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.

MJ's Soap Shop Tangerine Body Butter

Body butter is an essential for my dry and eczema-prone skin, especially in the harsh winter weather - which is quickly approaching! When it comes to body butter, I know exactly what I want - thick, easy to spread, quickly absorbed and long-lasting moisture.

At first sight, MJ's Soap Shop Tangerine Body Butter looks solid in the tub, but as soon as it comes in contact with your skin, it melts a little to allow you to properly spread it on your body. It's not super hard but it's still very thick so you don't need a big quantity of product at once..

Because this butter is designed for dry to very dry skin, I would not recommend it for normal or oily skin because it is very likely to create a greasy mess - if I applied it 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!

Sadly, I have to disagree with the fast-absorbing claim in MJ's Soap Shop Tangerine Body Butter's 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.

As for MJ's Soap Shop Tangerine Scented Hand Cream, because this body butter is scented with essential oils and not fragrance, the smell is not overpowering but very soft and pleasant. You can really smell a juicy tangerine, not that chemical and overly sweet scent! I have found that the smell lasts a fair amount of time on my skin but sadly not until the morning.

MJ's Soap Shop Tangerine Body Butter has the same ingredients as the Cherry Lip Balm, minus the vitamin E, but after being so amazed by the lipbalm, I can't help but be a little disappointed that the butter doesn't provide long lasting moisture just like the Cherry lipbalm, because I stil feel the need to apply moisturizer in the morning to prevent my skin from getting itchy and dry through the day.

At $8.00 for approximately 2 OZ, I think MJ's Soap Shop Tangerine Scented Body Butter is a great value for the price as it will really last you a long time, but if you have normal or oily skin, I would recommend to concentrate this butter only on dry area of your body, such as elbows or knees to avoid a greasy mess all over your body.

Disclaimer: One or more products were sent to me for consideration to review. I am not affiliated with this company and the fact that the products were free absolutely does not influence my opinion.

MJ's Soap Shop Tangerine Scented Hand Cream

You may remember my previous reviews on two products from MJ's Soap Shop that I have been very kindly sent to test and review on my blog, the Cherry Lip Balm and the Rice Flower and Shea Scented Bath Soap. So far, I can honestly say that I have been more than impressed by Québec-based company that crafts handmade, all-natural and heavenly scented bath and shaving soaps, lip balms, hand creams, body butters and even shampoo bars - and yes, they can even creat custom made products just for you. Today, I have another amazing product to show you ladies!

The worst of my eczema has always been concentrated on my right hand, as it is where it started - but that is another story - so since then, I have always been struggling to find the hand cream that will be able to cure this thing for good, without success. Yes, some have worked amazingly well, but only for a short amount of time, and if I stopped using them, the eczema would always come back. Not to mention that my job doesn't help - even if I wear gloves to scrub bath tubs and all, water and nasty chemicals still manage to get in contact with my skin, and here goes the flare ups. When you suffer from eczema, you are supposed to stay away from products with fragrance in them, but really, how boring is this? MJ's recommended an hand cream with essential oils instead of fragrance, which they very kindly custom made for me - how awesome is this?

Tangerine Scented Hand Cream really lives up to its claims. Its texture is lovely - not too thick but not runny - it spreads well on the skin and it is absorbed incredibly quickly without leaving any residue behind, which is always appreciated because really, who likes having greasy hands?

Because this MJ's Soap Shop hand cream is scented with essential oils and not fragrance, the smell is not overpowering but very soft and pleasant. You can really smell a juicy tangerine, not that chemical and overly sweet scent!

I like that this hand cream comes in a pump, which is hygienic and les messy, but because my hands need to be well cared for, I like to be able to carry my hand cream with me everywhere I go, but a pump bottle is not the most travel-friendly format. As I like to keep little empty jars of products, I have poured a little quantity of this lovely hand cream in one of them and now I always have it with me in my pocket.

I'm not sure to what it is due but from the first few times I have used this hand cream, I could definitely tell a difference in my eczema. My right hand was less red and sensitive and within a few weeks, it seemed to have healed... until I forgot about it and started to use up an old hand cream I had laying around.

MJ's Soap Shop Tangerine Scented Hand Cream is available for $4.00 for approximately  4 OZ.

Disclaimer: One or more products were sent to me for consideration to review. I am not affiliated with this company and the fact that the products were free absolutely does not influence my opinion.

MJ's Soap Shop Rice Flower and Shea Scented Bath Soap

(image: MJ's Soap Shop)

I have been very lucky recently to be given the opportunity to try some handmade products from MJ's Soap Shop, a company based in Québec that crafts all-natural and heavenly scented bath and shaving soaps, lip balms, hand creams, body butters and even shampoo bars. The best part about MJ's Soap Shop? They can also create custom products for you! Oh, and they also ship worldwide.

I have previously raved about MJ's Soap Shop Cherry Lip Balm and today I'm showing you another product that I really enjoyed, their Rice Flower and Shea Scented Bath Soap. This soap, which is said to be a duplicate of the Bath & Body Works fragrance, is a rich bouquet of fruits and flowers on an intense, alluring base of musk and creamy vanilla notes.

As much as I would like to, I can't not compare MJ's soaps to those from LUSH because well, everybody knows LUSH! I have always though (and I still do) that LUSH is quite overrated, and once again, I have been proven right.

MJ's Soap Shop Rice Flower and Shea soap is simply heavenly. From its name, you can imagine that its scent is not overpowering at all - in fact, if I had not known which fragrance I tried, I would not have been able to describe the scent - I find it's a creamy and soothing smell, very pleasant. There is a hint of vanilla in it that prevents the shea from being too earthy and overpowering.

The most important thing for me in a soap is if it easily lathers or not, and I was not disappointed with this one! It lathers really well and you don't get that cheap foam from commercial bar of soaps - it is incredibly thick and creamy, like nothing I have experienced before. If you are wondering, no, LUSH does not compare!

Because it creates such a nice amount of lather, I think a bar of MJ's Soap Shop soap will last you a really long time. I personally prefer to cut my bar of soaps in smaller pieces, that way it is easier to use and it lasts longer.

MJ's Soap Shop Rice Flower and Shea Scented Bath Soap is available for $4.00 for approximately 3 OZ, which is a great deal if you consider the price - and sometimes questionable quality - of some of LUSH soaps!

Disclaimer: One or more products were sent to me for consideration to review. I am not affiliated with this company and the fact that the products were free absolutely does not influence my opinion.

MJ's Soap Shop Cherry Lip Balm

This lip balm contains Shea and Cocoa butters to quickly hydrate your lips and is effective for a long time without any need to re-apply. Shea butter and Vitamin E are known for their healing properties which makes this balm great for dry, chapped lips. That is.. if you can resist eating it!

I have been very lucky recently to be given the opportunity to try some handmade products from MJ's Soap Shop, a company based in Québec that crafts all-natural and heavenly scented bath and shaving soaps, lip balms, hand creams, body butters and even shampoo bars. The best part about MJ's Soap Shop? They can also create custom products for you! Oh, and they also ship worldwide.

Today I'm showing you my favorite product that I got to try from MJ's Soap Shop, their Cherry Flavored Lip Balm. I know I seem to be constantly complaining about my dry and chapped lips but unless you are dealing with the same problem, trust me, you don't know how bad it can be. I have to be careful with what I put on my lips because chemicals and fragrances in commercial lip products tend to cause eczema flare-ups on my lips really easily, leaving them insanely chapped and cracked. I have tried tons of lipbalms and I though I had finally found my HG in My Lip Stuff Lip Balms but I'm happy to say I now have a new favorite!

I have tested MJ's Soap Shop Cherry Lip Balm when my lips were at their worst - irritated, dry and chapped all over, the corners cracked - and I was amazingly surprised to see them heal after only one day of use, seriously! I even tried applying it around my irritated nose when I had a cold ... and it was almost immediately soothed. This lipbalm is seriously a miracle worker!

I love how it comes in a cute little jar - I'm a sucker for cute little packaging and I like to re-use them when I have emptied them. Sure, it's less hygienic than a tube, but I don't really mind as from my personal experience, I have found that most lipbalms that come in a jar tend to be thicker and often more moisturizing than those in a tube, but that's just my opinion. Another reason why I don't mind the jar is because this lipbalm works so well that I don't even feel the need to re-apply it through the day - I apply one thick coat in the morning and I'm good to go! When I received this lipbalm, I thought the jar looked so small and that I would use it up super quickly, but I was wrong.

The texture of MJ's Soap Shop Cherry Lip Balm reminds me a bit of Figs & Rouge 100% Organic Natural Balms - when you unscrew the cap, the balm looks solid, but once you dip your finger in it, you can notice a grainy looking texture - but it's actually not grainy! It's creamy and it melts to the touch, leaving just a hint of shine to the lips as I find it's super quickly absorbed, leaving your lips smoothed and moisturized.

Because I was stunned at how amazing this lipbalm worked, I was wondering what was the miracle ingredient in it, and after a quick glance at the list, I'm not surprised it works so well - sweet almond oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, beeswax, flavor oil, vitamin E - no chemical nasties, only pure and natural ingredients. Also, because it contains flavor oil instead of cheap synthetic fragrance, MJ's Soap Shop Cherry Lip Balm not only smells like real cherry, it's also taste really yummy!

At $2 for approximately ¼ OZ, you absolutely can't go wrong with this little miracle worker packed full of nature goodness. You can trust me when I say that I'm not raving about a lipbalm lightly...

Disclaimer: One or more products were sent to me for consideration to review. I am not affiliated with this company and the fact that the products were free absolutely does not influence my opinion.  

March Empties

Marcelle Hydra-C 24H Moisturizing Gel-cream for Dry Skin This was my first experience with a Marcelle skin care product and I'm pretty happy with it. At first, I was skeptical that a gel-cream would cure my dry skin, but if it didn't heal it completely, it definitely helped it a lot.

At first sight, I would have though this moisturizer would be best for use in the summer because of its light texture, but don't underestimate it as it's very moisturizing - yes, it really helped my dry and irritated skin through the harsh winter weather. The only thing I found odd about this cream is that when you rub or scratch your skin, little gel residues fall off so you have to be careful when you apply foundation or retouch your makeup through the day. Oh, also, it's beyond me that some companies still choose not to formulate their day cream with SPF, but oh well, I guess you can't have it all. See my super old and horrible review here.

Repurchase? Yes

What I'm currently using to replace it: Zorah Biocosmétiques Xia Ultramoisturizing Facial Cream

Burt's Bees Beeswax & Banana Hand Creme (sample size) This is similar to Burt's Bees Beeswax & Almond Milk Hand Creme which I have used up in January and did not like. Because my job involves submerging my hands in the water and manipulating harsh chemicals a lot, I need to keep my eczema-prone hands moisturized so I keep sample-size hand creams in the pocket of my uniform. I really hate the texture of this hand cream, it's really thick and hard to spread on my hands, I guess it's because of the beeswax. It might be OK for night time but it tends to make my hands sticky during the day and that's annoying! This smells better than the Beeswax & Almond Milk one but it's very strong (which doesn't annoy me personally).

Repurchase? No

What I'm currently using to replace it: George's Special Dry Skin Cream (travel size)

Pharma Science pms-DESONIDE Cream 0.05% Another cream for my eczema which did not really work. At least it did not discolored my skin like some stronger ones did.

Repurchase? I hope I won't have to!

What I'm currently using to replace it: other eczema treatments

LUSH Lil LUSH Pud Bath Bomb This was the very first LUSH bath bomb I tried and I was very disappointed with it. There is nothing exciting to say about this bath bomb: it turns the water an ugly greenish-brown (reminds me of poop!), it didn't fiz for a long time, and it didn't moisturize my skin or anything. Also, in my opinion, it smells more of gingerbread than pudding, but the scent quickly dies down once this bath bomb has stopped fizzing. See my review here.

Repurchase?  No

Alberto VO5 Hot Oil Hair Treatment These have been around for such a long time and it seems everybody and their mother (and grand-mothers!) swear by them but it just didn't work for me. I didn't notice any difference in my hair, but at least I'm glad it was not left all greasy like some oil do.

Repurchase? No

Cottonelle Fresh Flushable Moist Wipes I received a coupon for a free box of this some times ago and even though Cottonelle Fresh Flushable Moist Wipes are designed "To feel cleaner and fresher than toilet paper alone", after reading the ingredients, I decided to use them on my face for a quick clean in the morning when I'm in a rush before school or work.

It worked well and my skin was not irritated at all - if I remember well, these wipes contain aloes. The only thing I did not like is that the wipes did not stay wet for long and I had to spritz them with toner but oh well, they were free after all! I also like that they come with an "EasyReach hanger" so that you can simply scotch it to a wall which makes it very handy.

Repurchase? No, I would rather use $1 baby wipes from the dollar store.

What I'm currently using to replace it: Cottonelle Fresh Flushable Moist Wipes

Passion Savon Oatmeal & Banana These were OK I guess although I have tried better handmade soaps that smell better and don't melt as quickly, such as the ones from LUSH and MJ's Soap Shop. See my review here.

Repurchase? No

Passion Savon Chestnut & Chocolate Torte These were OK I guess although I have tried better handmade soaps that smell better and don't melt as quickly, such as the ones from LUSH and MJ's Soap Shop. See my review here.

Repurchase? No