Project 50 Pan Update!

Project 50 Pan continues! Here are some recent empties including:

9. Moroccan Oil 100ml - Love this even in my baby fine hair. It has made a huge difference in the overall health and condition of my hair. I have tried many other brands but always come back to the original.

10. Pure Satin Shield Leave In Conditioner and Heat Shield - I love the brand Pure. I buy it from my local Hairdressing Wholesaler. This is such a beautiful product and really does protect and nourish my hair. This is a Holy Grail product for me and I have repurchased it at least 15 times. It smells amazing. Pure products contain no sulphates, parabens or nasty ingredients.

11. Nak Diamond Polish - I purchased this to achieve a slick ponytail with no fly aways. It does the job but can make my hair look a little greasy. I probably won't repurchase this.

12. Nak Replends - This is a leave in moisturiser for the hair. It is beautiful and very hydrating without leaving any greasy residue. This is also a product I have repurchased many times.

13. M.A.C Pro Eye Makeup Remover - This is an effective eye makeup remover but I have tried many better ones that cost a lot less. This retails for $34 Australian and to be honest I think that's kind of expensive for an eye makeup remover. I probably won't repurchase this again.

14. Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel - I absolutely adore Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel. As it is a Christmas Limited Edition product that only comes out once a year I always purchase enough to see me through to the next Christmas.

15. Lush It's Raining Men Shower Gel - This is the famous Lush Soap Honey I Washed The Kids in shower gel form. It smells amazing but I do find it a little drying on my skin. I don't find the soap at all drying though.

I am now around 20 empties in on Project 50 Pan. Stay tuned for next weeks update. I am hoping to hit 25 empties by the end of next week which will bring me to being half way through this hideous project.

I wish I could say I am enjoying this but truthfully I am not. I quite enjoy the liberty of buying whatever I want whenever I feel like it. However it is good to be getting rid of some of the clutter and actually using products up (which I rarely do).

I am also hoping to do a cull of products soon. I just need to go through everything and throw anything out that's expired or seen better days.



Note: I am not sponsored by any of the above mentioned brands. All products were purchased by me and all opinions are my own.

Bioderma H2O Makeup Remover.

I first heard about Bioderma Makeup Remover from Lisa Eldridge on You Tube. She is a celebrity Makeup Artist with clients including Kate Winslet. After Lisa's Video suddenly videos on this product started popping up everywhere.

The appealing factor of this product to me was the fact that it claimed to be extremely gentle on the face and eyes. Due to having very sensitive eyes and skin that is becoming more sensitive as I get older I was keen to locate some of this and give it a try. So many eye makeup removers burn my eyes or leave a stinging sensation and to be honest I expected that Bioderma would also.

I managed to track down Bioderma from an overseas company and I purchased a couple of 500ml bottles for around $32 Australian each. I can honestly say that I think I have found my favourite eye makeup remover ever! Not only is it extremely cost effective but it also easily removes all my eye makeup and doesn't sting or burn at all. I simply apply a little to a cotton pad and sweep across my eyes.

Bioderma can be difficult to find due to it being a brand mainly sold in French Pharmacies. However I did notice a little sample bottle in this months Lust Have It subscription box so I am assuming they will be selling it in their online shop here in Australia soon.


Note: I am not sponsored by any of the brands or companies listed above. All products were purchased with my own money and all opinions are my own.

Bye Bye Glossybox and I Love This Box Australia!

This month has seen some big changes within the subscription box industry here in Australia. In two weeks I went from being subscribed to all 4 on offer within the Australian Market to now being subscribed to just two.

Glossybox was taken over and merged with Lust Have It! I Love This Box has now pulled the pin and stopped their service. I find it quite odd that I Love This Box went from notifying their customers that they ''may not be able to supply May's box due to logistical reasons'' to closing down altogether. However I can't say that I am surprised. When that first comment about May's box not coming went out my internal radar went into overdrive and I thought ''uh oh this doesn't sound good''.

Now I am left with a Lust Have It and BellaBox Subscription. I think these two boxes have very much been the frontrunners in the subscription box genre here in Australia. I think the level of customer service a company provides is a very good indicator of how much longevity it will have as a business. I have always received excellent customer service from both Lust Have it and BellaBox.

I was sad to see Glossybox and I Love This Box depart the Australian Market as I really do enjoy getting my boxes each month. It's like a little present to myself and it's always exciting to see what's inside. However I must admit I pretty much know the content of my boxes each month because I receive my boxes a few days later than everyone else, due to being in Hobart, I cheat and look at other peoples blog posts to see what's inside!


Note: I am not sponsored by any of the above mentioned companies. My monthly subscriptions are purchased with my own money and all opinions are my own.

Current Favourite Fragrances

I am currently encapsulated in a love affair with two fragrances by Tokyo Milk.

My  first current fragrance obsession is French Kiss Number 15 from Tokyo Milk's original line. It contains notes of Mandarin, Tuberose, Gardenia and Vetiver. This smells so pretty to me without being overpowering or too fruity or floral. I love anything based on France especially Paris and I love that when you look through the bottle from the back there is a picture of the Eiffel Tower staring back at you. This particular fragrance costs around $50 for 30ml and can be purchased online and from selected boutiques.

The second fragrance I am loving at the moment is also by Tokyo Milk but this one is from their line of Dark fragrances. The fragrance is called Tainted Love Number 62. It contains notes of Dark Vanilla Bean, Orchid, White Tea and Sandalwood. I would describe this fragrance as a sophisticated vanilla scent. There's nothing sickly about the fragrance and it smells somewhat grown up. Anyone Who loves vanilla scents the way I do would love this fragrance. Here in Australia Tokyo Milk Dark Fragrances retail for around $70.
The Tokyo Milk Dark Line are larger containing 47ml of fragrance as opposed to the standard line which contain 30ml of fragrance.


Note: I am not sponsored by Tokyo Milk. All products were purchased by me and all opinions are my own.

Project 50 Pan Update!

When I started Project 50 Pan I thought it would be an easy task to complete. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would struggle with making no purchases the way that I have. The first few days were obscene. This was mainly because I was exposed to a lot of gorgeous shops and wasn't allowed to buy anything. Whilst I have had a few Birthdays and Mother's Day to buy gifts for I think it is actually worse buying for other people when you know you can't buy for yourself! Please don't think I'm evil but I found myself resenting my Mum because I had to give her a gorgeous candle that I wasn't allowed to buy for myself for Mother's Day. Lol!

Here I am 15 Days into Project 50 Pan and I am so proud to report that I have not made one single beauty purchase! Even I thought I would have slipped up by now. As much as I have been tempted to shop I keep willing myself not to because I do not want to have to admit that I have failed to you guys and all my Family and Friends who are watching me attempt this! I know a few of my Family and Friends are waiting for me to fail with baited breath! It's not easy though, in fact it is so much more challenging than you would think.

It's time for me to be real here people and as I am all about sharing I think it is only fair that I make a few confessions.

I have raided my big beauty closet (aka a 4 door built in floor to ceiling wardrobe) in search of any products that were half empty or almost finished. I have removed all of them and started using them like a mad woman in a desperate and somewhat pathetic attempt to finish them.

I saw my Mum had finished a hair product and sneakily went through the rubbish looking for the packaging so I could pretend it was an empty of mine. Unfortunately she busted me and said that I was cheating!

I asked myself if one cotton bud was a full sized beauty product and if so could I just use 50 cotton buds and declare the task a complete success?

I have been burning 5 candles at once trying to get rid of them. I am trying to stick to the same scent family but desperate times call for desperate measures right?

I have never successfully completed a task anything like this before. It is kind of gut wrenching to think of all the hardship going on in other parts of the world and even here in Australia and here I am worrying about not being able to buy beauty products because I am on a self imposed ban! Something I am realising though is we live such a privileged existence and I shamefully admit I kind of like it! I never realised how much money I spend on beauty goods and how I gravitate towards the beauty counters, toiletry sections and cosmetics departments of stores. It's like waving a red flag at a bull when I enter a store.

Here is a picture of my empties so far:

1. Nak Aromas Shampoo with Argan Oil - This is a good general shampoo that I have repurchased many times. It has the added benefits of argan oil and it leaves my baby fine hair soft and hydrated. It retails for around $18 for 250ml and is available at Price Attack, wholesalers and various salons and online stores.

2. Lush Oatfix Fresh Face Mask - This mask is another product I constantly repurchase. It is made with Oats, Bananas, Crushed Almonds and Vanilla and is designed for dry or sensitive skin. I like to use this mask if my skin is looking a bit dehydrated and dull. It leaves my skin feeling soft and hydrated. This Mask has a limited shelf life of around 3 weeks and must be kept refrigerated. It costs around $16 for 75g and is available at Lush Stores as well as online at www.lush.com.au

3. Wotnot Face Wipes - I was initially put on to these wipes by my friend Anissa over at www.beautifullyglossy.blogspot.com The appealing thing about these wipes is that they are all natural with no added nasty ingredients. They are great at removing makeup and taking the day off. The one thing I did find with these wipes is that the essential oils in them did irritate my sensitive eyes a little bit. Wotnot Wipes retail for around $15 for 25 wipes.

4. Lydia Jordane Eye Lifting Cream - I have loved this eye cream for many years now. My eyes are very sensitive and this eye cream doesn't irritate them at all. I could never be without this in my skin care routine even though I use other eye creams this is the old faithful I always end up coming back to. It contains lots of beautiful ingredients including Yeast Beta Glucan, Hyaluronic Acid, Vegetable Ceramides, Phyto Ceramide, Rosehip Oil and Evening Primrose Oil. It retails for around $56 for 15ml. It can be purchased via professional beauty salons and online.

5. The Body Shop Earth Lovers Watermelon and Eucalyptus Shower Gel - I love the Earth Lovers Shower Gels from The Body Shop. They smell amazing and are also free from Sulphates, Parabens and Colourants.  They cost $14.95 for 250ml and are available at The Body Shop or www.thebodyshop.com.au

6. Beauty and The Bees Rosewater Toning Mist - Beauty and The Bees is a Tasmanian owned company that makes natural products free of sulphates and nasty chemicals. The Rosewater Toning Mist smells absolutely gorgeous. It is without doubt my favourite rosewater that I have ever tried. It costs $19.95 for 100ml and is available at www.beebeauty.com

7. Lush Twilight Shower Gel - This lavender scented shower gel was a limited edition product from Lush for Halloween last year. It is not currently available but I am hoping that Lush will bring this back this year for Halloween. It is lavender scented but not in an old lady stinky kind of way. It almost has a candied sweet scent to it probably because of the tonka note in it. I have loved using this product especially in the evening before bed.

8. Alpha H Phase 1 Wash- This wash has been renamed Clear Skin Daily Face Wash. It retails for around $34 for 100mls of product. This face wash was recommended to me by a friend when I was experiencing constant small breakouts around my chin. It contains Eucalyptus and Tea Tree to heal, calm and soothe the skin and help control excess sebum. It is designed to prevent future breakouts.

When I first started using this product I noticed within a week my breakouts were healing and my skin was calmer in general. This face wash is designed for people aged 12-40 with oily skin types.

I have a few more empties but have decided to hold them over until my next Project 50 Pan update. Are any of you attempting your own no buy or use up project at the moment? If so how are you going?


Note: I am not sponsored by any of the above mentioned brands or companies. All products were purchased with my own money and all opinions are entirely my own.

Project 50 Pan (eeeeeek)!

I am a shameless over consumer. I excessively collect beauty products and shamefully admit that I never even use half of them. For some reason I just keep buying them and it wasn't until recently that I realised how out of control my little beauty habit had became. I was watching an episode of Hoarders on TV and my Mother turned to me and said ''you are going to end up on that show''! This in itself wasn't a revelation. I am a Hoarder (although I prefer to call it an avid collector). I think the fact that I still have my Barbie Doll collection from my childhood stored in my Dad's garage will attest to this!

It suddenly occurred to me the sheer volume of products I have is taking over my home and I am not using even a fraction of the products that I buy. I decided to have a good look at the state of my home. Three large double bedrooms and a study have been taken over by my beauty collection. Chests of drawers intended for clothing are filled with makeup. Wardrobes are stacked from floor to ceiling with scented candles, many of which have never been opened let alone used. The Bathrooms are cluttered with more products than a small village of women could ever use in a lifetime. Heaven forbid the house ever catch on fire as the volume of perfume I have is enough to cause a massive explosion.

Clearly I need to take action and stage a self induced intervention. Enter Project 50 Pan! I started telling friends and family that I was going to use up 50 products across the entire beauty spectrum before purchasing one more single item from the Makeup, Hair Care, Skin Care, Candle or Bath and Body categories. Of course everyone I told of my mission laughed and told me they couldn't wait to see me fail. It became obvious to me that I have became a joke and that nobody thinks I can stop beauty shopping. I decided I needed to make my commitment to this cause known so I hereby pledge to donate $200 to a charity of my choice for every breach of Project 50 Pan I make. Yes that's right $200! Ouch that will hurt. As much as I like to donate to charity I do not want to be donating money in that volume to them on a regular basis. In fact so determined am I to be successful at project 50 pan that it is my hope to not have to donate any money at all!

It is going to be tough because barely a week ever goes buy that I don't make multiple beauty purchases. Shopping for beauty products has became such a huge part of my everyday life. I have spent so much money building this ridiculous collection of stuff and at the end of the day I need to take responsibility for all the money I have wasted and start looking for more productive ways to spend my time and my money. I am hoping that project 50 pan will help me save some money and start to make inroads on my massive beauty collection. I will be posting regular updates on my progress of project 50 pan right here on my blog. I am asking all my subscribers to get behind me and support me on my quest to successfully complete my goal.

This is going to be hard for me and I am sure I am going to need your help to keep me motivated on my quest. I will be posting pictures of my empty products along the way. On completion of project 50 pan I will be randomly selecting a subscriber to give away a prize to. I am unsure what the prize will include as yet but it will include the much sought after Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette amongst other things. So here we go - Let project 50 Pan begin! Wish me luck!

Note: Things such as Toothpaste, Deoderant and Mouthwash are not included as beauty products. They are essential products that are allowed to be repurchased. However all other items including shampoo and conditioners are a part of Project 50 Pan as are makeup wipes, removers etc.