Project Pan 5 to March Empties

If you remember from my earlier posts, I was working on a mini project pan for a few months. But it started becoming discouraging when I realize I still have products that I didn't hit pan! So instead of project pan, I'm moving on to monthly empties! (Might be two months even, I don't know yet, it'll depend on how much I can empty out first. If there isn't enough to show you guys, then I'll just spill it over the next month.) But at least this way, every so often I'll be showing off products that I'm done with. There's just too many makeup and skincare products in my vanity and bathroom and they seem to only grow with time. Maybe I'll do a post on my current collection, let me know if you are interested.

Anyway, enough jabbering, may I present to you, the March's empties!

(can you spot the GlossyBox?)

qiora Face Cleanser DH Cleanser - from project pan, mini review here. Sadly the sales rep at one of the Shisedo chain stores mention that the entire qiora line will be discontinued! Tempted to stock up now. =(

Nivea Age Defying Q10plus Hand Cream - from project pan, mini review here.

Nivea Soft Moisturizing Creme (not pictured)- from project pan, mini review here.

O'slee Clear Spa Sleeping Mask - I had a full review this mask a while back, I noticed my skin being a lot more dry around the cheek area lately, so thought I'll whip it out and give it a try again. If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you'll know about the adverse effect it had on me. Not sure if it was because it was expired or not, when I applied it, it was a little thicker than its usual jelly form, not too crazy though, I didn't give it much of a second thought. The next morning when I woke up, besides it being sticky on my face, everything was ok. But after I washed it off, my face started tingling and there were red patches all over my face, mostly in the T-zone area. Scary! Thank goodness the redness subsided within 2 hours, I had to cover it up with mineral foundation, I just couldn't go to work like that, I looked sick! So that's why it was forcefully emptied. =P I still have another unopened container, hopefully that will be better.

Milky Lips Baby Pink  - One of my favorite tinted lip balms. It looks hot pink in the tube but gives a much muted bright lip effect. One of my favorite lip balms because it leaves the lips looking dewy, hydrated and just the right amount of shine without the overly glossy effect of a lip gloss. I much prefer this over the fresh sugar lip treatments, because the fresh lip treatments can be a little greasy looking on the lips but these just feel like there's water on my lips. Now that I've teased you with its wonders, I really hate to let you guys know that it's actually discontinued. I can no longer find them at my local Japanese markets. If any of you see these lurking around the NYC area, please let me know!

Last up, UDPP.

Urban Decay Primer Potion - I'm not going to do a crazy review, the blogosphere has enough reviews on this little guy. (Enough that most of you probably understood  "UDPP".) This one in the original genie bottle came as part of my UD Naked palette. I do like it because it does help with eyeshadow creasing, but not all, there are times when I still notice some creasing with certain shadows. I don't really notice the difference in terms of color payoff enhancements it gives for eyeshadow though. To me, the color vibrancy looks the same with or without the primer.

That's it for this month, stay tuned for next month's empties, I foresee a lot of products, particularly skincare related. Have a nice weekend!

Project Pan 5 - Update

Here's an update to the Project Pan 5 that I started 2 months ago. Refer to the original post for my short reviews on these items.

Project Pan 5 - Jan 2013

1. Physician's Formula Powder Palette Multicolored Blush - Blushing Peach
Looks like I barely touched it! These palettes really do last a very long time, I've been using it every other day now hoping to finish it up, but it looks exactly like it did 2 months ago. =P  It's going to be part of the new Project Pan 5.

2. philosophy on a clear day oil-free foaming acne cleanser
Done! Used up all the cleanser, kind of sad that it's discontinued. On the quest for a new lightweight cleanser again (AFTER I'm done with the rest that I have now. ) 

3. qiora Face Cleanser DH Cleanser
Still working on this right now since the philosophy cleanser is out. Should be done soon!

4. Clinique Take the Day Off Makeup Remover
Done! Trying to compare it with the Neutrogena Facial Towelettes, I think I still like the Neutrogena ones more.

5. Nivea Age Defying Q10plus Hand Cream
Didn't touch it at all! I accidentally tucked this away since I've been renovating my room. Hopefully I'll remember to use it soon.

Since I'm only done with 2 products, here are the next 2 contenders (I don't want to add another 5 to create a never ending list). 

L'oreal Colour Riche Balm lip color in Rose Elixir

L'oreal Colour Riche Balm lip color in Rose Elixir

I don't think I can recollect any one time when I've actually finished a lipstick, hopefully this would be the first one. This lip balm/lipstick came out last year causing a lot of hype along with the Revlon lip butters, but these didn't get as much spotlight as they apply with such a sheer color and really works just like a balm. But they are truly very moisturizing, it leaves a nice moisturized glossy finish. Because of its super sheer color I can apply it very liberally, haha maybe that's why I can actually put it in a project pan. I only have it on this color, I'll want to try the other ones.

Nivea Soft Moisturizing Creme

Excuse the dry hands!

Nivea Soft Moisturizing Creme

This was part of a Nivea set from CVS, I believe it only retails for 99 cents alone. It has a almost non-greasy, souffle-like texture, very similar to the First Aid Beauty ultra repair cream. Excuse the dry hands! But you can tell that the creme hydrates the dry skin immediately. It does have a perfumed fragrance though. Not super great but I like the fact that it is in a small flat container so I can just slide into any compartment without taking up too much room. I might repurchase it later on but not going to sort it out specifically.

Ok, Project Pan 5 will return again in 2 months! Hopefully, I can knock them all out! 

My New Project Pan 5

Well the title says it all, it's just 5 instead of the popular Project Pan 10. I'm currently in the process of preparing my room for renovations. Clearing out things that I don't want and need anymore. In the 3 years I've started using makeup, I've accumulated A LOT of beauty products. And of course with all the different sales, limited editions, gifts with purchases, 90% of them are barely touched. So to make sure products do get used up and their containers are out of my room, I'm starting this Project Pan. I thought it'll be a good idea to use this chance for short reviews for items that would probably never make its way into a detailed review.

Physician's Formula Powder Palette Multicolored Blush - Blushing Peach
I've owned this blush for years. It is a peachy summery color (like you can't tell from the name =P ) with a mix of matte and shimmers. It is somewhat pigmented but definitely as much as the Nars or Benefit blushes. Not very long lasting either, maybe for a few hours max. I generally don't see the color anymore after I get out of work. But I like to carry this in my purse because of the mirror & brush included in the palette, makes touch ups very convenient. I've hit pan on this, but it's still a long way to go.

(picture from Amazon)

philosophy on a clear day oil-free foaming acne cleanser
I bought this part of the philosophy on a clear day set but this line has been discontinued (it's still available on Amazon though). It has salicylic acid as an active ingredient, so I like to use this during my girly days when I'm more prone to breakouts. Well, if it indeed helps, I never saw the results. There's been no noticeable effects at all, so I wouldn't recommend it if that's what you're hoping for. As a regular.cleanser, I think it does the job. I like that its very lightweight and easy to wash off, no worries of residue leftover on your hair lines. Because its so lightweight, it makes a good cleanser to use in the morning just to wash off any oil buildup from overnight. But because it IS a foam cleanser, it doesn't work well with the Clarisonic brush, which is ok since I, only use it in the daytime. I only need 1 pump to get enough product to wash my face.

(picture qiora.com)

qiora Face Cleanser DH Cleanser
So to complement the philosophy cleanser, I use this qiora one. Also got it as part of a gift set. And is still $36 on Amazon and in Shiseido retail stores. Despite the name, this is a cream cleanser. It works up a beautiful lather and works perfectly with the Clarisonic. If you ever tried any of the Shiseido cleansers this is almost an identical twin. Light fragrance but not very makeup friendly. I don't love it enough to repurchase, especially when I have so many other cleansers.

(picture from clinique.com)

Clinique Take the Day Off Makeup Remover
Now along with all those cleansers is this little makeup remover that I neglect. This is a two tone oil-based remover though you can't tell from the purple container. It removes makeup very well on a saturated cotton pad, but I don't wear waterproof makeup so I can't attest for that. I don't like using this remover by itself because it leaves a greasy residue on your face that forces you to use some other cleanser along with it. Definitely wouldn't repurchase, if you want to try an oil-based makeup remover, I'll suggest the DHC oil cleanser.

(picture from nivea.com)

Nivea Age Defying Q10plus Hand Cream
I bought this in one of my sasa.com hauls for 90 cents and I believe it is not available in the US. It has q10 as one of its main ingredients so it aims to be an anti-aging skincare product. The hand cream is very moisturizing and feels heavy on the hands but not greasy. It has a light fragrance. I don't really see the anti aging effects on my hands but I like to keep this handy in my purse for fall/winter seasons. I can't really find it anymore but I think there's other hand creams out there that are just as promising.

And that's it for my project pan so far. I still have a lot of products I want to see hit pan but one step at a time! Let's see how well this goes, I already have a mental list of products I want to finish right after these are gone.

Jul 2010 - Sasa, Sephora, HauteLook Beauty Shopping Haul

Late post for a July haul, but all these items arrived at the end of July (ironically all arrived on the same day), so maybe it's not too late late. =)

Sasa Haul

Just love their shipping packaging

Sasa Beauty Shopping Haul July 2010

Sasa July 2010 Bill

I've been staring at the sasa.com website for weeks before finally caving in to make the purchase. I got a crazy tan since my Taiwan/Japan trip back in May and was looking for a product that can "save" me from the tan. So I tried searching for a whitening body lotion which yielded only one result, the Nivea Sun Whitening Lotion SPF 50. I also saw this in a few ads from the Taiwanese magazines I bought, so I was anxious to try it out.

Nivea Sun Whitening Lotion with SPF 50 PA++

When it finally came, I was a bit disappointed. First of all, for $10.30, I was expecting a bigger bottle of Nivea lotion. The size of the bottle of 125mL is just slightly bigger than my hand. The texture of the lotion is like a runny sunscreen lotion. It is non-greasy and won't leave streak marks like sun-block. Very fast absorbing and sun protection is so great, it claims to provide protection the moment of skin contact unlike normal sunscreen which requires at least 20-30 minutes of application before sun exposure. It is not water-resistant, so it works well for everyday use like going to work. It also claims it will whiten the skin, but I haven't seen any significant changes yet (it's only been about 2 weeks so far).

Sephora Haul

I made this purchase because bing.com was getting rid of it's cashback program. Sephora purchases used to qualify for around  8%-20% cashback!

Sephora July 2010 Haul - still in box

Sephora Haul - The Bill

I got mostly mini's of popular beauty products. Best value was the Sephora's Sun Safety Kit ($95 value for $10). Sephora came out with this kit before summer started to promote sun care awareness. All proceeds go to charity as well. I had bought one of these for $25 back in May and loved it. There are tons of mini moisturizers and samples so I had to get another one after the price dropped. Also got the Stila It Girl Palette with the legendary Kitten Eye Shadow. Reviews will be coming soon.


HauteLook Haul

Haha, this was definitely a shopaholic splurge affected by another beauty blogger. Jen from frmheadtotoe was talking about these super pretty Rock & Republic blushes, I had to get them.

HauteLook Haul - still in package

Rock & Republic Pressed Blushes

Rock & Republic Pressed Blushes in Call Me and Spank

Hautelook was having a sale on these beautiful blushes for $20, that's 50% off retail price! Hautelook.com is a website that periodically put on sale designer brand clothing, cosmetics and home goods. Rock & Republic usually shows up with up to 40%-50% off. Their website has invitation access, so click here to sign up and check them out. (Just a quick note, they will give you a $10 credit for every one you invited to their website.) Plus the Rock & Republic beauty line has been rumored to be discontinued very soon. Get it while you still can!

That's it for now, I'll be posting more detail reviews and swatches very soon.