Project Pan Them All | March Empties

Hi ladies! I am so proud to be doing so well on my Project Pan Them All! It just feels so liberating to use up so many products in such a short time. I even used up a makeup product this month, which never happens, but I am not happy about it at all! I don't even understand how this happened but when I went to use my favorite bronzer, 100% Pure Cocoa Pigmented Bronzer in Brown Sugar, it was totally broken in pieces! I absolutely don't remember taking it somewhere with me or dropping it on the floor, so this will remain a mystery... the worst part is that I thought I could fix it with alcohol, but I only had a solution of 50% on hand, and I guess this was not enough because when I went to use it the day after, I thought it was fixed but no, it crumbled into a powdery mess, so I figured out I would just throw it away. I have been wanting to try Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer for a while anyway, which seems similar...

I received KQC Thermal Shine from Flat Iron Experts when I was sent very kindly sent a Babyliss Pro Tourmaline Ceramic Curling Iron for consideration to review. This protective spray smells a bit like men's cologne to me - which is very pleasant - and it really leaves my hair shiny, non greasy and lightweight, and it ensures that my flat iron glides on very smoothly.

I am usually disappointed to receive drugstore products in a subscription box, but I must say I was happy when I saw Curel Foot Therapy Soothing Cream in my May 2012 GLOSSYBOX because I really needed a new foot cream. This one has a nice thick consistency, it's absorbed quickly in the skin and it smells amazing - a bit sweet but not overpowering. It leaves my feet extremely soft and smooth after only a few use!

It seems I have had L'Oréal Professionnel Intense Repair Cuti Liss System Intense Nutrition Masque for dry hair* since forever, even though I used it every time I washed my hair instead of normal conditioner, and I finally managed to use it up! This masque has a really nice thick texture and my hair really feels nourished and properly mositurized after use, but I won't repurchase since L'Oréal tests on animals, so I will have to try and find a proper cruelty-free alternative... please let me know if you have any suggestions!

I can't say I was amazed by Eucerin Professional Repair Extremely Dry Skin Lotion since it just did not seem to really moisturize my skin - I constantly felt the urge to re-apply after a few hours! I am glad I used it so fast though!

I am not really sure what is the difference between the Body Butter and the Butter Lite from SPAresource, but I know I really enjoyed SPAresource Butter-Lite Sunrise Energy! This smells like nothing I have smelled before - floral with a hint of cucumber, I guess? Despite being lightly whipped, it has a nice thicker texture that is quickly absorbed into the skin, leaving it super soft, smooth and properly moisturized all day. No wonder this is such a nice and inexpensive alternative to The Body Shop body butters with ingredients such as aloe vera, shea butter and cocoa butter!

Earthen InstantPeel is a product that will probably never cease to amaze me - it's really super easy to use and I still think it's truly awesome to be able to actually see the peels of dead skin, it's like a proof that the product is working. I have never used something like this before! This product is great for dry and sensitive skin as it didn't leave my face irritated or even drier - I could feel my skin being softer and smoother. The only things I dislike about this product is the price - at $10 an application, it can be getting quite pricey - and the messy packaging.

The eczema on my hands was going really well until I experienced a huge flare-up for unknown reasons, just when I ran out of my thrusty Ratio-Clobetasol Propionate Ointment 0.05% w/w! This is basically topical corticosteroid, the strongest steroid I have been prescribed to use on my eczema, and the only thing that really works. 

Despite it's scrumptious coconut scent, I was a bit disapppointed by Bomb La Bon Bon Coco Choco Brown Sugar Scrub since it is the type of scrubs that makes a terrible slippery mess in the shower - because it is so oily, it falls everywhere before I have the time to properly rube it on my body, and I have to wash the shower after each use to ensure no one will fall and get hurt!

However, I was really impressed by Bomb La Bon Bon Cookies N Cream Bath Bomb - it really smells like Oreo cookies, and I can really feel the sweet almond oil in the bath and on my body - it leaves my skin sooooo amazingly soft, like nothing I have ever used! I swear I could even skip moisturizer after a bath with this product. It does leave the bath very slippery though, but this is minor since it works so well!

Just like every LUSH product I have, I took way too long to use Abombinaball Bath Bomb before it looses its smells, but oh well, it was still amazing! I used only one half and it was really long lasting once dropped in the water - it would not stop fizzing and foaming! The bomb started by releasing frothy white foam, then it released blue and green colorings, which finally left the water a gorgeous sea color - heavenly! After use, my skin was left smooth and moisturized - such a shame I can't talk about the scent though! Maybe next year?

Göt2b Rockin' It Dry Shampoo is probably my all-time favorite dry shampoo, for many reasons - its extra strong spray - seriously, I was blown away! - makes it easier to target your roots without spraying product all over your hair, it perfectly cleans my hair within minutes and it lasts a while - after 4 days, my hair is still clean!, it really infuses tons of volume and bounce, and I love its fresh and citrusy smell. What more can I ask for?

I still can't belive I found Nivea Visage Natural Beauty Beautifying Eye Care at Dollarama for only $2! I don't think I have really tried something from Nivea before and I don't really know why, maybe because none of their products really appealled to me and because they tend to be a bit on the pricey side for drugstore products. I liked to use this eye cream in the morning since it is a bit pearlescent so it does wake up my eyes a bit.

*Please note that L'Oréal Professionnel Intense Repair Cuti Liss System Intense Nutrition Masque for dry hair is NOT cruelty-free

Project Pan Them All | January Empties

Hi ladies! I am pretty proud of myself for using up so many products these days - we are a near the end of February and I have already used up twelve products this month, which is amazing to me and it feels so liberating! I am a bit late with my January empties - as always - so enough about February and let me share with you my thoughts about some recent empties!

You may have noticed that I have a real bad habit of clinging to my LUSH products as if they were treasures meant to be kept forever - I never shop at LUSH and most of the products I have were gifts, so I should not feel guilty about using them up, but I still do! Anyway, I was glad to have finally managed to use up LUSH Fluffy Egg Bath Bomb which was a limited-edition Easter product. It was so big that I manage to get, what, five baths out of it? I am not even kidding! OK, it has been around for so long that by the end, it barely smelled anything, but I remember it smelled sweet, a bit like candy. 

I enjoyed my experience with LUSH Golden Wonder Bath Bomb solely because it managed to turn my bath an amazing gorgeous deep blue teal color completed with a layer of gold shimmers. I was disappointed that this bath bomb barely smelled something once thrown in the bath, and also, that the orange oil did not leave my skin smooth or moisturized. For around $7, this is not worth it for me!

I still can't believe that I have finally used up my big 500ml bottle of LUSH Glögg Shower Gel - this stuff is pricey, but it does last an amazingly long time!It lathers well so you only need a small quantity of product and it smells of Coca-Cola to me - not a scent I would have gone for if I had smelled it in the store but I have grown to actually like it since it is different, with a nice warming, spicy twist.

Earthen InstantPeel is a product that will probably never cease to amaze me - it's really super easy to use and I still think it's truly awesome to be able to actually see the peels of dead skin, it's like a proof that the product is working. I have never used something like this before! This product is great for dry and sensitive skin as it didn't leave my face irritated or even drier - I could feel my skin being softer and smoother. The only things I dislike about this product is the price - at $10 an application, it can be getting quite pricey - and the messy packaging.

I might be the only girl in the blogosphere who is not totally smitten by Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant - I don't understand what I am doing wrong, but this stuff just does nothing for me! Once mixed with a little water, I did get a paste, but it vanished as soon as it touched my face, without the slightest abrasive feeling. I did enjoy the citrusy smell though!

Body butter is an essential for my dry and eczema-prone skin, and I know exactly what I want - thick, easy to spread, quickly absorbed and long-lasting moisture. If I applied MJ's Soap Shop Tangerine Body Butter too heavily on the areas of my body where my skin was not parched or prone to eczema, I was left with super oily skin and that oil just transfered to everything I touched - clothes, furnitures, even the dog! That beaing said, I have to disagree with the fast-absorbing claim in the description as, even when I was careful to use only a very small quantity of product on my super dehydrated skin, it took some time to sink in, but that is not a real problem for me because I shower at night before going to bed so the body has plenty of time to properly sink in. I was also a little disappointed that the butter doesn't provide long lasting moisture, because I stil feel the need to apply moisturizer in the morning to prevent my skin from getting itchy and dry through the day.

When I first started using St Moriz 'Dark' Instant Self Tanning Mousse, I was completely blown away because it appeared to be everything I was looking for - inexpensive, easy to use and provides a deep, natural golden brown tan that is never orange. I quickly realized it was not perfect though - it looks a bit muddy and unatural on my face, it applies incredibly patchy on my spots of eczema, and it wears off after only two days. I guess it's OK for the price though, since it is probably the cheapest self tanner available!

I always prefer to use a serum and a moisturizer and I really liked KORRES Wild Rose Face and Eye Brightening and Line Smoothing Serum, which smells amazing - just like real roses! - and really keeps my face moisturized all day. The clever pump bottle always dispense the exact right amount of product I need to cover my whole face and as soon as I'm finished applying the serum, it is already absorbed and I am ready to follow with my day cream! I love how this serum leaves my face slightly tightened and feeling fresh.

Burt's Bees Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream is probably the first cream cleanser I have tried and I am convinced! I love how thick and creamy it is, and my skin feels fresh after use, but it sometimes still feel a little oily, as if it wasn't completely clean, especially when I wear foundation or BB Cream - nothing that can't be fixed with a little toner though. This cleanser tends to  dry me out a bit if I use it every day though.

It seems I have had this tube of Noxzema Continuous Clean Microbead Cleanser with Vitamin C forever, and I much as I appreciate how fresh it leaves my face after use, it feels so liberating to have finally used it up! It also has a super nice citrusy smell that never fails to wake me up in the morning.

I was a bit disappointed by Boots Botanics Body Overnight Hand & Nail Cream because since it has such a nice and thick consistency, I expected it to be really moisturizing, but it did not help at all with my eczema, which never fails to frustrate me! It also leaves my hands a bit greasy but this is no big deal since I use it only at night.

Project Pan Them All | November Empties

I don't know what I was thinking when I ordered Avon Wish of Luck Eau de Toilette Spray* straight from the brochure without even smelling it at first - what, I could not resist the "refreshing blend of green apple and sparkling florals" from the description! Unfortunately, this turned out to smell more floral than fruity to me, and the scent is way too light to last me through the day - I had to mix it with another perfume or body spray in an attempt to use it up, and I'm glad I finally did!

I have never been a fan of face wipes but I do like to keep some baby wipes on hand to wash my face quickly for those morning when I am in a rush before work. These Pampers Baby Wipes were way less pricey than face wipes, and they even came with a handy tub!

Earthen InstantPeel is a product that will probably never cease to amaze me - it's really super easy to use and I still think it's truly awesome to be able to actually see the peels of dead skin, it's like a proof that the product is working. I have never used something like this before! This product is great for dry and sensitive skin as it didn't leave my face irritated or even drier - I could feel my skin being softer and smoother. The only things I dislike about this product is the price - at $10 an application, it can be getting quite pricey - and the messy packaging.

I don't think I have had such amazing results with any other lengthening mascara before Marcelle Xtension Plus Mascara - it makes my lashes extremely long and defined, and most importantly, it holds a curl all day, which is a real miracle when you have extremely straight lashes like me! Also, I usually shy away from plastic applicators, but this mascara changed it all!

e.l.f. Mechanical Eyelash Curler is the only eyelash curler that I have tried that really works at curling my super straight lashes, but I hate, hate, hate how the metal top is so sharp that it always dig in the rubber pad, creating dents that pull off my precious eyelashes. Also, the stupid pad always falls off and, as if it wasn't enough, you can't purchase the rubber pad separately so you have to buy a new curler everytime which is not really a problem because it's only $1, but still, it's such a waste. Despite all of the bad things I pointed out, I still stick with this curler - do I really have a choice?

I picked up Mitchum Advanced Control Utltimate Strength & Protection Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant when I spotted it on sale at Walmart in an attempt to go completely cruelty-free, and I was not disappointed! The fragrance Powder Fresh is really nice but not overpowering, and best of all, I really feel protected all day, both from wetness and odor! I think I have found a new favorite - and cruelty-free - deodorant!

I recently reviewed Bomb La Bon Bon Whipped Sugar Scrub in Cotton Candy which I could not resist using almost every day because of its intoxicating smell, and I am actually a bit sad that I used it up so quickly, but it's OK though because it was not abrasive enough for my taste.

I have always loved serums as I have super dry skin, and Reviva Labs High Potency Collagen Serum did not disappoint. I love the lightweight gel consistency that absorbs very quickly into the skin, so you can apply your day or night cream over it without having to wait. This serum really left my skin super soft and smooth, and call me crazy, but I swear I have noticed results after the first use! Maybe I was too excited, but I really think my skin was less dry than the day before, especialy my dry patches of eczema. Of course, even after continuous use, this serum didn't get rid of my eczema (nothing really can), but I feel it has helped at least a little.

I have had Clarins Self Tanning Instant Gel for what, three years, without never really using it regularly until I got more into self tanners recently, so when I decided to give it another try, it barely turned me... yellow. It's OK, I never really liked you either!

It does not happen often that I am really sad to have used up a particular product but I really think I have found my absolute holy grail night cream in KORRES Quercetin & Oak Antiageing & Antiwrinkle Night Cream - it is everything I ever wanted in a night cream! It is amazingly thick and rich, it's not greasy and it's absorbed quickly into the skin, oh, and the smell... delicious! This cream looks very thick in the pot but it's very buttery and smooth on the skin, leaving it super soft.

Since I tried LARA Beauty Polishing Microderm Abrasion for Sensitive Skin, I have been hooked on microdermabrasion treatments, which seem to work so much better than you average face scrub! The texture of this one is just so thick, creamy and perfectly abrasive, but still, super gentle on my dry skin. My skin felt refreshed after use, but not tight or dry. It's a shame this product could not clear my skin of blackheads though, which is a big issue for me, but next time, I will try mixing three parts baking soda with one part water instead of repurchasing another product.

*Please note that Avon Wish of Luck is NOT cruelty-free