Project Pan #5: 6 Months Of Makeup Empties

It's time for the results of another Project Pan! I've been doing a PP since around Feb/March, so this is roughly six months worth of makeup empties and it's been a challenge!

Whilst I find it relatively easy to use up skincare and body products (as you'll no doubt have seen in my monthly empties posts), finishing up makeup items is a completely different ball game. This is probably because I don't wear makeup every single day, and when I do, I like to experiment a little and reach for a different lipstick or blusher, so it takes me a long time to fully use something up.

I love doing Project Pans because they encourage you to use the makeup that you have (it's a fantastic way to cut down on those impulse buys!) and it allows you some time to properly rediscover a bunch of products that you may have neglected. You can check out my previous completed Project Pans here.

For this PP, I pulled out 10 full-size makeup products that I really wanted to use up, and a couple of samples/minis as well. Here's how I got on and what I would consider repurchasing again.

Superdrug Deep Action Mattifying Shine Control Papers (featured here)

Have used these for years and they come in very handy when you're out and about, so are perfect for keeping in your bag for a quick touch up. They blot away any shine and don't disrupt your makeup. Repurchase? I'm currently using some from Mai Couture at the moment which I prefer, but I'd pick these up again as a budget-friendly option.

MOSSA Skin Perfector BB Cream in Soft Beige

I wasn't a fan of this at all! I found the formula too thick and greasy, and the colour quickly oxidised on me. Repurchase? No.

Dr Hauschka Tinted Day Cream

This was OK and provided a little more coverage which I liked as it still looked fresh, however, I feel that it would be better suited for drier skin types than mine. Repurchase? No.

Juice Beauty Phyto-Pigments Illuminating Primer* (reviewed here)

It was a very sad day when this primer ran out as it's one of the best that I've ever tried! I absolutely loved using it and it created such a beautiful brightening base each and every time. My skin loved it as well as I never had any breakout or clogged pore problems from using it on a regular basis. Repurchase? As much as I want to, I have some other primers to use up first, though I'm sure we'll meet again in the near future! 

Giorgio Armani Skin Defense Primer SPF 50* (reviewed here)

Although I initially really liked this primer, I slowly began to fall out of love with it about halfway through the bottle because the formula began to get quite thick and gloopy, despite still being well in date. For such an expensive primer, I would rather spend my money on the Juice Beauty one above, rather than risk buying this again and being unable to use the latter half of the bottle. Repurchase? No.

NARS Audacious Mascara in Black Moon

This was OK, but it didn't impress me enough to want to purchase a full-size and I feel that there are plenty of much better mascaras out there that are half the price of this one. Repurchase? No.

Ciate Wonderland Mascara (reviewed here)

Case in point, if you are after a quality high-end mascara, buy this one from Ciate instead! I've repurchased it twice now (always when there's been a discount code or offer on though) and it's fantastic. Gives me big lashes and reminds me a lot of Too Faced's Better Than Sex Mascara. Repurchase? Yes.

GOSH Blown Away Mascara* (reviewed here)

Like I mentioned in my original review, I wasn't 'blown away' by this mascara at all. It's OK for everyday/natural looks, but ultimately, I prefer a much bigger and volumised lash so this wasn't for me. Repurchase? No.

Daniel Sandler Invisible Blotting Powder* (reviewed here)

Wow, this felt like it lasted forever! I remember hitting pan on it around Christmas time! This is a brilliant translucent pressed powder which is perfect for producing a matte finish. It never looks cakey or powdery, and really does live up to its 'invisible' name. Repurchase? Tempted! 

Lord & Berry Intensity Satin Lipstick in Brick

This was a gorgeous 90s brown-toned, reddy pink and had a similar formula to MAC's Amplified Lipsticks which I loved. I found myself wearing this shade a lot during the start of the year around Jan-April, so I was glad to have finished it up a few months ago as I've had it my makeup collection for ages! Repurchase? I have a couple of lipsticks that are a similar shade so it's a no for now.

MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Creme Cup (reviewed here)

Creme Cup is one of those classic MAC shades and it's such a perfect pale pink nude that looks amazing with a smokey eye. It's also one of the few MAC lipsticks that I've ever repurchased which goes to show how much I must have liked it! Repurchase? I'm holding off as it takes me forever to use up a lipstick, and I do already have shades that are probably dupes. I will save this for Back2Mac though!

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner & Ink Liner 

I finished up two mini liquid eyeliners from Kat Von D. I didn't find that there's much difference between these two - they're both pigmented, easy to use and long-lasting, but perhaps the Tattoo Liner lasts a little bit longer? Repurchase? I would definitely buy the Tattoo Liner again.

Benefit Ready, Set, Brow!

I don't get the hype for this at all - it's basically just a clear brow gel! It does the job and does it well, but there are much cheaper products that are virtually identical to this, so I'm glad that I picked it up as a magazine freebie because I wouldn't pay full price for it. Repurchase? No.

Josie Maran Coconut Watercolour Cheek Gelee in Poppy Paradise (featured here)

Remember when these were all over blogs and Youtube?! I've gotten through a pot of this Poppy Paradise shade before and I still love it! Very easy to sheer out and it looks so pretty and fresh on. Repurchase? I have too many similar products to justify buying another one right now :(

Eylure Brow Amplifier in No 10 Dark Brown (featured here)

I've repurchased this before and still like it a lot. Super easy to use, it has a teeny tiny brush so that you can fill in small gaps for fuller brows. Doesn't smudge, looks natural and stays put all day. Repurchase? I'm trying out some different brow products at the moment and I think I've found one that I prefer over this - sorry Eylure!

Have you ever done a Project Pan?

Have you tried any of the products that I used up?

Follow me on: BlogLovin' | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Read more

High-End Makeup: What To Try from Giorgio Armani Beauty

Whilst his clothes may be currently out of my price bracket, Mr. Armani's makeup range is certainly one to look into if you fancy treating yourself to some new high-end goodies. Here are some of my top picks that I'd recommend trying from Giorgio Armani Beauty.

 Primers: Giorgio Armani Maestro UV Skin Defense Primer SPF 50 PA++* (30ml, £42, link)

For those looking for a primer that has additional skincare and sunscreen benefits, this is the primer for you. This all-in-one product offers a high level of sun protection in the form of SPF 50 PA++, yet feels ultra-light in texture with absolutely no stickiness or greasy feeling afterwards. You have to shake the bottle before applying it to mix the product, and it comes out sort of like a traditional serum via a dropper applicator. I find that one-to-two drops are sufficient to cover the whole of my face, so a bottle will (thankfully!) last a long time. It absorbs easily, feels hydrating, helps to get rid of any pesky dry patches that foundation seems to want to cling to/settle in, and makes my pores look smaller - amazing stuff indeed! I know a couple of friends and bloggers who also swear by this who have different skin types to mine (I'm combination/oily for reference), so it seems to work well for pretty much everyone!

 Foundations: Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation* (30ml, £40, link) 

Armani's foundations are simply exceptional; they're up there with the best from Chanel and I've found myself using Luminous Silk the most, in the shade 4 (I believe there are over 20 shades to choose from).  This is one of the best high-end foundations to try if you have combination/oily skin that wants to look glowy, but not greasy. It has an oil-free formula that gives you a semi-matte, almost satin but dewy finish (somewhere between the two), and it really does have such a lovely silky texture when you apply it to the skin. I love the easy-to-build and non-cakey formula, as you can control how much you want to use for the coverage that you need, and it doesn't oxidise on me throughout the day. Although I mainly use this with the primer above for the best results, it does also look fantastic when worn on its own and it photographs beautifully.  Great coverage with a gorgeous flawless finish and a healthy looking glow - what's not to love?!

 Multi-Purpose: Giorgio Armani Eye & Brow Maestro* (5g, £28, link)

It's a lot easier justifying an expensive beauty spend when it's on a product that can be used in multiple ways. Sadly though, many multi-purpose makeup products just don't live up to their claims or are products that you only tend to use in one way regardless (I'm looking at you cheek and lip tints - does anyone actually ever use those on their lips?!). Thankfully, Armani's Eye & Brow Maestros are something that I do use for more than one purpose because their waxy, creamy, longlasting formulas are just so damn good. Depending on the shade that you pick, you can use these as eyeliners, brow colours, eyeshadows, and they'll even cover up greys in your hair! I have two of these that I use a lot, Black and Wenge Wood, both of which I blend together for a great brow colour, and they work really well as eyeliners too.

 Lipsticks: Giorgio Armani Rouge d'Armani* (4.2g, £28, link)

If you're splashing out on a luxury, high-end lipstick, you need it to tick two key boxes and the Rouge d'Armani lipsticks definitely do that with ease. Firstly, they need to have drop-dead gorgeous, envy-inducing packaging and Armani's sleek, gloss black curved tubes with their iconic logo and that immensely satisfying, clickety-click magnetic closing are a first class winner. Secondly, the lipstick needs to have a great formula - pretty packaging is great but no one likes style over substance when it comes to dropping your hard earned cash on makeup. The formula of the Armani Rouge d'Armani lipsticks offer a glossy finish with hydration, comfort and longer lasting performance when compared to similar products. As these are creamy and moisturising, they naturally won't last as long as matte or heavy formulas, but I can get at least 3-4 hours of wear out of these before I need a touch up which is pretty impressive. They don't have any offensive scent or taste to them (I really dislike a lot of designer lipsticks that taste like perfume - yuck) and the shade range has a lot of beautiful classic colours in it. My favourite shade is this one pictured which is 103 - the perfect pinky-nude for me.   

 Blushers: Giorgio Armani Cheek Fabric* (4g, £35, link) 

Powder blushers are something that it's easy to go overboard with when you're applying them, and as the Russian Doll look isn't what I'm usually going for, I tend to favour sheerer blushers over super highly pigmented ones. Armani do a fab range of blushers called Cheek Fabrics which are basically sheer, easy to wear blushers that are perfect for everyday. In the pan and on the skin, they're incredibly silky soft and smooth and you absolutely can't go wrong with applying them, even if you're a makeup novice.  All I need to do is dab a brush in, sweep onto my cheeks and I'm good to go - I barely need to do any blending and the brush always seems to pick up just the right amount of product every time. It lasts well throughout the day and has a lovely glow to it. The shade that I use the most is called '306 Attitude' - one of those great all-rounder pinky peach blushers that I love so much. These blushers are expensive yes, but they're the best fuss-free blushers you're likely to ever find!

Eye Tints: Giorgio Armani Eye Tints* (6.5ml, £28, link)

Originally, I was only going to feature five main products in this post but I quickly realised that I couldn't miss out the Armani's Eye Tints, as I've recommended them to so many people. Eye Tints are liquid eyeshadows that pack one hell of a punch in the shimmer department. If you want a proper intense metallic finish, these are the products to pick up! They come in sleek tubes with a doe-foot sponge applicator which makes them easy to apply with just one or two swipes across the lid. Highly pigmented, they have a thin, light and creamy consistency and dry down quickly. I do have to use an eyeshadow base or primer underneath these as I have oily eyelids (most eye products crease on me), but when used with something like Urban Decay Primer Potion, these last all day on me without creasing or fading. I have three of these in my collection in the shades 1 Obsidian (metallic black), 7 Shadow (metallic lavender grey) and 15 Sunset (vibrant metallic purple).  

Giorgio Armani Eye Tints swatches: 15 Sunset, 1 Obsidian & 7 Shadow

Have you tried anything from Giorgio Armani Beauty?

Follow me on: BlogLovin' | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Read more

Christmas Gift Guide 2016: The Fragrances Edit

Perfume continues to be one of the most requested Christmas gifts on many women's wish lists, and this year is no different. Here are just a handful of some of 2016's bestsellers covering high street and designer favourites.

Read more