Girl, You Only Have One Face

In lieu of a traditional project pan, I've been working on a few products out of my collection for a month at a time, either to use them up, get some extra use out of them, or decide how I feel about them. Like a combination project pan/makeup basket/chopping block, if you will. October selections and outcomes: ~ MAC prep+prime lip - When I added this in, I had no idea why I had it (it came in a set, that's why I had it). Since I wore liquid lipsticks so much in October, this product was a game changer. I could actually wear liquid lipsticks without my lips flaking off. It's not an everyday necessity, but I'm glad I have one now. ~ Benefit precisely my brow pencil (shade 4.5) - I purchased this during the Ulta 21 Days of Beauty sale and wanted to make sure I liked it. It's a little bit softer than the ABH brow formula I'm used to, but I enjoyed it and will be happy to use it. ~ ABH Master Palette by Mario - I probably didn't get as much use out of th...

I'm happy with the skincare I was able to move out of my backup drawer - I've actually started to use some full-sized products since I've made it through so many of the minis. The perfume sample drawer is still going strong though. It's like a hydra - I use up one and two more pop up in its' place. ~ Ole Henriksen Counter Balance oil control hydrator - This was a good lightweight gel moisturizer for the summer months, but it had the same scent as the cleanser I previously finished and I'm not a fan of the scent. Probably would not repurchase. ~ Lancome sunscreen - This was a very thin liquid, even after shaking, and it left an oily sheen. Which was fine if I applied makeup over it, but I couldn't just leave a bare face. So I would not repurchase this. ~ Juliette Has a Gun "Moscow Mule" sample - The notes are "zesty lime and ginger" and I liked the spicyness of this for the transition to fall. I have another sample of this I'm...

I have the habit of spending too much of my money on makeup, and spending too much of my time browsing for makeup and consuming makeup-related media. To counteract this, I make myself "earn" my makeup budget by doing things that are better for my mental and physical health. Here's how I did for the month of October. Purchases: ~ I got my hair cut this month, and I got my usual purifying/softening treatment. Not included in this budget, but it it beauty related, so I thought I'd mention it anyway. ~ Urban Decay primer potion travel size (replacement, doesn't come out of budget); Cover FX mattifying primer (had a coupon and a gift card, so this set me back $20.40) ~ Not a purchase, but my godparents generously sent me the Sephora favorites lip set and a Marc Jacobs gift set with a mascara and a lipstick (so it's products added to my collection, but not money spent) Books read ($1 per 100 pages) ~ Little Fires Everywhere  by Celeste Ng - 348 pages ($3.48)...

This project is part of my effort to get visible progress out of my makeup. I randomly selected five shadows to start, and as soon as I reach my goal (usually hitting pan), I can rotate in a different randomly-selected shadow. Here's how I did over the past month: 1&2) "Sin" and "Naked" from Urban Decay Naked palette - I finally  hit pan on "Naked" after about six months of using it every time I did my makeup. It's a small pan, but it counts. I'm still making slow progress on "Sin" since I use it only as an inner corner highlight. It's too light to be used as a lid shade, so I'm just really sparkly at my inner corners. I think this will be in the project for a few more months at least. 3) "Chauffeur" from Colourpop Yes Please palette - I decluttered this palette entirely, so I didn't take a picture. Wave goodbye. 4) "Rose Quartz" from Anastasia Beverly Hills Sultry palette - You can tell fr...

Man, this looked a lot more impressive when it was filling up the bag in which I store my empties. I'm continuing to chip away at my backstock of skincare products. I'm especially excited to have moved out that giant lotion (even if it is from last year). Anyway, here's everything I finished up during the month of September. ~ Batiste dry shampoo "tropical" - This was decent; it de-oiled my hair a bit after a workout but did leave some product buildup. I repurchased a different scent already. ~ Champagne apple & honey lotion from Bath and Body Works - This is one of the ultra-shea lotions so it was very moisturizing. Some mornings I could still get whiffs of the apple scent coming off my legs, so it definitely has some lasting power. ~ Mario Badescu glycolic foaming cleanser - I liked how sudsy this got and it made my face feel clean. Unfortunately, I still experienced quite a few breakouts while using this so I probably won't repurchase. ~ Dr J...

I decided to take a break from a straightforward project pan - instead I decided to focus on a handful of products that I want to get more use out of or test out. During the month of September, I used: ~ Buxom Va-Va Plump liquid lipstick in "Lights Down" - I enjoyed using this, but it was more drying than I remember. It's a great orange color for fall though, and I'm glad I have it and that I was able to use it more. These were on sale during Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty, and I'm glad I didn't buy another one of these. ~ Hourglass ambient lighting powder mini "Dim Light" - I discovered that I can really only use this as a luminous bronzer. It's a little too dark for me to use as an all-over powder (like it's usually touted to be), and I'm not sure if it's worth keeping just to be another bronzer. So it might be decluttered in the future. ~ MAC Fix+ mini - This wasn't life-changing, but I was able to use up a bit more of thi...

I have the habit of spending too much of my money on makeup, and spending too much of my time browsing for makeup and consuming makeup-related media. To counteract this, I make myself "earn" my makeup budget by doing things that are better for my mental and physical health. Here's how I did for the month of September. Purchases: ~ Clinique Take the Day Off cleansing balm - This was on sale for 50% off during Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty, so I made my repurchase early. I'm not taking this out of the budget since it's a staple product (and I didn't go bananas and "stock up since it's on sale"). ~ Batiste dry shampoo (restock), Ulta brand cotton rounds (restock), and Neutrogena cleansing wipes (for after workout sweatiness that might be breaking me out) - basic items that don't come out of the budget ~ Tarte Shape Tape concealer, Benefit brow pencil, and two Urban Decay eyeliners on the last day of Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty. Everything w...