I've Done It :) Project 10 Pan Update and Conclusion

All those months ago when I started Project 10 Pan I never thought I would actually manage to finish it, but I have :)
On Thursday I finished my final two items, first up Bourjois Coup de Theatre 2 in 1 Mascara in 51 Noir Exceptionnel i.e Black 9ml :)

I have to apologise for being a bad beauty addict but this little thing has been open since at least November BadLouLou, way too long for a mascara I know. I have to say I really hated this at first it didn't do anything but as time went on and maybe the formula started to dry out I started to really like - the rubber / plastic wand separated the lashes and the formula really added length - I also liked using it on my lower lashes where you sometime get spotting with bigger wands.

I am not 100% sure I would repurchase this but it was certainly a decent mascara alas it was starting to dry out a bit which wasn't really surprising considering the amount of time I've been using it, so that was goodbye to item number 9.

It was between two products as to which would be my final item but my Lancome Juicy Tube is hanging on, it's a bit like The Magic Porridge Pot, it just seems to be going on and on ! So the final item was a foundation from the discontinued brand Models Prefer - The Models Prefer Hands Free Light Diffusing Foundation in Medium 59ml

I got this ages ago in a set I got from QVC - the foundation basically came in a squeezy tube with a sponge attached. It wasn't a bad foundation to be honest but it was a little bit dark for me so I only tended to use it in the summer or when I had been on holiday. As it was nearing the end of it's life though I cut the tube in half and mixed it with a lighter shade of foundation so I could use it up :)

So that's my 10 - the products I finished were:

10.Models Prefer Hands Free Light Diffusing Foundation - Medium 59ml
9. Bourjois Coupe de Theatre 2 in 1 Mascara - 51 Noir Exceptionnel - 9ml
8. Boots 17 Mirror Shine Lipstick -Nudist Peach
7. Laura Geller Invisible Oil Blotting Powder - 10.50g
6. Laura Geller Spackle Make Up Primer - 28g
5. L'Oreal Matte Morphose Souffle Foundation in 110 Ivory Rose - 20g
4. Collection 2000 Big Fake False Lash Mascara - Ultra Black 17 - 8ml
3. ELF Luscious Liquid Lipstick - Baby Lips - 1.5g
2. id Bare Minerals Foundation - Medium Beige 2g
1. Laura Geller Balance & Brighten - Regular - 9g

I finished a nice balance of products including powders, foundations, lip products and mascaras, my one real disappointment was that I didn't finish any eyeshadows :(

I've made a little video talking about Project 10 Pan, my experience and my conclusions which you can see here as well as pics of all my finished items



I found my Project 10 Pan experience an extremely valuable one, admittedly Christmas fell slap bang in the middle so I got a few items which I really wanted but on the whole it was easier than I thought. By looking at my make up collection I rediscovered lots of items that I'd forgotten about which was almost as good as buying new things. Sorting through my products has really made me realise not only how many similar products I own but also how many things I just don't use - my friends and relatives, ultimately Give and Make Up and you guys through my blog sales have or will be the benefactors of my often thoughtless spending. (I will be posting a blog sale update soon alas it won't be tomorrow but it should be sometime next week -I'll keep you posted on that and a couple of ebay listings that will be going up this weekend)
Looking at new launches and talked about products made me a little bit depressed at times but 9 times out of 10 I became able to either find a dupe in my collection or to see it for what it was hype. It's a funny thing isn't it for ages I bought something from pretty much every MAC collection but since Christmas I have skipped every collection, and what have I really missed out on probably not much. Now that I am free to buy again I have to admit I have placed a little online order but that isn't from MAC Surf Baby it was for some Wet N Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Palettes from ebay :). Not only that but I went to the Metro Centre on Thursday after I had finished my last two items and I didn't buy any make up bar the Impulse / Barry M combos - the first thing my mum said was what did you buy from MAC, so she was surprised that I had stayed strong.
I'm not saying my love affair with make up is over, it certainly isn't I have my heart set on a few things from MAC Fashion Flower and maybe the new summer mineralized collections, and lots of budget things look worth a shot, but I think my purchases will become a bit more selective from now on. I mean seriously how many nude lipsticks does one person need? and why do I continue to buy bronzers when I very rarely wear them. From now on I am going to try and buy things that I either actually need or things that really are different from what I already have or even items that I know I really will wear, and I do not need anymore mascaras! I have so many lovely and expensive things in my collection that just haven't had enough love - I'm going to keep at the shopping my stash thing I think everyone should give it ago it surprising what products we actually have that are similar to new releases, and I am also going to be more selective in the things already have, if I don't use it and I'm not likely to it goes, no matter who pretty the product or the packaging.
I just want to say thank you for bearing with me during my Project 10 Pan experience, and a huge thank you to the twitter enablers you know who you are ;) Would I do it again, no question I would and I more than likely will - I think I'll have a few months off but I can definitely see myself doing it again x Any questions please ask xx

Face Of The Day - More Experimentation

Ok more experimental face of the day pictures - I just had a play yesterday with a smokey eye and a pale nude lip. Again I'm not a million percent happy with the pics taken with the setting that shows up the colour my skin looks scarily shiny and less than perfect hmm where as on the normal setting I look blurred but flawless lol hmm definitely a work in progress

Glowy                                                 

Today I Wore


Models Prefer Foundation - Medium
Laura Geller Balance and Brighten - Regular (to set)
UDPP
ELF Studio Blusher - Peachykeen
Prestige Sun Baked Mineral Bronzing Powder - Pure Shimmer (to highlight, and on brow bone)
ELF Duo Eyeshadow Cream - Black Licorice (lightest shade only )
MUA Eyeshadow - No3
2True Twist n Line Eye Definer - No8 Black
Collection 2000 Big Fake Mascara - 17 Ultra Black
Estee Lauder Pure Colour Lipstick - Vanilla Truffle

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation and Concealer Review and FOTD

About a month ago I saw quite a few bloggers and you tubers raving about the new Bourjois foundation and concealer - being willing enabled I bought both products last month. The foundation in question was Bourjois Healthy Mix and the concealer Bourjois Healthy Mix Radiance and Anti Fatigue. I picked up the colour No 52 Vanilla in the foundation and No 52 Medium Radiance in the Concealer but I could have also got away with the lighter shade too I think. I've had a chance to try them out properly now so I thought I'd let you know what I think.

The foundation comes in 30ml pump action bottle - 3 cheers for foundation pumps they make life so much easier

Containing their "Fruit Therapy" complex of apricot, melon, apple and ginger it has a pleasant, subtle fruity smell. Bourjois claim that this foundation gives up to "16 hours of perfectly glowing complexion & toned skin" So what do I think, well yes I think I probably agree.

This foundation is probably medium in coverage, it's a good consistency and blends well both on top of bare skin and on top of moisturiser and primer - I found it easier to use my fingers or a damp sponge to apply it rather than a brush as I found it dried / sank in quite quickly. As I say I would say it's a medium coverage if you have a few blemishes this wouldn't necessarily hide them but on the positive side it certainly isn't mask like and your skin can still be seen through the foundation. It certainly gives a nice finish and glow to the skin although I did find that I needed a little bit of powder over my t-zone to stop the shine coming through - whether it lasts 16 hours I can't say because I have never worn it for that long but I have removed make up after about 7 hours and its still being intact


I also bought the corresponding Bourjois Healthy Mix Radiance and Anti Fatigue Concealer. This comes in a 10ml squeezy tube. Again it contains the "Fruit Therapy" complex with extracts of Apricot and Raspberry. It has a medium consistency and dispenses easily from the tube without too much mess. To use it I squeezed a little bit onto the back of my hand and used either my fingers or a concealer brush to blend it into my skin. I tried it in a few different ways as you'll see both to cover blemishes, and darkness and redness. I have to say being a radiance boosting concealer it worked much better on my dark circles and redness than it did on my (numerous at the moment) spots and blemishes.

So time to see some pictures of both these products in action :)

My Before Face



Note the redness and the spots argh

My After Face


After using the foundation and concealer - the redness is pretty much gone and my skin tone looks much more ever

My Before Eyes



OK they aren't that bad but you can see some redness, some darkness and generally uneven skin tone

My After Eyes



Much better don't you think the concealer really came into it own here - my skin is much more even in colour and in tone and it looks a lot healthier

Spot Central Before

Not pleasant I'm afraid some nice hormonal breakout for you

Spot Central After Foundation

After one application of the foundation you can see the difference with regards to the redness but the spots are still there

Spot Central After Foundation and Concealer


OK you can still see the spots a bit (that's what I mean about you still been able to see the texture of the skin) but the redness and angriness has certainly eased and the skin looks a bit more even

So what do I think - I really like the foundation for me personally its a cheaper version of NARS Sheer Glow - it provides a nice radiance and glow to your skin whilst at the same time evening up my complexion. I will definitely be adding this to my purchase again list. I have mixed feeling about the concealer though - if radiance is what you want and darkness and redness are your concerns this is what you need but if like me its blemishes you need to cover this probably isn't the best one for you having said that I'll still use for the bits that need brightening I'll just need to use something else for the dreaded spots. Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation retails for around £8.99-£10.99 and the Healthy Mix Concealer retails for between £5.99-£6.99 from your usual Bourjois outlets.

FOTD

Apologies that this post is a bit pic heavy but ince I did my foundation review pics today I thought I'd show you the rest of my FOTD - It was just a quick one I had to go along to the chemists early this morning for a prescription :)






Today I Wore
Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation - 52 Vanilla
Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer - 52 Medium Radiance
Models Prefer Neutralizing Yellow Powder
MAC MSF Porcelain Pink
ELF Studio Powder Blush - Tickled Pink
MAC Eyeshadow - Idol Eyes (applied wet)
Avon Daring Definition Cream Eyeliner - Black
Collection 2000 Collagen Curl Mascara - 17 Ultra Black (really hate this now its has only been open just over a month and it's drying up already)
MAC Lipstick -Fabby

First Light Cosmetics Review and FOTD (Pic Heavy)

A few weeks ago I was contacted by First Light Cosmetics asking me if I would like to try some of the products -loving mineral make up as I do my answer was of course yes! First Light is a new brand of mineral cosmetics which uses only 100% natural ingredients, using finely crushed natural minerals in all their products. I was lucky enough to be sent two products a mineral foundation and a mineral eyeshadow.
The first thing that impressed me was how the items arrived - they came in super cute multicoloured,cotton drawstring bag first impressions - thumbs up :)

Natural Mineral Foundation Breeze In The Beeches
The first product I was sent was the full sized 10g mineral foundation in the shade Breeze in the Beeches which is described a light neutral with cool undertones- It's one of 18 shades to choose from - The product comes in a screw top jar with the company logo on the lid - the lid has a rubberised type finish which unfortunately does get a bit grubby :(




The jar is in the sifter style so all you need to do is tip the minerals into the lid. This packaging does work but unfortunately it's not really practical for travel as the product will come out through the holes.

To apply the product I used my normal method of swirling with a kabuki brush, tapping of the excess then buffing the product into my skin. The shade I think is a tiny bit pale for me but mineral make up is pretty adaptable and as you can see the coverage is pretty good

gross before pics
Notice the redness and high colour

close up of evil spot prone area ie mingy breakout :(

after pics
bye bye redness -pretty good coverage don't you think

OK you can still see the spots a bit here but bear in mind I am wearing no concealer what so ever in any of the pics all I have on is the First Light foundation

In these pictures I haven't used a primer just a moisturiser - I did find it a bit harder to blend on top of primer but I found if I left the primer a little longer to dry properly I didn't have as much of a problem. I also found that this foundation lasted really well on my combination skin - I still had foundation on to remove even after 6 hours!! The only thing I would say is that I don't think that this would be quite as successful on a drier skin it did feel a tiny bit more drying than my usual mineral foundation.
So what can I say I am pretty impressed with this foundation I am a id Bare Minerals devotee but I will definitely consider buying from this range again - it really lasted and the coverage was impressive - this product retails for £12.99 for a 10g pot, or you can by a 2g bag for £1.50 - ideal for helping you find the perfect shade

Mineral Eye Shadow - Cornish Copper

The second product I was sent was one of the First Light Mineral Eye Shadows in the shade Cornish Copper.


It comes in a 2g jar with the same style sifter and it's the most gorgeous shimmery reddish copper shade

The swatch here is dry but you can imagine how nice it would look wet or foiled with water or say Fix +. Again I tipped it into the lid and applied it with and ELF Studio C Brush - pressing it in to the lid- it applied easily and it was super pigmented - I have no other eye make up on in these pics and no eye base




As you can see the colour is very strong - as with all loose mineral / powder shadows you do get a lot of fall out but it brushes away easily. It also blends easily with other shadows and it lasted pretty well without an eye base -all in all I am pretty impressed it compares easily to the id Bare Minerals shadows and it's a lot cheaper at £5.99 for a 2g pot.

So all in all I am pretty impressed with my First Light experience.I really want to try some more of their products and they have a really good selection including blushers, lipsticks, brushes and concealers. If you want to try First Light Cosmetics please check out their website (cick here) - they have also been kind enough to give me a discount code for my lovely readers - just enter First1015 at the checkout for 15% off your order - the voucher is valid until 08/04/2010.

FOTD

Since you've already seen bits of my make up today I thought I'd take a few FOTD shots (sorry they are a bit blurry and my hair is a disgrace)



My eyes with full make up


My Lips


Today I Wore

First Light Cosmetics Mineral Foundation - Breeze In The Beeches
MAC MSF - By Candlelight
First Light Cosmetics Mineral Eye Shadow - Cornish Copper
GOSH Velvet Touch Eye Pencil - Truly Brown
Collection 2000 Collagen Curl - 17 Ultra Black
Models Prefer Lipstick - Tawny Terrain


(Although I was sent the First Light Cosmetics products, both of these reviews are my honest opinions and I haven't been paid or compensated by First Light Cosmetics, to review, or use them on my blog).

FOTD - Well Yesterday LOL

Excuse the miserable look on my face this pic is from yesterday :( - also excuse the hair I took the pic before I'd done it so it's just clipped back


Models Prefer Foundation - Medium
MAC Prep and Prime Eye - Light
Models Prefer Concealer - Medium
Laura Geller Invisible Oil Blotting Powder
2true True Colour Blush - Shade No. 1
MAC Eyeshadow - Idol Eyes
Maybelline Colossal Mascara - Black
2true Plumptuous Lip Gloss No. 6

I Wouldn't Say I'm Clumsy But...

I have had a pretty destructive few days I wouldn't say I was overtly rough or careless with my products but I seem to be breaking a lot of things at the moment - is it me or is the packaging of a lot of cosmetic products just not that great anymore. In the last few days I have snapped the lids off a Prestige bronzer compact, a Models Prefer concealer pot , and a Laura Geller Balance and Brighten compact! I have also broke a Creme De La Mer The Lotion Pump and a Smashbox Primer Pump. Thankfully I can still use all the products one way or another but it is just me who this happens too or is this a common problem with packaging these days

Eek maybe whatever virus I have got has given me super strength lol - hmm it seems to have sapped it from everywhere else though - I'm feeling a little better than yesterday but still not great I am going to leave it till Monday now and ring my own GP then if I am still not feeling great :(

Oh and another thing huge thanks to my new followers I really appreciate it - I will be holding a little contest when I get to 50 followers so keep checking back, huge thanks again xx

Don't You Just Hate It When+ Today!

I have had one of those today - I waited in all morning and nearly all afternoon for some parcels that never came - grr I hate that. I eventually managed to drag my ME ridden carcass to Tescos, the post office, and the bank. Admittedly I got the bus there and back but it was still effort that I could do without at the moment :( What happens when I get home - the ebay bidder that I have been waiting for a payment from for nearly a week pays - well she'll have to wait for her parcel now I am not going that way till Friday - grr. Oh and then my phone battery died when I was trying to take some photos of today's look - don't you just hate that - so you've just got a little pic of the make up I used today - enjoy

Clothes

Same Jeans as yesterday - (They are still clean I only get dressed properly if I am going out)
Teal T-Shirt With Oriental Girl Print - ASOS
Metallic Grey Leather Biker Jacket - New Look

Handbag

Oversized Black Slouchy Leather Bag - Next

Make Up

Face

Id Bare Minerals Foundation Medium Beige (I actually prefer Medium)
Models Prefer Concealer - Medium
Nars Orgasm


Eyes
UDPP (jury's still out on this I don't think the coverage is that great up to now)
Sleek Eye Dust - 682 Jet Set (turquoise teal shade)
Smashbox Cream Eyeliner - Caviar
Laura Geller Black Mascara


Lips

MAC Lipstick - Fabby <3
Urban Decay Pocket Rocket - Kirk


Perfume

Benefit - Maybe Baby


Nail Varnish

Supermodel by Leighton Denny - starting to look a little scratty so its coming off tonight