Back with Project Pan!

Project Pan

It's been a long while! I've used up quite a few products in the interim. Here are some items that I've reviewed previously and finished up.

Project Pan Item #40: Swedish Skin Eye Cream

I have a bunch of these to use up but I'm currently using my favorite Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye.

Project Pan Item #41: Maybelline One-by-One Mascara

This is the second tube of this mascara that I've finished. I liked it a lot and wouldn't mind repurchasing it.

Project Pan Item #42: Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm (Hibiscus)
Hibiscus was a new shade for me. It was very close to my natural lip color, perhaps even a tad lighter on some days, so it was a good neutral, easy-to-use shade for anytime. I generally like the Burt's Bees tinted lip balms but my favorite of the ones I've tried is Rose.

Project Pan Item #43: MAC Fluidline (Blitz & Glitz)
Blitz & Glitz is supposed to be a very deep, dark brown with some shimmer but the particles are very subtle, and the liner on the whole just ends up looking black. I have no problem with that and the product itself is great, but if you're looking for something that will look different than just a plain black, then don't expect much from this shade.

Project Pan Item #44: Estee Lauder DayWear
Still loving it, and still using it.

Project Pan Item #45: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat
Will mostly likely go back to this as soon as I'm done with my current bottle of Seche Vite.

Project Pan Items #46, 47: Neutrogena Eye Makeup Remover (not pictured)
I've definitely gone through at least 2 of these but possibly more! I'm working through another now and plan to continue repurchasing it.

Essie: Mochacino

Essie Mochacino

Essie's Mochacino is an elegant greige-taupe with frosty silver shimmer. It is so dimensional- it can look gray, purple, or brown, depending on the light and angle. Just beautiful.

Mochacino (natural light)

Mochacino (with flash)

Neutrogena: Deep Clean Cream Cleanser

Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser

Project Pan Item #39: Neutrogena's Deep Clean Cream Cleanser.

This classic item has been the most consistent product in my beauty regimen since my high school days. It's one that I cannot be without. I don't pack it with me when I visit home because it's not travel size, and I find that my skin always seems to break out. I can't say with certainty that that's due solely to a lack of this product but I wouldn't be surprised if that was a big part of it.

For reference, my skin has changed over the years. In general, I had dry, sensitive skin with oil buildup in the T-zone throughout college and post-graduation (from 2005-2012). Last fall, my skin started to get oilier so I'd say that I'm now normal with oil in the T-zone. I've used the Deep Clean Cream Cleanser throughout these phases and I have not found it to irritate or adversely affect my skin at all. I will say, though, that if your skin is extremely dry, this may not be something you want to use everyday as it does remove oils.

The Deep Clean Cream Cleanser is a thick mousse-like paste. It's quite solid for a cream. It has an odd, herbal scent to it but I've grown accustomed to it after all these years. It doesn't foam but it does provide a cooling sensation as you rub it into your skin. I use it as my nighttime cleanser because I feel that it provides the deepest clean of all my cleansers so I trust it to remove my makeup.

This has probably been in my life for 10+ years now and I don't see that changing anytime soon. I've repurchased it time and time again so I recommend it wholeheartedly.

MUA Eyeshadow Palette: Heaven and Earth

MUA Heaven and Earth Palette

MUA Heaven and Earth Palette

MUA had a sale back in November and free international shipping to boot so I went ahead and treated myself. I justified it by telling myself I had to replace my beloved MUA shadow in Shade 11 (reviewed here) anyway after it fell and crumbled into pieces. I decided I might as well get the palettes I'd long been interested in too.

The Heaven and Earth palette includes 12 dime-sized shadows in a lovely array of neutrals. All of them are satin finish, some with more shimmer than others. They're similar to the individual eyeshadows (same review as linked above) in that they feel like pressed pigments but these are drier and less creamy to the touch. Even so, they wear beautifully with good pigmentation. They blend like a dream.

The most impressive thing about this palette are the colors. They're beautiful and more dimensional than I expected. Some of them have very subtle duochrome to them, which I will point out in the shade descriptions below. These are all neutral-to-warm, which suits me perfectly as I'm not so into cool tones these days. There's an excellent range of shades from light to medium to dark so the palette is extremely versatile.

Swatched in same order as palette

Row 1 (L-R):
Shade 1- a creamy ivory.
Shade 2*- a warm medium red-brown.
Shade 3- a golden tan.
Shade 4- a light pink with perhaps a very subtle violet flash.
Shade 5- a deep brown with with subtle pink-violet flash.
Shade 6- an orange copper.

Row 2 (L-R):
Shade 7*- a gorgeous brown with mauve tones.
Shade 8*- a pretty pinkish-brown nude shade.
Shade 9- a light pink champagne; similar to Shade 4 but much more pigmented and with more silver frost.
Shade 10*- a beautiful violet taupe-brown.
Shade 11*- a deeper warm red-brown compared to Shade 2.
Shade 12: a more violet deep brown version of Shade 5. It's like the baby of Shades 5 and 10.

*Indicates a favorite shade of mine.

I really have to say that MUA continues to impress me. This palette is incredible in and of itself for the color range and the quality of the shadows. Then take into account that it's only £4 (equivalent to $6) and it's beyond amazing. I highly recommend it. The only downside to it that I can think of is that it doesn't include matte shades. I don't mind that at all but I know that's an important consideration for some people.

Heaven and Earth eye look (I think with Shades 2, 4, 8, and 11)

Heaven and Earth eye look (I think with Shades 2, 4, 8, and 11)

Project Pan: Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Coffee Cake

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Coffee Cake

Project Pan Item #38: Maybelline's Dream Bouncy Blush in Coffee Cake, which I have reviewed before here. I still love it now as I did then!

Buxom Stay-There Eye Shadow: Golden Retriever

Buxom Stay-There Eye Shadow in Golden Retriever

Golden Retriever

I've reviewed this product in other shades before (see here). Because I was so impressed with them, I decided to get the shade Golden Retriever, which is a shimmery coppery-bronze. It's a lovely cream shadow that's extremely soft, smooth, and pigmented. I also think it's quite dimensional. On first swipe, the color is more shimmery but as you blend it out, it gets more satiny in finish. All-in-all an excellent product in a lovely shade.

My original thoughts on the product stand- these are impressive easy-to-wear, long-lasting shadows. I continue to recommend them!

Golden Retriever

Golden Retriever across lids

Final look: Golden Retriever across lids with darker brown shadow blended into outer corner

Femme Couture Mineral Effects Baked Eye Colour: Creme Brulee

Femme Couture Baked Eye Colour in Creme Brulee

Femme Couture Baked Eye Colour in Creme Brulee

Femme Couture's Creme Brulee eyeshadow is one of my all-time favorites. I don't even know how to explain the beauty of this shade. It's a very simple warm peachy nude that has just the right amount of shimmer. Paired with my other favorite eyeshadow, The Body Shop's Taupe, it is just perfect for an understated yet radiant and polished eye look. Creme Brulee and Taupe were my go-to eye colors last year in the spring and summer, and they're back again as I eagerly await spring's arrival to Boston.

The formula of the shadow is a dream. Very smooth, pigmented, and it blends beautifully. It also seems to have magical lasting power. Like I said, I used it religiously last year but I don't even notice a dent in it, whereas I've already hit pan on Taupe, which I almost always use alongside with it.

This is a baked shadow so I believe it may be worn wet or dry, but I've only applied it dry.

I found this at a Sally's Beauty Supply. I had never heard of the brand before so I decided to give it a try. I'm so happy that I did. It retails for $7.99 for 2.2g of product, compared to MAC's $15 for 1.5g. Great deal for an amazing eyeshadow. I'd definitely repurchase this if/when I run out.

Creme Brulee

Creme Brulee on inner half, Body Shop's Taupe on outer half

Same look as above but on different day so that you can see variation in coloring due to lighting