little white truths

Hello and welcome to my first Project Pan mini update for June!

Please do note that I took a bundle of shots of my above empty - being my BareMinerals BareSkin Serum Concealer - but unfortunately it appears as though most of the shots I took are corrupted and I could only rescue these two.

Boo. Hoh well, it's definitely empty. I've scraped that thing to buggery and back, and all that's left is a thin layer of dried stuff on the inside of the tube.

As for my replacement:

This is an eye primer from Becca and it must have been discontinued (I bought it on clearance) because I can't find any reference to it online so I can't even tell you what it's called. Annoying!

Hoh well, I guess that's one less product to review. In any event, I tend not to use this as an eye primer because it's not very good (likely why it's been discontinued), but it does make a great foundation darkener so that's how I'll be using it. As you can see, I've already started the process of finishing it off - which is why I've already got two markers on the tube.

I've no idea how long this will take to finish, but I'm guessing it will still be around for a good few months.

That's all from me. Hope all's well with you, and speak soon x

May's over

May was a strange month. It started off ok but by week two we were all sick with colds, and we've stayed sick since then (those damn bugs the kids bring home from kinder and childcare), which is expected of course but I wasn't expecting to still be sick - we're on cold two or three now, it's hard to say - and I also wasn't expecting to find myself drowning in stuff to do from all sides.

As we head into June 30 (tax time, and incidentally my birthday), I normally get loaded with work from one source but there's been more than one this month so my workload has gone from naught to one hundred overnight. I wasn't prepared for it. I still had to do it, though, on top of watching the kids. Blurgh.

Then there's been Centrelink stuff to manage and starting the long task of getting my tax in order...

Boring. I'm glad to draw a line under the month, I must say.

My makeup no buy lifted today

Gosh, I only just remembered this one! As you may know, I've been on a makeup spending ban since January 2018 and I'd always promised to lift it during my birthday month before deciding if I needed to reinstate it after June 30.

So I've done five months and I've only bought two essential items during that time (both being brow products), meaning I stuck to my goals and managed to avoid buying stuff I didn't need for five months. 

I was on a skincare no buy for six months, too, and that was meant to end today but I decided to lift it two weeks early because I'd run out of so much stuff that my work was done.

Here we are, then, in the one month this year when I know for sure that I'm allowed to buy stuff before I might tighten the purse strings again. Huzzah! Now to decide what to buy. I'm not going to go nuts but I will pick up an item or two before closing my wallet again come July.

May was a bad month for panning, which means June will be a good one

I only finished two items in May from my Project Pan list, meaning it was easily my worst panning month on record. Yes I think that's partly because my list is smaller this year than it's ever been (so I'm finishing more items outside the project but not so many inside it), but it was also a bad month for empties all round and my desk doesn't look any clearer than it did before.

The good news, though, is that I've now got quite a few products that are so close to being finished that I know I'll be through them relatively early in June - and I'm hoping to see my stores dwindling quickly so I can bring fresh items on to my list.

And of course, I've got a makeup inventory post coming up at the end of June, so I've got my sights set firmly on that, too.

I'm not big on birthdays, never have been. It's not the idea of getting older that bothers me - why stress about the inevitable? - but rather the idea of another year having passed without having too much to show for it. I've never liked being the centre of attention either, but thankfully having kids has ensured this will never happen again. Ha. True dat.

While a lot has happened over the past few years - two pregnancies, two children, selling one house and buying another - in some ways that has paused my broader life so I'm not seeing growth in other areas. 

What did I write this year? What have I done towards the greater good? What changes have I made to make our lives a little better or easier? It's hard to answer these questions in a real, positive way when you have young children, and my birthday is always a reminder of this.

Still, what I do like about my birthday these days is that everyone tends to buy me Mecca gift cards because I don't want anything else, and since we don't have much disposable income at the moment, those Mecca dollars are something I look forward to each year. 

I'm already building a wishlist ; )

In sum

That's all from me. Unsurprisingly most of my May positives are about looking forward to things in June, which makes sense because May has been stormy and I also have birthdays ahead to look forward to.

Indeed, due to June 30 being the end of the financial year, I always find that this month feels like the end of a year in the same way that Christmas does, so I tend to use it as an opportunity to face the rest of the year with new eyes.

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

* All images courtesy of unsplash.com

• Gives you 2 x more whitening than brushing alone after two weeks
• With a unique whitening formulation containing lemon and salt
• Helps lift stains from teeth
• Helps form a protective shield against stains
• Helps keep teeth white for longer
• Non abrasive whitening with fluoride to help strengthen teeth
• RRP $8.70 AUD for 500ml, but do shop around

The first thing I noticed about this product is that it's potent. It kind of feels like it's burning the germs off the inside of your mouth, and while mostly I like that sensation, I must admit that occasionally it's a little too much so I need to spit it out early (sorry for that detail ; )).

I don't mind the lemon/salt taste and it's not super strong so it's not offensive for me personally.

After two weeks' use, my mouth feels super clean and my teeth indeed look whiter. Hooray! I find it much easier to incorporate a mouthwash into my daily routine than I do performing at-home whitening treatments (I have two toddlers so I'm always strapped for time), meaning that something like this suits me perfectly.

Worth noting is that I asked my husband to test this with me because he uses a lot more mouthwash than I do so he has more products to compare it to. He really likes it. He reckons it's not too full-on/abrasive on your mouth like some mouthwashes can be, but it's also not so gentle that it's ineffective. We would both buy it again.

Overall I reckon this is an excellent product that generally meets its claims and I'll be repurchasing it.

If you read this blog, you'll likely know that Maybelline makes my favourite budget lipsticks: these ones. Yes I prefer the cream formula because my lips are dry so cream formulas are always my preference, but I bought this matte one during a half-price sale because I liked the colour (in theory).

I still prefer the cream formula, but these remain my HG matte lipsticks - whether budget or high-end, although admittedly I haven't tried many mattes - for the simple reason that they don't dry out my lips and they're also the most comfortable mattes I've found to date.

Maybelline claims/product details:

• Lips slip into our creamiest matte
• New mattifying cream pure pigments
• Delivers a burst of bold colour and a surge of creamy texture for the creamiest matte 
• Available in 20 make-a-statement shades
• RRP $17.95 AUD for 4.2g, but do shop around (wait until they're half-price)

There's the bullet below, indirect sunlight:

And direct sunlight:

Please note: that's not mould on the bullet, it's just an excess of a soft, white powder that's been used to give the demi-matte finish, just to be sure though, I cleaned all those areas after taking my photos.

Now for swatches.

Direct sunlight:

Natural light:

My bare lips for reference: 

Wearing the product, natural light: 

Indirect sunlight: 

Verdict

This is a great product, and if you can pick it up from Chemist Warehouse or Priceline when they have one of their big sales, you'll be paying less than ten bucks for it - yay!

Shade 555 Naked Coral is your standard soft peachy coral that's 'quiet' enough to operate as a nude but also has enough punch to stand on its own. 

I do like the colour, but if I had to be picky, I would say that it's a little flat and pale on me so I tend to add some bright orange on top to make it more flattering. It may work better on paler, cooler skintones, but it's not quite right for my light/medium to medium, yellow-based skin on its own.

You'll also note from the natural light shot above that it almost looks like a brown based, coral nude with a pink undertone - or at least it does when I wear it around the house - which is why I can't wear it on its own if I want it to suit me (because most pink lipsticks don't).

As for the formula, I really like it: it applies smoothly and evenly and doesn't tug, plus it really delivers on pigment and it doesn't bleed or feather throughout the day. It also wears well and doesn't fade easily, but you'll need to touch up after eating or drinking (or at least I do).

The product has a faint, sweet scent that I quite like - I'm smelling vanilla - and I suspect that most people will be ok with it because the smell isn't strong and it doesn't linger so you shouldn't be aware of it after application. 

The finish isn't a true matte (it's more of a demi-matte with a creamy feel), which I personally prefer because anything that's too matte tends to emphasise and/or exacerbate my lip lines. This one doesn't. While it doesn't diminish them like glosses do, it certainly doesn't make them worse. 

Also, the formula feels hydrating enough that I don't need to wear a gloss over the top or a balm underneath to keep my lips feeling comfortable. This is unusual for me when it comes to lip products that aren't super creamy, so I'm giving it huge ticks on that front.

It's quite a thick formula that feels almost velvety when you press your lips together, and if you layer on too much, the product can crumble/bunch up a little - but I've found this only happens when I reapply it throughout the day and go a bit overboard. Otherwise it doesn't do this at all.

All in all, this is a sensational product and I can't fault it. While I'll always prefer the cream formula in these lipsticks (I've reviewed one here), that's just me because I normally go for something more glossy or creamy that plumps up the lips, so it's got nothing to do with the quality of this particular lipstick.

Still the best matte formula I've tried to date: that's why I've given it an HG tag.

Worth testing.

Neutrogena claims/product details:



Verdict

First, they're not wet enough for me personally so I always need to add water to these to ensure I get an effective clean. This is reason enough for me not to buy them again: I like my wipes to contain plenty of moisture, and when they don't, they can feel a tad scratchy on the skin.

Second, they contain parfum: in other words, artificial fragrance. Sure, it's the last-listed ingredient (and therefore has the smallest concentration of all the ingredients), but I prefer my skincare to either be fragrance-free or scented with eg natural fruit oils. Artificial fragrance can irritate the skin so do keep that in mind if you have super sensitive skin. These wipes lose points on that front, too.

Otherwise, I think these are pretty good as far as makeup wipes go. The fragrance is too strong for me personally but it's not terrible and the wipes remove makeup reasonably well. They don't remove heavy eye makeup effectively, but few wipes do in my experience so they don't lose points for that alone.

Worth noting is that they're a tiny bit rougher than other wipes I've used (another reason why I prefer to add water, so they're a little softer on the skin), and while I wouldn't call them 'rough', I do prefer to go in gently with these on my dry, sometimes sensitive, 37yo skin.

The good news is that they're large enough and they don't irritate or sting my skin (some wipes can), and they also leave my skin feeling soft and hydrated after use. I also think they're formulated well because I only need one wipe (both sides, water added) to remove all my makeup, except for eyeliner and waterproof mascara.

All in all, I think these are pretty good wipes and while I wouldn't buy them for the reasons mentioned above, I can see why others are giving them better reviews.

Not bad, but not for me.

Hello and welcome to my second empties post for May. 

While it hasn't been the worst month for empties, I would normally expect to get through around thirty products and I only just had enough for this post so it's been a slow month for me all round (panning too).

Anyhoo. Let's have a look.

Full review here. I didn't love this product and I'm glad that it's done. The scent was too sweet and heady for me so it wasn't something I enjoyed putting on my body, although I know many people love the smell so as always it comes down to personal preference.

My other issue with it was that it was too astringent so it stripped my dry skin, and while you could say that it cleans well, it doesn't do so gently so it's not the right body wash for me. Repurchase? No.

Sukin Renewing Body Scrub with Green Tea & Jojoba

I've used Sukin scrubs before that I've liked but unfortunately this wasn't one of them. I've reviewed it here.

My main issue was that there weren't enough little grains in the formula to offer a good exfoliation, and to make matters worse, the grains themselves were too gentle to be effective. I did however like the cream formula and how nourishing it was on the skin, so if you wanted to buy this as a cream body cleanser, then you could certainly do that. It'd be great for sensitive skin. Repurchase? No.

Perricone MD Pre:empt Series, Exfoliating Pore Refining Toner

Full review here. This product was ok but it also wasn't super effective and I burned through it too quickly so I think it's overpriced for what it is.

Yes it had a brightening, smoothing effect on the skin, but my Alpha-H Liquid Gold works light-years better than this does and costs a fraction of the price. I've also tried various products from The Ordinary that do more for my skin than this does, and to be honest it just felt like a fairly diluted toner that didn't contain a high-enough concentration of actives to do much for me. Yes it was fine, but I think you can do better. Repurchase? No.

Alpha-H Essential Hydration Concentrate

This came in a set and I really enjoyed it while I had it, although I wouldn't rush out and buy it because it's rather expensive ($60 AUD for 25ml). I've reviewed it here.

While it was a beautifully formulated oil that really nourished my dry skin and was a pleasure to use, I honestly think that oils are oils and I'm just as happy with a plain one that costs me $20 AUD because they do the same thing: that is, they hydrate my dry skin and keep it feeling comfortable during drier periods. Yes it absorbed well and yes it did everything I needed it to do while not feeling too heavy on the skin, but I think my skincare dollars are best spent elsewhere. Repurchase? No.

Full review here. This was on my Project Pan list, and while I think it was a pretty good product, it wasn't good enough to convince me to become a crayon kind of person.

I liked that it was hydrating enough that I didn't need to wear a balm underneath it, and it was also very lightweight and gave the lips a nice glossy finish. Plus it lasted reasonably well and it was comfortable to wear. It was one of those products that you could just throw on and forget about, which is always a plus. I'm still not a crayon person though. Purchase? No.

NYX Extra Creamy Round Lipstick in Castle

I bought this with a Priceline voucher because I wanted a lavender lipstick and this was the closest thing I could find. Yes it was a little grey-toned so it wasn't flattering on its own, but it was a good one for mixing with the Revlon because that turned the lipstick into a warm lavender, which is my preference.

I've reviewed it here. While I did like how creamy it was (so I could rely on it for moisture without needing a balm), I didn't like how badly it emphasised lip texture - plus it was one of the worst I've come across when it comes to longevity so I wouldn't recommend the formula for these reasons. Purchase? No.

Full review here. This cleanser is raved about in the beauty community but it was a little too astringent for me so I couldn't use it twice daily or even once daily (I tended to use it every second day). Indeed, it has a pH of between 7 and 8, which would explain why it's a little too much for my dry, sometimes sensitive skin.

While I did enjoy using it - it smelled nice, it lathered beautifully and it cleaned well - it's not one I would necessarily buy again because I would of course prefer to use something a touch more gentle. Still, I can see why people love it. It's a pleasure to use. Repurchase? No.

Blistex Lip Conditioner SPF 15

I used to love this product - indeed, it was a staple for me during my school years - but I can't tolerate it like I used to. Perhaps my lips have become more sensitive over time. I've reviewed it here. 

It's a decent treatment lip balm for those who are suffering from chapped, sore lips and it has a medicinal/antiseptic smell that might explain why it tingles the lips when you first apply it. I know a lot of people swear by this stuff (indeed, I used to be one of them) but I don't like how it feels on my lips anymore - it stings a bit these days - so I wouldn't use it again. Purchase? No.

Alpha-H Absolute Lip Perfector

Full review here. This is another product that others swear by but that's too much for me personally. Reason being, it contains peppermint oil and I have a mild intolerance to that ingredient - as in, it doesn't burn my lips but they feel awful if I use something that contains too much of it.

What I will say about this product, though, is that it did make my lips look smoother and more plumped with continued use, so if you don't have an issue with peppermint but you do have an issue with lip texture, this might be something to try. Repurchase? No.

Alpha-H Balancing & Pore Refining Mask with Jojoba

This is one of my favourite masks of all time and I've now been through two tubes. I've reviewed it here. 

Here's the thing, though, it contains 100ml of product and has a six-month shelf life, and since I can only use it once a week because it's pretty potent, you can imagine that it's impossible to get through within expiry!

Still, it smooths and refines my skin, leaves it feeling brighter and softer after use, and it's one of the few masks that I've repurchased and would buy again. Few masks meet their claims or do much for me, but this one does both those things. Love. Repurchase? Yes.

In sum

That's all from me! 

It wasn't a great bunch of empties and the only thing I would repurchase is the Alpha-H mask. Hoh well, guess you can't win 'em all.

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

Hello and welcome to my May Project Pan update.

Please note: I'm a few days late with this (I normally do PP updates on the 25th), but that's ok because I'm still playing catch-up after we went on holiday last month and I wasn't able to get April's update done until the 30th.

First off, you'll see above that I finished my Marc Jacobs eyeliner, although note that I didn't quite finish it: unfortunately it completely dried out so I can no longer use it. I've no idea how that happened because it's not very old and I always keep the cap on tightly, but it's made me a bit nervous about ever buying one of these because they're expensive so I'd want to be able to use every drop.

Hoh well. As for the rest of my list:

I now have nine products left, these being:

• J.One Jelly Pack
• Mecca Cosmetica Lit From Within Illuminating Drops
• Chantecaille Just Skin Anti Smog Tinted Moisturiser SPF 15
• BareMinerals BareSkin Serum Concealer in Medium Golden
• RCMA No Colour Powder
• Urban Decay Beached Bronzer in Bronzed
• Laura Mercier Baked Powder in Highlight 01
• Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipstick in 555 Naked Coral
• Skinstitut Enzymatic Micro Peel
• Savvy Eyebrow Pencil & Wax in Light
• Marc Jacobs Highliner in Blacquer

If you're a beauty junkie then I suspect you'll have already heard people rave about this lip mask for years. It constantly shows up in yearly favourites and many people talk about it being their HG.

Unsurprisingly I wanted to get my hands on it - I have chronically dry lips and always need something to treat them - so I finally did at the beginning of the year and I'm back to let you know how I went.

I like it. Yes I can see why people love it and yes it's done something extra for my dry lips, but am I as convinced about it as everyone else seems to be? Perhaps not, although I do plan to keep buying it. More on that below.

Laneige claims/product details:

• A leave-on lip mask that soothes and moisturises for smoother, more supple lips overnight
• Helps with dryness and fine lines
• With a softening balm texture that closely adheres to lips for quick absorption
• Enriched with vitamin c and antioxidants, its Berry Mix Complex™ offers a nutritiously sweet and fragrant blend of raspberry, strawberry, cranberry and blueberry extracts
• Exclusive Moisture Wrap™ technology boasts hyaluronic acid and minerals to form a protective film over the lips to lock in moisture and active ingredients
• A generous layer of this soothing mask at bedtime helps reduce flakiness so you can wake up to lips that feel refreshed, supple and soft to the touch
• Formulated without parabens and phthalates 
• Dermatologist tested and recommended for all skin types
• Cruelty free
• RRP $19.95 AUD for 20g, but do shop around

There's what it looks like:

And there's the spatula it comes with:

Verdict

I really like this product but I'm not sure it's been as life-changing for me as it has for others, and of course it could be a case where too much hype has undermined a product so it was never going to live up to all that praise.

It's a pink, balm-like product that smells of berries. It's thin enough that it spreads well and it's not so greasy that it slips off too easily or feels odd on the lips. Indeed, the texture is something I like about it and it's one of the better balms I've tried in that department.

I've been using mine most nights for around five months now and I'm only about one-third of the way through the tub, which tells me that it should last me a year or so and it only costs $20 for 20g so I think it's good value.

It also comes with a sweet little spatula that's a bit fancier than those plastic spatulas that come with higher-end skincare, so I like using it and it's a nice added touch. The pink 'spade' bit on the end is soft and it has a silicone feel so I think it adds something to the experience of using the product and it also saves me from getting my fingers dirty when I use this.

The first thing I noticed about it was that it didn't feel as hydrating as I expected it to, given how much people rave about it. For me, I can still feel my dry lips underneath the balm and I don't think it penetrates the lips and keeps them feeling nourished as well as other products do. Indeed, my NYX Butter Glosses feel more hydrating than this does.

For this reason it's taken some getting used to, and there have been nights when I've applied this and wanted to apply something else over the top to help keep my lips feeling comfortable, but I've stuck with it to see how it fares alone.

Thankfully it does do a better job of keeping my lips feeling ok overnight than any other product I've used. I only need to apply it once and then forget about it until morning, while with other lip products I need to reapply them at least a couple of times during the night when eg I wake up to go to the bathroom. That's a big plus for me and it's definitely worth noting.

Also worth noting is that when I wake up in the morning, I need to apply lip balm straight away because my lips feel a bit dry but they're not so dry that they're uncomfortable, and I can still feel some of this lip balm hanging in there so I think it does a great job of lasting for hours overnight. 

I've also noticed that my lips look slightly less lined during the day while I've been using this, so I think it has a cumulative effect that improves the look of lips with continued use.

Overall I do like this product and think it does a pretty good job, but it's also not quite as hydrating/nourishing as I'd hoped and while it has improved the overall condition of my lips, they still feel a touch dry when I apply this because it doesn't penetrate and juice them up quite as well as I'd expected. Still, it lasts nicely overnight and I can see why so many people rave about it - plus you get a lot of product for your money so I think it's good value.

Definitely one to try.

One day I imagine I'll be able to wake up and tell you that I'm not exhausted, that the kids haven't been up again during the night and that I'm not running on empty.

That day is not today. Unfortunately all it takes is two wake-ups from my daughter at midnight and one am and that's it for me: I can't sleep for the rest of the night. It's always amazed me how easily some people can go back to sleep after settling a child. I'm just not wired that way. Wish I was.

Moving on. 

You may remember that I bought this cream along with a bundle of other Antipodes products when Priceline had one of those huge skincare sales.

I can't remember if I bought the products last year or the year before, but this is my last item from that purchase and it's been lovely to give the brand a really good go.

While I don't mind this product, I don't like it as much as the Antipodes Avocado Pear Night Cream (reviewed here) so I wouldn't buy it again and I've also found it to be a little too heavy for daytime so I've been using mine at night. More on that below.

• This lightweight face moisturiser provides deep nourishment and hydration
• Beneficial to all skin types, dry and oily alike
• Leaves complexions looking revitalised, with enhanced youthful luminosity and clarity
• Refreshes, boosts hydration levels and locks in moisture
• Antioxidant-rich formula protects skin
• Improves elasticity and firmness
• Antibacterial ingredients minimise the frequency and severity of breakouts
• Reduces signs of premature ageing
• Certified organic and natural 
• RRP $53 AUD for 60ml, but do shop around

Verdict

This is a nice product but it's not perfect so I wouldn't buy it again.

It's a thick, rich cream with a sweet, mandarin/vanilla scent. I like the texture in theory and the product feels soothing and cooling when applied.

While it spreads and applies well, for me it's one of those creams that acts more like a barrier cream than it does a really good hydrator. I just find that when I apply it, my dry skin still feels a little dry underneath and I don't think it absorbs as well as the Avocado Pear cream does (linked above).

Sure it nourishes my face a bit, but it doesn't penetrate and keep my dry skin feeling comfortable like my other day creams do, which is why I've opted to use it overnight.

As an overnight cream it works well. What I do is apply my normal skincare after my shower, and then four hours later I'll apply this before bed. Given the thick texture, it works well to seal-in my other products and help keep my dry skin comfortable until morning. So essentially I'm using it more as a barrier cream than I am a standard moisturiser, and that's how it works best for me personally.

On the claims: no I wouldn't call it lightweight (I can definitely feel it on my skin) and no I don't think it provides deep nourishment or hydration (it's too thick to penetrate properly); yes I do think it leaves the skin looking a bit fresher; yes I do think it has a protective element; and no I don't think it improves elasticity or firmness. 

I also don't think it's done anything for my breakouts, although I have dry skin so I tend not to get too many of those anyway.

Overall there are things to like about this product but it's not right for me and I don't think it's the best cream Antipodes has on offer. There's also the issue that I wanted a day cream but this isn't suitable for the day spot (at least for me), so I would definitely test it before purchase because it may be too heavy for you too.

Ok but not perfect.