Project Pan Them All | January Empties

I am pretty proud of myself since I seem to be on a roll with all of those empties! Next month might be disappointing since I just started using a few new products but oh well, you can't have it all every time, right?

I like to spray Marc Anthony Salon Expert Keratin Miracle Frizz-Smoother Leave-in evenly on my damp hair to ensure easy detangling and super smooth hair - it never fails to leave it incredibly soft, hydrated and manageable. I have been using it every time I wash my hair since I got it, and I can really certify that it is a miracle product! This is really my favorite product of the Salon Expert range and I am wondering if I will ever find an alternative that is just as great.

Elin Bianco Treatment Mask has been absolutely wonderful to revive my dry hair, especially after coming back from Europe this summer, since I did not bring any conditioner and I did not look after my hair at all for a whole month... or two. The texture is amazingly perfect - it feels thick, almost like a styling paste, so it never makes a mess in the shower. My hair was left incredibly soft and smooth after the first use!

When I first started using MAKE UP FOR EVER Smoky Extravagant, I found the formula to be way too wet for my liking - there was so much product on the brush that I had to wipe it on a tissue before each use and between each coat! Also, the mascara took forever to dry. I was happy to see the formula improve after a few weeks though, and I was left with volumized, lengthened and defined lashes that actually held a curl all day - and I have the straightest lashes ever! - after only one coat. I like to build up to three coats with this mascara for maximum effect, but be careful because it tends to start clumping at the third coat.

KORRES Quercetin & Oak Antiageing & Antiwrinkle Eye Cream is probably my all-time favorite eye cream, since it's almost a miracle for me to have found a rich and extremely moisturizing eye cream that doesn't give me milia! I can't comment on the dark circles and pufiness claims though since I mainly use eye cream as a prevention but also to keep my delicate eye area moisturized as it gets eczema flare-ups very easily.

I am usually very happy with their body butters, but The Body Shop Brazil Nut Body Butter has been such a let down! It failed to calm my itchy and dry skin caused by eczema and it did not even seem to moisturize it, although it is said to be formulated for dry skin... even pure aloe vera did a better job than this product! Huge disappointment.

I have not tried a lot of their cleansers but LUSH Let The Good Times Roll was a pleasant surprise! Since I have dry and eczema-prone skin, I was happy to learn that, despite providing deep exfoliation, Let the Good Times Roll is gentle enough for everyone to use - my skin was not left tight or drier, instead, I could feel it being super soft and refreshed! Did you know that this best-seller was a holiday product that’s now a permanent part of LUSH's cleansers range?

Another product I was recommended for my eczema by the doctor I consulted when I had my monstruous allergic reaction after I went swimming in a supposedly radioactive lake this summer is Pro-Derm PostX2, which is supposed to be a miraculous moisturizer... but of course, I did not notice any improvment. Another almost $70 thrown out the window... thanks eczema.

I was given Aveeno Skin Relief Moisturizing Lotion* some times ago but I did not want to use it since it is not cruelty-free, but I must admit it came in handy - at least temporarily - to calm those rashes I was struggling with after my adventure in the radioactive lake. It did relieve my itchy and extra dry skin thanks to cooling menthol and colloidal oatmeal, but with ingredients such as parabens and alcohol, I knew this was not a long-term solution, so whn I ran out, I purchased some aloe vera as a more natural replacement.

I asked a pharmacist which supplement was recommended for vegetarians and he told me that plant foods do not contain vitamin B12, but that as a lacto-ovo-vegetarian, I could obtain most of mine from milk, dairy products, and eggs. The requirement for vitamin B12 is very low, but it is essential, so I decided to give Jamieson B12 a try anyway. I also purchased Jamieson Vita-Vim Vegetarian which I seem to prefer since it provides a full complement of nutrients necessary to support daily metabolic processes, and allows one to optimally use food to help generate energy, combat fatigue, and resist infection. 

In my attempt to soothe my eczema flare-ups, I decided to try Uremol 20 Intense Relief Moisturizing Cream since I have heard urea has been clinically shown to temporarily relieve minor skin irritation and soothe dry, itcy skin. It was not very effective though since it burned my skin so much when I applied it! Once again, aloe vera seems to do a better job than this chemical-filled product.

KORRES Wild Rose Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial, was great for my dry skin. I absolutely love the weightless soufflé texture that instantly melts into my skin to leave it extremely smooth, soft and moistured by morning, and best of all, this product won't leave your face - or pillow, or hair! - even the slightest greasy!

*Please note that Aveeno Skin Relief Moisturizing Lotion is NOT cruelty-free

Project Pan Them All | December Empties

Hi ladies! I have fallen super behind in blogging, actually I feel like I never really truly got back to it since coming back from Europe this summer. I had to get my personal life back on track - which was not always easy - then I started a comapny with my sister in law, and then, in the blink of an eye, Christmas was upon us! Now that things have calmed down after the chaos of the Holidays, I feel like I am ready to commit to blogging again. Maybe not everyday, like I was used to some times ago, but definitely one or two articles a week. Quality before quantity, right? Thank you for sticking with me ladies!

I found Natureplex Hydrocortisone Cream Maximum Strength in a Dollar Tree while I was in Wildwood a few years ago, and it was actually great at relieving the red and itchy rashes all over my body due to my radioactivity exposure when I went swimming in an abandoned mine this summer - yes, I know. The tube is very small and I used it very quickly, but I guess for $1, it's still nice!

Since I have discovered Marcelle Essentials Purity Soothing Cleansing Water, I am absolutely sold on cleansing water, and at $10 (instead of $23.50) at Clarins Fall Warehouse Sale, I simply could not pass up NUXE Micellar Cleansing Water with 3 Roses and Green Tea! I does not work as great as my HG from Marcelle and I would not repurchase it, but it still leaves my face smooth, clean and fresh.

I was recommended Pro-Derm Hydrogel from the doctor I consulted when I had my monstruous allergic reaction after I went swimming in a supposedly radioactive lake (as mentioned above). Made with a synergy of plant and marine ingredients to ensure exceptional efficiency, Hydrogel is claimed to rapidly soothe sensible skin. Its usage is recommended after aesthetics interventions or to regenerate the skin’s protective film after bathing, showering or shaving. I did not find it especially moisturizing and I was disappointed with how fast I used it up, especially given its expensive price - around $60! Not to mention this is my second tube...

Nothing really seems to work for the eczema on my hands, and Karen told me how great Aveeno Active Naturals Eczema Care Cream* worked for her a long time ago (hence why I purchased it before going cruelty-free), but sadly, it is not the case for me. Not matter how consistently I use it, I always have to go back to my cortisone creams. Not to mention that it seems to burn my hands more than anything else...

LUSH Heñata Bath Bomb was the cutest bath bomb! Quite simply, this is like a piñata for the bath - but it’s a hen, so it’s a Heñata (get it? awwww!). This cutie has to be smashed against the side of the bath so it can release soap paper flower petals to scrub up with. It is perfumed with fresh and citrusy tangerine, bergamot and mandarin oils - yum!

I always have to be careful not to take a too hot bath because of my sensitive skin and my eczema, but LUSH The Melting Snowman Bath Melt truly has skin-softening properties. Cocoa butter and almond oil nourish and soften the skin, while cinnamon leaf invigorates and help shake off fatigue.

I bought Freeman Goodstuff Organics Moisture Shea Butter Vitamin E Whipped Body Butter back in 2010 so I am a bit ashamed to feature it now, but I have used it up pretty quickly recently. I remember buying two tubes of this and being amazed after using the first one, but I guess I wasn't struggling that much with eczema because now this just seem to have done absolutely nothing for my skin. Totally rubbish. Although it still smells divine!

For some reasons, I prefer to pamper my feet in the winter, although it would be more logical to take care of them in the summer... but Eucerin Intensive Repair Extra-Enriched Foot Cream was actually great! Not too thick yet not too thin, it seemed to sink right in, leaving my feet super soft and smooth.

Yes, I realize Degree Invisible Sheer Powder Anti-Perspirant* is not cruelty-free, but it was a gift, and I have yet to find a product not tested on animals that works just as well and that smells just as good. This will be tough. Help, please?

*Please not that these products are NOT cruelty-free

Project Pan Them All | August/September Empties

Hi ladies! Since I have been away in France in August and I really did not bring much with me, I was not really able to use up a lot of products, so I combined my August and September empties.

Yes, the mouthwatering cotton candy, sweet vanilla and bubblegum scent of LUSH Snow Fairy Shower Gel is simply intoxicating and I could not have asked for something better in this department, but the letdown is that, despite its fairly consistent texture, the shower gel requires tons of product to get an adequate leather, which is a real shame considering how overpriced this product is! Appart from the scent - which is not as strong in the shower as it is in the bottle - I can't justify the price of Snow Fairy and I won't be repurchasing it.

I was recommended Pro-Derm Hydrogel from the doctor I consulted when I had my monstruous allergic reaction after I went swimming in a supposedly radioactive lake (don't ask...). Made with a synergy of plant and marine ingredients to ensure exceptional efficiency, Hydrogel is claimed to rapidly soothe sensible skin. Its usage is recommended after aesthetics interventions or to regenerate the skin’s protective film after bathing, showering or shaving. I did not find it especially moisturizing and I was disappointed with how fast I used it ip, especially given its expensive price - around $60!

The first time I tried KORRES Yoghurt Instant Soothing Gel on my dry skin, I actually jumped in surprise because it made my skin sting so much! Fortunately, my skin calmed down after a few minutes, and when I applied the gel again the following morning, everything was OK this time - weird! While this gel does soothe and calm my dry and irritated skin, I did not notice any "light cooling effect" and while my skin did feel nourished and moisturized, it failed to completely relieve my very dry skin. 

Having never used an exfoliating moisturizer before, I did not know what to expect from Jergens Replenishing Vitamin E Gentle Exfoliating Moisturizer but I was not impressed - it is really light and watery and it did not even seem to moisturize my dry skin at all.

Burt's Bees Nourishing Lip Balm with Mango Butter is the lip balm I mostly relied on when I was in France, and it did not disappoint! I really prefer it over the original beeswax lipbalm, which seems to dry my lips even more. This mango butter version goes on much more smoothly and not waxy at all, and I could still feel it on my lips after quite some times, which means I did not feel the urge to constantly re-apply it.

I must say I am not a huge fan of peel off face masks for some reasons - maybe because none of them are really moisturizing on my dry skin? Montagne Jeunesse Prickly Pear Peel Off is no exception, but it did smell sooooo fruity and yummy!