Empties January - December 2020

So this year has really been the year of  testers, as the majority of the products I used up this year are as a matter of a fact testers. 

Empties of 2020

More empties

Empty testers

More empty testers

Gosh - Boombastic macara volume XXL (13 ml): This mascara I got for free, for returning in a used mascara which happened to be an expired Gosh mascara. I love this one, it has a plastic brush and the formula is totally perfect. When I manage to finish the mascara backups I have I would repurchase.

Origins - Drink up 10 minute mask to quench skin's thirst (100 ml): This was a part of my beauty goals for 2019 and 2020. Finally finished.

Bourjois Paris - Happy light luminous serum primer (15 ml): this was also a part of my beauty goals for 2020. A nice primer indeed, but I always struggle to remember to use a primer so not sure I would repurchase.

L'occtane en provence - Overnight reset oil-in-serum (5 ml): This I got as free promotion from L'occitane. The texture was nice, but with only 5 ml, it is hard to say what benefits it has. But it does smell amazing.

Kneipp - Almond face cream (50 ml): I loved this face cream which I bought in a wholesale discount sale. I then saw this brand on the pharmacy shelves in Amsterdam. So I scouted the different pharmacies in town, without success, and after I looked the brand up online, it turned out they now only carry body products. So no wonder why I could not find this face cream.

Harklinikken - Daily conditioner (10 ml): This tester I got as a gift from the company, and did I like the conditioner enough to buy it in full size. 

Bio effect - EGF serum (2 x 3ml): I had accumulated a few of these EGF serums, but as I have a few different serums stashed away, I never manage to stick to one brand. But these I do really like, I just do not like the price point. 

Origins - Ginzing ultra-hydrating energy-boosting cream (5 ml): This is one of the things I got for my birthday. Loved this cream, light and moisturizing. 

Clinique - Blush in fig (1,8 g): This particular blush was a part of my beauty goals for 2018. I depotted it from a small pan which contained both this blush and eyeshadows. And considering the fact it is only 1,8 grams it took me forever to finish it. 

GlamGlow -Bubblesheet oxygenating deep cleanse mask (1 mask): I am not sure my sensitive skin can handle a mask like this one, my skin came out intact but it did indeed irritate my lips, and the edge of my top lip was boarderline swollen after using it. 

Super Goop - CC screen 100% mineral CC cream spf 50 (tester): I originally got this tester in a different bottle, but as that bottle cracked, I dumped it into a Sephora tester jar. Loved this product.

Lancome - Fix it forget it, makeup setting mist (1,5 ml): this I managed to use up the few times I went to work. Good or bad? With 1,5 ml I have no idea. 

Skyn Iceland - Oxygen infusion night cream with glacial flower extract (1,7 g): average cream, nothing miracle, but didn't annoy my skin either.

Skyn Iceland - The antidode cooling day lotion with Icelandic kelp and white willow bark (1,7 g): this was surprisingly cooling. I am not sure I would like to have a whole bottle of this though. 

Belief - The true cream aqua bomb, light gel cream for the face (3 ml): This I received as a gift with purchase at some Sephora visit in 2019. Liked the product, still I prefer cream over gel.

Belief - The true cream moisturizing bomb, rich cream for the face (3 ml): This I did indeed love, and if I would have easy access to the brand I would purchase a full size.

Bio select Dictamelia - 24 hour cream anti aging/moisturizing (2 ml): This I got as a gift with purchase in Greece. The scent was very organic and herbal. I loved the texture, and how it felt on my skin, would love to purchase. 

Sóley - Birta lift and glow, anti aging moisture with Icelandic herbs (5 ml): Really did like this cream on my skin, but not sure I would purchase an anti aging cream, as it might be to strong for my skin. 

Dr. Hauschka - Regenerating body cream (5 ml): I find it a bit funny to get such a small of a tester of a body product. It probably was enough to put on one leg, or two at the most. Not a memorable product. 

Rimmel London - Fresher skin, breathable natural finish foundation - 100 ivory (1,5 ml): I really did like this foundation, and I do believe I have another tester sachet somewhere in my stash. 

Sóley - Eygló, pure organic moisture with evening primerose and wild Icelandic herbs (5 ml): Loved this product, and my skin did really get along with it. 

L'oreal Professional - Force vector, glycocell, reinforcing anti-breakage shampoo for fragile, brittle hair (10 ml): This tester was indeed a big one, and did last for two or three hairwashes. I find shampoo in general to be all the same. Unless they do a terrible  job of cleaning my hair. This shampoo was good, it did the job.

Mythos - Shampoo olive extract + sandalwood (2x 7 ml): This was an average shampoo, did the job. 

John Frieda - Frizz Ease, hair serum, original formula (3,5 ml): Love this product, it does wonders when I put it through my hair, gives a much smoother result. Maybe I should use the spray bottle I have somewhere with this more. The application of a gel through the hair is though still somehow more satisfactory. 

What did you finish this year, any testers?

Beauty goals for 2020 - final results

 So how did my beauty goals for 2020 go?

12 month update

One direction - Our moment eau de parfum (100 ml): This product I swapped out for another parfum in the course of 2020 - as I did not like how yellow the parfum was turning. When I started using it, it was almost full, and have I managed to use a little bit more from the 9 month update, but am not quite half way through the bottle.

Jergens BB Body perfecting skin cream - all medium to deep skin tones (221 ml): As I swapped out this body cream for another, I did not weigh this product until the 9 month update, when I measured it then it weighed 146 g - and I put myself the goal at the end of the year to get the product down to 90 g. I did not reach that goal in three months, but I did get it down to 95 g, which means I managed to use 56 g of this body cream in three months.

Yves Saint Laurent - Volupté tint in oil - No. 4 (6 ml): In the beginning of the year the bottle weighted 25 g - now at the end of the year, with the product not finished and no way of seeing how much is left the bottle weighs 22 g. Which means I used 3 g of the product over the year

Bourjois Paris - Happy light luminous serum primer (15 ml): At the beginning of 2020 the remaining product + packaging weighed 56 g - now after scraping all of the product I can out of the bottle, it weighs 52 g - so I managed to finish this product and the 4 remaining grams that was extractable from the bottle. 

Origins - Drink up 10 minute mask to quench skin's thirst (100 ml): When I weighted this bottle in the beginning of the year it weighed 44 g, now with the bottle cut in half and empty it weighs 16 g - which means I managed to finish the remaining 28 g of product. This was a roll-over product from 2019 - and now finally finished.

Maybelline - Color Sensational lipstick - 235 Warm me up (4,2 g): My original goal for this product was to use it up in 2020, but with covid-19, air-travel dropping down, witch meant I hardly went to work until my contract ran out in September, and with mask life, there was very rare opportunities to wear a lipstick. At the beginning of the year it measured 2,3 cm - now 12 months later; 2 cm. So I managed to finish a meager 0,3 cm of it.

Victoria's Secret - Lip gloss (13 g): In January this gloss weighted 15 g, at the 9 month update it weighted 12 g, and now in December 11 g. Total gloss used this year: 4 g.

Youngblood - Mineral rice setting powder - Medium (10 g): At the beginning of the year it weighed 36 g, at the 9 month update 32 g. And as I have not used it since the 9 month update it still weighs 32 g. But I decided to use some pressed powders instead of this one, as I love it so much, and wanted to make some use of the many pressed powders I do have. 

Alix Avien - Pearly eyeshadow - Bronze: The goal was to use up 2 cm of this pencil, at the 9 month mark I had used up 0,5 cm of it, and now in December I have used up 0,7 cm. 

Clarins - Lipliner pencil - 02 nude beige (1,2 g): My original goal for 2020 was to use half of this pencil that measured 12,5 cm at the beginning of the year. Result: I managed to use up 0,2 cm. I blame Covid-19 and mask life. 

My final results have never been as bad before, as I only hit two of my goals for this year. I have always had 10 products in my goals for each year, last year (2019) I hit 4 goals out of 10. In 2018 I hit 6 goals out of 10, and in 2017 I hit 3 goals out of 10.

Other goals for the year were: 

1. No nail polish purchases - successful
2. No purchases just because there is a discount - I did buy two items in 2020, just because there was a discount: a body butter from The Body Shop, and a sunscreen from Biotherm
3. Maximum one cream eyeshadow purchase for the year 2020 - successful, as I did not buy even one cream eyehsadow in 2020.
4. Keep an ongoing wishlist - this I did stick to, and even published one on this blog.
5. Only one lipstick purchase - successful, as I did not even buy one lip product this year.

But then again 2020 was not quite the average year, with wearing a mask when out and about, resulted in me not even wearing any makeup to speak of. Then also definetly no reason to wear lipsticks as all they would do would be smudging into a face mask. So for sure there was no reason to buy one.

Did you have a goal to finish anything up this year?

November - December haul 2020

 These last two months of the year I have not added a great deal to my stash, as a matter of fact I have only added two items.

Facial mask brush and foundadtion/concealer

The body shop - Facial mask brush: I had been contemplating to purchase a facial mask brush, and when The body shop was having a discount for black Friday weekend I grabbed the opportunity.

RMS - "un" cover up - shade 22 (5,67 g): I had had my eye on this product for some time, and had swatched it from time to time when passing through Shoppers Drug Mart in Eaton Center in Toronto, when one could travel over the world. With the current situation, covid-19 life, with not a lot of social engagements, and having to wear a mask when out and about I am not into wearing a full face of makeup. Still with my perioral dermatitis sometimes causing some redness around my mouth, I wanted something light that would blend in nicely and would not agitate my skin, and it looks amazing on my skin.

January - October haul 2020

With a year consumed by Covid-19, and only having had one layover in March, working as cabin crew, there indeed have been less shopping for makeup (and only one visit to Sephora). And with government recommendations for people to stay at home as much as possible, fewer flights, and hence less workdays - and fewer occasions to wear makeup. 

Sunscreen, body oil, lash growth serum, facial roller and Sephora's birthday gift for 2020

Handmasks, body butter and bronzer

KKW Beauty Classic eyeshadow palette

Biotherm - Water lover sun mist SPF 30 (200 ml): I needed a sunscreen for the Icelandic summer days, and got tempted to buy this one as there was a tax free, and an extra discount on Biotherm products. The bad thing? I seem to be allergic to something in it, well I can use it without problems if I put it on before I go to the swimming pool. But if I put it on in sunlight, and stay in the sun, I get little bumps on my skin that take up to 2 weeks to disappear. 

Evy - Sunscreen mousse SPF 30 (150 ml): I should have just stuck with tried and true Evy sunscreen. It works, and is hypoallergenic

Moroccanoil Body - Night body serum (100 ml): This I got sucked into buying, after not buying anything for months. The price was $$$ even though I grabbed it on 20% discount. But the smell is divine, have my eye out for a Moroccanoil candle, if it has this scent. 

GrandeLash-MD - Lash enhancing serum (2 ml): Grabbed this in Sephora in March, had the most difficulty to choose between the old packaging and the new, and big or small. After I started using it, I find my eyes to be a bit sensitve, and after hearing Jessica Braun saying the new type makes her eyes sensitive, and the old one does not. Which makes me wish I had bought a smaller one in the old packaging. 

Supergoop - Zinc Screen 100% mineral lotion SPF 40 (50 ml): Glad I was able to snag this one in Sephora in March, as a mineral facial sunscreen had been on my "to buy" list. Love it as it does not flare up my skin. Should use it more often though. 

The body shop - Aloe calming toner (250 ml): As my toner of the same kind is running low I took an advantage of the fact that The body shop was running a 20% discount on all products in their online store. 

The body shop - Oils of life revitalizing facial roller: This product I had been curious about since I saw RachhLoves had praised it in one of her videos. Just purchased it so I have no idea if it works or not.

Sephora Beauty insider birthday gift 2020: This was an easy choice over hair-masks and bad smelling body butters.

• Milk Makeup - Lip+Cheek in Werk (6 g): Super excited for this product, as I was tempted to buy this and give the formula a try.
• Milk Makeup - Kush mascara (3 ml): This will go into my mascara stash, as I think I have 4 unopened mascaras in my drawers. 
• Milk Makeup - Hydro grip primer (1,5 ml): When I finish the primer I have in my beauty goals for 2020 I will use this one, as I am also on a mission in 2020 to use up samples and testers I have stashed.

Sephora - Macadamia hand masks (2 pairs): When I went to Sephora early March, the Covid pandemic had just started, and the constant use of hand sanitizer made it an extra good idea to buy hand-masks, have I used them so far? No, but I think there is plenty of time to use them as Covid does not seem to be decreasing any time soon.

The Body Shop - Cool Cucumber softening body butter (196 g): And I who had promised myself not to buy anything this year just because it was on sale, well I am particularly swag for the smell of cucumber - always have the feeling it is extra moisturizing and juicy. 

Flower - Heatwave luminous bronzer in sunrise L1 (6 g): I ordered this off the Flower website, along with a gift for a friend, had it shipped to Washington, and was going to pick it up at the end of March. Well my flight never went for Washington, but a friend picked it up for me who's flight was on schedule. 

KKW Beauty Classic eyeshadow palette (17 g): I had for a long time been contemplating the Classic and the Classic Blossom palettes from KKW, and swung from one to the other between months. Then they came out with Classic II - but there were too many similar colors in that one, and in the end I decided the Classic Blossom pulled too pink, as there are two other pink pulling eyehsadow palettes on my wishlist. 

What is your favorite beauty purchase of 2020?

Beauty goals for 2020 - 9 month update

It seems a bit weird to be doing an update on my beauty goals for 2020 - one due to Covid 19 and the fact I did swap two of the products out for another two comparable products very early in the year, that is in February or March.

The two products I removed were the following:

Swapped out products

Jucy Couture - Viva La Jucy eau de parfum spray (50 ml): this I swapped out for One direction - Our moment eau de parfum (100 ml). I swapped the two as I believe the parfum from One direction to be closer to expiring than the Jucy Couture parfum. As can be seen in the next picture, the color of the One direction parfum is a slightly amber yellow. Given the fact the color used to be light pink, I would estimate that this bottle is on it's last leg, so I decided to prioritize using One direction over Jucy Couture.

Elizabeth Arden - Green tea honey drops body cream (500 ml): this I swapped out for Jergens BB Body perfecting skin cream - all medium to deep skin tones (221 ml). This I decided to take into the mission for the year, as it is a tad older than the cream from Elizabeth Arden.

There is no point in putting in pictures of the new products from the start, as I did not take any. 

9 month update

One direction - Our moment eau de parfum (100 ml): When I started using this parfum early this year, it was almost full, and the liquid inside reached higher than the "Our moment" text on the glass bottle. Goal: use as much as I can.

Jergens BB Body perfecting skin cream - all medium to deep skin tones (221 ml): I did not measure this product when I started using it this year, but now it weighs 146 g. Goal for the remaining 3 months of the year. Get it down to 90 g. But this product I can only use on my legs, as I did get red on the inside of my elbows after applying this on my arms just before going to bed. The dedication to use stuff up, seriously, why do I not just throw this out?

Yves Saint Laurent - Volupté tint in oil - No. 4 (6 ml): At the start of the year the bottle weighed 25 g, now the wight fluctuates between 24 and 25 g, on a standard baking scale (hint hint not super accurate). That said this is one of the few lip products I still remain to use this year, as it is oil based, and hence nourishing for the lips in some sense. But with Covid 19 travel restrictions, the workload for cabin crew has been minimal since mid March. And the occasion to wear colored lip products are few and far between.

Bourjois Paris - Happy light luminous serum primer (15 ml): When I started the "project" in January the remaining product with packaging weight in at 56 g - now it weighs 54 g - which means I have used 2 grams. And only a few applications of primer remain (but I hardly ever use primer on all of my face. And having to wear makeup way less for work, it is very slow going.

Origins - Drink up 10 minute mask to quench skin's thirst (100 ml): At the beginning of the year the bottle weighted 44 g, now, empty it weights meager 18 g. Meaning I have managed to use 26 g of facial mask this year. This was a roll-over product from 2019, and way over due to get finished up. And I already have another Origins mask going.

Maybelline - Color Sensational lipstick - 235 Warm me up (4,2 g): At the start of the year the lipstick measured at 2,3 cm, and I swear it still measures 2,3 cm, even though I am certain I did use it to go to work tor the half a normal month I had of work (sin mask) in March.

Victoria's Secret - Lip gloss (13 g): Remaining product with packaging was 15 g, now it is 12 g and visible progress can be seen on the tube. But in deed it is really my favorite lip gloss, even though it is probably full of mineral oil, but it keeps my lips moisturized better than my Hurraw lip balm.

Youngblood - Mineral rice setting powder - Medium (10 g): Weighed 36 g at the beginning of the year, now it weighs 32 g, and not a lot remains. I love this powder, and when I have made some dent in my compact powders I will 100% repurchase.

Alix Avien - Pearly eyeshadow - Bronze: My goal for 2020 was to use 2 cm of this eyeshadow pencil, which at the beginning of the year measured 7 cm, so far I have only used 0,5 cm of it. That even when this has been my go to eyeshadow!

Clarins - Lipliner pencil - 02 nude beige (1,2 g): In January it measured from end to tip 12,5 cm, and with the Covid 19 situation, and how rare I use lipsticks, it has not been touched more than three times all year, and at most have used up 0,2 cm.

Current wishlist - makeup contemplations

As many other makeup lovers, I have an constant ongoing wish-list, which is ironically eyeshadow heavy, as that is my biggest vice in regards to makeup. Especially in the light that I do not use it every day and I already have several eyeshadow palettes in my stash already.

Charlotte Tilbury - Luxury eyeshadow palette - Pillow talk - 53 USD @Sephora

Photo credit: www.charlottetilbury.com

I have had my eye on this palette for quite some time, and in my opinion would be the most flattering eyehsadow palette out of Charlotte Tilbury's collection for my complexion and eyecolor. As pink and mauve eyeshadows suit me very well. And am I super curious to test out CT's formula.

KKW Beauty - Classic blossom eyeshadow palette - 45 USD @kkwbeauty.com

Photo credit: www.kkwbeauty.com

I have been very curious about the KKW Beauty eyeshadow formula, last year I was curious about the KKW Classic palette, but when I got a chance to swatch it in Ulta last year, I realized that the original Classic palette was very warm, and as I already have two warm leaning palettes I opted out from buying that last year. 

Huda Beauty - Nude obsessions eyeshadow palette - Nude light - 29 USD @Sephora

Photo credit: www.shophudabeauty.com

At first I was interested in the Huda Beauty New Nudes eyeshadow palette, but I thought it was a bit too big, and contained too similar colors. So when Huda brought out this 9 shade palette I was smitten, as this smaller palette contains more of the pink hues, without the dark pink colours that the New Nudes palette contained (and I would rarely use from the New Nudes palette). This also like the New Nudes palette contains a bit of similar colors, but it does contain similar colors I do really love, and I could see myself use all the colors (except the lilac colour, in the middle of the first row - that I would use the absolute least of)

Huda Beauty - Desert dusk eyeshadow palette - 65 USD @Sephora

Photo credit: www.shophudabeauty.com

I am genuinely super curious about the Huda Beauty brand, as it is the fastest growing Beauty Brand in the world today. This versus the small palette, the small one is super convenient and handy, but a bit mono-chromatic in a way so it crossed my mind that maybe I should go for one of the bigger palettes, and from Huda's collection the Desert dusk is the most versitile (both warm and cool), and not too extreme in colors, plus I just love the names in the palette, Nefertiti, and Turkish delight. But on the downside, I rarely go for bigger palettes, and prefer smaller ones - ohh the dilemma.

Caia Cosmetics - Biibz signature eyeshadow palette - 52 EUR @Caia Cosmetics

Photo credit: caiacosmetics.com

This was the first product from the relatively young Swedish beauty company Caia. It is not the cheapest of palettes, and has some mixed reviews, but I am super curious about the brand, and it's eyeshadow formula. And would love to support an upcoming Scandinavian brand.

Charlotte Tilbury - Eyes to mesmerize - Marie Antoinette/Jean - 32 USD @Sephora

Photo credit: www.charlottetilbury.com

This is a gorgeous product, but omg the price point is up there, sadly now this is not available in store at Sephora anymore, so I might have to venture to Nordstrom to compare the two colors that are most appealing to me, because god forbid, I will not buy two cream eyeshadow products int 2020, already owning five cream eyeshadows in my stash.

Tom Ford - Eye quad - 03 Nude dip - 88 USD @Sephora

Photo credit: www.tomford.com

I have contemplated about the Tom ford palettes, and from a distance, I prefer the wet dry formula, and the nude dip appeals to me, even though it seems to be a super subtle eye-quad. Though I do like it, I seriously doubt that I will buy this quad this year, but it has been and will continue to be on my radar, and as Tom Ford brings out new quads, I will constantly compare them to this palette, and we will see if another one appeals more to me in the future. Plus I have heard that Tom Ford items are not as expensive in the UK, so I will for sure not buy it untill I go to England, if the rumour is true.

Have you tried any of these? How did you like them?

I for sure have to cut this list down, I think (at this point in time) I am least inclined to purchase the Huda Beuaty Desert Dusk palette, simply due to the fact I love to use smaller palettes. I still am super interested in the Charlotte Tilbury Pillow talk pallette, but at the same time wonder if I could get the same look using the Huda Beauty Nude Obsessions Nude Light palette, plus a few different looks for a considerable better price point than the Charlotte Tilbury.

I think I have also talked myself out of the Caia Cosmetics Bibbz palette, as it is quite expensive for what it is, and having to pay shipping and tax-import fees when it would arrive to Iceland is also influencing my decision.

Given the fact that I had set out to only purchase two eyeshadow palettes in 2020 (as a part of my beauty goals for 2020) it will probably be the KKW Beauty Classic Blossom (unless their new launch Classic II appeals more to me) and then it will be either Charlotte Tilbury pillow talk palette or the Huda Beauty Obsessions Nude light palette.

Birthday gifts

So this year I decided to be a little bit more timely in regards to sharing what I was gifted for my birthday (which was on the 11th of February). I will though not be showing all of my gifts, but only the beauty related ones, which were all gifted to me from a group of my girlfriends.

Bronzer, cream, brushes and a blush

Masks for hair, face and under-eyes

Nyx - California beamin' bronzer - CALIBB02 - The golden one (14 g): A gorgeous glowing bronzer with a golden hue, so the name "the golden one" is quite fitting.

Origins - Ginzing Ultra-hydrating energy-boosting cream (2 x 5 ml): Two super neat face cream testers, perfect for work.

Real techniques - Holiday 2019 - Luminous set (3 brushes + a brush bag): In this set there are three brushes; RT 307 shading brush, RT 402 setting brush and RT 221 complete coverage, as well as containing a small brush bag that these three brushes fit easily into. Love this set, already have the RT 402 in a different version, and love to get a second one, even better that it looks different, so I can use it for different products or colors than my original one.

Nyx - Sweet cheecks glow - creamy powder blush - SCCPBG12 - Day dream (5 g): A coral pink bush shade with subtle shimmer, super excited to try this one.

L'oréal Paris Elvital - Steam mask - for long damaged hair (20 ml): This will be perfect when my hair starts drying out and going on a tantrum!
Origins - Drink up intensive - overnight hydrating mask with avocado and gl. water (75 ml): A great replacement for my old Origins drink up 10 minute mask, that is a part of my beauty goals for 2020.

Garnier skinactive - moisture bomb eye tissue mask enhanced with orange juice and hyaluronic acid (6 g): This is supposed to give a skin cooling effect and visibly reduce eye bags and brighten the eye contours! Love me a good under-eye mask.

Garnier skinactive - Hyaluron shot fresh-mix tissue mask (33 g): Omg how interesting, on the packaging it actually states that this sheet mask contains the quantity of 1 bottle of serum for your skin!! That is an insane amount of serum for it to be a single use product! I might actually package this back together, put in the fridge and use again, the morning after I use it for the first time! If even all of the 33 g manage to soak into the sheet mask in the first place. 

Anything here on your wish-list?

Beauty goals for 2020

Since the year 2017 I have chosen 10 beauty products each year to focus on for the year, this year being no different.

The products for my beauty goals for 2020

So here come the ten products I decided to focus on for the year 2020, and the reasons why I chose them:

Yves Saint Laurent - Volupté tint in oil - No. 4 (6 ml): Remaining product with packaging 25 g: As this is a lip oil I purchased a few years back, so it is about time for me to use it up, before the oil in the product goes off and becomes unusable. As well as this seems to be a discontinued product from YSL.

Bourjois Paris - Happy light luminous serum primer (15 ml): Remaining product with packaging 56 g: This is the first of two roll over products from 2019. There is just a tiny little bit left, but a small amount goes a long way, and in all honesty I really need a one give me product or two.

Jucy Couture - Viva La Jucy eau de parfum spray (50 ml): Remaining product with packaging 291 g: As this is one of my older perfumes, it is about time for me to use it up before it goes bad. I love the smell far to much to let it go to waste, plus the fact that the color of the perfume seems to have darkened a little bit, which could be an indicator that the scent is about to turn off.

Elizabeth Arden - Green tea honey drops body cream (500 ml): Remaining product with packaging 427 g: So many of my friends have recommended this body cream, so I bought it at the CPH airport a few years back, and have barely used it. As it is an expensive product, and contains mineral oil (which I try not to buy these days), it is due time for it to get used up!

Origins - Drink up 10 minute mask to quench skin's thirst (100 ml): Remaining product with packaging 44 g:This is a roll-over product from 2019. No matter how much effort I put into finishing this product last year I just was not able to finish it. So now in 2020 I really have to grab the bull by the horns and put mask Mondays firmly into place and knock this product out.

Maybelline - Color Sensational lipstick - 235 Warm me up (4,2 g): Remaining product from base of lipstick 2,3 cm: This is one of the older lipstick I own, and seems not to agree with my perioral dermatitis, but I do love the color and want to use it up. I mainly use it for work, and I do not go in every day, so my skin seems to tolerate it in moderate dosages. When it is done, I am for sure going to get a Mac lipstick that is super similar in Modesty - sometime in the future - right after the project? Hopefully not, as I have a lot of lip products to burn through.

Victoria's Secret - Lip gloss (13 g): Remaining product with packaging 15 g: One of the oldest lip glosses I own, and way due to get used up.

Youngblood - Mineral rice setting powder - Medium (10 g): Remaining product with packaging 36 g: Actually this is my only loose powder, but I have several setting powders that I have not broken into yet, in any real way. So I want to knock this one out, to have one less setting powder in my stash.

Alix Avien - Pearly eyeshadow - Bronze: Remaining product from end to tip 7 cm: I thought it could be an excellent idea to focus on one cream eyeshadow product each year. To make sure I am getting some use out of them before they dry out on me, as well as to defer me from buying a whole lot of them, just for them to sit in my collection and go bad. And as I used this in December 2019 I could feel it was not as creamy as when I purchased it, and it is the second oldest cream eyeshadow I have in my collection (after Maybelline color tattoo, which was in my "Beauty goals for 2019"), it was a no brainer to put it in this project. My goal? To use 2 cm of it this year.

Clarins - Lipliner pencil - 02 nude beige (1,2 g): Remaining product from end to tip 12,5 cm: I rarely use lip pencils at all, so as I have five of them in my stash, it was a perfect idea to put one of the older one into this project, as a reminder, both to use lip liners, and to defer me from buying any more of them. My goal is to use half of it up.

Other goals for 2020:

1. No nail polish purchases
2. No purchases just because there is a discount
3. Maximum one cream eyeshadow purchase for the year 2020
4. Maximum two eyeshadow palette purchases in 2020
5. Keep an ongoing wishlist
6. Only one lipstick purchase

Do you have plans to empty something in the coming year?

Beauty goals for 2019 - Results

My beauty goals for 2019 went so so, so to say!

I managed to finish four of the ten products I set out to finish in 2019, so a success of 40%. Which is a bit of a less progress from 2018 and 2017. But progress is progress, and now I have managed to use a few products up and thus declutter my collection of a few items.

The empties  of my Beauty goals for 2019

Managed to finish one item from this picture

What I managed to finish up:

Lumene - Bright now vitamin C eye cream (15 ml): Finally I managed to finish this eye cream, sadly the new eye-cream I have contains a whopping 30 ml of product. But compared to how many years it took me to finish 15 ml, I would prefer eye-creams to come in 10 ml bottles.

L'Occitane en provence - Verveine body lotion (250 ml): So glad I managed to finish one of my body lotions, many to go

Avon - Moroccan argan oil (30 ml): This is the second bottle of this hair oil I manage to finish up, and it works wonders for the ends of my hair, to say the least. I was so afraid I would miss this product so much I decided to grab the Ordinary, 100% marula oil for my hair.

Inglot - Bright amber - solid perfume (2,3 g): This was one of the first products I managed to finish up. Did I like the scent; yes, the solid perfume application; no.

The remaining products from 2019 - which I did not hit my goal on

Left outstanding, unfinished products, or the products I did not manage to finish are the following:

Bourjois Paris - Happy light luminous serum primer (15 ml): I can not believe I did not manage to finish this primer, as I have used it religiously for the last five months of the year, given the fact that I do not use makeup everyday. I would guess though it would only take me about five uses to finish it up.

Cover Girl - Ready set gorgeous - 115 (30 ml): After owning this product for years, believing the bottle was of a non see-through type, it turned out to be see-through! And now I can see there is just a tiny little bit remaining of the product. Starting the year at 2/3 remaining of the product, I am super glad it is as good as finished!.

Cover Girl - Ready set gorgeous foundation - December 2019

Origins - Drink up 10 minute mask to quench skin's thirst (100 ml): I am starting to think in this empties, the rule of five that remains, as I can guess that about five uses are remaining. Maybe ten.. but maybe I should really implement a Mask Monday this year, and really get this product done for good.

Express - Love Express eau de parfum (10 ml): I have never taken such a long time to finish this small amount of a perfum. At the beginning of the year 2019, I had a little bit less than a full bottle left, and I think I can estimate that I have finish about half of the perfum up, of what remained in the beginning of the year.

Maybelline - Color tattoo 24hr - gel cream eyeshadow - 35 on and on bronze: This is the second time this product is featured in one of my "Beauty goals" projects, as it was a part of my "Beauty goals for 2017" - that year my goal was to hit pan. Then this year, 2019, the goal was to hit side pan, which had to be modified as when I started to use the product, it was too stiff, so it had to be stirred up, which totally revived the product. But from the 4 month update, some visual progress can be seen. But if I can say that I reached my original goal to hit side-pan, I am not sure of.

Maybelline - Color tattoo 24hr - December 2019

Bourjois Paris - Somekey eyes trio - 09 Lady vert de gris (4,5 g): My original goal for this product was to hit pan on the only eyeshadow that was in this small palette without a pan. I seem to have made some progress though from the four month update on the shadow from April untill now. 

Bourjois Paris - 09 Lady vert de gris - December 2019

Other goals of 2019 were the following:

1. Not to buy any colored nail-polishes (nail strengheners and top coats not included in the definition of "colored nail-polish"). = I bought one nail topcoat from Essie (with a colored nail polish in a duo pack) = Small fail
2. No impulse buys, or buys just because there is a sale or discount = I did buy a Clarins eyeshadow brush on 40% discount (but I had been thinking of buying a brush like that before). Also I bought Inglot duraline, and a pink Inglot eyeshadow, as the store was closing in Iceland. Plus the fact I did buy a totally unnecessary lipstick and concealer on Christmas eve = Big fail
3. Max 1 perfume purchase = Did not purchase one perfum the entire year of 2019 = Success
4. No buy January and No buy March - maybe other months to be scheduled later on = Kept a No buy January and a No buy March - did not schedule other no buy months though! = Success
5. Max 2 eye-shadow palette purchases = Bought one eyeshadow palette, and was gifted one = Success
6. Max 2 brush purchases = Bought three = Small fail

Did you do a project pan - or set any goals for 2019 - how did you do?

X-mas gift haul 2019

Of the Christmas presents this year, a few were beauty related...

X-mas haul 2019

Dr. Organic Manuka honey gift set: My nephew and his partner gave me this lovely gift set for x-mas 

     Dr. Organic - Manuka Honey - hand & nail cream (125 ml): This is an amazing hand lotion, me and my mom tired it over christmas, and omg it moisturizes, goes quickly into the skin and leaves the skin super moisturized so you can even feel the difference the day after you apply it. And the bottle is big and generous and will last for some time for sure.

     Dr. Organic - Manuka Honey - Skin lotion (200 ml): Super excited to try this one, if it even half as good as the hand cream I am in for a treat.

     Dr. Organic - Manuka Honey - Rescue cream (50 ml): I have tried this face cream before with excellent results. I decided to give it a try back in 2017 - and I did love it, as it worked really well for my sensitive skin, prone to perioral dermatitis.

Feel Iceland - Amino marine collagen - Pure Icelandic collagen food suppliment (300 g): Collagen seems to be the new buzz word in the beauty community, at least in Iceland. There has been some discussion about both food suppliments and facial creams. And as my sister knew I was curious about this stuff, so she gave me one for x-mas to try!

All in all, I got great gifts for Christmas this year, all of them very useful and handy.

Hope you had a good holiday season and a happy new year!

Empties May - December 2019

So there has been some time since I did an empties tally..

Empties May - December

 More empties

Sóley - Græðir hand cream (50 ml): An excellent moisturizing hand cream, rich enough to make your hands feel soft, but not so thick and rich your hands feel greasy.

Garnier - Micellar cleansing water (125 ml): One of my absolute favorite micellar water in a perfect travel size.

Sephora - Triple action cleansing water face & eyes (400 ml): An average cleansing water, still I prefer the Garnier one, but I love the packaging on this one.

La Roche-Posay - Anthelios lotion SPF 30 (250 ml): I picked this one up in Greece 2017, and managed to finish it this summer on the sundeck at my Boston hotel.

L'occitane - Verveine - cooling hand cream (30 ml): A super light hand cream, not very moisturizing at all.

Bio Effect - EGF serum (5 ml): A small sample size I was gifted. Not my favorite, as it is super sticky after you apply it to your face, but will still use up samples I am given.

Bio Effect - Micellar cleansing water (30 ml): A perfect size to take travelling, a good micellar water, not sure it is worth the regular price tag, which does not apply to me as this was gifted to me.

Avon - Moroccan argan oil (30 ml): An excellent hair oil I used in the ends of my hair, which was a part of my "beauty goals for 2019".

Dr. Hauschka - Facial toner (10 ml): This tester has totally changed my ideas about toners, it is amazing to have it in a sprey bottle, so you can forget messing around with cotton pads. You simply sprey it on and you are done. Good on the environment as well.

Lumene - Arctic spring water enriched - facial mist (100 ml): The product itself is amazing, but I do not like the mister on the bottle, as it spreys such a super fine mist, it kind of sits on top of your peach fuzz above your skin. I just put it in another sprey bottle and it worked perfectly.

Vichy - Aqualia thermal serum (30 ml): LOVE this serum, perfect for sensitive skin. The only grievance is the fact the pump straw, does not reach to the bottom of the bottle. So you have to tip the bottle over to get all the product out.

Lumene - Bright now vitamin C eye cream (15 ml): The time stamp on this product states it is good for 12 months after opening. But how on earth can anyone finish a 15 ml bottle of eye cream in one year? Certainly not me! This I have had for two or three years. Finally I manage to finish it, the only thing though is the fact the eye cream I am using now is 30 ml. Please cosmetics companies can you just make eye creams that come in 10 ml bottles?

Supergoop - Daily correct CC cream - Broad spectrum sunscreen SPF 35 (tester): I got a tester of this product, as it is a 100% mineral sunscreen. And I do in deed love it. It is a bit stiff, as mineral sunscreens tend to be, but perfect under makeup!

Sensai - Concealer brush type - SPF 15 - CB02 Medium (2,6 ml): This concealer lasted for ages, even though it only contains 2,6 ml of product, same again is supposed to be used 12 months after opening. I am pretty sure I had it for two years though. It now has been discontinued, and now comes in a different packaging, with different shade names.

Weleda - Everon lip balm (4,8 g): I completely used this lip balm up to the bone, as I scraped all of the product out from the base. An excellent lip product.

Yves Saint Laurent - Mascara volume Babydoll (2 ml): I have had a tester of this mascara before, and omg even in the tester form it is AMAZING.

Drunk Elephant - Umbra Tinte - Physical daily defense broad spectrum sunscreen SPF 30 (tester): This I also decided to try as it is a purely mineral sunscreen. I prefer this type over the one from Supergoop. Still the one from Supergoop is better if you want to use it without makeup as it is more sheer in color.

Dr. Hauschka - Rose daycream (1,5 ml): A super thick moisturizer, so thick you start to pull and tug on your skin. The cream felt good once on, but too much of a hassle to spread out.

Nature Republic - Real nature hydrogel mask - Aloe vera (22 g): This sheetmask came with whopping 22 g of product. I used the sheetmask itself, once, and poured the rest of the liquid that was remaining in the packaging into a little jar, and was able to use the remains of the product several times, just spreading it out on my skin as a liquid mask and leaving it on for a few minutes.

Skyn Iceland - Hydro cool firming face gels for smile lines (3,1 g): When I was going through my stash of testers in the afternoon on new years eve, I came across this product. And as it felt really hard in the packaging, I decided to open it up, to see if it had dried out. Not at all, what I felt was the plastic tray the mask-pads come in. So there was nothing else to do than to put the mask on for the 10 minutes before doing my makeup for new years eve dinner at my sisters house.

Shea Moissture - African black soap (230 g): This soap has totally saved my perioral dermatitis. I bought it on a recommendation from a perioral dermatitis group on Facebook. Have repurchased already. 

Did you finish anything up recently?

October-December haul 2019

Me on a low buy for 2019....?
Well it did not quite turn out like that!!

Sensai - Bronsing gel -BG 62 amber bronze (50 ml): I had heard so many girls raving about this product, especially at work, so when it was on offer I decided to grab one and give it a try.

Becca - The glow starts here: I grabbed this trio in Ulta, using a 20% discount code, as they were all half size products, and all I have been wanting to try. It contains:

     Becca - Backlight priming filter (15 ml)

     Becca - First light priming filter (15 ml)

     Becca - Under eye brightening corrector (2,3 g)

L'oreal - Magic root cover up - Medium brown (57 g): I grabbed this bottle as my sister can not stop raiving about this product, and how good it is at covering up grey roots.

Charlotte Tilbury - Matte revolution luminous modern-matte long-lasting lipstick - Very Victoria (3,5 g): Seriously is this the longest product name ever? But I have for sure went totally overboard in lipstick purchases in the year of 2019. But I have spent some serious time in Sephora and Nordstrom over the last year, swatching different CT lipsticks, and I figured out a few months back this would be the color I wanted. I had planned to buy it sometime in 2020, but caved in when I spent Christmas in Washington. So I bought it as a gift for myself!

The Ordinary - 100% Cold-pressed virgin marula oil (30 ml): I bought this oil as a replacement for the Avon Maroccoan argan hair oil I am finishing up as a part of my project pan 2019. And this can be both used on skin and in hair. And am I quite curious about marula oil.

Lush - Sugar plum fairy lipscrub (25 g): When I was walking around the streets of Amsterdam, in the cold November weather my lips were peeling out of control. Knowing Lush had a lip scrub in their stores I jumped in and grabbed a scrub, and it managed to heal my lips in the course of a day.

Rudolph Care by Andrea Rudolph - Acai facial mist -Purifying and firming facial toner (30 ml): This I picked up in the CPH duty free, thinking it was a moisturizing facial spray, perfect to carry in my purse for work. But toner comes in just as handy while travelling in a small bottle.

Victoria Beckham Beauty - Lid lustre - Mink (5 g): I was way to curious about the Victoria Beckham beauty brand, so I just had to order one product from her line to give it a try. And I did wear it for the first time to a Tarkan concert in Amsterdam in November. It is a very crumbly eyeshadow - but I have to give it a better try with an eyeshadow primer. Perhaps at new years eve!

Fenty beauty by Rhianna - gloss bomb universal lip luminizer - fenty glow (9 ml): Again the girls at work's recommendations get me in the mood to try out new products. So I picked this item up, as a mater of a fact, two, one for me and one for my friend who I met in Amsterdam for the Tarkan concert. I chose this color, as it seemed to be the most universally flattering one for every day.

Sunday Riley

     Good genes lactic acid treatment (5 ml tester): I got this and the other Sunday Riley sample as a point perk at Sephora. The Sunday Riley products were always so hyped up on Youtube so I jusst had to give it a try, plus I had not seen any interesting point perks in store for ages.

     Sunday Riley - A+ high dose retinoid serum (5 ml tester)

Maybelline - Instant age rewind eraser - multi use concealer (6 ml): I had managed not to pick this up in store as a back up for the entire year of 2019 - so in December I finally gave in and grabbed it as a back up. Do I need a concealer in the near future? No I already have two opened wand concealers, plus the new Becca one.

Did you do any good last minute purchases in 2019?