As we’re nearing the middle of the year, I thought it’d be nice to check in with my first Project Pan update! This year I’m planning on finishing 20 items by 2020 and you can read my introductory post here.

Skincare

• FACE MASKS: All of the face masks have been used up! I loved the Fresh Vitamin Nectar Vibrancy-Boosting Face Mask so much that I bought the full sized version. I’m transitioning away from disposable face masks, so I’ll be working on using the rest of my collection up. I have 13 left!
• LIP CARE: I’ve used the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask almost every night and sometimes during the day, so it’s about half empty. Not a fan of the Burts Bees Honey Lip Balm, so I don’t use it as often but I’ve made some progress. I hope to have used it up by the next update. I only started using the Sephora Kiwi Lip Scrub about a month ago because I forgot about it as it was tucked away! I’ve put it on my bathroom counter and intend to use it more often over Winter.
• HAND CREAM: The Face Shop Mini Pet Fruits in Peach has been used up! It had such a lovely peach scent and now I have a cute container to keep. I’m now using Aesop Rind Concentrate Body Balm as my go to hand cream.
• DRY SHAMPOO: I’ve barely used the Bumble and Bumble Pret-a-Powder as I just haven’t had to use it. My hair is usually clipped up and only washed 2-3 times a week as I rarely go out. I’m not sure whether to keep this product on my list or substitute it with something else.

Makeup

• FOUNDATION: I’ve used up the Benefit Cosmetics Hello Happy Soft Blur Foundation and have repurchased it as my go to foundation. It matches my yellow skin tones and I love the sheer-medium coverage. Even though I’ve found my go to foundation, I can’t resist trying out new foundations. I’m currently using NYX Full Coverage Matte Finish Foundation in True Beige. While the colour is spot on, I’m not a fan of the full coverage and cakey feel it gives me. I’ll be moving onto another foundation once this has been used up.
• CONCEALER: I’ve used up the Loreal True Match Concealer and am onto my next one. This is another go to product.
• BROWS: Since I rarely go out anymore, I don’t really use my brow products! I’m still hoping to hit pan on the Benefit Foolproof Brow Powder by the end of the year and continue using a bit of Benefit Gimme Brow until it dries out.
• BLUSH: Out of all of my makeup products, I use my The Balm Cindy-Lou Manizer the most. It gives a really nice flush to the cheeks and suits my medium skin tone well. I’ve really enjoyed using this blush and hope to have it finished up by the end of the year!
• HIGHLIGHTER: I’ve been using The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer almost as much as my blush but I’ve barely made a dent! I would love to hit pan by the end of the year but I won’t be holding my breath.
• EYESHADOWS: For the majority of the year I’ve been concentrating on using up Colour Pop’s Truth Super Shock Shadow and I’m happy to call this done. It was a great everyday eyeshadow that gave me the sheerest sparkle on my lids. I hit pan on this very early on but just couldn’t use up the edges before it dried up. I’m now focusing on using up MUG Eyeshadows in Peach Smoothie and Bling.
• MASCARA: I’ve used up my travel sized Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara. It’s been my go to mascara for a long while now but I was looking for a non-plastic mascara, so I bought the Besame Mascara Cake. Unfortunately I much prefer using it as an eyeliner, so I bought the iconic Maybelline Great Lash Volumizing Mascara to tide me over until I re-purchase another Too Faced mascara. One of the downsides of a living in a small regional town!
• LIPPIES: I’ve been loving using the Tarte Amazonian Butter Lipstick in Plummy Rose and Etude House Apricot Stick. I’m terrible at remembering to re-apply during the day though, so I haven’t made as big of a dent as I’d like.

Below is a comparison of some of the products at January and now in June.

Stay tuned for the next update!

Are you doing a project pan or following along another project pan? If so, please let me know in the comments below!

Marie xo

A few years ago, I embarked on a no new makeup challenge and since then I’ve largely stuck to using up what I have. To keep things interesting I generally switch my products up by season or whenever I get bored of using a certain product. However, I’ve never tried panning a certain number of products over a year. I love seeing people do yearly project pans and their updates, so I thought I’d give it a go this year!

These are the 20 skincare and makeup projects I’ve chosen to pan this year:

Skincare

• FACE MASKS: Fresh Vitamin Nectar Vibrancy-Boosting Face Mask, Etude House Collagen Mask, Multi Effect Collagen Honey Mask and Sephora Pearl Mask.
• LIP CARE: Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask, Burts Bees Honey Lip Balm and Sephora Kiwi Lip Scrub.
• HAND CREAM: Face Shop Mini Pet Fruits in Peach.
• DRY SHAMPOO: Bumble and Bumble Pret-a-Powder.

Makeup

• FOUNDATION: Benefit Cosmetics Hello Happy Soft Blur Foundation.
• CONCEALER: Loreal True Match Concealer.
• BROWS: Benefit Foolproof Brow Powder and Benefit Gimme Brow.
• BLUSH: The Balm Cindy-Lou Manizer.
• HIGHLIGHTER: The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer.
• EYESHADOWS: Colour Pop Truth Super Shock Shadow, Makeup Geek Eyeshadow in Peach Smoothie and Makeup Geek Eyeshadow in Bling.
• LIPPIES: Tarte Amazonian Butter Lipstick in Plummy Rose and Etude House Apricot Stick.

As a stay-at-home mum that rarely gets the opportunity to “go out, out” I’ve put in a few quick wins in there such as my foundation and concealer – 2 items that I will definitely use up this year. That’s why you’ll also see a few more skincare products than other project pans out there. The added bonus though, is that it’ll give me some “me time” and make sure that I give my skin some much needed TLC!

Below is a closer look at how much some of the products have already been used.

Most of these products are well loved. Some like the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask are new and I want to enjoy them while their fresh. Whereas some like the lippies I love but need to use up as they’re getting old.

Eventually I would love to have only 1 or 2 items from each category that I love using on a day to day basis. No more hoarding or collecting! Just a small bag of skincare and makeup products that bring me joy.

Stay tuned for quarterly updates!

Are you doing a project pan or following along another project pan? If so, please let me know in the comments below!

Marie xo

I suffer from really dry skin and lips, which unfortunately gets worse during the Winter. So when I saw that Laneige had a lip sleeping mask, I knew that I had to try it out!

As a brand, I first came across Laneige when I was holidaying in South Korea and bought their iconic water sleeping mask. I loved their water sleeping mask, so I had high hopes for their lip mask as well.

I bought the classic (pink) lip sleeping mask, which has a faint candy strawberry scent. There are also 3 other types available: grapefruit, apple lime, and vanilla. The texture of the mask is thin but sticky, and a little goes a long way. The mask comes with a small applicator in an adorable pouch for hygiene purposes.

When I first used the product, I had chapped lips and a bit of flaking. I applied it before going to bed and was pleasantly surprised to wake up to soft, moisturised lips! I applied the mask the following night and since then I’ve used it every few days, and am pleased to say that it really works!

At $26 a pop for a small 20g jar, the lip sleeping mask was on the pricey end for me. However, a small amount goes a long way and it actually works, so it’s something that I would repurchase and recommend.

Have you tried the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask, or any other similar products?

Marie xo

These days I don’t have as much time to myself, so I like to keep my skincare routine as simple as possible. Here’s what I’m currently using:

Cleanser – Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser. This is a lovely unscented cleanser that also doubles up as a makeup remover. It leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean. Neutrogena is one of my favourite brands and has been great for my sensitive skin!

Day Moisturiser – Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture SPF 15. This is my go-to day moisturiser as it’s lightweight and doesn’t leave my skin greasy at all. While there’s a slight sunscreen smell, it fades away and isn’t noticeable.

Night Moisturiser – Sukin Restorative Night Cream. I’m always on the hunt for new night creams and have always wanted to try something from Sukin. While I love the packaging, texture and thickness of the cream, I’m not a big fan of its lavender scent.

Face Spray – Aqua Di Rose (Rose Water). I picked this up in Florence based on many online recommendations and am in love with this spray! I use it after I moisturise and love its fresh rose scent. The glass bottle is absolutely gorgeous.

Face Mask – Fresh Vitamin Nectar Vibrancy-Boosting Face Mask. I’ve recently started using this mask, so I haven’t noticed any significant improvements in my skin yet. However, I love its fresh citrus scent!

What products do you use in your skincare routine?

Marie xo

For the last few months while we’ve been busy with our move and living in temporary accommodation, I packed up most of my makeup and only kept out key items to complete my everyday makeup look. While it’s more than I would normally travel with, it hasn’t taken up too much space and I’ve loved the simplicity of using up a single item to complete my look.

Here’s what I’ve been using:

• Face Moisturiser – Nivea Soft Moisturising Cream. I had 2 travel sized containers of this cream stored away, so I decided to use these up. It’s a generic hand/foot/face cream but I mainly used it as a day and night face moisturiser and was surprised by how well it suited my face! Now that I’ve used these up, I’m using my usual Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture SPF 15.
• Face Spray – Aqua Di Rose. I picked up this beautiful glass bottle of rose water from Santa Maria Novella, while travelling in Florence 3 years ago and it still smells as good as when I first bought it! Although it was a bit of a pain to lug this large glass bottle around, I was keen to make a dent in this since I’ve had this for a while now.
• Primer – Smashbox Photo Finish Pore Minimizer. I don’t always use primer, so I picked up a travel sized version of this months ago. I still have a bit left and am considering purchasing another travel sized version.
• Foundation – Smashbox Studio Skin in 2.3. This has been my go to foundation for the last 2 years now, however it’s slightly on the darker side so I use lightening drops to get the right shade and thin out the consistency. I used up my bottle just before we left Perth and wasn’t able to find a replacement, so I picked up the Benefit Hello Happy Soft Blur Foundation in Medium Neutral 4 to try out – I was also a sucker for the cute smiley face on the packaging! Funnily enough, it’s the same shade and consistency of my Smashbox foundation mixed with the lightening drops, so this will be my new go to foundation!
• Lightening Drops – Body Shop Shade Adjusting Drops. I often find that the medium yellow toned foundations are a tad darker for me, so these drops have been amazing in letting me get just the right shade. Now that I’ve found my new go to foundation, I’m not too sure what I’ll do with the rest of this bottle but I’ll hang onto it for now.
• Concealer – True Match in Golden Beige 3.D/W. I tried this on a whim a few months ago and have been loving my new go to concealer.
• Blush – Nars Blush in Orgasm. While I already have enough blushes to last me a lifetime, I’ve always wanted to try this famous blush and broke my no new makeup ban when a travel sized version was released. I’ve loved using it, have already hit pan, and have no regrets!
• Highlight – Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Radiant Light. I also broke my no new makeup ban when I saw that Hourglass released small travel sized versions of their lighting powders. It’s more subtle than the highlighters I already have and gives me a really nice glow.
• Powder – Skinfood Multi Finish Powder in Peach Cotton. I mainly use this under my eye to stop any eye makeup transference and set my concealer. I dust any remaining powder on my forehead, nose and chin, and it has the loveliest peach fragrance.
• Eyeshadow – Etude House Bling Bling Eye Stick. I swipe this on my lid and rub it in with my fingers for a quick and simple neutral look on my eye. It has a bit of a sparkle, which I love. I’ve had this in my collection for a while now, so I’m keen to use this up.
• Eyeliner – NYX Eye and Eyebrow Pencil in Brown. I use this to line my upper eyelid. It does its job but it smudges a little, so I’ll try another pencil eyeliner once this runs out.
• Mascara – Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof. I’ve been trialing the travel sized version of this and have loved it so much that I bought a full sized version. It actually makes my thin, straight, eyelashes stay curled! The only downside to the full sized version is that there is a lot of excess product that seeps out every time I close it, which causes a bit of a mess.
• Eyebrows – Benefit Foolproof Brow Powder 5. I’ve only recently started doing my brows (!!) and picked this up when I got a brow tutorial at the Benefit Brow Bar. So far, so good, and it gives my brows a natural look.
• Lippies – Tarte Amazonian Butter Lipstick Tulip, Lipstick Queen Frog Prince, Tony Moly Petite Bunny Gloss Bar Juicy Apple and Hurraw! Papaya Pineapple Lip Balm. Since lip products don’t take up much room, I kept a few different lippies out for fun.
• Makeup Setting Spray – Urban Decay De-slick. When I wear my glasses or know that I’m going to have a long day/night out, I’ll spray this on to set my makeup. While it sets my makeup I don’t think that it quite helps to keep my face matte during the day, so I’ll probably be on the hunt for a new setting spray once I use this up.

Depending on how I’m feeling or what I’m doing I’ll use all or some of the products. On my super lazy days, I’ll just slap on some moisturiser and concealer, and call myself done!

Now that we’ve found a rental and everything’s unpacked, I’ve enjoyed getting back into my makeup collection and being able to choose from a variety of products (hello, lippies!). However, I’ve stuck with keeping the items above in a single makeup container to form the basis of most of my makeup looks and will use other products depending on what type of look I’m going for.

What makeup products do you use as part of your everyday look?

Marie xo

I don’t normally get my nails done but as a farewell present, my youngest sister took me to get my nails done!

We went to Professional Nails located in Westfield Carousel Shopping Centre and I chose to get a silver ombre glitter look with shellac. The last few times that I’ve gotten my nails done, I’ve chosen a similar ombre glitter look and I absolutely love it as my nails can grow out without it looking too obvious. My nails grow very fast, so it means that I can stretch out the look longer!

These were $35 and the lady who did my nails was friendly and lovely to talk too. The place itself was busy but we were able to walk in without an appointment and get our nails done without having to wait too long. I love my new nails and will have to make a return trip whenever I’m back in Perth!

Marie xo

After our move across the country, I’ll be busy unpacking and settling us into our new place, so I thought it would be nice to get a few “housekeeping” things done before I go, such as getting my hair done! Over the years, I’ve gone to various hairdressers but I always come back to Tao of Hair because they really know their stuff when it comes to Asian hair.

I chose their Balayage Package (medium $335/long $377), which includes pre-lightening, balayage, protein treatment/bond fusion, cut, blowdry and take home treatment. This time around, I wanted something fun but relatively low maintenance, so I asked for a soft rose gold balayage. My stylist was Drew and I think that she did a really great job! The gradient from my roots to the ends of my hair is really soft and it goes from a darker rose to a more subtle rose colour. As I continue to wash my hair, the rose colour will fade but I bought some rose gold shampoo ($22) to freshen up the colour.

I am really loving my new hair colour and how the colour changes in the light!

Marie xo