April - June Haul

So I am obviously doing very well while I try to cut back on my cosmetics purchases as I continue to purchase more cosmetics and skincare items. This time there are a few sunscreens in the mix, lip products, skincare, makeup brushes and an eyeshadow.

Sunscreens, lip mask, lipstick and a facial mist

Face mask, makeup brushes and an eyeshadow

Dóttir skin - 50+ Icelandic mineral sunscreen (88 ml): My friend gave me this among a few items in this haul for my belated birthday present. It is very liquidy, kind of too for this kind of packaging, it would be better in different kind of packaging, as if I lay it open on the counter it leaks out. 

Byoma - Liptide lip mask (5 ml): This slided into my cart during a Target trip, complete accident purchase. It is clear and I have yet to try it out more.

Bio Effect - Icelandic water mist (70 ml): Another item my friend gifted me for my birthday. I loved the spray I owned from them before, that came in a different packaging - so she really choose well for me. 

Violette FR - Bisou Balm sheer matte lipstick in Calisson (2.5 g): I had previously contemplated purchasing this lipstick in a few other different colors - but ended on purchasing this nude color. We will see how we get on with this formula, and if I turn out to love it, I will for sure buy it in a more orange, poppy color.  

Derma - 30 Sun lotion High spf (200 ml): I purchased this while on a very short overnight work trip in Copenhagen this spring. I have owned this sun lotion before and I liked it very much so it was an easy repurchase for the summer ahead. 

Derma - 30 Face sun lotion High spf (50 ml): As I do like the body version of this and as this was not expensive I decided to purchase this one as well in Copenhagen.

Dóttir Skin - Ljóma dew mask - Hyaluronic acid complex niacinamide (34 g): This was the third item my friend gifted me for my birthday. Which is a good reminder to be better at using face masks.

Lumene - Valo Nordic C exfoliating gel cleanser (150 ml): My friend from Finland came to stay with me a few nights in Iceland, so she gifted me this gel clanser along with the Lumene hydrating mist. 

Sephora - Colorful eyeshadow - My dear nude (1 g): This I was tempted to purchase during a Sephora sale, when all Sephora Collection items are on 30% off. I never imagined though that this would weigh only 1 gr. But the color swatched nicely and is the perfect crease color. 

Lumene - Valo Nordic C Glow refresh hydrating mist (50 ml): Another item my friend gifted me, I am quite intrigued to give this facial mist a try.  

Mac - Prolong wear concealer - NC20 (tester): I forgot my concealer whilst on a work trip to Vancouver Canada, so instead of buying another concealer I went to mac to get a tester. So from now on this will just live in my travel makeup bag in case I forget to bring a concealer on the next trip.

Sephora - Pro concealer brush no. 71: I have the Hourglass version of this concealer brush. This I purchased with a very specific purpose, as I saw Tiffany D use a similar brush to contour the eye area. 

Sephora - Pro foundation brush no. 47: I already have this brush which I use quite a lot, so I decided to purchase another one as I use it for different color cosmetics. 

Have you made any purchases of late?

Project pan 2025 - final results

How did my project pan for 2025 go? Here are the results - which I have to admit might be an all time low results since I started doing somewhat of a project pan in 2016.

I managed to hit my goal on three products

Of these items I hit my goal on no item

Guinot - Lounge vie mains (15 ml):

Weight at the start of 2025: 20 g

Goal: Finish it

Weight at the end of 2025: 12 g - so I used about 8 grams of product, and the lotion is not finished

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

Weight at the start of 2025: 224 g

Goal: Finish it

Weight at the end of 2025: 22 g (empty packaging)

Bioeffect - EGF Body serum (120 ml):

Weight at the start of 2025: 159 g

Goal: Finish it

Weight at the end of 2025: 143 g - so I only used about 16 grams of this product.

Bioeffect - Osa water mist (60 ml):

Weight at the start of 2025: 83 g

Goal: Finish it

Weight at the end of 2025: 26 g (empty packaging) 

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

Weight at the start of 2025: 229 g

Goal: Finish it

Weight at the end of 2025: 223 g - I was nowhere near to finish this one, but I did have to add some water into it, as it had dried out quite a bit. My skin has changed quite a bit in 2025 from 2024 and has become more oily - so I might add this into my 2026 project pan.

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

Remaining product at the start of 2025: 2/3 of the gloss remained in the tube, and standing upright the gloss reached the T in Fenty

Goal: Use it up

Remaining product at the end of 2025: 1/2 of the gloss remains in the tube, and standing upright the gloss sits between Y and B

Ecooking - primer (30 ml):

Remaining product at the start of 2025: Half

Goal: Use it up

Remaining product at the end of 2025: None, it is finished.

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

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

Goal: Finish it

Amount remaining in the bottle at the end of 2025: The oil sits just below the sticker on the glass. 

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

Amount remaining at the start of 2025: When standing upright the gel sat in the tube between the O and D in BODY 

Goal: Finish it

Amount remaining at the end of 2025: The gel sits between the H and E in THE - and I did stop using it over the course of the year, as it left clear flakes in my eyebrows and did not leave a desirable look. Now after being stored with the empties for 2025 and declutters, which is what will happen to this product now; it will be decluttered as the product has gone bad and is separating.  

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

Length of pencil at the start of 2025: 11.5 cm

Goal: Use 0.5 cm of it

Length of pencil at the end of 2025: 11.5 cm

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

Length at the end of 2025: 2.1 - so I did almost reach my goal and did manage to use 0.4 cm of it

Becca - Under eye brightening corrector (2.3 g):

Weight at the start of 2025: 22 g

Goal: Use it up

Weight at the end of 2025: Without the cap 19 g

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

Goal: Use it up

Results: The color was way to dark and I ended up throwing it away.

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

Goal: Use it up

Results: I ended up depotting this into a small cream bottle, and used it a few times to mix in with my foundation as it also was a tad too dark to use on it's own. 

So all in all, I just reached my goals on three of my items I had plans to use up, or use a specific amount of. As for my other goals, to be on a makeup and skincare no buy until Black Friday 2025 (with a few exemptions), use a face mask once a week and a hair mask two times per month. Truth be told, I did not stick with any of them. 

It is a similar results as in my 2023 project pan - where I also managed to only finish three items. This will help me focus for 2026 - and boil things a bit down for the upcoming year. To only have about ten items in my goals, and select them more carefully so I will be able to get better results for the year to come. 

For other goals I set myself for 2025: 

A no-buy until Black Friday in makeup and skincare for 2025: Well I failed that 100% 

Use a face mask once a week: Failed

Use a hair mask two times a month: Failed

Exemptions from the rules in the case of an emergency and products that do not count: I could buy two products in case of an emergency, as a matter of fact I did not have any emergency, and the birthday gifts from Sephora and Ulta would not count. So with that taken into account I did buy myself 11 color cosmetics (plus I got one more as a gift from Sephora) and bought whopping 13 items that could be considered as "skincare".

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. 

Goal: Finish it.

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".

April - June haul 2024

It´s time for a shopping update for the last three months, at the beginning I was feeling like I was doing very well, and buying less than usually, well that took a turn... 

Sensai, Clarins, Lancome and L:A BRUKET

Brush, tools and assortment of products

Sensai - Kabuki brush with satin pouch: This came with the Sensai foundation promotion. And works amazing with the foundation. 

Clarins - Lip oil balm in 01 pale pink (2.9 g): As this is the second lip product I purchase this year I have finished my quota for 2024 I set in my project pan for 2024.

Lancome - Le 8 hypnose (8 ml): I got tempted by this product on a stock sale, even though I am officially on a mascara no purchase - but as it was only 1.500 ISK or 11 USD, and thus cheaper than many drugstore mascaras I got tempted and decided to buy it.

L:A BRUKET - No013 Foot scrub soap (240 g): This I grabbed on a sale for over 50% off, I thought it might be genius for my sometimes tired cabin crew feet, as it includes pumice and oils.

Sensai - Total finish foundation in TF103 warm beige (11 g): I fell for the re-packaging launch of this product as it is claimed to be a cult favorite amongst Icelandic women. And it came on a discount and with a kabuki brush in a pouch. I was a bit baffled by it at first though, as I felt it did exaggerate fine lines on my face, but I found the solution to that to put less powder on. The rule of less is more is proven once again.  

Sephora - Pro foundation 56: I bought this during the Sephora sale where all Sephora products were on 30% discount. I decided to grab this as I feel like the BK brush 101 foundation brush being a bit to big at times. The Sephora 56 is much smaller, and gives a lighter coverage, which I prefer most of the time. 

Every drop - The original beauty + lip spatula (2 pack): I ordered this from Amazon (see here) to be able to get hard to reach remnants of products, glass jars with a pump in particular. The problem is though that the longer and bigger spatula, is too wide, a whopping 1,6 cm wide, and the pink part is not very flexible, and thus it does not fit into the average cream and foundation glass bottle, and I might have to cut a part of it off! 

Real Techniques - miracle concealer sponge: This I got tempted to buy to use with my Miild concealer, as it has a tendency to cake a bit and separate under the eyes - I had the idea that this might blend it out 

Sally Hansen - Cuticle massage cream (11 ml): This I stumbled upon in CVS, and as I had a coupon for purchase, which basically meant that this was for free - I snatched it as it comes highly recommended by a friend of mine. 

W7 - Brow grip - instant brow grip (13.5 g): My friend was decluttering a few beauty products and offered me to take what I wanted, and this looked interesting, so I decided to give it a try.

Lume - Whole body deodorant - invisible cream in soft powder (14 g): What a perfect idea, to be able to buy such a mini deodorant to give a new brand a try. And perfect for travel!

Covergirl - Clean fresh clean color eyeshadow in 222 dreamy pink (4 g): This was presented in a few Youtube videos as a potential dupe for Charlotte Tilbury pillow talk quad. I do not own the Charlotte quad, but it has been on my wish-list for quite some time. The Covergirl quad surprisingly though, especially the pinky shade, nr. 2 from left - pulls very warm on me, borderline orange. I am not sure if the Charlotte Tilbury quad would do the same. 

Kiehl's - Ultra facial overnight hydrating maque (3 ml): This I believe came with the Sensai foundation - and will be used for sure.

Initially I started to think I was not doing so badly for the last three months, but when everything comes together I was not doing so well at all, and I who had my eyes set out for a infra red face mask, and going on a mini weekend holiday next weekend, I am not sure at all how the year is going to go.

Birthday gifts 2021

My friends all seem to have an excellent understanding that I love beauty stuff, so I tend to get a few beauty related birthday gifts each year amongst other things, 2021 being no exception.

Beauty related birthday gifts

Becca - Shimmering skin perfector, pressed - Champagne pop (2,4 g): My first Becca highlighter, and the company has declared it is closing down in September 2021. Could not be much later onto the train.

A&K - Face gel scrub (100 ml): This had been on my radar for some time so it was the perfect birthday present, and I am super excited to finish my old scrub and give this one a try. 

GlamGlow - Bubblesheet oxygenating deep cleanse mask (1 mask): This I have tried once before, but boarderline irritated my skin, or the edge of my lips to be exact. 

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.

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.

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?

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?

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?