May Empties

1 spray fresh 24hr action baby powder deodorant - purchased in a hurry on the way to the gym one time when I forgot to pack one. This scent really is a baby powder scent and it is pleasant enough, but I don't even remember where I bought it from, so I am not sure if I will zoom to purchase it again.

2 Olay Total effects 7-in-1 anti aging cream for Blemish prone/oily skin - I do find Olay products bang for buck. A good price, does the job. I don't really need blemish prone and must have bought this cause it was either the only one on the shelf, or it was purchased pre-menstrual during one of my usual breakout fests.

3 Precision Chanel Ultra Correction Line Repair Anti-wrinkle eye cream - I squeezed every last drop out of this 3 ml sample and the texture is divine and so soothing for the tired eye. I tend to use this on the nights that I needed a little more pampering after a tough day in front of the computer and I found it worked quite well, absorbs quickly and is virtually scentless.

4 Diorskin Nude Natural Glow Hydrating Makeup with 10 SPF in shade 032 - I must never ever buy foundation when I am travelling in summer. This is the second failed product I have ever bought on impulse (Century 21 in New York 2010) where I got caught up by the bright lights and the garishly charming makeup counter lady who told me this was the closest shade to my skin colour. It wasn't and I didn't like the matte texture all that much. It caked on my skin and was best worn with BB cream to even out the whiteness and to make it more 'spreadable'. And the pump always gets stuck, very messy situations for rushed morning applications. I don't know why Dior keeps discontinuing the lines I do like. This one I don't.

5 Neutrogena Oil-free Daily scrub for acne prone skin - Again, I must have picked it more because I was going through an irregular break out sesh. I have generally good skin with a few enlarged pores in my T-Zone that normally does get infected when I am stressed and the hormones are raging. This scrub irritated at first because of the mild salicylic acid content, but I don't mind the scrub as it is a good, hardworking one. Perhaps do avoid if you have sensitive skin as I tend to be more punishing with my scrub preferences.

6 Crabtree & Evelyn Rosewater & Glycerine Body Lotion - I had forgotten how good Rose lotions smell. I am talking the luxurious scents of Jurlique. Old fashioned but associated with so many pleasant memories for me. I could keep using this, but I have several other lotions to get through first, so will park this one for the moment.

7 Sensodyne proven relief for sensitive teeth Freshmint with fluoride toothpaste - Mr.HEA's dentist loads him up with these toothpaste tubes everytime he visits and that's why when we travel, he's usually the one that packs toothpaste (He just keeps these tubes in his travel pouch permanently). I borrowed some for my massive work travel spree this entire month and this finished up whilst on the road.

8 Nak Aroma Hair Oil - Giving off a soft baby powder scent, this Hair Oil tames wild frizz, good for hair succumbed to 24 hr air-cond in hotel stays. It is waxy and gel like from the bottle but absorbs surprisingly quick into hair leaving nice soft ends.

9 Revlon Colorburst Lip butter in Pink Truffle 001 - I think this is my colour and I love the moisture in the lipstick, although it annoyingly melts like butter when temperatures rise and I no longer can carry it in my bag beyond that point as I'd have to apply with a lip brush (not so convenient for quick reapplications on the go).

10 SK-II Facial treatment clear lotion - much like Mr.HEA's dentist gives him toothpaste samples, SKII sales assistants in Malaysia give me toner samples. I had three bottles of this to tide me through the days before I buy a proper bottle, but they're also perfect travel companions.

11 SK-II facial treatment cleansing gel - One of my favourite makeup removers of all time, it is effective, gentle, luxurious and can sometimes be the highlight of my day when I am dying for a fresh face-feel. Anyways, I have drawn out the remnants of this sample as I have had other makeup removers to rely on and I haven't been brave enough to part with this. I think I'll buy a fresh tub when I transit in KL on my Europe trip next week.

That's the equivalent of 7 products finished this month (3 samples equate to one product)! So I have finished 30.33 products so far! At GBP60 I think I should be able to purchase quite a delightful spend. Should it be one luxury beauty item or massive drugstore haul ladies?

April Empties

1 Chanel Chance Perfume sample, very handy to keep in my purse for a refresher after work, before play. Who doesn't love the Chanel Chance scent?

2 Crabtree & Evelyn La Source Moisturising soap with Shea butter - Again the spoils of the Maldives Hotel Bathroom stash. I couldn't resist free C&E products, especially when it came in my favourite range of all the Crabtree products.

3 Skin Choice Placenta + Pearl Facial Treatment Mask - Special with Eyelid design for Elasticity & Brightening: Something I bought from Hong Kong Watson because I was trying to stock up on facial masks and the lady was aghast that I was using Oil of Olay. For my youthful skin she swore this product was a lot more suitable as it was light and nourishing and so hydrating that it would keep my skin supple. My verdict having now finished the box? I don't think it gives me any brightening results nor elasticity. Yes it is hydrating and refreshing after a hot stressful day, but it doesn't deliver the amazing results that I have been used to getting from the other masks I use. I have two more boxes of these unfortunately, but I am not revisiting this after that.

4 Skin Choice Luxury Skin Care - Caviar extract, pearl &; hyaluronic acid. Self Waterizing drop cream For all skin types: Of the same product line as the previous product, this was hailed as the all in one moisturiser that was luxe in its texture but yet easily absorbable due to its high water content, perfect to use even under the eyes. My verdict, I love that this product smells like Hazeline Snow in a way, the texture is a really light watery cream that doesn't leave a thick residue and I never need to wash off the next morning as it would be fully absorbed, I didn't think that the cream did very much other than moisturise however. I like to make my night creams work hard for me whilst I am rejuvenating and I can see this is clearly a day cream and not a night face and neck cream like I have been using it as.

5 Burt's Bees Naturally Nourishing Milk & Shea Butter Body Wash - Disgusting gloppy texture with a sickly honey smell. It doesn't lather up and doesn't leave you smelling fabulous after the shower as most the glop gets washed down the drain as soon as you try to lather it. This was a Christmas kringle gift a year ago and if I ever found out who my Secret Santa was, I'd have words with them.

6 Sunsilk Summer Care Leave in conditioner - This was the summer of 2004 and all the memories of us with our tropical coconut-scented hair lying on the beach vying for an even tan. Way before wrinkles and the threat of Skin Cancer frightened us cause we were uni students then and we were bold and invincible  Don't know if this product still exists on the shelves, but it was all the rage back then and always sat in my beach bag. That's probably why I never finished using it, I never frequented the beach often enough after starting work. Boo...

7 KissMe Mascara - A Japanese label available at Sasa and most reputable Japanese Makeup resellers. It is Maybelline for Asian eyelashes. Elongating, Curling and easy to apply. This tube is kept fresh well beyond the typical 3 months of usage you'd normally get from other mascaras as they dry up and gets clumpy. Not the KissMe though. Its curved wand distributes the mascara evenly right up till the end.

8 Burt's Bees Naturally Nourishing Milk & Honey Body Lotion -  Refer previous Burt's bees review, I didn't like the lotion any better. It was sloppy, watery honey smelling gunk that absorbs well and does the moisturising job, but oh there is nothing lux about applying this product and I'd rather enjoy moisturising rather than cringe and get drips of body lotion every where. Uggh!

9 Neutrogena pure mild facial cleanser for all skin types. A trustworthy product that just does the job and will never fail you. I have had this bottle since Uni days too and really gritted my teeth to finish the very last bit. I will miss the pump bottle dispenser as most my facial cleansers come in tube packaging.

This makes my Project 100Pan tally sit currently at 23.33 products thus far. That's almost GBP50 to spend on my trip! Glee!

March Empties

1 Garden of Eden Pigmentation serum lightens Pigmentation & Wrinkles - Rosehip Seed Oil - something I purchased to help with evening out the skin tone, but the smell was almost a fishy smell and I couldn't always stand smelling it and would wash it off after a few moments of letting it absorb. So glad its finished finally.

2  Dove Whitening Original Anti-Pespirant deodorant - smells like baby powder. cheap and effective, You can get this for $2 sometimes in Chemist Discount warehouse. I like roll ons as they are easy to travel with, and these ones I can reapply on long haul flights to refresh.

3 Cyber colors Gentle eye makeup remover - Made in Korea and even though it was the first Cyber Color product I've ever tried as it was given out for free, I must say it is pretty good at removing  the toughest of waterproof makeup and I could get another bottle when I run out of all makeup remover

4 Olay total effects 7 in One advanced daily moisturiser with cooling essence - Some people say I am too young to use Oil of Olay. I think it is an untapped treasure. The fact that it's such a good yet cheap moisturiser and given the number of people I know that have kept looking youthful with it, I am not about to pass on this great find and also will revert back as soon as I get through my other facial moisturisers.

5 Molton Brown heavenly gingerlily moisture bath & shower - intoxicating scent of gingerlily and oils of tamanu and macadamia. Sophisticated exoticness which is not overpowering at all. This doesn't lather very much and so it doesn't really dry out your skin in the process.

6 Loreal Paris Dermo-expertise Youth Code Rejuvenating Anti-Wrinkle Night Cream. A Nice find for a nifty 35% discount at a Priceline promotion. I am glad I gave it a go. This was a nice light cream with a really pleasant smell, would recommend it to anyone looking for a moisturiser that won't clog pores.

7 Bellamer Eye Balm sample - Vanilla peppermint scents with a vaseline like texture. It is actually a wonderful product in terms of its moisturising propensities. I didn't mind it for slapping on as a night balm and yes by the time the morning rolls around, wrinkles are definitely visibly less observable.

8 Spa Organics hydrating body balm infused with macadamia & olive oils. This was a Christmas present from a boy a couple of years back. I didn't like the smell or texture of this and was very glad when I had finished it and could move on,

February empties

Trudging along with my Project 100 Pan, this month's empties aren't as thematic as last month's. For one, they aren't just moisturisers this time and they aren't all one colour scheme.

First up was the SKII Facial Treatment clear lotion that is equivalent to the toner of the basic SKII range. I picked up SKII when I was 20 which was really young, but my cousin was 9 years older than me and had beautiful skin, so when she recommended it, I pulled out my college fund and bought a starter set. Since then, I have never lived without a bottle of the SKII essence handy. But its toner, well, I couldn't quite see equal benefits of relying on just this toner and so it will be a while before I need a replacement bottle. I still have a number of samples to get through anyhow.

Dermalogica's multivitamin thermafoliant was a microfine facial scrub that smells like eucalyptus and heats up your pores as it cleanses your skin of dead cells and buildup. Powerful stuff and a really long lasting tube suitable for daily use. Mental note that once I finish all the other facial scrubs I've accumulated, I am coming back to this one.

Crabtree & Evelyn's La Source Conditioner travel size tube nicked from the bathrooms of the hotel we spent a night in Maldives whilst waiting for our 6a.m. seaplanes. I love La Source's scent and so it was a no-brainer, packing with me the bathroom products with me.

Pantene's Split end fuser that comes in an array of 5ml tubes of leave on treatment. This was the last tube of the range. I rely a lot on leave on conditioner and one cannot underestimate the product packed in this tiny tube. I never use the full lot each time as I really don't have to. Half the tube (three quarters if you have longer/thicker hair) was always enough to allow for a comb to slide through those wet tangles in your hair.

Revlon's lip butter in Peach Parfait, a lipstick that's really gloss masquerading as lipstick. This is a really moisturising stick that isn't a very strong colour and so is really good for the girls who can't quite commit to rich coloured lipsticks yet, but still want that sexy stance when applying lippy. These sticks melt really easily in summer so I ended up digging up the lip butter with a lip brush towards the end.

Last on the list is Victoria Secret's Angel body butter in Dream Angels desire, a very very girly, sick floral scent that was a delight to put on, absorbs quickly but also leaves a good moisturised feeling for a good while after still. I bought this at a clearance sale in one of their outlets in America for get this, USD5! I haven't seen this in the VS store at our airport and I have looked, but this would be my favourite one from their range truly.

And so that gives me a total score of 8.333 proverbial pans hit so far in 2013.

January Empties

 

Project 100 pan was easy at the start. Seek out the forgotten bottles of products that I didn't have the discipline to see through.

These all happened to be moisturizers this time around.

1) A souvenir from my dear friend's visit to LA: Love Spell from Victoria Secret, a fragrance of Cherry blossom, peach and white jasmine. All individual scents that I love but together, it is a sickly sweet floral scent that had hints of fruit and Mr. HEA didn't like it. Given the scent lingers until washed off, this moisturizer got put aside once I moved in with Mr HEA. And would I buy it again? Probably not given that the moisturizing effect doesn't last and a few hours after its been absorbed, skin feels thirsty again.

2) Body shop's Passion fruit body butter was part of a KK present l got two years ago. whilst the scent is nicer than Love spell, but not actually as long lasting, this body butter was nothing like the other ranges of body butter i had tried from Body shop. Passionfruit was sticky and unpleasant to feel after application. it doesn't absorb well into the skin. I don't miss it at all.

3) Another Christmas gift 2 years ago from work: this tube of Crabtree & Evelyn's Rosewater hand cream is lovely. Pleasant rose scent, moisturizing propensities (just the right amount of oiliness for the hands), this travel sized tube travelled Europe with me this last trip and it was a boon for the long haul flights. Another big tick for Crabtree and Evelyn handcreams.

Am not sure how many products I am going to get through for February. My discipline wanes. Plus I am traveling to Malaysia next week and gosh how do I avoid the temptation of cheap cosmetics and products. It's become such a habit for me! Hang in there with me and I shall report back on this in a Month's time.

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Project 100 Pan

The plan is simple:

Look at my makeup trolley. Doesn't this look like the very reason why Project 100 Pan was created? Given the pending moving plans in the end of 2013, the aim for now is to declutter and to save for all the upcoming changes in my life. Hopefully I achieve the goal before June.

The rules are not different from why those who have embarked upon this journey might also have chosen:

1) No new purchases unless there is no replacement for the empties either via samples or substitute products (I.e. soap for body shampoo, leave in conditioner for conditioner)

2) For every unnecessary purchases an equal number is added onto the goal list.

3) 3 Samples count towards one product.

4) For every product finished, £2 is added to the budget of buying something nice for me in my summer trip to Europe ( now is that incentive or what?)

I will also be decluttering via eBay, gumtree and whichever other means available to me so those coffers received will also contribute to my little travel splurge kitty.

Now to stick to the plan so that I may have something decent to show for it all! Let the game begin!