On a sample roll

I guess you could say I am on a sample roll at the moment, as I have been taking advantage of the fact that you can get a free sample of almost any item they offer at Sephora. Which is perfect for my sensitive skin which does not seem to tolerate any given product. So it is perfect to be able to test it before purchasing.

Sephora samples

 Samples and a blush

Beauty on the fly bag  - picture borrowed from Sephora.com

Sephora mask and Skyn Iceland eye mask

I would highly recommend to anyone to get a sample of the product you want to try out in Sephora, as one of these little pots lasts for several applications, so you can get a real feel for the product. And these were the three products I was keen to try:

It cosmetics - Your skin but better CC+ cream with SPF 50+ (fair);  This one at first try I really thought would not suit my perioral dermatitis-prone skin. As I got a few bums around my mouth after the fist application, but the trick with this one is to apply a thin layer. The first try I applied way to thick of a layer as I did't know the pigmentation would be so great. This I love to apply with a beauty blender, and it is quite likely that I would like to buy this in the future, as it has a high SPF factor, given that I probably do not apply it thickly enough to get the full effect of the 50+ SPF, but it might get to a 25 or 30 with how I apply the product. Full info here.

BareMinerals - Complexion rescue tinted moisturizer (opal); I used to LOVE the Garnier miracle cream, which was a light tinted face cream with SPF 20. I think that this might be something light and similar to that one, or I could use it as a base for other foundations which do not contain SPF. Full info here. 

Drunk Elephant - Umbra tinte physical daily defense broad spectrum sunscreen SPF 30; this I thought could be a perfect first step, including SPF, before applying a foundation which does not include an SPF, which I have in my arsenal. I also have a foundation which has only an SPF 15 so this could be the perfect base. Full info here. Have yet not tried it.

Benefit - Hervana blush (7 gr); I was missing a light pink blush in "my collection" and had really wanted to try one of the Benefit box powders, so I stumbled upon this particular blush in the Benefit store in Boston, where I had my brows done as well. I would have preferred to buy it in Sephora, and get points for my purchase, but as Sephora does not carry this color anymore, I opted to buy it in a Benefit store. And I love the color, a perfect everyday color, which is the type of a color I tend to get the most use out of. 

Madara - Anti polution CC cream SPF 15 (light beige and medium beige) (2 x 2ml); I can't even remember where I heard about this product for the first time. But I was lucky enough to grab a sample in a store in Reykjavik, and got both shades as me and the sales associate could not figure out which color would suit me better. But I figured that this might suit the same purpose as the Drunk Elephant umbra tinte spf sunscreen, to be used underneath a foundation which does not contain any spf. Full info here.

Sephora - Beauty on the fly bag; I grabbed this one in Sephora as I needed a small bag under my liquid products I keep in my cabin bag on the regular (a micellar water and toner). So I opted for this bag.

Sephora - Ultra moisturizing and brightening Rose face mask: I got this as a sample with my purchase when I got the Sephora Beauty on the fly bag. A pretty good deal here to get a mask worth 6 USD with a beauty bag for 4.95 USD. Full info here. 

Skyn Iceland - Hydro cool firming eye gels with hexapeptide technology (3,2 gr - one pair); One of my co-workers swears by this, so much he gave all of the members of our crew a pair of these. It is supposed to firm and de-puff in 10 minutes, and it is recommended to use this treatment once a week. Full info here. 

Have you tried out any of these?

Beauty goals for 2018 - Six month update

As it is about six months into my year long project to pan or finish my ten items for the year 2018 (original post here), so I figured it would be about time to give an update into how the project is going so far.

I have reached my goal for four of the items from the project pan

I have finished two of the items which are as follows:

The body shop - Vitamin C skin boost (30 ml): I managed to finish this product up, it was a kind of a serum/primer - will probably not repurchase as I did not like the consistency of the cream - as it had a bit of a silicone feeling to it - but I prefer more creamy or liquid products.
Dove - Repair therapy, Color radiance hair mask (200 ml): managed to use this one up, but it only had about 3-4 applications left.

Empties - orignial photo from December 2017.

The other two items I have reached my goal on are these two:

Wet and wild - nailpolish in the color 442A (14 ml): this has finally reached the point that it's almost impossible to use, it is super thick and takes FOREVER to dry - but I really love the color and as it turns out it has been hard to replace.
Maybelline - depotted eyeshadow in a champagne shimmery color: my goal on this product was to hit pan, and was a roll-over product from 2017. And in fact I managed to hit pan early January!

Over night hair mask - nail polish - primer

Eye kohl - eye shadow - blush - foundadtion

The progress on other products:

Dove - intense repair overnight cream (120 ml): I have used a little less than half of what was left of the overnight hair mask, I for sure have to use it more consistently for the remainder of the year.
Bourjois Paris - Happy light luminous serum primer (15 ml): Sadly I did not mark this product in the start of the year, but it is clear I have used very little of it. So I will for sure have to use it more consistently for the next six months.
Lancome le crayon kohl noir (0,7 g): At the start of this year this measured 3,5 cm and now it measures 3 cm long. So in six months I have managed to use up 0,5 cm of it.
Clinique - Blush in Fig (1,8 g): I have for sure expanded the pan on this blush since the beginning of the project. But I am not using it right now, as I am giving it a bit of a break over the summer, so I can use some of my other blushes.
Estée Lauder - Double wear, stay in place powder makeup SPF 10 (16 g) - color 2N2 Fresco 01: I can see a small "wear" in this one, at the beginning of the year only a quarter of the pan rings was showing, but now the entire ring is showing. But according to this progress, I might think it is impossible for me to use this item up in this year. But all progress is good, and I will keep using it, it is one of my favorite foundations, and better yet, it does not seem to aggravate my perioral dermatitis.

And then there is one item missing in the photos, as the pump broke on my body lotion:

Victoria's secret - Unwrap me, beauty rush, whipped cream and winter pear, body dial-a-shimmer lotion (200 ml): as the pump broke on this one, I managed to crank it open and depot it, I reckon I have finished half of it - which is quite convenient as then I will for sure manage to finish it before the end of the year.

Have you had any progress on your goals for 2018?

USA haul continues

So here are come a few more items I picked up in the last few stop-overs in the States

Sigma brushes and nail polishes

Strengthening nail polish, hand creams and a makeup remover

Face mask

Sigma - Eye shading E55: This is exactly what I was looking for when I bought the Elf eye shadow brush, which turned out to be very different from the one I had previously from Elf. But the Sigma brush is beautiful, picks up eye shadow beautifully and deposits it on they eye perfectly.

Sigma - Blending E25: I was also on the hunt for a blending brush, as I wanted to have the most essential brushes in my makeup bag ready to go, and another set in my bathroom where I always do my makeup. And this brush was do disappointment either, blends product beautifully in the crease.

Sally Hansen Color therapy - 200 Powder room (14,7 ml): I was looking for a dupe for the Wet and Wild polish in 442A, that I decided to finish up this year and is a part of my beauty goals for 2018. This is a bit lighter than the Wet and Wild but pretty close.

Essie - Tea and crumpets (13,5 ml): I got this one first thinking it was a dupe for my Wet and Wild in 442A, but this is more pink than the Wet and Wild one, which is more of a peach nude.

Nailtiques - Formula 2 (7 ml) (12,99 $ + tax @CVS): One of the senior stewardesses on one of my flights recommended this polish for peeling nails, and said this was the only thing that worked for her nails which had the same peeling problem. And as The opi nail envy does not seem to be doing any miracles on my nails I decided to pick this one up and give it a try.

Kiko - intensive hand cream (60 ml): I thought I was running out of hand creams at home so I decided to pick this one up as it has a pleasant and a nice scent and seemed very soothing on my hands when I tried it out in store.

Lancome - Bi-Facil double action eye makeup remover (200 ml) (40 $ + tax @Sephora): I am running out of a good eye makeup remover, and as Lancome Bi-Facil has never failed me before I decided to pick it up in Sephora.

Nature Republic - Lime hand cream (30 ml) (8,90 $ + tax for 2 @Nature Republic): I ran into this cute little store in NYC where they were selling these Korean cosmetics, and body products. And did the hand creams just suck me in as there were scented with very different scents from the average hand cream.

Nature Republic - Avacado hand cream (30 ml): as there was an offer 2 for 8,9 $ this was the second one I chose.

Nature Republic - Real nature hydrogel mask with aloe vera (22 g): There were several different masks to choose from, but I decided to pick this one up as many of the cabin crew tend to burn in Boston, and as that is my next stop I decided to pick this one up, just in case.


So now less than one month after my latest "haul" I have managed to buy three more items from my quota for the year of 2018, three more nail polishes. So now I have gotten up to 15 out of 18 of the quota for 2018. But given that nail-polish is something I have to wear for work, it is not the absolute worst spending of my quota.

USA haul

So as my summer job for 2018 as a flight attendant will bring me to the United States of America several times over the course of the next few months, so here come the hauls for beauty products for my first three stops:

Haul one

So in my first stop over in Seattle, I managed to pick a few items up:

Elf - eye shadow brush (1 $ + tax @Target)- I bought this one as a backup for an older similar Elf eye shadow brush, but sadly they have changed the hair bristles. And it does a terrible job at applying color to my eyelid. I have to try it on more eye shadows, but now I can only see it being used wet to apply pigments, or wet eye shadow - as it does an ok job at that.

Estée Lauder - advanced night repair serum (7 ml) (16 $ + tax @Nordstrom Rack) - I have really wanted to try this serum out for some time, but as my skin can't handle any given product, I really wanted to be able to try it out before investing in a full size bottle. And finally I stumbled upon a small sample bottle, and can't wait to try it out

Elf - pencil sharpeners - set of 2 - (1.22 $ + tax @Target) - I wanted to buy a closed pencil sharpener, for two sized pencils to put in my cosmetics bag, ready to go with me to work, and this one fitted the bill, and on at a superior price. 

Shea moisture - African black soap with shea butter, troubled skin/severely dry skin (230 g) (5.99 $ + tax @Target) - 

Two oceans - Soothing Aloe Vera, Purifying charcoal - Deep cleansing charcoal soap bar (225 g) (3.99 $ @Ross) - I just couldn't resist picking this soap up as it is made in South Africa, and contains Aloe Vera and is black in color, as the African black soap, so it might work perfectly for my perioral dermatitis, if not I can always use it as a body soap in my shower. 

Haul two

Sephora - Pro brow brush no. 20 (18 $ + tax @Sephora) - I grabbed this to put in my travel makeup bag - to go with the brow powder duo. And it performs perfectly.

Anastasia Beverly Hills - Brow powder duo - soft brown (2 x 0.8 g) (23 $ + tax @Sephora). I asked for assistance at Sephora, and was recommended the auburn shade, as I have a hint of red tones in my hair, but did not dare to venture in that direction, and she tried this on me and it looked great in the store. But in retrospect as I continue to wear it I feel like it is a bit to warm for my brows, so I might actually return this color and exchange it for medium brown.

Mac - eye shadow in Kid (6 $ + tax @Mac) - as this is possibly a limited edition re-launch I decided to pick this shadow up, as I had heard so much about it on Youtube as the perfect crease color. And I am constantly on a hunt for one of those. 

Haul three

Sonia Kashuk eyeshadow brush- detail smudge no. 230 (11 $ + tax @Target) - as I busted my Elf detail crease brush, which I used as a smudge brush, I decided to pick this one up in Target.

Neutrogena - makeup remover cleansing towelettes - 25 ultra-soft cloths (6.29 S + tax @Target). A friend of mine recommended these towelettes, and said they get off all traces of makeup, even waterproof mascara. So I grabbed the type that comes in the plastic tub, which will be very convenient on the go.

So by now I have successfully finished my entire original quota (of 12 items) of color cosmetics for the entire year of 2018.

I had a very similar project/goal going on in 2013 - except in that particular project I did not count any purchases into the total count that I purchased abroad. With that in mind and considering I have only finished five items from the haul I made in Seattle in 2013, and two of those items being mascaras, I really have to start using my products more before I hoard any more. Still I am going to raise the total number of colored cosmetic purchases for the year 2018 to total of 18 items. But those remaining six items left then for this years quota have to be considered carefully before purchasing. And they have to have a very particular function in my collection.

One month haul

So in the month of April, I managed to use up my "quota" for seven months!

April haul

As I had space for two eye shadows in my Inglot palette, and Inglot in Iceland was running an offer of buy one item, and get the second free, I decided to get tow colors; 423 (a purple brown eye shadow, with a bit of a red undertone) and 337 (a light crease color, with a hint of a pink undertone). So now I have a complete 5 pan Inglot palette, a mix of cool and warm shades. And I love them all, great pigmentation and blend-ability. I am truly hooked on Inglot now and am eyeing a few more shades for future purchase.

At Gatwick airport I picked up the Urban Decay - Naked 2 - eye shadow palette. It has been on my wish-list for a few years, and as my sister and nephews had given me cash designated for an UD palette, I took advantage of the great price at the airport.

As I was wandering around the streets of London, I decided to drop in on the Burberry Flagship store on Regent Street, and take a closer look at the Burberry eye shadows, which I have heard SO much about, but never seen in person before. In particular I swatched Pale barley and Almond, but opted for the Burberry eye shadow in Almond no. 103, as my online research showed that a combination of Urban Decays Naked 2 shadows; Suspect and YDK mixed together, looks very similar to Pale Barley (see here).

As with so many other things, I fell for an offer at Lily Lolo where they offered free shipping, so I grabbed the Lily Lolo BB cream in light, as I had heard so many good things about it in relation to perioral dermatitis.

And thanks to Jennifer Lopez collaboration with Inglot and the launch of the limited JLO x Inglot collection, I fell into temptation, and bought an JLO x Inglot eye shadow in Lilac grey (J307), on retrospect it is a very similar color to UD Busted in the Naked 2 palette. Though Busted has a bit more brown hue to it, than Lilac grey.
The one item that does not count towards my quota, is the Sigma eye shadow brush in E45. I had heard so many good reviews online about this brush for hooded eyes, so I went for it when Fotia.is was offering a discount.
As with the Burberry cosmetics, I had never been to a Charlotte Tilbury counter before, until I visited one in Selfridges on Oxford Street in London. But as I already have so much makeup, I could really not justify buying another eye shadow palette, blush or a lipstick. But as I only own three other lip liners, and none of them in a similar color to the Charlotte Tilbury lip liner/lip cheat in Pillow talk, I could justify one lip liner.

So with that said, I have now purchased whopping ten items this year of my twelve item limit for the year of 2018 - and it is only May! 

My oh my, how am I going to cope with my work bringing me to the states several times this summer? I might have tor raise my limit this year - if I double it, it would be 24 items this year, which still in my opinion is way too much! I might consider multiplying it with 1,5, giving me a limit of 18 items in the year 2018 - which undoubtedly has a nice ring to it. I will keep you posted

Empties February - April 2018

So here are the empties for the monts of February, March and April. Also there is included a one declutter.

Shampoo, body cream and face creams

Mascara, concealer and lip products

So for the three months from February and until the end of April I have finished up seven products, and decluttered one.

Nip+Fab - Tummy fix (100 ml): this gel cream is an anti cellulite cream, which I used on my thighs by a recomendation by an icelandic beauty guru, I never used it consistently enough though to see any difference, but glad it is finished. Will not repurchase.
Maria Nila - Pure volume shampoo (350 ml):  a sulphate and paraben free shampoo from the super popular Swedish brand Maria Nila, It was good, but maybe not as good as the hype about it suggest, and the price tag? Super expensive in Iceland.
The Body Shop - Vitamin C skin boost (30 ml): a kind of a serum cream, which had a bit of a slippy feeling - for sure not a favorite.
Lumene - Lahde (spring water) Intense hydration 24h moisturizer (50 ml): my absolutely favorite moisturizer - already have a backup, but I also want to try the Lumene vitamin c cream.
Lumene - Blueberry wild volume mascara (7 ml): this used to be my absolutely favorite mascara, that was before they changed the wand on it -
Nip+Fab - Eye fix (2 ml): this is the item I decluttered, and oh my gosh, it was never good. It is a super pinky concealer for under eyes, but when I pulled it out of my stash it had separated, and the forumula was all lumpy, so to the bin it goes.
Dior - Dior addict gloss in 643 Diablotine (6,5 ml): a warm coral shimmery gloss, which was bought years ago. Really liked the dior formula, would like to buy this formula again in a different tone, when I have managed to finish some of my glosses and lipsticks I already own.
Labello - olive and lemon lip balm (4,8 g/5,5 ml): a great lip balm that does not aggravate my perioral dermatitis rash to burst out.

What have you used up lately?

Three month haul

One of the goals I put for myself in 2018 - was not to buy more than 12 beauty items in the following categories; makeup, nail polish and perfumes for the entire year of 2018. So that adds up to about one item per month.
So my shopping for January, February and March tallies up to three items form the particular categories that I have a 12 item limit on, and one item that I don't have a particular limit on.

Three month haul

The eye-shadows were a birthday treat for myself on my birthday, they are from Inglot, and did I pick the colours 303, which is a matte pinky colour with a hint of terracotta orange, and 450 which is a shimmery cranberry colour. They are really blendable and gorgeously pigmented, and am I really intrigued for more products by the brand.
The other two items I bought the other day when I was going through duty free, I was for sure not going to buy any nail polish this year until I would finish the polish that is a part of my "Beauty goals for 2018". But as I have to wear a lightly colored nail polish for my summer job this summer, and Essie help me grow and Nicole by OPI moisture plus, have not been working any wonders on my nails recently I decided to grab OPI Nail Envy in the color bubble bath. That way I could wear it for work and still strengthen my nails.
The forth and final item in this haul is the Clinique, take the day off, cleansing balm. This one does not count towards my 12 item limit for the year of 2018, but I had heard so many good things about it, I decided to try it, also I have to wear a full face of makeup this summer, so this was specially bought for that reason.

Have you bought anything recently?