September haul from France

As I chose to go to the French riviera for summer holidays this year, of course I visited a few stores on the trip. I visited a fragrance manufacturer in the town of Grasse in the south of France; Fragonard, there we got a guided tour in English about the production that takes place in the factory, short introduction about the origin of plants used in the fragrance industry, the noses who "design" the scents and the difference between eau de toilette and parfums. There were all kinds of interesting things the guide went over on the tour, for example if you spray a parfum on your wrist you are not supposed to rub your wrists together, only tap, other vise you ruin the molecules in the parfum! The tour then of course ended in the store, and omg I have seldom seen as many people in a buying frenzy!! People were buying A LOT. Everyone came out of the store with their husbands carrying big bags loaded with soaps, perfumes, and home fragrances. I got a bit inspired, and did buy a few things. But I am sure my body chemistry is different in the south of France in 28 degrees Celsius vs. Iceland 8 degrees! I just hope the fragrances I did buy end up working for me as I have become quite sensitive to scents and some tend to give me a headache in the last few years.  

Perfumes, eye cream, face cream and a deodorant

French pharmacy haul

Fragonard - Fleur de citronnier eau de toilette (50 ml): This scent reminds me a lot of Dolce & Gabbana light blue - it is the year edition from Fragonard, and this year they went with the citrus flower. I had been smelling the Light blue from D&G but this one actually smells nicer so I decided to grab a bottle after spraying it on me, and it being very light, fresh and airy. It is a bit of a summer scent though, so I will proably save it for next summer. Now I just regret of not have taken 2 bottles as this is a limited edition and I will probably never get my hands on another bottle! 

Embryolisse - Radiant eye express cooling and refreshing eye care stick (4.5 g): I came across this by total accident in one of the pharmacies I visited on my holiday. It costed less than 20 Euro so I just decided to grab it. Later I found out it costs about two times as much in Iceland!! It is very cooling, and a genius product as a matter of a fact.

Olivéa - Deodorant pierre d'alun (60 g): This I just randomly saw in the supermarket, I already have a crystal deodorant, but for one reason or another I thought it would be a genius idea to buy one in France.

Fragonard - Face cream - Royal jelly skin care (50 ml): My mom loves royal jelly, and as this was available for purchase at the perfume factory I decided to grab one for me and one for my mom.

Fragonard - Juste un baiser parfum (15 ml): Originally I spayed this perfume on me in the store, I also tried the eau de toilette. And walking around Grasse one hour later I could hardly smell it on myself anymore, which is always a good sign in regards to fragrances, so I decided to go back and buy the smallest version which is this 15 ml. Right away in the evening I regretted not to have purchased a bigger bottle, as the scent just kept on getting better as the day passed. 

Fragonard - Juste un baiser eau de toilette (100 ml): So full of buyers remorse of not having gotten a bigger bottle of the parfum in Grass, I grabbed this one in a store in Cannes. And can you imagine that this 100 ml eau de toilette costs the same as the 15 ml parfum? I feel there is a small difference between the parfum and the eau de toilette - maybe the alcohol in the eau de toilette is making that version a little bit stingy and the parfum version to be a little bit more grounded and earthy. I just hope these scents will work for me as well as they did in 28 degrees in France, in Iceland in winter - but this is definitely more of a all year round scent vs. the Fleur de citronnier, the Juste un baiser might be more of a winter one. 

Bioderma - Créaline H2O L'eau micellaire originale (2 x 500 ml): I do recommend that you visit a few pharmacies to do a small price comparison on the things that you are considering to buy. For example this duo was 8 Euros more expensive in another pharmacy compared to the pharmacy I bought this in. Did I need two 500 ml micellar water bottles, definitely not, but they will for sure be used up in the end.

Klorane - Anti-hair loss strenghtening & stimulating shampoo (400 ml): I have been struggling with a lot of hair loss for the last 12 months or so, so I did not need a push when I saw this on the shelf, and I am willing to try anything 

A Derma - Exomega control emolient shower oil anti-scratching (500 ml): I bought small bottle of this a few years ago. And it is amazing, I had actually seen this refill on a discount in a pharmacy in Oslo, there the discount was only for members of the "club" so I did not buy it there - then when I saw this on an offer for just over 10 Euro in France, I jumped on it. No membership needed! I love France!

Marvis - Whitening mint fuoride toothpaste (85 ml): Then this has become a classic purchase for a lot of people traveling to France or Italy - I just finished a small tube of this type so I just grabbed a big one this time. 

What did you buy on holiday this year?

June - August Haul 2025

 So how is my "no buy for 2025" going? Well it is going like this....

Brow glue, haircare, sunscreen, bronzer, nail polish etc.

Up close of the Camilla Phil all-over bronzing balm

Schwarzkopf & Henkel - Got 2be - 2 in 1 gel for brows and edges (16 ml): This I came across in a Normal store in Oslo and at first I was adamant NOT to purchase, but on my second visit to a Normal store in the city I could not resist the temptation as this has become super popular on social media.

Dr. Greve - Intimvask sensitiv med traenebær og aloe vera (200 ml): I saw a few of these personal soaps on the shelves in one of the supermarkets in Oslo and thought it might be a good idea to buy a smaller bottle than the one I have at home for travel. In retrospect I could have skipped this purchase as 200 ml is a bit much to take on holiday or travelling for work. So a small bottle in a Muji could have done the trick, and I have not ruled out to buy a small empty bottle next time I come across a Muji store.

Hawaiian Tropic - Sunscreen lotion sheer touch 30 (236 ml): While in Target, I thought it might be a good idea to buy this one again, as I have an open Spf 30 that would not last for a summer holiday - which I plan on taking later this summer. So this was quickly added to cart.

Aussie - 3 minute miracle moisture deep treatment (225 ml): This is another item I ran into in at a Normal store. I really do love the Normal stores I have gone into in Copenhagen, Paris and now Oslo. My dad used to LOVE this brand, and in particular the 3 minute miracle, so I decided to grab a bottle for old times sake. 

Herbal Essence - Rose hip shampoo (100 ml): I had just finished this shampoo I had from last year, and needed another for holiday so I picked this one up in Target.

OPI - Nail lacquer - Cajun Shrimp (15 ml): My favorite OPI polish; My chihuahua bites! is super thick and to the point I can not use it. And unfortunately that color it is not available in Iceland, but I knew the color Cajun Shrimp is pretty close, just a tad bit more red while "My chihuahua bites!" is tad more pink/coral. I had thought to purchase nail polish thinner (which I have not 100% ruled out). But as I ran into Cajun shrimp in Normal in Oslo for 50% of the price of a new OPI bottle in Iceland, I decided to grab the Cajun color. 

Camilla Phil Cosmetics - All-over bronzing balm in Universal glow (6,5 g): We came across a few Norwegian beauty brands while on holiday in Oslo, so there were a few brands we had never seen before, I would say though that the Danish brands are more tempting than the Norwegian brands (at least the in store options). But I did find this cream bronzer tempting enough for me to purchase it at the airport. It only comes in one color though, and even though I am quite fair I think it is more of a winter color for me. 

La Roche-Posay - Toleriane double repair face moisturizer (40 ml): This I came across in Target and I just could not resist the temptation, as I do love this brand and it was at a decent price point. 

So as you can read above, my no buy has not been going very well. But I am still getting less and less tempted by cosmetics in general that are sold in Sephora.. that is perhaps a good development as I do come across that store very frequently at work. 

January - May haul 2025

So much for sticking to my no buy 2025 - where I gave myself the exception to purchase two items until Black Friday sales in 2025! I caved in three times, as I purchased three items, and that in effect when only just over three months have passed of the year! 

The first purchase was made on my birthday whilst on a work-trip abroad. In came the "birthday" blues - so a trip to Target was just the medicine where I ended up buying myself a elf blush. The other purchases were two different lip balms - one from Refy and the other from Violette Fr. Then some other stuff came into my possession in the form of gifts and purchases, mainly hair-products, a category which I have so far not been wild about. 

Hair towel, mini Guinot products and a hair serum

Sephora gift, samples, and a gifted facemask

Kerastase conditioner and shampoo

Cosrx - The 6 peptide skin booster (30 ml): This was the Utla birthday gift in 2025 - and I was fortunate enough to be close to a Ulta store in my birthday month to pick one up.

Aquis flip - hair drying tool - wove with copper sure: This hair towel I ran into at a Marshalls store in Baltimore. This one is woven with copper which is supposed to be good for the hair. It was on a really nice discount, well turns out the elastic was not very well sown into the base. So I had to sow it up again. But as I have been dealing with hair-loss it is worth giving a go.

Elf - Camo liquid blush - Peach perfect (4 ml): This I got tempted to buy on my birthday in February, wandering around the isles in Target being hit with a wave of the birthday blues. Since I have perhaps used it two or three times, it is a very soft color.

Guinot - Micellaire cleansing water (30 ml): My sister had already gifted me a x-mas calendar containing these Guinot products. But my mom was also gifted this calendar, and she figured she would not use any of them, so she ended up giving me a few of them. 

Kerastase Genesis - Fortifying serum (90 ml): I have been dealing with considerable hair-loss in the last six months or so, and after seeing this being recommended all over social media I decided to grab a bottle during the Sephora sale. It turned out to be hard to find it in store, as I had to visit three different stores in Washington DC to find it in stock. You are supposed to use it every day, in combo with the shampoo and conditioner from the same line. I have not used it like that, but when it is getting closer to a hair-wash day, I put it in the day in before a wash. The smell of this product is nice, but it tends to linger for at least 24 hours. I have also started taking hair-vitamin on a regular basis, and hope I will able to turn this hair-loss around. 

Guinot - Express eye makeup remover (30 ml): This was also re-homed to me from my mom. 

Guinot - Hydra toning lotion (30 ml): The last item I got from my mom. I better start using some of these items, as I have duplicates by now. But they are the perfect size to take to work or on holiday. 

L'occitane - Hand cream - dry skin (30 ml): One of my co-worker who was flying with us on standby, gifted all of the crew small hand-creams. A perfect size for the handbag.

Refy - Tinted lip gloss - Taupe (13 ml): This was a 100% weakness purchase. I had seen this color featured on some social media. And during a layover in Washington I forgot my lip-balm at my hotel room, and instead of me going back to fetch it - I popped into the next Sephora store and bought this one. The color is super soft though - and does hardly show up on my lips at all, I might as well have purchased the clear gloss. But then my lips are quite rosy pigmented. 

Summer Fridays - Lip butter balm - Pink sugar (7 g): This was a part of the Sephora birthday gift for 2025 - so of course I decided to grab the free gift this year.

Summer Fridays - Jet lag mask (15 g): Also a part of the Sephora birthday gift, and have I heard nice things about this mask.

Violette Fr - Bisou Jelly - Bonbon Caramel (2.5 g): This is a brand I have had my eye on for some time, and now it just launched in Sephora. So I got tempted to buy one item in New York. Not sure the color suits me very well, it is described as a warm caramel color, maybe I will just put it aside for a few months as it might be more suitable in the autumn. 

Summer Fridays - Rich cushion cream ultra plumping moisturizer (2 ml): The third and last item in the Sephora birthday gift.

Elemis - Pro-collagen marine cream (2 x 2 ml): This most likely came into my possession at Sephora, as some free samples they give you with purchase. 

Sephora - Green tea eyes mask (6 g): A friend gifted this to me for my birthday.

PS - Two blender sponges: I came across these at the register at Primark, and I decided to give them a try.

Kerastase Genesis - Fortifying anti hair-fall conditioner (200 ml): After I bought the hair serum from the same line, I saw a summer giftbox on a 20% discount in one of the hair salons of Reykjavik, so I decided to splurge and buy the shampoo and conditioner.

Kerastase Genesis - Anti hair-fall fortifying shampoo (200 ml): This was a part of previously mentioned gift set. I have only used it once, so it's too soon to say if it works. I am also taking hair vitamins on the regular, so any improvement will probably be two sided.  

So all in all - quite the fail from a no-buy until Black Friday 2025. I did give myself the exception to purchase two items until that time, well in the period of January - May I have indeed purchased three items, two of them being a lip product. The third; a liquid blush. Ironically when this spring powder blushes are making a serious comeback. And what on earth do I have to do with more lip glosses when I had 14 lip-glosses before and 7 lip balms? Totaling now in 15 lip glosses and 8 lip balms! It usually takes me years to finish one lip-balm or gloss.... 

Something really needs to change! And the only person who has the power to do it, well it's me!

Project pan 2025

For the year 2025 I will be focusing on a few items, both makeup and skincare for the year to come, as I usually do. Along this project pan I will be doing a makeup + skincare no buy for 2025! My ultimate goal will be to get better results on reached goals for 2025 vs. to my project pan 2024, which reached 37.5 % success rate. So my goal for 2025 will be to reach my goal on over 37.5% of the items in the project pan 2025.

10 of the 14 products in my project pan 2025

Lipstick, color corrector and testers

Guinot - Lounge vie mains hand cream (15 ml):

Weight at the start of 2025: 20 g

Goal: Finish it

Why: I got this amongst many other items from Guinot in a Christmas calendar in 2022 - I have not used so many items from this calendar so it makes sense to use some of the items, including this hand cream.

Dr. Organic - Organic manuka honey skin lotion (200 ml):

Weight at the start of 2025: 224 g

Goal: Finish it

Why: This was gifted to me in 2019 and thus one of the oldest body lotions I have so it makes sense to use it up and move it out of my stash, and work on other things.

Bioeffect - EGF body serum (120 ml):

Weight at the start of 2025: 159 g

Goal: Finish it

Why: It has already expired with a label marked June 2023 - so it is past it's due date and it would be good to finish it.

Bioeffect - Osa water mist (60 ml):

Weight at the start of 2025: 83 g

Goal: Finish it 

Why: I bought it in 2021, and it has a best before date 05/2025 so this is the year to finish it. 

The body shop - Himalayan charcoal purifying glow mask (75 ml):

Weight at the start of 2025: 229 g

Goal: Use it up

Why: It is getting old, and I have not much use for it anymore - as my skin tends to be more dry than oily- but it might be nice to use once a month or so.

Fenty Beauty - Gloss bomb in Fenty glow (9 ml):

Remaining amount at the start of 2025: 2/3 of the gloss remains in the tube, product sits at T in Fenty.

Goal: Use it up.

Why: It is far from being my favorite gloss, but it might pair nicely with the Charlotte lipstick for work.

Ecooking - Primer (30 ml):

Remaining amount at the start of 2025: Half.

Goal: Use it up.

Why: I did manage to use half of the primer in 2024, and it is a cleaner product, and I do really like the formula, I decided to continue working on this primer vs. the 3 or 4 others I have in my stash. Plus the packaging gets super messy. So it is ideal to use it up and in 2026 I could move onto a different primer. I still like this one that much I could well consider to buy it again in a few years.  

The Ordinary - 100% Cold-pressed virgin marula oil (30 ml):

Amount remaining in bottle at the start of 2025: The oil sits just above the sticker on to glass.

Goal: Finish it, by using it in my hair and mix in with my moisturizers.

Why: Oils tend to go bad, and I have had this in my stash for quite some time. I originally bought it to use it in at the ends of my hair, but I found it a bit of a too dry texture compared to the hair oils I had used in the past. So it would be ideal to get some use out of it, before it goes off. 

The body shop - Brow and lash gel, clear (10 ml):

Amount remaining at the start of 2025: The gel sits in the tube between the O and D in Body on the side of the product.

Why: This is guaranteed the oldest item in my stash.

Gosh - Kohl eyeliner in 005 nude (1.1 g):

Length of pencil at start of 2025: 11.5 cm

Goal: Use 0.5 cm of it

Why: To get some use out of it before it dries out. 

Charlotte Tilbury - Nude matte lipstick in Very Victoria (3.5 g):

Length at the start of 2025: 2.5 cm from plastic base

Goal: Use 0.5 cm of it

Why: I have focused on a few lipsticks in the years past, so now it was time for this one. It is a nice color of pinky brown, just a tad more brown than my lips, so it wears off nicely. 

Becca - Under eye brightening corrector (2.3 g):

Weight at the start of 2025: 22 g

Goal: Use it up

Why: It was a part of my project pan 2023, and I did not finish it then, so it is time to use it up. Plus I have a full size backup I would love to move onto. 

Inglot - YSM cream foundation in shade 45 (1.5 ml):

Goal: Use it up

Why: It is old in my stash of testers, and it would be good to get some use out of a few of them. I have no idea how the shade is, so it might end up just ending in the trash, as 45 sounds like a medium shade. And I have fair skin. 

Inglot - Beautifier tinted cream in shade 102 (1.5 ml):

Goal: Use it up

Why: Same applies to this one as to the previous tester - get some use out of my tester stash, so it is ideal to add two samples, or "give me" products that I should be able to use up with ease and boost the amount of items I will be able to use up, and increase my usage percentage.

Other goals for 2025 include a makeup and skincare no buy until black Friday 2025 - as I started my no buy around that time in 2024. So instead of shopping in 2025 I intend to enjoy the items I have in my stash and play with the items I already have, instead of buying more. Other goals for 2025 include using a face mask once a week and a hair mask two times a month.

Will I allow myself some exception from the rule? Yes, for the months January - November 2025 I will make an exception from the no buy makeup and skincare rule in two cases, where I can buy two products in kind of emergencies if you will. What the emergencies might be, I am not sure - but will give an exception for the no buy rule for two products during this period. Also I will be able to get the Sephora and Ulta birthday gifts in February, and those birthday gifts do not count as the two products I will be able to buy in case of "emergencies".

Empties 2024

So how did I do in 2024 on using up stuff? Let's take a look..

Skincare, cleansers, spf and facial sprays

Skin care, concealer, gloss and more

Items used up on holiday

Facial soap, powder and lip balm

Sheet masks and skincare samples

Items I used up:

Kiehl's - Creamy eye treatment with avocado (14 ml): I did like this eye cream, the only annoying thing about it, is the fact that the formula always separates from time to time, oil away from cream, so you have to shake it back together. 

Lancome - Hydra zen anti-stress moisturising cream (30 ml): This facial cream is super light, and worked well over the summer. It was not moisturizing enough for me in the winter. 

Clinique - Take the day off cleansing balm (125 ml): This was a part of my project pan for 2024 and I do really like it, even though I promised myself not to repurchase I already fell to temptation at TJ Maxx. 

Lumene - Pure arctic miracle micellar cleansing water (500 ml): This item I purchased years ago whilst in Finland visiting a friend, it had started to get a bit yellow in the bottle, and I could see like floating oil on top of the liquid inside the bottle, so it was about time for it to be used up. 

The body shop - Aloe calming toner (250 ml): This toner has remained my tried and true toner for a few years. 

Nivea - Care & orange shower cream (250 ml): This I purchased while on holiday in Greece years ago. It was an average shower cream.

Supergoop - Zinc screen 100% mineral lotion SPF 40 (50 ml): This bottle is labelled at the bottom to expire in April 2021 - finally it is finished. I now already have two sunscreens going. 

Evian - Brumisateur facial spray, moisturizes, refreshes, tones (50 ml): This was gifted to me from one of my airlines passenger, and as it comes in a small bottle, I kind of swapped the toner I intended to pan in 2024 out for this one, and moved it into my work purse and aimed to spray it once per flight. There is a tiny bit left in the bottle, but I can not spray it out. So it is pretty much done, seriously doubt I would buy it though. 

Rudolph care - Acai facial mist toner (30 ml): If I remember correctly I purchased this one in the duty free at CPH airport a while back. I ended up putting it in my travel bag, and that way it was used up quickly and I am sure I will use the bottle for something else in the near future. 

Dr. Organic - Organic snail gel (50 ml):

Biossance - Squalane + omega repair cream (15 ml):

Five vits - Daily shampoo (40 ml): This and the conditioner is in one of our hotels we stay at in the US for work. It is the perfect size for travel and was used up either on a trip or when I go to the gym. It is a decent shampoo.

Five vits - Daily conditioner (40 ml): Decent conditioner, I have dark colored hair, and am not in particular fuzzy about shampoos or conditioners. And usually find them to be of an ok quality, the same goes for this one - the scent I love in particular, it does not smell like any conditioner I have smelled before.

Vichy - Aqualia thermal rehydrating cream light (50 ml): This I purchased in Canada summer of 2019 - so it was way past it expiration date (8/21). And the fact that the serum remains in my stash seriously has made me rethink about buying so many items that they keep on expiring in my closets before I get around to using them.

Abercrombie & Fitch - First instinct eau de parfum (2 ml): I really like the scent of this perfume. I do not smell after I apply it, so I guess it suits me well. I might even consider purchasing it as I seem to have developed a sensitivity to fragrances in the last few years, and many of the scents I try spraying on in store, and wear throughout the day tend to give me a headache or I can smell them through the remainder of the day (and I mean not in a good way).

Clarins - Mascara supra volume in 01 intense black (3.5 ml): I really loved this mascara, and that even for a natural bristle brush wand (I used to love plastic wands). This I believe came in a gift set I purchased for myself. Would consider repurchasing if I did not have a backup stash of 4 or 5 mascaras or more. 

Rimmel - Wonder'full brow 24hr waterproof brow mascara with fibres (4.5 ml): This I won in some online game, and got it for free. It is actually amazing! I am not sure what the color is, I assume it is 002 and I love it in my brows! Will repurchase for sure when I get through the clear gels in my stash. 

Crabtree & Evelyn - Pear and pink magnolia hand therapy (25 ml): A nice hand cream, not amazing though. 

Drunk Elephant - Beste no. 9 jelly cleanser (30 ml): This I got as a part of a Sephora birthday gift a few years back. Since it has lived in my gym bag, and now just got finished.

Ecooking - Night cream (50 ml): I loved this night cream, and as a matter of a fact, I think it is the first night cream I ever purchased or tried. It smells a bit herbal, but I believe it is a clean brand and has good ingredients. 

Bio effect - EGF day serum (2 x 5 ml): I have no recollection on where I got these from, gift with purchase or what, but they were nice, but happy I got to use up a few samples/testers this year.

The body shop - Aloe soothing toner (250 ml): Another empties of my favorite toner, it has since last empties bottle been reformulated and now is in a different packaging. Thank god the formula has not changed too much and is gentle enough on my sensitive skin. 

Taramar - Night treatment (10 ml): Me and my crew were gifted this from one of our passengers who worked for the brand and was going abroad for a meeting. It has a BBF date: June 2022 - so glad I got to use it up, even a bit after it's BBF date. 

Lily Lolo - BB cream in light (40 ml): This is a nice and clean formula, and did not irritate my skin at all. It also is a light weight formula, which is perfect to apply with my fingers, and blends out nice - which I usually prefer vs. a fussy formula. 

Bio effect - EGF body serum (7 ml): I have a full size of this product, it is really nice. But a tester of 7 ml - I can not remember how much skin that covers...

Dior - Diorshow Maximizer 3D triple action lash primer-serum (10 ml): This I stopped using after I got an eye infection, but omg it's AMAZING - I love it. Have already repurchased an updated new formula.

Guinot - Nouvelle Vie cream first signs of aging (15 ml): Another Guinot item from the Guinot calendar I got for Christmas 2022 - I ended up putting it in my work bag for when I stay in the US or Canada for work - perfect size for travel.  

Yves Saint Laurent - Gloss volupte probably in shade 30 (6 ml?): This gloss I have had for years, and as you probably can see on the picture, it is completely empty, removed stopper and all! The sticker underneath it has lost all it's writing, so I am guessing it is the shade 30.

Collection - Lasting perfection concealer in Fair 1 (4 ml?): Almost all the writing on the packaging has rubbed off, so I am not sure how much product was in this concealer, but the packaging sold now from the brand contains 4 ml, so I am guessing it is the same amount. This has lived in the last years in my travel makeup bag I used for work abroad. I did remove the stopper and used it up - or at least to the point I am not getting any usable product on the wand. 

The body shop - Cool cucumber softening body butter (200 ml): This was a part of my project pan 2024, and was used up whilst on holiday in Greece, where I made it my mission to finish a few items up to be able to keep my checked in luggage under 14 kg on my flight leg from Rhodes to Athens. This body butter I had not used a lot before starting my project pan, and to my surprise it was in fact cooling, and gave a cool sensation after using it - which made it perfect for holiday in Greece. As I did not prefer to use it just before bed at home in Iceland. 

Five vits - Body lotion (40 ml): This had lived in my travel cosmetics bag for work, and ended up with me on holiday to Greece, where it was used up. 

Peter Thomas Roth - Mega rich body wash (27 ml): This I got in a hotel years back, and took with me on holiday to Greece. And used it up

Proganix - Cherry blossom + (Vitamin B5) Anti-fade weightless argan oil + uv protection (100 ml): This I am sure I bought about 9 or 10 years ago whilst on holiday in the US. A hair sunscreen, I only tend to use this on holiday, so of course it was thrown into my suitcase for a holiday in Greece, where it was finished. Ideal to use for a day at the beach or for sight-seeing. 

Hawaiian Tropic - Sunscreen lotion sheer touch spf 30 (236 ml): This is an excellent sunscreen, this I bought in the US and I am sure it differs a bit from the Hawaiian tropic sunscreen they sell in Europe in regards to ingredients. I tend to use zink based sunscreens for my face, and chemical sunscreens for my body - and this one did not irritate my skin. 

Shea Moisture - African black soap with shea butter (99 g): This still remains my go to facial cleanser or facial soap. I discovered it a few years back as it was recommended for perioral dermatitis. It does not aggravate my skin, does not strip it too much. As it is a piece of soap bar it is difficult to keep track of when I finish it, plus I keep one bar at home and one in my travel bag. But I know for a fact that I did finish the bar I had in my travel kit for work. So I am sure this is under-represented in the last few years empties.  

Milani - Prep + set + glow illuminating transparent powder in shade 02 (8.5 g): This item was a part of my project pan 2022, I did not finish it that year, and ended up using it at the end of 2024. I used it as a setting powder and it worked very well as such, did not dry my skin out, and not too glowing. 

Villimey - Varagaldur (15 ml): This remains my favorite lip balm, and will be repurchased for sure some time in the future. 

The Face shop - Real nature Olive face mask with olive extract (20 g): This I purchased in Toronto a few years back, in my stash it as a matter of fact expired in 2021 - I still decided to use it, once as a sheet mask, and then a lot remained in the packaging and I was able to slather it all over my face probably three times after I used the sheet mask. It is a nice face mask, but I did not notice any miracles. but sure it boosted moisture in the skin. 

Nature republic - Real nature mask sheet olive (23 ml): This is the same face mask as the previous one, just in a new and seemingly rebranded packaging. This my friend gifted it to me who went to Korea. And happy to report that this one had not expired yet. 

Caudalie - Vinoperfect radiance serum complexion correcting (10 ml): This bottle I did use up on my project pan 2024 - but it is missing in the photos, as I seem to have misplaced the bottle. I really loved this serum and would consider repurchasing. 

Caudalie - Vinoperfect radiance serum complexion correcting (3 x 1.5 ml): These are small samples I got at Sephora, of the same product as mentioned above.  

Tatcha - The indigo cleansing balm (1.5 ml): Another sample I got from Sephora. It was nice, would I consider buying it after trying it in a single use packaging? In one word; no.

Decluttered items of 2024

Decluttered items:

Sunday Riley - A+ high dose retinoid serum, 6.5% retinoid blend, CoQ10 + honey (5 ml): I have had this sample since 2019 and was about to give this a whirl early this year, but when the product came out, it was all separated and runny - so down the drain it went. Not sure my skin would tolerate a high dose retinoid anyway. 

Maybelline - Color Tattoo 24 hr gel cream eyeshaddow in 35 On and on bronze (3.9 gr): This I have owned for years, and it was a part of my project pan for 2019. I have made some small progress on this since 2019, but it is very thick, stiff and difficult to use. As I have plenty of newer creamy eyeshadows in my stash, it makes more sense to use them rather than this one. 

W7 - Brow grip (13.5 gr): My friend was decluttering a few items from her stash, and gifted this to me, it turned out to work out the same for me as for my friend - it leaving whitish clumps in my eyebrows so it was only used about 2 times, and now ends where it belongs in the trash. 

Unknown brand - Double liner (? gr): My mom gave this to me a few years back, it was a gift with some magazine she bought. Light champagne pink on one side and vine red on the other. I have perhaps used it 4 times, and now it needs to move out. 

So this in all amounts to the fact I used up 25 full items, 11 small sized items and 8 samples (44 in total). Compared to last year I used up 49 items in total, but fewer fuller items and more samples. So for sure using more samples, takes a toll of your full sized items. Of the decluttered items in 2024 I decluttered 3 full size products and one sample. Compared to 2023 I decluttered 3 full size items and no samples.

Project pan 2024 - final results

So here are my result for my project pan of 2024. I managed to reach my goal on some of the products and others not so much. But you live and you learn - and perhaps I will be able to set more realistic goals for my project pan 2025.

Picture from the start of 2024 - red x signaling goal reached

End of 2024 comparison

Powders and concealer duo progress

Bullet progress of 2024

Clinique - Take the day off cleansing balm (125 ml):

Weight at the start of 2024: 140 g

Goal: Finish it 

Weight at the end of 2024: finished - empty packaging 110 g - which tells me I used up 30 g of cleansing balm. 

The body shop - Cool cucumber softening body butter (200 ml): 

Weight at the start of 2024: 207 g

Goal: Finish it

Weight at the end of 2024: I finished this on holiday in Greece, and did end up throwing the tub away - but I have another empty tub from the body shop of the same type - that tub empty weighs 38 g - so I assume I used up 169 g of body butter. 

Mario Badescu - Facial spray with aloe, herbs and rosewater (236 ml):

Amount remaining at the start of 2024: The remaining product in the bottle reaches just above the upper part of the label. Even though I had decanted some of this product into another bottle I take to work, so in reality I have more product remaining of this facial spray than this bottle by itself suggests. 

Goal: Use 1/3 of this bottle by the end of 2024

Amount remaining at the end of 2024: The remaining product in the bottle reaches just below the text "established 1967" - with some product remaining in the small bottle - So maybe I did reach the 1/3rd goal?

Smashbox - Photo finish foundation primer (7.1 ml): 

At the start of 2024: Unused

Goal: Finish it

At the end of 2024: Used 1/3rd of the primer

Caudalie - Vinoperfect radiance serum complexion correcting (10 ml):

Goal: Finish it

At the end of 2024: Finished

Ecooking - Primer (30 ml):

Remaining amount at the start of 2024: Almost full, the product just does not "touch" the top of the bottle.

Goal: Use about half of the bottle.

At the end of 2024: Used half of the bottle as I set out to do, so this was a sparkling success.  

Sensai - Total lip gloss (4.5 ml):

Weight at the start of 2024: 26 grams

Goal: Use it up

Weight at the end of 2024: 24 grams. The grams might only say 2 gr, but there is considerably less left of the product, you actually have to swirl the wand around to get some product on the wand.

Charlotte Tilbury - Lip cheat re-shape and re-size lip liner in pillow talk (1.2 g):

Length at the start of 2024: 11.7 cm

Goal: Use 1 cm of it

Length at the end of 2024: 11.2 cm - 50% success?

Benefit - Hervana blush (8 g):

Weight at the start of 2024 (without the included brush): 41 g 

Goal: The goal with this item is not so much to use it up, but more focus on it and get some use out of it.

Weight at the end of 2024: 41 g - I in fact have hardly used this at all - and I have the most average (not super accurate) baking scale. So if there was any process it would not show it anyway.

The body shop - Bronzing powder shade 03 medium matte (11 g): 

Weight at the start of 2024: 48 g

Goal: Use it up

Weight at the end of 2024: 46 g - I have in fact used 2 g of this bronzer, and increased the pan quite considerably, but did not reach my goal to use it up.

Miild - Natural mineral concealer duo in 01 light ample (2.4 g):

Weight at the start of 2024: 46 g

Goal: Form dents into the two pans - and use it on the day to day on a no makeup-makeup days, when I keep my makeup to a bare minimum with mascara and concealer. 

Weight at the end of 2024: 46 g - so I did use 1 g of these concealers, and there is a little bit of a dent in them.

Bourjois - Smokey eyes 09 vert de gris eyeshadow trio (4.5 g):

Weight at the start of 2024: 22 g

Goal: Finish it

Weight at the end of 2024: 22 g - used this eyeshadow trio hardly at all in 2024.

Clinique - True bronze pressed powder bronzer in Sunblushed (1.3 g):

Weight at the start of 2024: 13 g

Goal: Use it up

Weight at the end of 2024: 13 g - I still have not hit pan on this bronzer, but it became a staple during the summer months and ended up in my travel makeup bag I use for work and I think I will continue to stash it there as it might actually end up being used up getting semi regular usage. 

Nars - Audacious lipstick in Anna (4.2 g):

Length at the start of 2024: 2.2 cm from the plastic base

Goal: Use 1 cm of it

Length at the end of 2024: 1.7 cm form the plastic base - so I used 0.5 cm or 50% of the amount I set out to use. 

Clinique - Chubby stick shadow tint for eyes 04 ample amber (3 g): 

Length at the start of 2024: 2.5 cm fully screwed up

Goal: Use 0.5 cm of product

Length at the end of 2024: 2.3 cm fully screwed up - so I used 0.2 cm which is another goal not reached.

NudeStix - Nudies all over face dewy color in Bohemian rose (1.8 g): 

Length at the start of 2024: 1.6 cm

Goal: Use it up

Length at the end of 2024: 1.2 cm - so I just used 0.4 cm of it - another goal not reached, but did manage to get some good use out of it.

So of the items I set a goal for myself in 2025 I reached my goal on 6 out of the 16 items - or 37.5% of the items.

Other goals for 2024:

I succeeded in the following goals: not to buy a face mist, no primer purchase, use a face mist at work

I failed on the following goals: not to buy any mascara (as I bought 2), not to buy a cream or a serum (I bought two full size creams, and a sampler set), just to buy one makeup brush (I bought 2), only purchasing two colored lip products (I brought in 4 of them - some of them gifted by Sephora other bought) and did not manage to use a face mas once a week. So on the "other goals" section for 2024 I succeeded on 3 of the 8 goals - or again 37.5% - the exact same percentage as on the items I set a goal for in 2024.

So going forward into 2025, maybe I might reconsider my goals. For example for lipsticks, based on the usage of the Nars lipstick, I might set a goal of half a cm for the usage for the year to come, as that would actually be a goal I might reach! For body products, I have a tendency to reach my goal for the usage on them, so they should not be a problem. Small or sample items I did also manage to finish in 2024. It does not matter what items I will focus on in 2024 - I will at least aim to reach more than a 37.5% success rate in the year to come. 

October - December Haul 2024

Here comes the latest update on this years cosmetics and beauty shopping. I am sure I have bought enough for three or four girls during the span of the year. 

Toner, scents, spf, eye cream and eyeshadow

Face mask, brushes, blush, lip liner, powder and an eysshadow

Omnilux led face mask

Lindex beauty bag, Riddle parfum and a solid shampoo bar

The body shop - Aloe soothing toner (250 ml): My normal refill on this one - I love it and will continue to buy it. 

Bath and body works - If you musk, fine fragrance mist (235 ml): This I would have preferred in a smaller bottle, but the fine fragrance mists at Bath and body works only come in the full sizes. This particular scent is supposed to be a semi dupe of Glossier You, but to me it actually smells better than the original. And as I am finally about to finish the full size fragrance bottle I have been focusing on for the last few years, and sold the only body mist I had from Bath and body works in September 2023 - it was easy for me to get tempted to purchase. 

Innbeauty project - Mineral sun glow broad spectrum spf 43 (50 ml): This was recommended by Jessica Braun on YT. It is supposedly the perfect sunscreen under makeup, which I have been struggling to find, plus it is a mineral sunscreen which suits my perioral dermatitis skin better than chemical sunscreen. So it ended up in my basket during the Sephora sale - well "sale" as I got a 15% discount.

Kylie Cosmetics - Cosmic eau de parfum (1.2 ml): This sample I grabbed on one of the event evenings in Kringla.

Jo Malone London - Wood sage & sea salt cologne (10 ml): Again I got sucked in on a Sephora sale, 20% off everything mid December. This has been on my wish list for years, and as I am super sensitive to fragrance nowadays, I decided to dip my toes in, and only purchase a small bottle, and it does not come much smaller than this one, does it?

Merit - Solo shadow matte eye color in vachetta (5 g): I had been curious about this brand, and these eyeshadows. Usually this brand gets two thumbs up in reviews, but these eyeshadows have had very mixed reviews. I love the idea of a one and done eyeshadow, so after a series of eye-infections I bought them for myself as a treat.

Blue Lagoon - Eye cream with BL+ complex (5 ml): I won this in a "spin the wheel" game with the Blue Lagoon store in Kringlan, which turned out pretty good, as I finished my Kiehls eyecream within 2 weeks after getting this one. 

Nickak New York - Soothing aloe facial sheet mask (1x20 g): One of my amazing co-workers gave each of us in the crew a small gift bag, one of the items inside - this face mask!

Tromborg - Vegan brush nr. 5: This I forgot to "declare" and take a picture of in my July-September haul, as I bought it in Copenhagen in July. The brush is very nice, but I seriously question if the white handle is made of plastic, as it is high shiny, milky tone of white - and feels very plastic. On the plus side, it works amazing with the Tromborg silk from my January-March haul.

Vieve - Sunset blush balm luminous liquid blush in strawb (15 ml): This is my third item from this brand and the other products I simply love - I was planning a trip to Glasgow, where I was planning to swatch all the items from this brand I could get my hand on, but I ended up not going - so this was swiftly added to cart on Cult beauty on Black Friday weekend. Red liquid blush anyone?

Sephora - Pro powder brush 50: So much for my 5th goal in my project pan for 2024, only to buy one makeup brush - I ended up buying three of them. This one of course to go with the excessive amount of facial powders I own, and as a matter of a fact - picked up during the Sephora sale.

Jones Road - The lip pencil in nudist (0.92 g): On one of my work-trips to New York, I headed for Greenwich village, where one of the brick and mortar stores for this brand is located. 

Caia Cosmetics - Glow bronzer in gold coast (10 g): This had been on my wish-list for a few years, and I decided to grab it on a 20% off black Friday deal. 

Sephora - Microsmooth powder in 15 neutral (8 g): Did I need a face powder? No not at all, so why did I decide to buy this one during the Sephora promotion, with a 30% discount. Well the 30% discount might have something to do with it. 

Elf - Fine as fleck glitter eyeshadow in champagne showers (2 g): On one of the last Target runs of 2024 this one just accidentally ended up in my basket. 

Omnilux - Contour face led mask: This was without a doubt the most expensive purchase of the year, and that would hit the final nail in the coffin for a serious shopping restraint for 2025 in the department of beauty and cosmetics. 

Lindex beauty bag: I had seen this particular bag years ago in Lindex, light pink with rose-gold zipper - with solid bars inside so it stays open for easy access. I had resisted the urge till now, but when Lindex Iceland sent out a 1000 ISK credit code I caved. 

Ridddle perfum - Original (8 ml): This was a christmas gift from my sister, she has one herself and loves it. Apparently it suits people who are sensitive to scents so this sounds perfect for me. 

Fisher soap company - Champagne toast solid shampoo bar (79 gr): One of our passengers gifted all of the female cabin crew one of these shampoo bars. She is the owner of the brand and I am super excited to try a solid shampoo bar, and this would be perfect for holiday with restricted liquids. 

So what has 2025 in store for me? Well I think you guessed it - a serious retail rehab.