Five Products I'm Trying to Finish This Fall

You know you've been teaching for too long if you label your pictures things like "Fall18." But hey, this is just what it says on the tin: five products I want to finish in fall 2018. For the record, I consider December 1 the first day of winter. The calendar says December 21, but does it wait that long to get stupid cold? Nope, so I'm going with September-October-November for fall.

MAC Strobe Cream -- This is an old standby that I've repurchased a zillion times, but the tube is getting a little old, slash, I keep getting distracted by other highlighters. I'll likely use this up by wearing it to work. The black line next to the word "Strobe" shows how much product I have right now.

YSL Touche Eclat #2 -- While I enjoy this product, I'll never get over the $42 price tag. I mostly use it as an undereye brightener, and in that capacity, I like the Maybelline Dream Lumi concealer just as much. I can't tell how much of this is left, but I'd guesstimate that it's about half full.

Stila Huge Extreme Lash (deluxe sample) -- No amount of volume is worth a formula this wet and clumpy. Because I can get this mascara to work if I apply it super carefully and really clean up my eyelid afterward, I'm stubbornly refusing to throw it out until the end of September.

Milk Makeup Gel Brow in Pilsner -- This is an okay brow pencil, but it's just okay, and I definitely prefer a harder formula than this for my day-to-day looks. I've already used up quite a bit of this pencil!

Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Vanilla Kiss -- Do I like this cream eyeshadow? No; it never seems to dry down, leaving me with slightly sticky eyelids if I apply too much. Is it a good color? Yes, but Wet n' Wild Brulee is just as nice and it only costs $2 per pan. Am I going to finish this anyway? Yes, because it's bearable when used in small amounts and I'm too lazy to apply powder eyeshadow at seven in the morning.

If you want to join me in finishing five products and you use Instagram, try using the hashtag #5ff. I'd love to see what you're using up!

The Last Budget Post and 2018 Goals

It's been an interesting year, full of plenty of saving and downsizing ups and downs. I now work two-and-a-half jobs, I'm almost 30, and I'm hoping to get married in the next couple years. All of this has shifted my views on beauty, budgets, and goals.

Let's start by talking about my year long project pan. I should have a picture of the products for you, but, um...I kind of threw a lot of them away after my last empties post. I'm really sorry; I wasn't thinking.

Achieved:

• finish at least 2 mini face creams -- I actually ended up finishing a lot of skincare deluxe samples, including a handful of moisturizers.
• finish the Glossier Balm dot Com in Mint -- I kept this in my work bag. Personally, I like this balm and the strong minty flavor, but I prefer the Jack Black mint balm because it has SPF.
• finish the Glossier Boy Brow in Clear -- Again, this is a perfectly fine product, but I greatly prefer the Anastasia Beverly Hills brow gel.
• finish the Maybelline Dream Lumi Pen in Ivory -- To be honest, I have the tiniest bit of product left inside of this tube, but it's such a small amount that I don't mind calling it done. I prefer the Radiant shade, which is a peach corrector.
• use up half of my 1 ounce MAC Strobe Cream -- Is using up MAC Strobe Cream ever a trial? I've gotten in to layering the Glossier Haloscope in Quartz over this for an extra glowy effect, so I went through this cream faster than I thought I would.

Not Achieved:

• finish the mini Milk Makeup Blur Stick -- I tried to use this every time I went sans foundation, but honestly, a little goes a long way with this stick...and I don't like it that much. I'm not going to force myself to finish something I'm not liking, so in to the trash it goes.
• hit pan on the YSL Creme de Blush in Babydoll -- The scent of this discontinued blush began to change at the end of this year, so I decided to toss it. While I didn't actually see the bottom of this cream blush, I did make a massive dip in it--check the most recent empties video for that.
• finish the Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint in Light -- I developed a weird allergy to this product, but it took me a while to admit it. It's since been purged. I'm pretty bummed, because I really loved this product.
• finish a mini lipstick -- On the one hand, I didn't finish a mini lipstick. On the other hand, I got rid of almost all of my mini lipsticks; I'm down to three now. So...progress?

Overall, I'd give myself a B- for this project. I didn't hit all of my goals, but some of those weren't my fault (Glossier PST allergy), and others aren't really bothering me (Milk Makeup Blur Stick). I can definitely do better, though.

Let's go over my other goals! I'm using + for goals I achieved and x for goals I didn't manage.

[ x ] Unsubscribe from Sephora Play -- This one is really 50/50. I unsubscribed in summer, resubscribed in fall, and just unsubscribed again this week. As you can see from the photo of my sample box above, I have a ton of new stuff to test and don't really need any more deluxe samples coming in. Also, I miss watching Drunk History and a Hulu subscription was around the same price. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[ + ] Complete another Project Pan -- See above!

[ + ] Complete another Lipstick Diary -- I'm still loving this series, but I'm wondering if I should try a new version. Maybe one in which I wear the same lipstick with two at-least-a-little-different FOTDs? That'd be a pain in the ass to keep track of, but it'd definitely be interesting.

[ + ] Put more money in to savings and charitable donations -- This ended up being pretty easy at the end of the year, as a slew of natural disasters prompted even more donations than usual. (I'm actually considering setting up a digital "tip jar" for this blog, and the money would be given to charity every $20 or so--does that sound like an okay idea?)

[ + ] Finish as many foils as I can -- At the time of this post, I've finished 52 foil sample packets!

[ + ] Be less wasteful -- Thanks to tupperware and the Makeup Eraser, I rarely use plastic bags or makeup/baby wipes anymore. I also switched over to glass straws, which are much better for the environment and can go in the dishwasher. I've bought very few new clothing items as well, thanks to the local thrift stores.

[ + ] Finish up at least $1000 worth of products -- I actually finished up over $1000!

[ x ] Maintain a $250 budget for cash spending on new products -- I went over my budget by $72.27, spending a total of $322.27 in cash this year (excluding staple replacements). Halfway through the year, I realized I probably should've made my budget $300, since taxes and shipping add on more than I thought they would...but still, I'm a little sad that I didn't stay under that number. But let's look at the bright side! Is it massively over what I wanted? No. Is it definitely under what I spent in previous years? Yes. And keeping track of my spending definitely made me more aware of my habits and weaknesses. Note, for example, that I tend to buy the most in the middle (April, May June) and end (November, December) of the year.

[ x ] Be more adventurous -- I want to blame my failure on working two and a half jobs, but really, I just became even more of a shy, sheltered homebody. I have plans to travel more this coming year, though...so maybe that will help.

[ x ] Save up for a trip with my partner -- I'm not upset about this one because I encouraged my fiance to spend his money on something else, and we're very happy with the results. Again, traveling will hopefully be a priority of ours in 2018.

[ + ] Read 50 books -- As of this post, I've finished 68, and I'll likely finish another one before the year is out. I think I'll strive for 50 again in 2018.

Finally, let's talk about my goals going forward. As you can see from the photo above, I've decided to start doing a bullet journal/planner...type...thingy. (I dunno, it's not as pretty as most planners I see or as minimalist as a bullet journal should be, but whatever, it's meant to work for me.) I'll be creating a page for each month and two pages for each week. The monthly pages will allow me to keep track of important deadlines, bill payments, purchases (excluding necessities like food), and my wish list. The weekly pages will include a mini habit tracker, my work schedule, what I've read and watched, and a skincare log, plus whatever other notes I want to jot down.

I technically haven't started using this journal yet, since I've only recently finished the January pages. But I have to say that just creating this little book has been very relaxing. I've actually been wanting to try this for a while now, but my limited artistic abilities and the cost of the supplies prevented it. A huge thank you to my parents for giving me a slew of planning supplies for Christmas, including a sizable batch of washi tape. My God, that stuff is like crack.

As you can see, I'll also be using this journal to keep track of my 2018 Project Pan and my empties. And that empties section is so tiny because I'm going to make some changes for 2018 to see how they go. Namely:

• I will no longer being doing seasonal empties videos with every beauty-adjacent product. I'll just hold on to empty makeup. Empty skincare, finished candles, depleted lotions, and so on will likely still be posted to my Instagram.
• I'd like to skip the annual favorites for 2018 and do seasonal posts instead. These would include a couple of beauty products I'm really liking, but also any movies or books that impressed me, what music I'm loving, etc. (There will still be a "Best Products of 2017" video some time in January.)
• I will not come up with a specific budget for 2018, but I will continue to keep track of my purchases, albeit in a more basic way. Honestly, keeping a budget this past year has made me hyper aware of my spending, and I'm more hesitant than ever to bring new products in to my bathroom.

What do we think of these changes? Yay or nay?

Moving along, here's a typed version of my Project Pan 2018 items, since my handwritten version is likely too tiny or too sloppy for most people to read:

1. Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Pearl -- I love this stuff, but I've had this bottle since graduate school. I'd like to finish as much as I can, then get a new bottle.
2. Deciem Heel Chemistry -- I am the WORST at using this up, mostly because it smells kind of like Bengay and I don't want my hands to smell like that right before bed.
3. Glossier Generation G in Jam -- A solid sheer plum lipstick, but it's showing its age and I'd like to use it up.
4. Glossier Haloscope in Quartz -- This is a lofty goal, considering I have another highlighter on this list and a little of this cream product goes a long way. But it is a cream stick product, and they do age. Again, I'd like to see how far I can get.
5. Glossier Wowder in Light/Medium -- This powder is...just fine. Let's see if I can get it out of my collection this year.
6. Milk Makeup Gel Brow in Pilsner -- I like this pencil, but the very soft, slightly waxy formula is not my personal preference for brow products. I'd say the pencil is about halfway gone right now.
7. Tom Ford Lipstick in Indian Rose -- This is a deluxe sample lipstick that I received in a luxury Sephora Play box a friend got for me. It's an okay color, but it's nothing to write home about, and the Tom Ford formula is infamous for going rancid quickly.
8. YSL Touche Eclat in #2 -- A perfectly nice product, but probably too expensive for what it is. I want to finish it and repurchase the Maybelline Dream Lumi Pen in Radiant.

Last, but most certainly not least, here's a list of my beauty-related goals for 2018. Definitely let me know what yours are in the comments, and/or if you have any suggestions or tips for me!

• Complete a year-long project pan.
• Finish at least 15 fragrance samples.
• Do not buy mascara for a year. (Free samples and PR are acceptable.)
• Focus more on skin health.
• Finish at least $200 worth of makeup.
• Start a new inspiration series.
• Maintain my current lipstick drawer: everything should be able to lay flat in it.
• Do not purchase base products (foundations, concealers, powders) if there is clearly zero attempt to include darker skintones. If your product comes in three shades of beige, I'm sorry, I'm done with you.

I'll be away for the rest of 2017. The blog will be back in January. Happy New Year!

The Budget: August and September

We're over halfway through the year, and the budget is showing it. To be totally honest, I'm pretty sure I'll end spending closer to $300 cash on new products this year. That's still better than the $1000+ I spent in 2016, but it's a good bit above my goal.

Let me explain why I think I'll break my budget.

What happened in August and September?

At the end of August, I obtained a second job that provides more consistent pay than teaching. I decided to resubscribe to Sephora Play! because this new job would support the $10.60 a month, and because I figured it'd bring new items in to my collection without requiring a big expenditure on my part. This violates one of my goals for the year ("unsubscribe from Sephora Play"), but because my work situation has changed, I'm not horribly offended by that. Besides, the quality of the boxes has started to improve again--if that trend keeps up, it's worth the ten bucks to me.

I've also been busy creating inventories and downsizing some of my products, especially my fragrance collection. While I've still brought plenty of new products in to my stash, I've also paid off every bill ahead of time; namely, I finally got around to buying a passport, which will be necessary for air travel starting in 2018, and I'll have my credit card paid off at the end of October. (To be totally honest, there isn't much on the credit card; I'm just trying to stick to the "minimum payment" every month to build my credit, and the minimum is pretty low.)

What did I buy?

As I said in my previous budget post, I wanted to make August a No Buy month. I succeeded pretty well. The only things I purchased with cash were staples (although I tried the Verb Sea Texture Cream to replace my previous texturizing products and ended up feeling meh about it) and gifts. I got MAC Rebel lipstick via the Back 2 MAC program, wore it twice, quickly realized the shade looks awful on me, and purged it.

Again, I renewed my Sephora Play subscription in September; I decided to include the October box's cost in this budget review since they charge me on the first of the month. I also used store credit to purchase Glossier's new Body Hero products. And since I'm one of three beauty bloggers who doesn't really care for Ulta, I only participated in one day of Ulta's yearly sale. I used a gift card to get two of the Butter London Glazen Eye Glosses (which I'm very excited to review!) and two Catrice brow products. I used PayPal credit to cover the extra shipping costs.

Because several big sales are coming up, and because I have this sample box full o' stuff to try, I'd like to try another month-long No Buy this October, with the obvious exception of the Sephora Play subscription. Honestly, I don't think it'll be tough. I have to buy a plane ticket, and I'd like to start saving up for a new camera, and those two things will really lock up my account.

Even with this No Buy, I think I'll end up going over the $250 budget because I'll be tacking on another $20 for Sephora Play, and I only have one gift card at the ready for the Sephora VIB sale this November. I'm not upset by the idea of going over by $10-20, since shipping costs and taxes alone can tack that on, but I will be a bit miffed with myself if I don't stay near $250.

How are my other goals going?

I'm down to three mini lipsticks in my collection, so I don't know how well that Project Pan goal will go, but otherwise, we're moving along swimmingly. I expect to be done with both the Glossier balm and the Maybelline concealer come Christmas. I may finish the Milk Makeup Blur Stick even sooner because I've been taking it to work for no foundation days.

I've slowed down on the number of foil samples I'm going through, mostly because I'm left with samples of actives and moisturizers, and I'm busy testing similar products in full size. A friend gave me a jar of the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads, for instance, and I only use half a pad each go, so I'm not using my other acid samples. However, I have no doubt that I'll finish at least 50 foil packets by the end of the year.

I've started to come up with some potential goals for 2018. I don't think I'll do another cash budget, but I do have some other interesting goals in mind, like "get down to 5 individual cream blushes" and "don't buy any mascara." If you have any ideas for interesting goals I could try to meet, let me know!

How are your goals for 2017 going?

Adding More to Project Pan 2017

Because I started a year-long, casual Project Pan, then fussed over not meeting my goals fast enough, I decided to add more goals. Maybe that sounds counter-productive, but if my goal is to finish 5 products and I'm barely denting more than two of them, adding more stuff to pan or finish improves my chances of actually...you know, hitting my goals. Granted, it means there are also more goals I won't reach, but ha ha ha, LOGIC.

I ran a few goals, like "pan any product" and "finish a pencil," through a randomizer app, then picked some more stuff to toss in to the project. Here's what we've got going on:

Products to Finish: Maybelline Dream Lumi Highlighting Concealer Pen in Ivory, Glossier Balm Dot Com in Mint, Glossier Boy Brow in Clear, Milk Makeup Blur Stick (deluxe sample), Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint, and miniature lipstick.

Products to Pan/Finish Half: YSL Creme de Blush in #9 Babydoll, MAC Strobe Cream (travel size).

Purged: Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint. I've honestly loved the ease and the finish of this product, but after the first few months of use, I began to notice that my skin would react when I wore it. I rub on the tint, and within a half an hour, my chronic hives kicks up. I actually got rid of my first bottle because of this, missed it, thought it might be something completely unrelated, repurchased it, and have noticed the same thing happening over the past few months. My hives are generally not prompted by topical products, but my body has decided it dislikes something in this tint, so unfortunately, I'm going to have to hand it off to somebody else.

Goals I will almost definitely hit: I use MAC Strobe Cream frequently, so I'll be a bit surprised if I can't finish half of it by the end of the year. I've already gone through two thirds of the Glossier Balm Dot Com. Also, the Milk Makeup deluxe sample is heftier than you might think--a little goes a long way--but it is a deluxe sample, so I'm hopeful I can finish it in four and a half months. You can't see it in this picture, but I've already finished about half of the YSL blush; it's one of my favorites, and I'm forever pissed that they discontinued it.

Goals I'm nervous about: It's been a while since I've finished a lipstick, even a mini, because it's rare for me to wear the same color more than twice a week.  And I don't know how people are emptying those Maybelline concealer pens in less than 2 months! Granted, I don't wear makeup every day, but it still takes me a damn long time to even make a dent.

The Budget: May, June, and July

Part of life is failing to meet all of your goals, then learning to accept it. In this case, I'd hoped that I'd still have at least $100 left in my beauty budget by the time we hit the halfway point. That's not what happened here: I only have $61.81 remaining.

What happened in May, June, and July?

May was not a spend-free month for me for several reasons. One, Besame released a new lipstick, Portrait Peach. They also restocked Portrait Pink. I've wanted the pink shade forever, the peach made me think of Audrey Hepburn, and Besame makes my current favorite traditional lipstick formula. So I decided to purchase them, then declutter my collection and begin a lipstick no buy for the rest of 2017. Two, I managed to hit some great sales--but more on that in a moment.

My partner flew over to visit me at the beginning of June and stayed for two months. Obviously, him being here took up most of my attention, and the amount of money I spent on new products dropped. What I did buy was often purchased with PayPal credit from my most recent blogsale, store credit, or a gift card. I've become kind of stingy about spending cash on things, especially if I'm not liking the "freebies" that will be included with my order, and because of that, I'm more likely than ever to wait to purchase something.

Also, I obtained a second job. I don't plan on using the extra money I make to pay for beauty products; I'm more concerned with things like paying for a passport.

What did I buy?

Over this three month period, I purchased five staple replacements with cash: my Buxom Show Some Skin foundation, another pack of Shiseido Facial Cottons, a full size of the Kat Von D Lock It Concealer, and liquid eyeliner and mascara from the drugstore. I used Glossier store credit twice, once to replace a staple: my niece gacked on my sweater, so I decided to purchase another one, and I'll just keep the stained one for sleeping.

The biggest deal I managed to snag was a Sephora Chic It Easy set for $25. I'd wanted the set for a while, but it was originally $49, and I just couldn't justify it on my budget. When they dropped the price to $25, people went nuts--I mean, the YSL Touche Eclat alone is worth more than that! So it kept going in and out of stock. When it came back one afternoon and I happened to notice it, I used a gift card to snag one as fast as I could.

As for new products I spent my money on, I purchased a few things besides the aforementioned Besame lipsticks. I've been on a quest to find the perfect face sunscreen for my dry, dehydrated, reactive skin, so I snagged four on eBay. Unfortunately, I didn't pay as much attention to the sunscreen filters as I should have, so one of them is a sunscreen without UVA1 protection (Mommy UV Mild Gel). Had I checked that before purchasing, I definitely would've selected another sunscreen or just stuck with three. Colourpop released a new $6 concealer as well, and since I had a $5 coupon that would basically pay for shipping, I decided to buy the lightest warm shade for me and the darkest shade for swatches.

While these are mostly things I really wanted, and some of them are products I've wanted for years (ie, Besame Portrait Pink), I'm still a little panicked about how little I have left in my beauty budget. There are several products on my Sephora favorites list that are just calling to me, and I only barely managed to avoid the Nordstrom Anniversary sale this past month. $61.81 is nothing in the face of upcoming Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and winter holiday sales.

With that in mind, I've decided to commit to another month of "just don't buy shit" this August. There are two exceptions I'll be making. One is for Glossier's Wowder; I had enough store credit to purchase each shade they released, and I'd like to complete that review and those swatches so they can be a useful resource for anybody interested in the product. (The shades that are too dark for me will be given to friends after I've swatched them.) I also forgot to buy my friend a birthday gift when I was in Sephora with him last week, so I'll be ordering him one of the Stila glitter shadows he's wanted and grabbing a relatively affordable hair care product to replace some stuff I've finished. But other things I've been lusting after? They can wait until autumn. To keep better track of this, I've updated my budget spreadsheet so that "August" now stands on its own, and "September and October" share a slot.

In the meantime, I hope the start of the fall semester and training for this new job will keep me too busy to fuss over new releases.

How are my other goals going?

My casual Project Pan is going slower than I'd like. I certainly haven't finished a mini lipstick, which I knew was going to be the toughest goal for me. My Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint barely has a dent in it, mostly because in summer, I occasionally go full glam and mostly just skip foundation. There's slow but steady progress on the Maybelline Dream Lumi Pen, which should be empty (or close to it) by the end of the year. The biggest progress is definitely on my Glossier Mint Balm Dot Com, which was roughly 2/3 full and is now maybe 1/3 full; I used more of it than I expected this summer because my partner hates the taste of coconut and wouldn't kiss me if I was wearing my personal favorite Balm Dot Com flavor. I also finished the two skincare deluxe samples from the original post; unfortunately, neither was worth a repurchase for me.

I'm back at it! This makes for 36 finished foils. Neither of these is worth a full size purchase, in my opinion. #empties #projectpan #useitup #downsizing #shampoo #conditioner #haircare #drybar #alterna

A post shared by Renee (@reneesanatomy) on Jul 27, 2017 at 8:04am PDT

Speaking of samples: my quest to finish as many foil packets and deluxe samples as possible is going well! At the time of this post, I've finished 36 foils and 24 deluxe samples. I'm actually a bit surprised by how much makeup I'm finishing this summer, including several liquid eyeliners and the usual slew of mascaras.

My "free swag" hasn't been wowing me as much as I'd hoped lately, though. Recently, two companies offered to send me free products to test, went through obtaining my address and working out a deal with me, and then ghosted me when I reminded them that I only write honest reviews. Frankly, it's shocking to me how unprofessional some of these smaller brands are. If you've changed your mind about working with me because you're frightened I'll say something bad about your stuff, send me an email expressing that. Don't just disappear. I've also gotten a few new things from Influenster, and while I usually like the products' formulas, they have an awful habit of sending me the wrong shades.

"Be less wasteful" is the one goal where I feel like I'm still making strides. My mother in law recently offered to make me a carrying case for my reusable straws, for example, so that will make it easier to take them to restaurants. I'm trying to make even more food from scratch to cut down on waste from wrappers and boxes. For example, I always buy regular bags of things like nuts and portion them out in small tupperware instead of buying individual 100 calorie packs, and I've learned how to make popcorn on the stove so I won't buy bags of microwave popcorn anymore. And since the weather has been so temperate, I'm hanging some of my clothing outside instead of running the dryer whenever it's feasible.

Regardless, it's been a great summer overall, but a tough period for sticking to my beauty goals. I'm hoping for a smoother go of it in the coming months!

How are your goals for 2017 going?

The Budget: March and April

It's a bit early to go over what I've spent in April, I know, but for several personal reasons, I'm absolutely positive that I'm done spending money on beauty products this month. Also, we're finally at the point where my Excel spreadsheet pie chart is showing some different colors, and I'm a little too excited to show that off.

As a side note, please notice that I updated the categories for my spreadsheet. I decided to squeeze June and July in to one category and August and September in to another. Those are four months when my spending tends to be at an all-time low. Why? Well, my partner visits in the summer and takes up most of my time, plus the heat puts a damper on my desire to wear makeup. And while I start teaching in late August, backdated paychecks mean I don't start earning until roughly mid-September. Hence, they've been smooshed together for ease.

What happened in March and April?

During March, I was focused less on beauty and more on my day job. The middle of the semester is almost always the busiest time for me. In the interest of honesty, I'll note that I was also feeling very low for much of that month, which tampered any desire I had to shop. I'm happy to say that I'm feeling better now.

April was a bit more exciting: we had several big sales going on, I started some contract work, and my birthday came and went. As predicted, I received some gift cards for my birthday...but it was fewer than in previous years. For instance, my twin brother normally gets me a $25 Sephora gift cards. He's moved south to teach, however, so when he visited last week for his spring break, we decided to treat each other to Chinese food and cheese curds while we watched Harmonquest. Spending time together was so much more valuable than a gift card!

As for the Sephora VIB 15% off sale: I planned on buying roughly $100 worth of product (after the discount) using mostly store credit and gift cards. Then everything I wanted sold out during the first day of the sale (reserved for Rouge members), and I said, "Well, I'll just skip this sale." Then I checked my candles and realized I'm down to roughly one and a half that I can still burn, so I placed an order for a few things, including a gift for my friend's summer birthday. But did I feel the same burning desire to take advantage of that small discount and load my cart with products I don't need? Nope! Honestly, if I'd skipped the sale entirely, it wouldn't have bothered me. I still have several unused gift cards, and I'll be saving them for things I really want later in the year.

What did I buy?

I made a slew of purchases these past two months; interestingly, I seemed to make most of them at the beginning and ends of each month. Note, however, that most of my purchases in March were done with store credit. I really was feeling down that month.

I placed two orders with Glossier in March: I got more Boy Brow for my mother, repurchased the Coconut Balm Dot Com for myself, and snagged a few of the brand new Cloud Paints. I also used a gift card and some PayPal credit to give NEST candles a second chance (and I'm glad I did) and purchase a fragrance discovery set. I had some store credit from Dermstore from a return processed earlier this year; they were having a 20% off sale and recently stocked Besame products, so I took the opportunity to purchase my first full-sized Besame lipstick. That same day, I bought 4  of the Wet n' Wild Liquid Catsuit lipsticks with cash: 2 for me, 2 for my friend Dan, and we'll hopefully be able to complete a joint review. I went back and purchased 2 more (on sale) for myself in April.

The purchases really pick up in April, but don't get too excited: a lot of what I bought are staples. Notice, for instance, that I repurchased the Shiseido cottons, LRP Toleriane cleanser, and Avon Nurtura cream I've been using for years. Somebody on Reddit MakeupExchange was kind enough to make me a sample of MAC Face & Body in C1. I grabbed another NEST candle as well.

Yesterday was a big buying day for me, obviously, but again, it's a lot of staples. The one product I'd really like to make note of is the Deciem Ordinary Serum Foundation, for which I signed up for in-stock notifications. I'm a little bummed that they didn't release their Coverage Foundation at the same time to make life easy for me, but it's probably a good thing. I can hold off on more Deciem purchases until later this year.

As of today, I have $147.57 remaining in my budget. I plan on buying a number of things during the Sephora VIB 20% off sale this fall, so I want to keep that number as high as possible--but more on that later. I did not return any of the products listed here these past two months, but I did return a Makeup Forever foundation I'd purchased at the end of 2016.

How are my other goals going?

A special thanks to @influenster for the voxbox! I can't use the Tide pod on my own clothes and will probably have to wait until I can use it on my brother's sheets this summer, but I'm beyond excited to test everything else! These products were sent to me to review, but I'll be as honest and crotchety as ever. #influenster #freeswag #beautyblogger #rimmel #nyakio #evanyc #nivea

A post shared by Renee (@reneesanatomy) on Apr 18, 2017 at 3:26pm PDT

I've decided to do another "Just Don't Buy Shit" month this May. I don't expect too much trouble. I received my second box ever from Influenster, which will keep me occupied for the next few weeks. Also, thanks to my slew of purchases from Friday, I have even more products that will need reviews and a small assortment of non-review posts I'd like to complete. (Look for one on high end candles very soon!)

I'm still keeping track of the number of products I've completed. As of today, I have finished 18 full sized products, 14 deluxe samples, and 27 foils. I've slowed down on the foils because I've been focusing more on larger products and have been doing a ton of patch testing. Still, I'm happy with the progress I've made, especially with the deluxe samples!

My "be less wasteful" goal continues to go swimmingly. I'm still loving my reusable straws and containers, my mini Makeup Erasers are getting tons of love, and my closet and dresser are down to clothing I love and/or need. Actually, I've gotten offers to receive products and write reviews for a couple of clothing companies recently (weird as fuck, given my tacky taste), and I've politely turned them all down. I'm committed to creating less waste and supporting fewer factories with poor working conditions for their employees, which means new, cheap clothes are almost entirely off limits for me. And honestly? I don't miss them.

Last, but not least, contract work and less interest in beauty purchases these past two months has made it easier for me to save up for a trip with my partner. I still won't be able to finance, say, a weekend in NYC, but I should have enough for us to make a few hiking runs or enjoy a nice dinner and some art in the city.

How are your goals for 2017 going?

Casual 2017 Project Pan

Two of my goals for 2017 were to complete $1000 worth of products this year and to go through as many samples as I could. With a full year to achieve these goals and no strict rules, I've been decidedly casual about finishing stuff, and I think it's working well for me. Therefore, I'm going to do another Project Pan. Instead of going on a buying freeze in the meantime, I'm just going to follow one rule: "Finish this stuff by the end of 2017."

So here's what I've picked for the year!

1. any mini lipstick -- I have, I think, 5 mini lipsticks in my collection right now, and there are a couple in my sample box waiting to get pulled out. I'd like to finish any one of them. It's most likely that I'll finish MAC Creme Cup, since it's a light color with minimal staying power.
2. Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream and Youth to the People Kale + Spinach Moisturizer samples -- These are small enough that I'd prefer to treat them as one item. Neither moisturizer has knocked it out of the park for me, but they're serviceable. Until I find my ideal daytime, under-makeup moisturizer, these are what I have.
3. Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint in Light -- I've owned this product before and finished over half of it, but I became convinced that it was causing an adverse reaction on my skin, so I got rid of it. I later realized that another product was causing the problem. Repurchase, then! I really enjoy this product; I have no doubt that I can finish it by the end of the year.
4. Maybelline Dream Lumi Pen in Ivory -- I bought this shade because I thought it would be a great stand-alone undereye concealer for low makeup days. It's okay, but I really do prefer the Radiant shade, which is a peachy corrector that I like to mix with another concealer on my undereyes. I'll go back to using Radiant once this tube is done.
5. Glossier Balm Dot Com in Mint -- I've finished several tubes of (and have repurchased) the Coconut Balm Dot Com, and that's fine by me; the smell and flavor are unique and pleasant enough. The mint, though, is just...mint. I greatly prefer Jack Black's lip balm if I'm going for mint, since that product also includes sunscreen. I didn't mark this tube, but you can see that right now, the product starts just about the word "Glossier."

The Budget: January and February

We're two months in to 2017 and fresh in to the $250 budget, so it's time for me to check my records and see how I've been doing! I think I've been making great strides, but February is a short month and limited work has made my funds tighter than usual. We'll see if I'm feeling as positive as spring rolls around!

What happened in January and February?

One of the most important things I did at the beginning of the year was break myself of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) as much as possible. Instead of panicking when I saw a really great sample I wanted, I forced myself to say, "Okay, I really want that sample...but is it worth buying a full-sized product just to get a sample?" And I always answered that question with "no." This happened with a deluxe sample of Drunk Elephant's new Sukari Baby Facial that made the skincare section of Instagram go nuts. Yes, it seems like the sort of product I'd love! ...but am I really going to place a Sephora order for things I don't need just to get a deluxe sample that I could maybe get two uses out of? Nah. I'm now at the point where I have to have at least two full-sized products I want to buy before I'll place an order, and then I'll wait to buy them until the retailer also has appealing samples and coupons. I feel like I get more for my money that way.

I'm also making great use of my "new product" box; just yesterday, I took out the Perfekt Beauty Brow Perfection Gel, and because I'm still testing it, I have no desire to try more stuff. A few weeks before that, I removed two Milk Makeup cheek products so I could test and review them. "Why did you pull out two products?" you may ask. "I thought you were only supposed to grab one a week!" Well, interestingly, I've had several weeks where I had no desire to grab something out of the box! I was too busy with other hobbies, or too engrossed in whatever I'd picked last week.

Lastly, Jacquelyn Lovene (one of my favorite "moderate stash"-type YouTubers) produced a video that challenged people to "just not buy shit" in February. I thought this seemed like an easy challenge, partially because I was tapped out from my purchases in January (more on that in a moment) and partially because February is a shorter month. I technically bought something at the start of the month, but it doesn't count as "buying shit" for me--again, more on that in just a moment.

Overall, I'm feeling wonderful about this whole challenge! I still have two gift cards sitting around, one for Sephora and one for Dermstore, and I have no desire to use them on anything. I think the ease will continue through March and April (my birthday month), but I get the feeling the real challenges will come in fall.

What did I buy?

As of February 26th, I have made seven cash purchases, two credit/gift card and cash mixed purchases, and one purchase with just PayPal funds. Three of those cash purchases were just for staple products: my night time lip balm (Nuxe Reve de Miel), my current face spray of choice (Clinique Moisture Surge), and a small assortment of boring "but I gotta repurchase it" products: shaving cream, conditioner, hair ties, and dry shampoo. One item, the La Roche Posay Toleriane Fluide, was returned because it broke me out badly. Also, I purchased two foundation sample sets, one from Milk and one from Koh Gen Do. The January 17th purchase might be a bit confusing, so let me explain: I had a $30 gift card and the order was $40.23, but the $15 It Cosmetics product was something my mom wanted me to pick up for her and she paid me back, so I just considered it a wash.

Here are the totals so far (although fair warning, I suck at math):

cash spent total -- $128.49

cash spent on staples -- $75.81

cash spent on new products -- $52.68

 products returned -- 1

return value -- $23.84 credit at Dermstore

new products (excluding returns) -- 8

total out of budget -- $47.83

I actually began to sweat when I noticed just how many purchases I made in January. Then I realized that it was, again, for two sets of samples, and for several products I'd been waiting to be released or be available on the cheap, namely the Charlotte Tilbury foundation and the Deciem Ordinary Marula Oil. By the time February rolled around and I was working on Jacquelyn's challenge, there was nothing new I really wanted.

I'm still nervous, though, because I've already used up almost $50. When your budget is $250, that constitutes a fifth of the year's total. Again, my birthday is coming up, and I'm often given a gift card or two. And I still have a couple of gift cards waiting for me. Also, my partner will be visiting in summer, and that's a definite deterrent to beauty purchases for me. But by the time fall rolls around, I'll be partner-and-birthday-less.

How are my other goals going?

A post shared by Renee (@reneesanatomy) on Feb 4, 2017 at 11:33am PST

The "casual year-long quest to finish as many deluxe samples and foil packets as I can" is off to a running start. As of this post, I have finished seven full-sized products, eight deluxe samples, and a whopping twenty-three foils. I thought I'd slow down on the foils because of my obsession with patch testing, but it turns out that for every couple sunscreen or moisturizer packets I have, there's a perfume towlette or lip balm I get get through in one or two uses.

The full size products will be slower going and will probably consist mostly of staples, which I know isn't that fun for anybody. That said, I'm finishing my candles faster than I thought I would, and it's crazy to realize just how much I spend on candles. (I love them and I think they're worth it, but still! $30 every time you finish one!)

Interestingly, I'm finding that deluxe samples are the toughest things to go through so far. I think it's because I pull a lot of my deluxe samples out of the "new products" box, test them, don't care for them, and pass them on instead of forcing myself to finish them. Hopefully, I'll get lucky and find a few that I actually want to use up. Also, I'm making definite dents in a lot of my perfume splits and samples, so there should always be progress of a kind to inspire me!

Again, if you want regular updates on my use-it-up project, please consider following me on Instagram. I sometimes post about it on Snapchat, too. My username on both platforms is ReneesAnatomy.

My "be less wasteful" goal is going smashingly. I'm loving my mini Makeup Erasers, the glass straws I got haven't cracked a bit despite being tossed around on the daily, and it's been easy to make the switch from plastic bags to Tupperware for my packed lunches.

The one goal that isn't really advancing is the "save up for a trip" goal. Unfortunately, I wasn't given much work this semester, so my funds are very limited. This means that, after my monthly bills are paid, I have very little to put in to the envelope I set aside for a trip. That "extra" $20 instead goes to some of the weird foods I eat, or more cat litter, or a new toothbrush. It's still early in the year, so I'm hoping I get contract work this summer that can help me pad the envelope. If that doesn't happen, I think my partner and I can focus on cheaper local trips versus one bigger vacation.

How are you doing with your 2017 goals?

12 Pans of Christmas Finale and 2017 Goals

Remember me whining about how my mid-project update for 12 Pans of Christmas wasn't as eventful as I would've hoped? Yeah, that was pretty prophetic. Technically, I hit half of the goals for this project by finishing 5 of the listed products and decluttering a sixth, but a lot of the "big ticket" items are still on the list.

As a reminder, I decided to modify at least one of the goals when I realized that the Coconut Balm Dot Com is my personal favorite Glossier balm. Instead, I used all four of my Balm Dot Coms more regularly and made small dents. The other change since my mid-project update is that I decided to declutter the Bite High Pigment Pencil in Velvet instead of panning it. I still love the color and the formula, but I no longer think those flower petal pinks flatter me; I'm more likely to reach for a softer, "nude pink" shade or a full-on fuchsia.

With that cleared up, here are the goals I hit:

• Makeup Forever Excessive Lash deluxe sample -- It takes me about 2-3 months to go through a mascara sample, but I always manage! This was a generous sample tube, so it lasted for a full 3 months. I loved the volume it provided and how easy it was to get down in to the roots of my lashes with the thin, soft brush. Unfortunately, I find that Makeup Forever mascaras dry up very quickly.
• Nuxe Reve de Miel -- There's technically a tiny amount of balm left in this pot, as you can see in the photo above, but it's next to nothing. I consider it finished. I fell in love with this lip balm in 2016; it's now a staple and my new tub arrived last week.
• Gold Bond Ultimate Restoring Lotion CoQ10 -- Uuuuuugh, this shit smells like a urinal cake in a jar of hippy-dippy herbal medicine, and it's so sticky when you first apply it! I finished this thing as quickly as I could back in November.
• any perfume sample -- I actually finished two 3 milliliter tubes of perfume! The first is Thierry Mugler Alien Essence Absolue, which both my partner and I love. I'm just too cheap to buy a bottle of another vanilla fragrance right now, even at a steep discount on FragranceNet. The second is Guerlain L'Instant de Guerlain Eau de Noel Iris Millesime, which was discontinued a few years ago. It's full of iris (duh), amber, and honey, and while it's super pretty, I think it's too feminine for my personality and it doesn't really suit me.
• any five sample packets -- I've been working through sample packets like woah. More on that in a moment.

Here are the goals I did not hit:

• Milani Liquid Eyes pencil -- Given how often you have to sharpen this super-soft liner, I was shocked that I barely made a dent in it. It turns out I am really lazy with my eye makeup: I don't even tightline much anymore.
• Ouai Wave Spray deluxe sample -- I used about half of this bottle and enjoyed it, but to be honest, I have bad hair and it doesn't look great with that whole "beachy wave vibe." Instead, I use this on ponytails and braids for a bit of texture. It'll last me until I die, most likely. 
• Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper deluxe sample -- Actually, I think this little guy is on its last legs and will die at the end of January/beginning of February, along with several other makeup products. Still, I'm bummed that I didn't finish it for this project.
• MAC Chromagraphic pencil in Basic Red -- I've only sharpened this once over the past few months. It's weird to realize how many of my red lipsticks can be applied without liner...
• Colourpop Brow Pencil in Bangin' Brunette -- How did I not finish this wisp-thin pencil?! Lord, I wish I could wind it up and see how much is left. As with the KvD liner, I think this will be finished within the month, but because it's not retractable, I can't really fucking tell!

 So again, it's not a complete failure of a project, but...I dunno, I was just hoping to do better. Part of the problem, it seems, is that I'm so close to finishing quite a few makeup and skincare items, but once you get them 95% empty, the last 5% turns in to a bottomless pit. Surely my perception is warped by the more successful Beauty Roulettes and Project Pans I did in 2016.

With that in mind, I'll be taking a break from traditional panning and use-it-up projects for a few months. It'll be good for me to use my makeup collection as I see fit. However, I'm on a casual, year-long quest to finish as many deluxe samples and foil packets as I can. I mentioned this on Snapchat and Instagram, and for the most part, I'll be keeping track on those platforms to avoid clogging up the blog. Deluxe samples will appear in my Empties videos and will be added to the overall value of products finished; foils will simply be discarded after they're photographed.

Finishing 50-some samples may not seem tough, by the way, but I am a devoted patch tester. This could easily take up all of 2017.

Also, the $250 budget for 2017 is still on! It's already working its magic, too: I was in Sephora with a friend who had to pick up some of his skincare staples, and even though I was armed with a sizeable assortment of Sephora gift cards, I didn't buy anything. I just kept thinking, "Well, it's only January. Do I really want to start cracking in to that budget already?" Instead, I asked for samples (the sales associate was more than generous). As of this post, I've bought one product, the aforementioned Nuxe Reve de Miel balm, which does not deduct from my budget because it's a staple. Even buying that made me stop for a second! I'm liking how this budget forces me to carefully consider my purchases.

Finally, I came up with some goals for 2017! While I jotted down ten, I'm only going to mention the ones that are relevant to my blogosphere.

1. Be less wasteful. I want to use washable towels instead of face cottons and papers towels whenever possible. I've also purchased reusable, dishwasher safe glass and plastic straws (no more disposable straws!) and a great coffee mug with an airtight seal (no more campus coffee in paper cups!).
2. Be more adventurous! I had a rough 2016, and no, it wasn't because of celebrity deaths. (Although I must admit that losing people like Leonard Cohen and Carrie Fisher...that's still hard for me to fathom. I grew up with Star Wars and "Famous Blue Raincoat" is my favorite song.) Without getting in to too much detail, I spent a good bit of my year holed up in my bedroom, avoiding the walks and day trips I used to love. This also prompted me to spend more, because getting a package is an easy way to brighten a day. I wasted so much time and money in 2016 feeling sad.
3. Maintain that $250 budget. It's still early in the year--there could always be a catastrophic spending spree that ruins the whole thing. To try and prevent that, I'll be updating you guys on what's left of the budget throughout the year. Monthly updates are a bit much, so I'll strive for seasonal or bi-monthly posts instead.
4. Finish at least $1000 worth of products. Looking at what is close to finished in my collection, I think I'll make a big dent in the first half of the year, then slow down in the second half. I just hope I stay consistent instead of panicking.
5. Save up for a new camera trip with my partner. Initially, I planned on squirreling away as much money as possible for a Canon Rebel T6i. But I think a weekend trip with That Dude I'm Marrying will make me happier in the long run. This goal should encourage me to spend less on beauty products: you can't travel if you're dropping your pocket change on your 32nd tube of lip balm or a face powder you really don't need.

 And that's it! I want this blog to continue to be relevant and useful to you, which may seem difficult in light of my "use-it-up" goals. But trust and believe, I have a steady backlog of products to review, including two foundations, several skincare products, and a slew of deluxe samples. The Lipstick Diaries has been rebooted, and my "to write" list already runs through February. My interest in what's new and my bad habit of showing you way too many high-def shots of my nose hair hasn't changed. I'm just trying to be more like Chris Traeger when it comes to my beauty products:

12 Pans of Christmas Mid-Project Update

My current Project Pan, slash, Beauty Roulette is going a bit slower than I'd normally like for a mid-project update. Yes, I've finished two items--at least 5 sample packets and a whole tube of that Godawful Goldbond lotion--but I'm not checking off as many boxes as I would like.

Yet I'm still hopeful. Being reasonable, I actually think I can finish the Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm and the Makeup Forever Excessive Lash mascara within the next month. Both are down to their last dregs; I'm actually scraping the sides of that mascara right now to get out product. I'm also pretty sure I'll finish my Colourpop Bangin' Brunette brow pencil, although you can't twist it up, so...I can't tell how much is left. Honestly, if a little remains at the end, I'm fine with that. I'll just toss it in a 5-or-6 product makeup bag I'm putting together for lazy work days.

There are two items I likely won't finish, one because I'm just starting to figure out how to make it work and one because I decided I didn't want to completely empty it. First, the Ouai Wave Spray: I'm learning to really like how textured and full this can make my buns and ponytails look. I'm still not totally wild about wearing my second day hair down, but the volume this adds to my naturally fine hair makes it tempting. Still, I doubt I'll get more than halfway through this in the next month.

I also realized I don't want to completely finish up my Glossier Coconut Balm Dot Com within the next month. It's probably my favorite out of the current four flavors, with Cherry being a close second and Mint and Rose being negligible runners-up. I decided to keep my tube of Coconut on the desk for now, and I'll be carrying one of the least-loved flavors around in my purse instead.

How are your current projects and challenges going?

Reflecting on 2016 and 2017 Goals

I originally hoped to have my "Best of 2016" video up and open yesterday, but YouTube had the video removed for some sort of terms of service violation. My appeal still hasn't been considered, so I'm posting about my goals and beauty budget for 2017 instead.

This past year, I kept track of all of my beauty or beauty-adjacent purchases in a little notebook. I noted what I bought, when I bought it, what it all cost, and how I paid for it. Unfortunately, I didn't develop the best documentation strategy until these past few months. Hence, spring and summer orders that I paid for with both store credit/gift cards and cash don't differentiate between how much of each was spent. Therefore, the "total cash spent" for spring and summer is a little inflated. I did not include products bought with just store credit or gift cards in these calculations. Also, I subtracted the cost of products I returned.

SPRING: $396.14

SUMMER: $355.61

FALL: $421.93

TOTAL: $1,173.68

Wow. Even if you subtract about $200 from the total to account for gift cards, that's a thousand freaking bucks. Now, I'm not judging anybody for spending that much, and I'm not even judging myself. I pay my bills every month, I put money on my student loans, I maintain a savings...but still. That's a lot! I imagine how much quicker I could pay down my loans with that money, or how fantastic it would feel to make bigger charitable donations.

On the bright side, a decent slice of what I spent accounts for repurchase staples, and I found some amazing new products over the year. I've also noticed that I've skipped over the last few sales that popped up, and I'm not too interested in the current Black Friday offerings, either. All I bought from Sephora VIB? 2 staple products, 2 new products, didn't even crack $100. Every time I see a product on sale, even if it's something I think I'd love, I look at my collection sitting next to me on the desk and say, "Eh, I already have _____ lipsticks." I feel great about that.

 God bless the wedding budget template in Excel.

So I set some goals for 2017! Here they are:

• Do not participate in the 2016 Black Friday beauty sales. This is technically a goal for the end of this year, but eh, let's start early. :)
• Set a budget of $250 for all non-staple beauty purchases. Staples I'll just purchase as needed. That sounds like cheating, I know, but staples aren't products I tend to overpurchase. I think we all know the ol' standbys are beloved for a reason, but they don't make your heart beat faster.
• Unsubscribe from Sephora Play. I actually think it's a great service, I just have tons of deluxe samples and newer products to work through.
• Complete at least one more Project Pan/Beauty Roulette during the year. I'll probably take a break at the start of the year, though.
• Do a new edition of the Lipstick Diaries. This series was really helpful for me in 2016, and a lot of people seemed to enjoy it!
• Transfer more funds to my savings, student loan payments, and charitable donations. Again, I already pay for these things, but I think being even more focused will really encourage me to spend less on beauty products.

 And speaking of charity, I want to thank everybody who has contributed to Donors Choose as a thank you for this blog. I appreciate your support, as always, but even more, I appreciate your support of our educational programs.

(Quick end note: I was trying to figure out why my number for fall was so high. Then I realized I spent $95 on a Diptyque candle trio. It's the small things!)

Finish 13 by Halloween Finale + New Challenge!

It's not Halloween yet, but I've made excellent progress on these products and I'm ready to move on to my next project. I'm actually surprised by how well I did with Finish 13 by Halloween; I completed roughly half of my products and made dents in several others. Here's how it all turned out:

What I Finished:
1. Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Crayon
2. Maybelline Dream Lumi Pen in Radiant
3. Isehan Sunkiller Perfect Strong Moisture SPF50 Sunscreen
4. Milk Ubame Mascara
5. Tom Ford Tuscan Leather (4ml)
6. St. Ives Apricot Scrub
7. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel
8. Bare Minerals Sheer Sun

What I Dented:
First, I realized that I would have a better time photographing my progress on these potted products if I worked on one side. Sure enough, check out that glass bottom on my Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm! I'd say this tub of balm is about 75% done. I'm going to keep working on it until the end of the year. I've also used up about an inch and a half of my Milk Makeup Gel Brow in Pilsner (that's a big deal for me!).

What Wasn't Successful:
Glossier unexpectedly updated the formula of their Generation G lipsticks, so I decided to go ahead and buy a new tube of Jam. Hence, my old tube--the one I had out for this challenge--was purged. The YSL Creme de Blush in Babydoll didn't get used as much as I would've liked, especially after the first half of this challenge. And I barely touched my PK Perfumes Gold Leather perfume; I was too distracted by the Paper Bag Challenge.

Speaking of which, check out my Paper Bag Challenge progress!

I've already gotten rid of over half of my sample vials of perfume! I'm so excited. :3

Annnnyway, let's talk about my next challenge! I've decided to continue panning with something I'll call The Twelve Pans of Christmas. I highly doubt that name is original to this blog, but I know end-of-the-year panning challenges are extremely popular; I think everybody compensates for the commercial gluttony of the winter holidays.

1. Makeup Forever Excessive Lash Mascara -- Yes, another mascara sample! I'm bad about hoarding these. I really like this mascara, though it can flake a bit; it provides plenty of volume and the super thin brush makes it easy to apply.
2. Milani Liquid Eyes Pencil in Black -- This is my favorite eyeliner pencil, actually. I just want to finish this one up because it's getting a tad old.
3.  Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil in Velvet -- Velvet is a beautiful bright pink shade, and while that may seem like an odd choice for a winter challenge, I think it's an instant brightener. But Bite's food-grade formulas are supposedly quick to spoil, so I'd like to use at least half of this lipstick before the year is out.
4. Nuxe Reve de Miel -- It's back! Let's see how far I can get before Christmas.
5. Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper -- I have no need for two black liquid eyeliners, and I do slightly prefer my Physician's Formula Lash Booster. Actually, I'm wondering if I can finish up both of my Kat Von D Tattoo Liner deluxe samples, but I don't want to commit just yet.
6. any perfume sample -- Yeah, you're reading that correctly. Despite getting rid of tons of less loved samples, my collection is still too big for my personal comfort. If I could finish even one sample vial, I'd feel like I was getting good use out of my perfumes whilst finding new favorites and downsizing.
7. Colourpop Brow Pencil in Bangin' Brunette -- Ugh, I wish these pencils were retractable so I could record my progress. Regardless, it's a very thin tube of product; finishing it entirely is not out of the realm of possibility!
8. MAC Chromagraphic Pencil in Basic Red -- This is my favorite true red lipliner at the moment. I'm more interested in seeing how much progress I make on this pencil versus finishing it entirely.
9. any 5 sample packets -- I'm sampled out for the rest of the year, especially now that I have my Beautified You bags. It's definitely time to work through the hoard!

10. Goldbond Ultimate Skin Therapy Cream, Restoring Formula -- An enthusiastic testimonial from a complete stranger suckered me in to impulse buying this lotion over my original choice (Vani-Cream). And I'm paying for it: yes, I wake up with soft, supple skin, but this Gold Bond shit reeks. It's also sort of sticky and uncomfortable when you first apply it. I'm about a third of the way through the tube and I can't wait to be done with it.
11. Glossier Coconut Balm Dot Com -- I really enjoy this balm's light scent and slight sweetness. Alongside the Cherry flavor, it's probably the only Balm Dot Com I would repurchase. I've been tossing one of these balms in to my purse every day so I can reapply at work. (I'm finding that the scented Balm Dot Com is more comfortable on my lips that the original formula--is anybody else experiencing that?)
12. Ouai Wave Spray -- This will most likely be the hardest product for me to finish. It's not that it's bad, it's that I'm bad. I only use an anti-frizz product on my freshly-washed hair, and I usually pull my second-day hair up in some sort of style. I'll have to figure out how to work this in to some of my every day styles.

How did your Finish 13 project go? Are you planning any more project pans or beauty challenges?

Finish 13 by Halloween + Paper Bag Challenge Midpoint Update

Hullo, all! I'm about halfway through the Finish 13 by Halloween challenge, so I figured this would be a great time for an update. I'm also realizing that I picked a bunch of products with containers that make it difficult to photograph progression. Sorry, I suck. :/

Let's talk about what I've managed to finish first! The Bare Minerals Sheer Sun liquid bronzer ended up being one of my least favorite products ever because it stayed sticky on my skin for quite a while; also, I thought the color was a little orange and unflattering on me. I managed to finish it, though, by mixing it in to my foundation to make my neck and face match. The tube of St. Ives Apricot Scrub was empty as of this past weekend. I think I went through it so quickly because I'm wearing skirts and dresses to work right now, and I like my bare legs to be exfoliated and smooth. I have to repurchase this stuff ASAP. And after a number of spritzes, my 4ml Tom Ford Tuscan Leather decant is now totally empty!

There are a few products I've made pretty good dents in, but photographing said dents is almost impossible. The Milk Makeup Ubame mascara and Isehan Sunkiller Perfect Strong Moisture sunscreen are down to at least 50%--I was able to shine a flashlight through the Milk tube, but the Isehan one is totally opaque, so I'm going by feel. I'm thinking both will be empty by the end of this project. The same goes for the Anastasia Brow Gel; it still contains some product, but I'm really scraping the sides of the tube. There are definite dips forming in the Nuxe Reve de Miel balm and the YSL Creme de Blush, but none of the progress photos accurately demonstrate the change, and I know I won't finish them entirely.

We used my black Sharpie to label boxes for my brother's big move and now I can't find it, so I hope this picture of the Maybelline Dream Lumi Pen will suffice! Still making slow but steady progress with this old faithful. I think I'll click this bad boy up to the fading "E" at the most, and then it has to go in the trash.

I don't think I'll finish the Milk Makeup Gel Brow pencil, either, but I've already used up about an inch of the product (a big deal for me), and I'm sure I can use up another inch before fall kicks in to high gear. The Marc Jacobs Highliner pencil is a different story and will definitely be finished by the end of this project.

I openly admit that Glossier Jam hasn't been touched more than twice over the past month. For whatever reason, I've been skipping over my sheerer lipsticks and liquid formulas for my traditional, full-coverage bullets. I've especially been enjoying my creamy pinks these past few months. Jam is another product I don't expect to finish, but would like to make some progress on, so I'll just have to remind myself to give it its due during the week!

As for my PK Perfumes Gold Leather: I focused more on Tuscan Leather, slash, the Paper Bag Challenge, so I'm not as far as I'd like to be. I promise, though, that I've put a little bit of a dent in to my purse spray!

Speaking of the Paper Bag Challenge, here's my spreadsheet thus far:

I'm stunned by how much progress I've made. Actually, I'm going through a lot of my fragrance vials before they're even "scheduled" to be tested; I might pull another three for this coming week. I have been pulling some tough scents, though, for this exceptionally hot and sticky September, so I'll likely get back on schedule soon.

It's amazing how easy it is to make decisions on fragrances when you force yourself to wear them, then ask, "Do I truly love this and will I wear it often?" In many cases, I've liked the smell,  but not enough to wear it frequently, or I wouldn't purchase a full bottle, or it just isn't right on me. Dame Perfumery Black Flower Mexican Flower is a perfect example: it's a fantastic vanilla scent, and I love it in the air and on other people, but on me, it goes a bit rubbery and sour. Wishful thinking isn't going to make it smell better on me, y'know?

So that's the update! How are your project pans, beauty roulettes, and product challenges going?