough and I love it anyway, so what's the rush?

Second, I've mixed the powders I've mentioned above into one pan: that's the second pan from the right (the large brown pan).

All the other Stila pans remain the same, it's just that I've had to play with the order of things to make sure I could squeeze in as many new pans as possible. The Stila pans are all those I have left from my Stila Eyes are the Window (Mind) and Stila in the Light palettes.

Here's the left side of my recharged palette:

Here's the right half of my recharged palette:

The new shades are:

That's all from me! Do let me know if you're doing Pan that Palette this year: I'd love to track your progress.

Hope all's well with you, and speak soon x

According to the product description, it contains Bulgarian rose, ylang-ylang, green apple, pink tulips, lily of the valley, iris, vanilla orchid, lilac, cedarwood, musk, amber and sandalwood. It's a beautiful, fresh and fruity scent that's inoffensive and perfect for every season, and my only gripe with it was that it didn't last more than a few hours so I had to keep reapplying it.

Mind you, the bottle lasted forever so the value was still there. Repurchase? Yes, but I'd like to try another Tocca scent next time around.

Le Labo Santal 33 EDP

I received this little perfume sample when I dropped into my local Mecca one day, and I must say that I really like it! It's a unisex scent so it's not floral and sweet: to me it smells like a forest after rain and there's some fig in there too. 

I wouldn't buy it because it's quite expensive for a fragrance, but I've really been enjoying it and the lasting power is good so it's a scent I would recommend sniffing next time you're in Mecca. Purchase? No.

Tocca Emelia EDP

This came in a Mecca Beauty Loop box and I was pleased to see it because I'd been spraying myself with the stuff ever since it came out. It's one of those scents that I wouldn't normally buy but something about it just works and it lasts well so it's one I've considered purchasing - although in small size because I'd never get through a large one.

It's a fig fragrance but it's not as full-on as other fig scents I've tried and it also contains geranium, magnolia and amaryllis. What I'd hoped to learn from this sample is whether or not I want to buy myself a travel-size, and I've decided that I don't. While I do like the fragrance, it's not love for me and I'm pickier with scents than I am with most things so I'd rather wait and see if I can find something that really grabs me. Purchase? No.

Narcisco Rodriguez For Her EDT

This isn't a terrible perfume but it's not great either. My biggest issue with the Narcisco Rodriguez fragrances I've tried so far is that the lasting power isn't great, as indeed it wasn't for this product.

It's a fairly light, inoffensive scent that's a little too powdery/musky for my tastes, and it's not something I would buy because it's not interesting enough for me and I feel like I've smelled fragrances like this a hundred times before. Still, it's been good for the handbag and the sample is a decent size, so no complaints there. Purchase? No.

Zelens Transformer Instant Renewal Mask

Full review here. This came from Maslow & Co and I was expecting to love it because I've loved the Zelens products I've tried before and this one in particular is super expensive (so it should be amazing!), but unfortunately I just didn't.

It's meant to have a renewing effect and it should offer immediately visible results, but it didn't do anything for me and I've used masks costing a fraction of the price that do heaps more than this does. It's had mixed reviews, too, so I wouldn't rush out and buy this without testing it first. Purchase? No.

Skinstitut Glycolic Scrub 14%

This was a good scrub, and while it didn't quite make my favourites list because I've used others that I prefer, it's definitely up there and it's one I recommend if you're after a scrub that treads the right balance between being gentle while still being effective. I've reviewed it here.

It contains a good amount of scrubby matter and it left my skin feeling smooth and resurfaced after use, plus the grains were quite soft (they had some 'give' to them) so I could use it more often than other, harsher scrubs. Repurchase? No, but only because I have other scrubs that I like better.

You should hopefully be able to see the visible progress in all the shades above.

Benefit's Hoola (top left) I've used every day as a bronzer and/or eyeshadow. You should be able to see that the writing has worn off a little. I love this product. Mental note to review it soon!

The Manna Kadar highlighter below it I've used every day on my collarbones and sometimes as a face highlight or to brighten the inner corners of the eye. I don't love it. It's somehow grainy and crumbly/powdery at the same time. I'm throwing it into Pan that Palette: it will be easy to finish.

I've used Nars Isolde quite a bit (both sides), but my issue with this duo will always be that it ages my eye area something chronic. It's just not flattering so I can't wear it if I'm going somewhere and want to look good. The pigment is also lacking - bloody annoying because it swatches so well and the colours are gorgeous.

The purple pan next to Hoola (one half of Nars Charade): this is dry too and although I like the colour and don't have anything else quite like it, again, it doesn't look flattering on me. You should be able to see a bigger dent in this because I used it often. This is also heading for Pan that Palette.

Top right, Nars Cyprus. I quite like this shadow (I'm talking more about the colour) and I think the formula is slightly better than that of the Nars duos I own. I'll keep it for now but I'll probably pan it in future. The visible progress isn't as obvious on this one but it's definitely there.

Nars Orgasm. I'm sorry, but I don't like this blush. All that gold junk in it: if I wanted a gold blush, I'd have bought one (well, I didn't buy this - it came in a Mecca Beauty Loop box - but you know). It's a pretty colour. The glitter spoils it for me. It emphasises texture. I've been using it as an eyeshadow.

Nars New York. This was unusable (when I depotted it, it shattered so I had to re-press it). I don't know what happened during the re-pressing process, but it solidified into this hard mess and I wasn't able to pick up any colour. It wasn't hard pan - it was as though the thing had dried out like a cream eyeshadow might do. Weird. I mixed it with a few shadows I was reserving to use as paints for my daughter, and it's now usable. I'm thrilled with the result!

That's all from me. I'm pleased that this round of Project Dent is over and I'm looking forward to choosing my next product.

Hope all's well with you, and speak soon x

Hello all and welcome to April's Pan that Palette update!

It's been a pretty good month for me in terms of progress, and during the month I found a good way to get through the remaining dregs of a few shadows (you know those annoying bits that cling to the edges of the pan?), so I'll touch on that in a moment.

There's my palette above. You will see some new empty pans there, and indeed I've managed to kick out four shadows this month. That's a good month!

You'll also note that some of my powders are on their last legs: I'll talk about those more below.

I've also made some progress on my Stila Custom Contour Duo - which isn't really a 'palette' but I'm including it in my challenge anyway because I want to get through it - so I'm looking forward to showing you comparison shots for that product, too.

Also, if you would like to see last month's full update, it's here.

And here's how it looks now:

Hooray! I've kicked out two of those Stila pans on the left and also those two Nars pans in the middle.

I've enhanced the above shot below so you can see my progress better (so rely on the above shot for colour and the below shot for detail):

This is how I got through those four pans: 

So if you're having trouble getting through anything or you're sick of some of your shadows, it may be worth combining them into a single pan to make a completely new shade. This also helped because the Nars shades didn't have much pigment and the Stila shades kept developing hard-pan, but when I mixed them, the mix had better pigment and it no longer developed hard-pan. Woot woot!

Let's have a look at the rest of the shadows.

Here's how the left side of my palette looked last month:

And here's how it's looking now:

As you can see, I barely touched those top three shades but I might start working on them more often now, since it's getting cooler here and I think these shades are better-suited for autumn and winter.

Middle row, I re-pressed the dusty rose Stila shade - not because it was 'ready' to be re-pressed, but because it was forming hard-pan so often that I thought re-pressing it might help. It hasn't. So I plan to mix this shade in with other shades, in an attempt to stop that happening because I'm really over it. Same goes for the marsala shade beneath it (and you should be able to see in the above shot that it's grainy and developing hard-pan, too.

As for the four remaining Stila pans beside those two, I've used them all a bit but not enough to see real progress. I'll start using them more often now that I've finished so many other shades.

Finally, the two Lancome shadows below those. I've hit pan on the purple and I've also made quite good progress on the white shade, both of which I used a lot throughout April. These are quite old and crumbly - plus they're not large pans - so I don't think they'll be hard to finish.

Here's how the other half of my palette looked last month:

And here's how it looks now:

As you can see, there's been plenty of movement on this side of the palette!

I had to re-press the Bahama Mama Bronzer about halfway through the month, just because it was getting difficult to use. This will be gone by next month's update.

There's not a hell of a lot of visible progress on the Croquis highlighter beside it, and indeed I may choose to move something else into the palette in its place: if I'm not going to finish it this year, then I'd like to try my hand at another product.

I haven't used Stila's Night Sky or Kitten much, but you'll see that I've cleared out a good amount of the blush pan beside it (I mixed this one myself). I'm not surprised because what was left was very thin, and from memory I first hit pan a day or two after March's update. I've been using this as an eyeshadow and a collarbone highlight most days, and I'm getting through it quickly because it's not pigmented and it also falls off my skin so I need to keep reapplying it - plus it's super powdery so I lose a lot whenever I dip my brush into the pan.

The Stila pan beside that has had some use (mainly as a mixer for my brows), and it's another old pan from my Stila Eyes are the Window (Mind) palette so it's got the same issues as the others: it flakes off and also develops hard-pan a lot. I've been using this as a mixer with the brown below it to get my perfect brow shade. That brown is showing more pan and it's starting to annoy me (hard-pan again), so I may throw it into the mix with other shades and hope I get a better result in terms of formula.

The Nars pan beside it is showing more pan but I'll likely put that into my mix, too, since I'm over the shade and I'd like to help create a new colour with it. 

Nars Portobello (beside that) hasn't been used much but you should see some progress in the darker shade (it has also cracked a little) and there's a tiny bit more pan showing in the So Susan lavender shade beside it. Mind you, that shade has also been flattened so it's moving faster than it looks.

Now for my Stila cream contour duo. Here's how it looked last month:

 And here's how it looks now: 

So there's definitely been good progress on the paler shade but it's harder to see progress on the darker shade, which doesn't surprise me because I use less of it each time.

I'm using this to contour my face each day - which isn't something I'd normally do because I'm not big on contouring - and I'm only using a little per application because I don't like a strong contour on me. This palette will last out the year, no question, and I'm not sure I can finish the darker shade by Christmas. We'll see.

In sum

So it's been a good month for me and I've cleared out four more shades. Woot woot!

Just some housekeeping (and I'm sorry if you've seen me say some of this before, but I need to repeat myself for any new readers):

That's all from me for now. If you're doing Pan that Palette, do include a link to your channel or blog in the comments so I can start following your progress : )

Hope all's well with you, and speak soon x