Stocktake 2017- Eye Products Part 1

Eye products, especially palettes are my weakness. I am totally obsessed with them.

I will start by showing you my lash products.

I have 5 mascaras and 1 product that will make a mascara waterproof when applied over. I am currently using the Bourjois Full Volume mascara.

My brow products only consist of the YBF Universal Brow Pencil. Yes, I need that many back-ups, lol.

My eye liners, pencil, gel and liquid.

 Cream eye shadows. I was obsessed with Color Tattoos when they were first released. I have actually finished one and have given a couple away.

My collection of ColourPop Super Shock Shadows and L'Oreal Infallibles. 

I down sized my single pressed eye shadow collection. I now only have these 6.

In 2015 I had 11 mascaras, which I think is way too many. I now have 5, but am working towards owning what I'm using and just having one back-up mascara.

There were 7 brow products in my collection, I now have 5. I like to buy the YBF brow pencils when there is a good offer.

I had 42 eye liners and have reduced that number to 29. I don't really have any set goal number. In saying that, I don't feel the need to buy any at this stage and could do with finishing more.

The cream shadows that I owned totaled 52 and there are currently 19, including eye crayons. I really don't know why I've owned so many cream eye products, because I never really reached for them. I have now began using them as a base for shadow in an attempt to get some use from the ones I have left before they go bad.

I previously owned 41 single eye shadows and now have 36. This includes my collection of ColourPop eye shadows that have a mousse-like consistency. I need to use these more because they have no where near the shelf life of a regular pressed eye shadow.

Next week I will show you my eye shadow palettes.

It's Skin Power 10 Formula Q10 Effector

I have another It's Skin Power 10 serum to show you. This one is the Formula Q10 Effector. It is one of four that I bough from Ozsale. Since purchasing, I have discovered that Beauty Bay sells these serums.

Taken from Beauty Bay-"Created to tackle some of the most common concerns of ageing skin, the It's Skin Formula 10 Q10 Effector works effectively to give visible results. Bolstered with a blend of carefully chosen ingredients, this unique, ultra-lightweight formula helps to boost collagen and elastin levels whilst providing much needed moisture for a rejuvenated, youthful finish."

The serum comes in a 30 ml bottle with a dropper to dispense product.  It has a gel like liquid consistency with small orange capsule balls that dissolve during application.

The serum has a synthetic floral fragrance. Although pleasant, I am not a fan of added fragrance in my skincare products.

Once applied the serum feels light weight and absorbs quickly. My skin is left feeling soft and smooth. After using for a week I have not noticed a visible difference in my skin. I really need to use it longer to really give the serum a chance. 

I do like the added hydration I get. my dry winter skin doesn't seem to be getting as tight at the end of the day, so that's a definite plus.

I will be sure to update my thoughts on this Skin Power 10 Formula Q10 Effector when it shows up in one of my empties post. 

Thanks for reading xx

Makeup Look Wearing Project Pan 2017 Products #1

I have been showing you progress of my Project Pan and Pan That Palette and it occurred to me that I should show you a makeup look using the products.

Models Prefer Infinite Colour Foundation- I bought this months ago, it was 50% off, so figured why not. It's too light on my skin. I find it can get a little streaky when applying with a brush but does apply well with a sponge. It's a nice medium coverage foundation, not bad, but doesn't wow me.

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bold Gold- I love these cream shadows, especially when using as a base for powder eye shadows. The gold colour has been working well with the olive and brown tones I have been using on my lid.

LA Girl Endless Liner in Black- I love that this liner is retractable and is nice and black. What I don't like is it seems to be a drier formula, so it takes some work to apply. I'll be glad when I'm finished this liner.

Smashbox Lip Liner in Smashing Define- I have enjoyed using this neutral toned lip liner. It has the perfect consistency to be easy to apply yet lasts really well.

NYX Lip Gloss in Mauve- This is a pink-toned nude that sheers out nicely. For this makeup look I applied on top of the lip liner which I had used all over my lips.

Of course I used my 88 Warm Palette. I am glad that for a palette of this size, I have enjoyed using most of the eye shadow shades. I also used one eye shadow for blush and another for highlighting

The other products that I used are-

DB Cosmetics BB Cream to darken the Models Prefer foundation

YBF Neutralizing Creme to colour correct

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer

YBF Neutralizing Powder

YBF Universal Eye Brow Pencil

Skinn Invisible Lip Liner

Pur Volume Vixen Mascara

This has been my go-to look lately which has really been making an impact on my panning progress.

Have a great weekend! xx

Project Pan 2017 Update #3

It's time once again for me to show you the progress on my rolling Project Pan. Annoyingly, I forgot to take a photo of the 5 products that I was panning in the last update, but I will show you the single photos of the products.

The MBA lipstick sample in OCD I had to part ways with. Unfortunately it started smelling funky, so that and the rest of the samples have to go. It makes me realise just how much I need to be more mindful of what I buy and whether I am realistically going to use it, especially cream based makeup items.

I was able to finish the W7 Cosmetics Catwalk Concealer. 

I love to see pan! I believe I will be finished the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bold Gold by the next update.

For such an easy to use neutral lip pencil, it certainly is taking me a while to get through. Maybe I should sharpen it more ;)

I seem to have made the best progress of this LA Girl liner in the past 2 months. I have been occasionally been using as an upper lid liner as well as waterline.

 Now for my replacement products.

I am being ambitious by adding the NYX lip gloss, because I rarely wear a gloss. I much prefer lipstick. I thought by including it in my Project Pan, it would force me to wear it. Time will tell..

I am including this Models Prefer foundation, it's quite nice, but a little light for my skintone. And, it doesn't have a pump! Really irks me trying to get product out, especially since although it is a liquid, it's quite a thick consistency. Why no pump???

Well, that's 4 Project Pan products finished so far for 2017. I won't include the lipstick sample because I threw it out before it was done.

Thanks for reading! xx

It's Skin Power 10 Formula VB Effector

Next serum I tried from the 4 I purchased from Ozsale is the Power 10 Formula VB Effector. Although the serums are no longer available through Ozsale, I did discover that Beauty Bay sells the serums.

Taken from Beauty Bay- "A hydrating and oil balancing designed specifically for oily, acne prone skin. Developed to help balance the skin's natural oil and sebum production, the It's Skin Power 10 Formula VB Effector is ideal for preventing and clearing blemishes. This ultra-lightweight serum absorbs quickly into the skin delivering a hit of hydration, smoothing the skin's texture and balancing moisture levels, giving a clearer, healthier complexion."

The 30 ml bottle comes with a dropper for dispensing the product. The consistency of the serum is almost gel like, but still a fluid. It has a synthetic fragrance, not my fave but not unpleasant. The scent disappears once applied.

The serum spreads easily over the skin and absorbs rather quickly. It does have a slightly tacky finish on the skin, but applying products on top is not a problem.

 After only using for a week, I have noticed that my t-zone has not been quite so oily. I have combination skin that leans dry. I don't normally have too many breakouts, only the odd hormonal blemish.

I did find this product to balance the skin nicely, I found it to be slightly hydrating, it certainly did not strip the skin.

I'm not sure that it meets my needs as someone who seeks anti-aging benefits. However, for those that have oily, break-out prone skin It's Skin Power 10 Formula VB Effector would be a beneficial product worth adding to a skincare routine.

I will most likely use this serum only in my t-zone in Summer when this area tends to be more oily.

Thank you for reading! xx

Simply Nails 2017 #3

Lately I have been trying to get my nail polish mojo back again. I used to apply nail polish at least twice a week, but doing it even once a week seems to be an achievement. I have so much nail polish that I really need to make it my mission to apply it more! Lol.

Anyway, I will be showing you a nail look that I recently created, I'm just hoping this becomes a more regular thing.

I wanted to do something easy, but looked creative. I wanted a dark base, with lighter colours to be swirled through the base.

For my base colour, I chose Models Inc Mid Nite Blue. I applied 2 coats, whilst the 2nd coat was still wet, I dotted on both Maybelline Color Show Iced Queen and Essie Your Hut Or Mine. 

I then dragged a fine brush through the colours. This technique created some pretty interesting designs on the nail, plus it works quite well on even my stumpy short nails :)

I've added this post to Ingrid's Monday Makeup Madness Link-Up Party. 

June Empties

Ok, so one month of Winter is now over...2 more to go. But, with how quick the year is going, the warm weather will be here before we know it! For those of us in the Southern Hemisphere, that is.

Anyway I'm going to show you what I finished in June

Not a whole lot of empties, but there's products finished none-the-less. 

Skinn DermAppeal- One of my favourite products from the Skinn brand. It is a physical exfoliant that is quite abrasive which I like because it really smooths the skin.

Repurchase? Of course I have a back-up!

Skinn Hydro-Vital Serum- This dual-chambered serum is so hydrating. It's lightweight and feels silky smooth on the skin.

Repurchase? I really prefer actives in my serum as I think a decent regular moisturiser can give me adequate hydration. It's a nice product, but I don't feel the need to purchase it again.

Skinn PM Cleanser- This is a lovely cream cleanser that smells so delicious, like lemon meringue. 

Repurchase? It's a nice cleanser to use, but to be honest, I can find cream cleansers that work just as well for a more budget price.

Skinn Collagenisis Essential Radiance Body Oil- This is a dry oil that is packed with nourishing goodies for the skin. Being a dry oil it absorbs fairly quickly.

Repurchase? I don't feel like I need it enough to seek out, but I wouldn't be opposed to trying this body oil again.

Skinn Deep Line Erasing Serum - This is a cream formulated to instantly smooth out fine lines. It's not a long term fix and lasts for a few hours.

Repurchase? I have another in my stash, but I don't see enough of an improvement to my fine lines to warrant buying again.

Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation- A long lasting foundation with a satin finish. I would say that I get more of a medium coverage, but I really like the way this makes my skin look.

Repurchase? I was happy enough with this foundation to buy again, but there are so many that I want to try that it will take a long time to come full circle, but who knows, maybe in the distant future.

Bourjois Full Volume Mascara- This mascara did a great job lengthening and adding volume to my lashes. The only con was the barrel of the brush is large and I had to be careful not to get mascara on my lids.

Repurchase? I have many in my stash to get through, but I don't love this one enough to buy again.

YBF Neutralizing Powder- This finishing powder has a yellow base which evens out skin and can be used on any skintone.

Repurchase? I actually found this powder to be a bit too yellow for my skin, so I won't be buying again.

Well, that was a very Skinn heavy empties post!

Have you used any of these products? If so, what did you think?

It's Skin Power 10 Formula VC Effector

I was once again sucked into buying some bargain products from Ozsale. Part of my order was 4 serums from the brand It's Skin. Being a Korean brand I really wanted to try some products. I couldn't find a lot of information about It's Skin online, but the Power 10 Formula range sounded pretty good.

I really wanted to try them all at once, but to get an idea of how each serum performed I restrained myself by using one serum at a time. The first one I tried was the VC Effector.

The serum is no longer available on Ozsale, but I found it for sale on Beauty Bay- "A clarity improving skin serum designed for all skin types. Enriched with a blend of naturally derived, active ingredients, the It's Skin Power 10 Formula VC Effector worfs effectively to reduce the appearance of discolouration and dark spots. With a lightweight serum texture its quickly absorbed into the skin offering brightening and lightening effects, whilst simultaneously suppressing melanin production for a flawless finish."

That description is why I had to use the VC Effector first!

The serum comes in a 30 ml bottle with a dropper built into the lid. I like the ability to control product with a dropper, I just am a bit of a klutz sometimes so am always paranoid about knocking over the opened bottle.

The fluid consistency is on the thicker side. 

I noticed that this product has a synthetic citrus scent. It's quite pleasant, but I could do without fragrance in skincare. 

I used about 4 drops for the face and the same for the neck. The serum blends smoothly across the skin. It absorbs quite quickly, but my skin feels tacky for some time. Even whilst still tacky I have been able to apply products on top without any issues.

I didn't expect a lot of visible results after using for just 1 week, but I have noticed that my skin appears to look brighter. Thankfully, I didn't experience any adverse reactions using on my combination skin. 

I am really looking forward to trying the other serums. I think when I have given the 4 a week each, I will probably be cocktailing a couple together.