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