Project Pan: My first Update

A few weeks ago I started my project pan. I very quickly used up the last of a few products and I’m actually quite enjoying the sense of achievement I get when the last dregs of product are squeezed out the tube/bottle. It’s also becoming a great way to rediscover some products and assert my hatred for others. So here are the first 6 products I’ve used up:

No 7 Quick Thinking Makeup Wipes

I think these are the best makeup wipes I have used ever, and I’ve tried a lot of different wipes. They are so soft and gentle on the skin while being very effective at removing makeup. The clip lid is also really handy for keeping the wipes moist, right down to the last one. The only downside to these is the price and so I don’t think I will be repurchasing these very often, especially now I’ve discovered micellar makeup remover.

KMS Free Shape Quick Blow Dry Spray

The amount of time this cut blow drying down by is truly amazing and is definitely something I reached for on those days when I was pressed for time in the mornings. It is definitely something I want to repurchase and when I’ve used some more products I think I will be repurchasing this.

Radox Eastern Spirit Shower Gel

Radox sell super cheap shower gels which always smell so nice. The scent of this one in particular is so nice. It’s a brand I always go back to and will probably be always be a brand I go back to.

Murad Skin Perfecting Primer – Dewy Finish

This worked really well as a primer and although it has a dewy finish didn’t make my shine-prone skin overly shiny. My main concern with this primer is that it is tinted and although it blends out nicely I found that it made my face look a totally different colour to my chest – probably due to how pale I am. For this reason I’m still on the hunt for the perfect primer. Any suggestions are more than welcome!

Proactiv Solution Night Repairing Lotion

I used the whole Proactiv solution system at the beginning of the year and I found that it worked really well for my skin and I got far fewer blemishes than normal during the stressful exam period. I think the system may be too harsh for my skin to use continuously but I would highly recommend it to anyone who has problem skin.

Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Foaming Face Wash

This was my go to face wash when I was about 15 and I don’t think it really does anything for my skin anymore. It smells nice and foams up well but it’s just not for me anymore.

Project Pan has come at a really good time for me. On the 21st April, to celebrate World Month, if you go to and Origins counter and bring any empty skincare product (from any brand) then you can trade it in for a complimentary full size moisturiser. There are two to choose from: either the Starting Over Age-erasing Moisturiser with Mimosa or A Perfect World SPF25 Age-defense Moisturiser with White Tea. If you have any empty containers around then it’s definitely worth taking up the offer! I think this might be cheating a bit with my project pan and trying to use up my countless bottles of moisturiser but the offer is just a little too good to resist, as well as it being an opportunity to get some old bottles recycled.

So that’s the round up for my first project pan update. I will hopefully be keeping on track and will be back with another update soon. Is anyone else doing a Project Pan at the moment? If so how are you finding it?

*Update: You can find my Second Project Pan Update here*

R xxx

Review: Kleenex Cleansing Facial Tissues

Hi Everyone!

I was bumbling around Tesco last week when I came across the new Kleenex Cleansing range. In the range there are Facial Cloths, Shine Absorbing Sheets, Facial Cleansing Wipes and Eye Make Up Removal Wipes. I’m not sure how long these have been out for but as Tesco was offering them at half price and with my new current obsession with micellar makeup remover, I decided to give the Facial Tissues a whirl and picked up a couple of boxes. 

Each box contains 30 clothes which are made from natural fibres from a certified source. I think it’s great when companies make the effort to be eco friendly and Kleenex have certainly done that with this range.

The packaging looks just like a tissue box, which comes as no surprise as Kleenex is known for its tissues! I love the masquerade mask design which adorns the boxes. It’s very pretty and girly without being too loud. For me it looks nicer to have sitting around my bathroom/bedroom than a plastic bag of cotton wool pads.

I have used these to cleanse and tone my face and I have to say they do a good job. I soaked these cloths in cleanser and toner and they did not pull apart, like I thought they would, and found them to be very durable and remove my makeup well. Kleenex claims that these are softer than cotton wool pads and I definitely find that to be true. They do not scratch your face and feel so soft. As to whether they cleanse skin better than cotton wool, I’m not sure. The fact that the wipes stay together even after soaking with water/toner/cleanser means that they probably do but only time will tell if they make a noticeable change to my skin tone.

Overall I really like these facial wipes and I think I will be grabbing a few more boxes while they are on offer in Tesco. They retail for £1.99 but are currently on sale in Tesco for 99p. I also found a voucher for buy-one-get-one-free in Sainsbury’s which can be found here.

I think I might pick up some of the Shine Absorbing Sheets as summer is just around the corner and I think they might be of good use. Have you picked up anything from the Kleenex Cleansing range? What are your thoughts?

Love

R xx

International Goodies and Makeup Swap with Jeanette No. 2

I really enjoyed my first swap with Jeanette back in February. Not only have I discovered some really great makeup products but I feel like I’ve made a new friend as well. Cheesy I know, but true. She took a trip to South Korea and kindly got me a few pieces while she was out there. I had been picking up a few pieces for her too whenever I saw something I thought she would like and so sent her a small package too. If you would like to see what I sent Jeanette then do go and check out her blog post. This wasn’t a makeup swap as such as neither of us requested anything and there was no arranged shipping date or budget, it was more of a care package full of I-saw-this-and-thought-of-you items.

My parcel arrived a few weeks ago now and I’ve had a chance to try a few pieces out. Jeanette shared with me a few samples she received. I love getting samples and so I’m really excited to try all of these out. Here is everything she sent me:

Nature Republic By Flower BB Cream

I really loved the sample of Skin 79 BB cream I received in the last swap and so was so happy to get this full sized bottle of BB cream. I’ve been wearing this a lot and I’m definitely starting to reach for it over foundation. It has a slight rose scent to it, which is quite subtle but lovely.

Cezanne Eyeshadow Quad

This is such a pretty quad and I really love the colours. The formulation is so soft and buttery. I haven’t used this one yet but I can’t wait to try it.

The Face Shop Lovely Me:ex Auto Eyeliner in 02 Black Brown

This is a lovely eyeliner which glides on smoothly, smudges out well and stays on all day. I love the deep brown colour, which is great for everyday use. 

The Face Shop Lovely Me:ex Nail Polish in WH003

This nail varnish is so cute, with pink glitter and pink shimmery hearts. I have really been enjoying glitter nail varnishes recently and so I was so happy to see this in my parcel.

Etude House Nail Varnish in Shade No 6

I was looking for a peach coloured nail varnish and it was as if Jeanette read my mind when she sent this to me! It is a matte nail varnish which I had never tried before so this was doubly exciting for me. 

Etude House Apricot Stick in Shade No 3

I think the best way to describe this is as a lip butter. It is so soft, buttery and hydrating like a lip balm but had great pigmentation like a lipstick. Plus it smells so good, just like apricots. The colour is great too, an everyday pink colour.

Revlon Lip Butter in Sweet Tart

When Jeanette said she had sent me a Revlon Lip Butter I was so happy. They had just been released over here yet I couldn’t find them anywhere and with all the hype surrounding them I had such an urge to try them. This is one of the more popular colours from what I can tell – it seems to be sold out in many of the Boots Stores I’ve been in. I really like the Lip Butters and there will be more in a blog post soon.

Green Tea, Avocado and Caviar Sheet Masks

I was very pleased to see some more Sheet Masks as these are great and I have no idea where to get these in the UK. I’m rationing out my sheet masks at the moment for that reason.

The samples I were sent are as follows:

The Face Shop Natural Sun Power Long Lasting Sun Cream in SPF 45

Holika Holika HD Skinny Primer Base

Holika Holika Aquah Splash Emulsion

The Saem Ylang Ylang Multi Cleanser

Face It Power Perfection BB Cream

Tony Moly Tomato Magic White Massage Pack

Baviphat Apple Sample (I’m not quite sure what this one is as the packet is entirely in Korean but some googling seems to show it could be a Peeling Gel Mask??)

Finally Jeanette also sent me a bookmark which is so beautiful. I love receiving little tokens which tell you something about the place they come from and so I really appreciated this!

So there is everything that came in my parcel. There will definitely be doing so more indepth reviews of some of the items so look out for those. A big thank you to Jeanette for sending me everything :). Have you taken part in a makeup swap? How did you find the experience?

Love Rae xxx

                                                                                                                           

Review: Lush Honey Bee Bath Bomb

Since the start of the New Year I have been trying out quite a few products from Lush. I really like the ethos of the company and so far have yet to find a product that has truly disappointed. I’ve been using Lush bath products once a week as a really nice, indulgent, relaxing treat. My newest discovery has been the Lush Honey Bee bath bomb. I bought this back in February after smelling it in store and falling in love with the sweet honey scent.

This bath bomb contains honey, aloe and rhassoul which combined together creates such a calming, sweet fragrance. It is heavenly and I just want to sit and take it in all day. The fragrance is much the same in when used in the bath as on the dry product, unlike some other Lush bath products I’ve tried. 

The amount of product you get is quite a lot, and I found that half of this bath bomb is enough for one soak. However if you like really indulgent baths then feel free to use the whole thing! I found the best way to break this up is to throw it at my kitchen floor, which also helps with the de-stressing process. Just make sure that the bag is done up tightly so it doesn’t go anyone. If you have a better method for breaking this up then please let me know!

   

Now the colour this turns the water isn’t too appealing, as I’m sure you can see. None the less if you can overcome the fact that it turns your water straw yellow then the soft feeling it gives your skin more than makes up for it. I did notice at the end of my bath that it had left a gritty residue in the bottom of the tub, but nothing that wasn’t too difficult to remove with a swill of water.

Overall I really like this product and I’m currently on the lookout for some more lush products with a similar fragrance. What are you favourite Lush bath bombs?

Love

Rae

xxx

March Favourites

Hi everyone!

I really enjoy putting these monthly favourite posts together, even if they are a bit late! They are some of my favourite posts to read and I really enjoy sharing everything that I’ve been using for the month. Towards the end of March I really started to get in the mood for spring and this has definitely been reflected in my choice of nail varnish. This month has also been focused on trying to get my skin back in good condition. I went through a bit of a rubbish skin phase towards the end of February and start of March and I found some products which have really helped. So lets show you everything:

 

Revlon Top Speed Nail Varnish in Cloud and Rimmel Lasting Finish Nail Varnish in Misty Jade

I’ve really been loving pastel shades this month as they really remind me of spring. Both of these varnishes are really long wearing and have great formulation. They are both opaque in just two coats. I’ve been looking into getting some more pastel shades so if you have any recommendations then let me know!

MAC Eyeshadows in Ricepaper and Outre

I have been wearing these eyeshadows a lot this month, with Ricepaper all over the lid and then Outre through the crease. I love how well these colours work together and the bright shimmery golden effect it gives to the eye.

Sigma E40

I bought this brush back at Christmas but just couldn’t get used to it and thought it was too big. However I’ve managed to get the hang of it and have been enjoying using it to put colour through the crease. I’ve been reaching for it over my E30 pencil brush and have been loving the effect it gives.

Cowshed Grumpy Cow Uplifting Body Lotion

My sister is a Cowshed junkie and she gave me this body lotion to try. First of all it smells amazing! It has a sweet grapefruit scent and I adore grapefruit so this is perfect for me. It sinks well into the skin without being greasy. It’s the kind of body lotion that means you don’t need to wear perfume and I find myself catching the scent throughout the day. I think I may have become a Cowshed junkie too and I can’t wait to try out more from the Grumpy Cow range.

Lancome Bi-Facile and Eau Micellaire Douceur

I bought a Lancome Primer and Foundation at the start of February and received these as a free gift. I ran out of face wipes – the usual way in which I remove my makeup at the end of the day – and decided to give these ago. I’m hooked. I don’t think I will go back to face wipes now. They remove my makeup so well, without smearing it all over my face, and, since using these, my skin has been so much better. I really want to try Bioderma after I use these up. If you just use face wipes to remove your makeup then I suggest you give a micellular solution a try as the difference is amazing!

Lush Grease Lightning Cleanser

As I mentioned I was going through a bit of a rubbish skin phase, so I decided to try a spot treatment to help with all the blemishes. I have to say this has really helped. You just need to dab it on the offending area and it helps to soothe and heal the area. I wouldn’t say that it causes blemishes to disappear overnight but it definitely helps them heal faster, without drying out the skin. Definitely worth a try if you’re going through a bad skin phase.

Lush Pow Wow Lip Scrub

I’ve been using this 3 or 4 times a week to keep my lips soft and smooth. I think my favourite thing about this is the popping candy, which for me the novelty will never get old. I’m such a big kid! This can be a little messy to use but I love it.

Sweet Vegan Marshmallows

Something I bit different from the makeup and skincare but I’ve really been enjoying these marshmallows. I’m vegetarian and have been for the past 9 years. I love marshmallows and hate the way it’s really difficult to find veggie friendly ones. Sweet Vegan has been my answer to this craving and since they had a special March deal where you received 15% off your order I went for a bit of a splurge. I’ve given them to my meat eating friends and most of them have commented on how much nicer they are than regular marshmallows, so they must be good! They are a bit pricey, especially when you take postage into account, and they do take a little while to be delivered as they are handmade but if you’re on the hunt for veggie marshmallows then I highly recommend them. You can order them online here.

So that’s it for the Month of March. What were your favourites for March?

R xxx