Project Pan Again: More Speed Reviews

Project Pan Item #57: Neutrogena Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover
Reviewed here.

Project Pan Item #58: Gwen Stefani L.A.M.B. Fragrance Body Lotion
This lotion came as a set with the perfume, which was the first fragrance that I ever purchased, way back at the beginning of college. It is my favorite scent by far. I don't know how I happened to get it right the first time around, but no fragrance since has ever worked as well on me. With every other perfume that I own, I find that I might like them for a short period of time but something always gets to be a little off about the way they wear on me. Not so with L.A.M.B. Sadly, this fragrance has been discontinued. Luckily, I have a back-up in storage. As for the lotion, I really enjoyed it. It was quite light and thin in consistency, so it spread easily over the skin and sunk in quickly. It certainly was not greasy or oily. It provided decent moisture, although I'm not sure that it would be sufficient for if you're very parched.

Project Pan Item #59: Butter London Kitten Heels
Reviewed here.

Project Pan Item #60: Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash
My roommate re-gifted this one to me. It is a lot like the Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser (reviewed here) that I have been loyal to for years and years. It is similar in consistency but perhaps slightly thinner, plus it foams when you rinse it. Otherwise, it leaves the same squeaky clean feeling when you use it. Now that I'm through with this tube, I will be returning to my trusty Neutrogena cleanser because it accomplishes the same effect as far as I'm concerned.

Project Pan Items #61, 62: Maybelline The Rocket Mascara (Waterproof)
I liked this enough to go through two tubes of it but I'm not committed. While it did a nice job of thickening the lashes, it could get clumpy. The wand was fat and had such short spikes that I had to apply a bit more force in order to wedge my lashes between, which sometimes meant I smudged the mascara onto my lids. I'm on the hunt for something better.

Project Pan Item #63: Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye
Reviewed here.

Project Pan Item #64: Estee Lauder Resilience Lift Firming/Sculpting Face and Neck Creme
While I have generally been impressed with Estee Lauder's skincare, this is one item that I was not a fan of. Something was off about the fragrance. It initially smells like a nice floral but it very quickly distorts into something sort of sickly, almost like an old matronly sort of scent. It was a thicker cream, and sort of greasy feeling. I also found that it would pill as I rubbed it into my skin. I only managed to finish it because I started using it exclusively on my neck, where the oiliness of the product didn't bother me so much.

Project Pan Item #65: Estee Lauder DayWear
Reviewed here.

Project Pan Item #66: Maybelline Baby Lips Dr. Rescue Medicated Balm in Soothing Sorbet
This one was a disappointment. It didn't feel particularly moisturizing or soothing. In fact, a lot of times my lips felt more chapped once the product wore off. The shade was a bit too similar to my natural lip color so it did nothing to enhance it. I would not recommend this.

Project Pan Item #67: Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm in Cherry Me
I actually finished up this tube of Baby Lips balm prior to trying the Dr. Rescue one reviewed above. I much preferred the original formula, which had better slip and moisture. I also preferred the shade of Cherry Me. I would not mind repurchasing this but the packaging is a deterrent for me. I find it to be a bit garish and juvenile.

Project Pan Item #68: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat
Reviewed here.

Project Pan Item #69: Blistex Moisture Melt SPF 15 Lip Protectant/Sunscreen
I quite liked this product initially. The formula is a bit like Vaseline but more gel-like and thick. It left my lips feeling soft and moisturized. It has a nice light scent. However, while there is still quite a bit of product left in the tube, I am only getting oil out when I squeeze. I suppose the product must have separated out in the tube. For that reason, I don't care to try this again.

Project Pan Item #70: Physician's Formula Nude Wear Concealer
Reviewed here.

Project Pan Item #71: Urban Decay Primer Potion (Sample Size)
Reviewed here. The original formula is probably my favorite primer to date. I highly recommend it!

That's all for now! I can't wait to throw all these things out.

Project Pan: Speed Reviews

More Project Pan

Here are some more items I have used up, with just some brief reviews:

Project Pan Item #65: Butter London Kitten Heels
Smelly feet? This will help! This is a deodorant foot cream that has a light clean scent. I'm already onto my next tube. Butter London used to make one in a strong woodsy, natural sort of scent but I think they discontinued it, which is why I started using this one in Kitten Heels. The former scent had stronger deodorizing capability but the fragrance could also be a bit overwhelming. This one is not obnoxious and it does a decent job at keeping my feet fresh.

Project Pan Item #66: The Aloe Source Jojoba Radiance Cleansing Polish
This is a trial size item from a Glossy Box. I kept it in my shower and used it as a morning cleanser. I enjoyed its refreshing scent. It was densely packed with small polishing beads that they weren't too coarse or abrasive. I liked this but it is not something I will be repurchasing because I don't find anything particularly special about it, and it s not something I can easily find in stores.

Project Pan Item #67: Neutrogena Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover
Reviewed previously. Still loving it. I'm on my next one already.

Estee Lauder DayWear

Project Pan Item #68: Estee Lauder DayWear
I've reviewed this before, and I have gone through so many tubs of these. It's my favorite moisturizer!

Project Pan Item #69: Naobay Oxygenating Cream
This is another item I received in a Glossy Box. It was a nice moisturizer with a fresh, clean scent. It's texture wasn't as creamy as the Estee Lauder DayWear but it wore nicely, wasn't sticky or greasy, and I enjoyed it. I have no intention to repurchase it though, just because I love the Estee Lauder DayWear so much. Plus, it does not include SPF.

Project Pan Items #70 and #71: Estee Lauder Re-Nutriv Ultimate Lift Age-Correcting Creme
I got these as parts of Gifts with Purchases for buying either the Estee Lauder Daywear or the Advanced Night Repair Eye. The Re-Nutriv Creme is a much thicker, richer moisturizer that I used as a nighttime moisturizer right before bed. It has an elegant scent, and it was a wonderful moisturizer. I'm sure it was great for my skin during the very dry, cold winter months but it's not like I noticed any dramatic difference in my complexion while I used it. I would be happy to use it again if I received it in a GWP, but I will not be purchasing it on my own just because I don't feel I'm at a point where I need to have something heavy duty for aging skin.

Project Pan Item #72: Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub
I first tried this product a long, long time ago, possibly in high school but definitely during college. It has a wonderfully refreshing grapefruit scent and I like the way it can lather and foam. The beads are bigger and coarser than the ones in The Aloe Source's cleansing polish but they're also much less dense so they're not abrasive. I use this as a morning cleanser and I feel that I get a nice, squeaky clean from it. I am already on the next tube.

Project Pan Item #73: Soap & Glory Hand Food
God, the scent is amazing. I loved this. I think I got it as a bonus point thing from Sephora a few years back. It was a great hand lotion that didn't leave my hands feeling too greasy. I have to say though, the scent does go bad so don't let it sit too long.

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder

 Project Pan Items #74 and #75: Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Transparent
I initially got this because of all the hype on YouTube. When I first started using it, I applied it with a dense brush only over the T-zone area. I found that it looked heavy, and it didn't end up keeping me matte anyway. However, one day, I decided to apply it all over my face with a fluffier brush and I found that the effect was much more rewarding. It has a way of smoothing everything over so that everything just looks finished and polished. I still find myself shiny by the end of the day but I don't mind because I think that's natural. I'm sure if I applied more of this throughout the day it would help but I can't be bothered to touch up. I like that this is very affordable and easily accessible, so I plan to continue repurchasing it.

Project Pan Item #76: Rimmel Match Perfect 2-in-1 Concealer and Highlighter
Reviewed previously here. Loved it, and I have another tube ready to go.

Finally, there are a few items that I have already documented under Project Pan but I just wanted to show that I made further progress. I am now ready to call it quits and throw these out:

Tarte Natural Cheek Stain in Flawless

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Coffee Cake

Tarte's Natural Cheek Stain in Flawless was Project Pan Item #56 (reviewed here), and Maybelline's Dream Bouncy Blush in Coffee Cake was Project Pan Item #38 (reviewed here). I have been very into pink cheeks this past year and while this may be excessive, my current makeup routine calls for three blushes. My regimen started with the Tarte blush, followed by the Maybelline Bouncy Blush, and I finished off with a powder blush. I found that the cream blushes underneath helped the powder blush to last longer, and they helped to enhance the flush. I think I have now exhausted these two cream blushes, so it is time for them to retire.

That's all for now!

Project Pan Black Eyeliner Pencils: Sumita Beauty Kala Color Intense Pencil vs Milani Liquid Eye

Sumita Beauty and Milani Eye Liner Pencils

Project Pan Item #63: Sumita Beauty Kala Color Intense Pencil in Black ($15)

Project Pan Item #64: Milani Liquid Eye Liquid-Like Eye Liner Pencil in Black ($7.99)

Given my early morning work hours, I've been striving to whittle down my morning routine so that it's fast and efficient. In this process, I have rediscovered eye liner pencils, which I had long given up in favor of gel or cream eye liners. I love the control and precision that I get from applying gel or cream eye liners with a brush. I had never in the past found that I could get as sharp or clean a flick from eye liner pencils. Not so anymore. Let me explain.

Sumita Beauty Kala Color Intense Pencil in Black

This all started with the Sumita Kala Color Intense Pencil that I received in a Glossy Box. Like I said, I had not thought to try a pencil liner in ages. This one was a pleasant surprise because it was incredibly creamy, long-wearing, and very black. I found that it was a breeze to swipe this along the lash line because the texture was so smooth. Then, because there was some leeway before the liner set into place, I found that I could use an eyeliner brush (the one shown above) to drag out and shape the ends of the line into a sharp flick. Once the liner set, it was budge-proof. I actually received this item when I was preparing for Coachella last year and trying to figure out a simple yet effective makeup routine. I ended up bringing this with me to the music festival and it held up impressively, through heat, sweat, sand storms, etc. I clearly loved it enough to use it up to the nub you see pictured.

Milani Liquid Eye Liquid-Like Eye Liner Pencil in Black

When I was about finished with the Sumita pencil, I started itching for a replacement. The Sumita pencils are not readily available in stores so I thought to re-try the Milani Liquid Eye Pencil in its sharpen-able form, of which I have owned the brown shade in the past. I remembered it being creamy with good longevity along the waterline, though I don't recall that I ever used it along the upper lashline. Long story short, the sharpenable pencil in Black was not available at my local CVS but the mechanical version was, so I went ahead and purchased it. Much like the Sumita pencil, the Milani Eye Pencil is also incredibly smooth, intensely black, and sets nicely into place. It also is more accessible and affordable! Best of all, you never need to sharpen it!

L-R: Sumita Kala Color Intense Pencil; Milani Liquid Eye Liquid-Like Eye Liner Pencil

(NOTE: hardly any product left in Milani pencil so it was hard to swatch, normally more pigmented)

I will say that since summer of last year, I have noticed more often than not that my liner to tends to smudge or stamp across my lid by the end of the day (right side only, because of the way my lid creases on that side). This never used to be a problem for me. The timing of this phenomenon coincided with when I started using the pencil liners regularly, which again coincided also with when my schedule began to involve early mornings and long days. I switched back to gel liner to see if pencil liner was the culprit or if it was something to do with my skin (perhaps changes in oil production, or maybe increased perspiration from being on my feet for many more hours of the day). I did find that my tried-and-true MAC Fluidline also smudged and stamped, although less dramatically than either of the pencil liners. Hence, while it does appear that changes in my skin are partly to blame, the pencil liners also don't hold up as well on oily lids as a gel liner.

Given that I am experiencing this smudging with both gel and pencil liners, I have just accepted that this is something that is going to happen when I wear liner. I still very much appreciate the ease and convenience of the pencil liners so I am continuing to use them. I will not be repurchasing the Sumita pencil, although I did enjoy it while it lasted. I love the Milani one because it works just as well, is readily available, about half the price of the Sumita pencil. Plus, not sharpening the product means I get to use every bit of it, rather than losing product per sharpening!

Rimmel Match Perfection: 2-in-1 Concealer & Highlighter in Light 245

Rimmel Match Perfection 2-in-1 Concealer & Highlighter in Light

A while back, I raved about the Physician's Formula Nude Wear Concealer (see review here), which I loved for its ease of use and very natural looking finish. After I finished up that pen, I went back into my stash and pulled up Rimmel's Match Perfection concealer. I remembered loving this product but it had been stowed away and forgotten. How glad am I for this rediscovery. I love the Match Perfection Concealer for all the same reasons that I love the Physician's Formula Nude Wear Concealer, but even more so because it's better!

Rimmel Match Perfection 2-in-1 Concealer & Highlighter in Light

Like the Physician's Formula Nude Wear Concealer, Rimmel's Match Perfection Concealer is also a highlighting concealer. It too smooths over and brightens the complexion while offering a very natural finish. There is something special about the shade (I wear it in Light) in that it has just the right hint of warm pink tone so that its coloring is spot on for me, neither too light and white, nor too cool and ashy. Where it outperforms the Nude Wear Concealer is in its coverage. Its consistency is less fluid and more creamy so that it offers better coverage, but it still remains fluid enough to blend in with ease. I like to use this exactly as I did the Nude Wear Concealer- along the center of my face, under my eyes, and on and around my nose. I blend it out with my fingers and it just melts right into the skin. I do find that it can cling onto dry flaky skin, although nowhere close to the way that I always found foundation to do. Patting over the dry areas with moist fingers seems to do the trick to blend the flakes away.

Rimmel Match Perfection 2-in-1 Concealer & Highlighter in Light

Rimmel Match Perfection 2-in-1 Concealer & Highlighter in Light (blended out)

It comes in a squeeze tube with the product coming out through a built-in brush. The packaging is not my favorite because it gets harder to squeeze out as the product dwindles down. The product also builds up along the inside of the cap so that it looks messy. For me, these are minor complaints. I actually find the built-in brush to be quite handy as it makes it fast and easy to swipe the product exactly where I want it.

For $5.99, I feel that Rimmel's Match Perfection Concealer is a steal and a must-try. It comes in several shades, which is another pro that it has over Physician's Formula's Nude Wear Concealer. If you grab this during a drugstore sale, you really won't have much to lose in giving it a try!

On right: after application of Match Perfection Concealer to center of face

Project Pan: Another Round!

Here goes another round of finished products that have previously been reviewed:

Project Pan Item #57: Physician's Formula Nude Wear Concealer

Project Pan Items #58-59: Estee Lauder DayWear

Project Pan Item #60: Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye

Project Pan Item #61: Swedish Skin Anti-Aging Eye Cream

Tarte Natural Cheek Stain: Flawless

Tarte Natural Cheek Stain in Flawless

Project Pan Item #56: Tarte Natural Cheek Stain in Flawless

I purchased a trio of mini-sized Tarte Natural Cheek Stains a while back. At the time, I think Tarte was best known for these products.

Tarte Natural Cheek Stain in Flawless

The Natural Cheek Stains are twist up tubes of solid cream blushes. They have a light floral fragrance that I quite enjoy. The texture is oil-based and somewhat tacky, but it blends out easily with fingers or a synthetic brush. I do not agree that these are stains because they sit on the skin rather than sinking into it.

The shade Flawless is a light-to-medium peachy pink that has light pigmentation. I've been using this as a base blush because I find that the stickiness is great for holding onto the other blushes that I layer over the top. I don't use it as my sole blush because the pigmentation is too light and I fear that with its texture, it will melt or fade away quickly without something set over top. I do find that with my current blush routine (that involves 3 different blushes, including this one) my cheek color lasts well throughout the day. However, I cannot attribute the longevity purely to Tarte's Cheek Stain.

Tarte Natural Cheek Stain in Flawless

Tarte Natural Cheek Stain in Flawless, blended out (note oily texture sitting on skin)

This Cheek Stain was a nice part of my routine but I won't miss it once it's finished. I know there are better cream blushes available that offer better pigmentation and wear (like Stila's Convertible Colors). I don't believe Tarte even makes this shade anymore but I would not recommend it if they did. It is not worth getting just to use as a base for other blushes.

Tarte Natural Cheek Stain in Flawless

Forever 21 Nail Color: Blue Print

Forever 21 Nail Color in Blue Print

Forever 21's nail polish in Blue Print is an amazing vibrant cobalt blue creme that I think is so fresh and cool. It is very easy to apply as it glides on evenly with good opacity, and dries down quickly. Sadly, the wear time is terrible. I started getting chips by the second day and had to remove it by the third. I don't mind because the color is so awesome, and it didn't take a lot of work to apply in the first place. Plus, it was very affordable at $2.90 (and there are discounts available all the time)!

Forever 21 Nail Color in Blue Print (ambient light)

Forever 21 Nail Color in Blue Print (with flash)