Have You Hit Pan Recently?

As the title asks, have you hit pan recently? I can't say I have.. I've only ever hit pan on one makeup item of mine and that was ages ago! I'll share more about that later.
Since reading posts like Operation Use It Up! by Haru of Rouge Deluxe and *Monthly* Empties by Shela of Confessions of a Beauty Guru, I have been inspired to dedicate posts on my used-and-abused or finished products. It's a twist on Project 10 Pan as I haven't completely finished every product on one list and some items aren't even on a list to be checked off. A majority of these products were just accidently finished!

(From L-to-R: Daiso Cleansing Foam, L'Oreal Go 360 Clean Deep Facial Cleanser, Vera Wang Flower Princess Perfume, LG Say Lavender Body Wash, jojoba oil, Caress Tahitan Renewal Silkening Body Wash, Nexxus Therappe Luxurious Moisturizing Shampoo)
           *Not pictured: John Frieda Hair Serum – Thermal Protection Formula*

I feel unaccomplished compared to Haru and Shela but this will have to do. I really dig Shela's spin on Project 10 Pan but I'm trying to be tougher on myself & I don't mean to say Shela has it easy because she doesn't. My mind always strays and I never manage to focus on one product at a time. The only part of my routine that sticks is moisturizers, eye cream (one for day & one for night) and toner (nightly only). Body care like shampoo, body wash, body lotion, shaving cream.. it's constantly changing. Although I should mention, I've been sticking to one shampoo recently to help my dandruff but it hasn't done jack.
Onwards to less (or more) babbling! I don't have much to say about the products I've finished as I didn't really a majority of them but like Haru & Shela (and many other bloggers) I will add comments and or mini-reviews.

My favorite product of the bunch and the one I'll actually miss is the Vera Wang Flower Princess Perfume. Flower Princess is  limited edition (not the orginal) and I believe is the first LE Princess perfume created and then followed suit was Rock Princess to Glam Princess. I don't think it's one of the popular Princesses because I can no longer find it in perfume boutiques or Sephora.. I do have a back-up bottle but since I can no longer find it in stores, I do not want to use it! On the bright side, I can now try another perfume guilt-free.

The most disliked products of the bunch: Daiso Cleansing Foam and L'Oreal Go 360 Clean Deep Facial Cleanser. I used the L'Oreal cleanser to clean makeup brushes after I hit the half way mark. It wasn't a bad facial cleanser but I disliked the smell mostly. I should have never bought the cleanser from Daiso as I have no clue what the ingredients are and if anything were to happen, who would be to blame?? I used it wash makeup sponges and face clothes. It's heavily scented and drying, I blame the SLS.Now that I look back, 5 out of the 8 products I have finished contain sodium laureth sulfate.
The LG (Life is Good) Say Lavender Body Wash was purchased at a local Asian supermarket (T&T). I paid $7.99 for the whole bottle with a bonus refill pack that I gave to a friend. I'm glad I gave the refill away as I got bored of the scent so quickly.. All it is, is a light,milky-lavender. After finishing off the LG body wash, I finished the Caress Tahitan Renewal Silkening Body Wash shortly after. I've repurchased this body wash in the same scent over two times now. It's tropical yet sensual and I love the exfoliating beads. My skin is much smoother and softer after using it but I won't be repurchasing it anymore as the scent is no longer as enticing as it once was.
 Note: Caress is unavailable in Canada. I purchased this at Target.
Snuggled in between the two body washes is a bottle of jojoba oil. I love jojoba oil as I can use it for everything! I added a spoonful to my body washes and lotions, shampoo and a few drops to facial moisturizers. I find it very moisturizing but I cannot rely on it alone. I have to use it in conjuction with other products to sink into my skin well.

Next is the Nexxus Therappe Luxurious Moisturizing Shampoo. I ordered a sample of it off of the Nexxus website and I really enjoyed the scent. In conjuction with the Humectress Ultimate Moisturizing Conditioner, it made my hair light, soft and smelled like almond milk and a hint of baby powder. I really don't know how to explain scents but it was a niceeee! If it had done anything for my dandruff, I would've bought a full size.

Last is the John Frieda Hair Serum – Thermal Protection Formula. I use this to protect my hair from the UV rays, heat-styling and frizzing. I love it and you need it! It costs a bit much for a drugstore product ($9.99+) but it promises salon-quality results. All I need is one pump or a nickel size amount for my hair (a little past shoulder length). One bottle lasts 3-6 months depending on how much hair you have. I love the smell, the shine it gives my hair, the protection it promises and gives! I looove it and highly recommend it!

Lastly.. oh wait I'm done! But before I go, I wanted to show my one & only "hit pan" product. I have a lot of makeup for a person who rarely wears makeup so this was/is a big accomplishment (for me atleast). I don't know how I hit pan on this particular item as I hardly use its kind but I did. So here we have it..........................................: 

                                N.Y.C. New York Color Matte Bronzer in Sunny (720C)

I hit pan for the very first time on my very first bronzer! You can buy this at almost any drugstore for no more than $3. Dulce of DulceCandy or DulceCandy87 on Youtube raves about it constantly so eventually, I caved in and bought it too. I'm glad it was my first bronzer because it's quite affordable and it doesn't make me look orange or muddy. A very good bronzer but very bad ingredients. For the low price, the ingredients are expected to be poor but I need to treat my skin like it's a Goddess or else it'll turn on me! I won't be repurchasing it again but if you want to try a bronzer, do try this one!

Sunday is nearly over and I hope everyone had a good weekend. Mine was uneventful but I did go to the airport today to see my father off. He'll be gone for awhile but I'll cope, aslong as he comes back safe and sound (with loads of gifts too!).

Cheers,
Ashley.

OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH!

If you haven't already heard, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!
Karen at Makeup and Beauty Blog has hosted two donations in the past two years to raise awareness for breast cancer. This year, Karen is hosting a giveway with a prize worth $400.
For more information, check out this link.

I decided to make a sign and and participate. Luckily, I do not have family or have had family effected with breast cancer but cancer does run in my family.
This is the first time showing my face on my own blog so please be nice.

So there it is, do you like it?

I even made a "sign" at work...

I work with my family and I have my own office so I get to decorate the room however I like. Unfortunately, there's only one free wall so I can't do much. I decided to do spread further awareness and stuck colorful post-it notes on my free wall. I rarely see our customers because I'm more behind-the-scenes but the few visitors I have, really like my sign!
I urge you all to participate. Breast cancer, skin cancer, leukemia, what ever sickness, it affects everyone. Not only should you participate in Karen's giveaway but do your most to donate to what ever organization you choose. I make it a habit to donate atleast ten dollars a month because I know I need it less than others. Thanks for stopping!

Love ♥,
Ashley.  

QUICK Post!

Guess who (on accident!) found the highly coveted Urban Decay Book of Shadows III??
I'll give you a hint, her name is Ashley and this is her blog. That's right, I DID!
I know I said I'd quit with the haul and frequent purchase posts but this was TOO exciting to keep to myself. I was really just looking for the Urban Decay Naked Palette (just for kicks, wasn't really thinking of buying it!....) when I saw the Urban Decay BoS III on display. I got the LAST ONE. Next to it was the limited edition supersized Primer Potion... I woulda scooped that up but I think I'll do that when Sephora has their annual Friends & Family sale. Or atleast I think it's annual..

Enough with that here is my pretty picture: 

For better swatches, I suggest you check out Christine's swatches on Temptalia and Karen's at Makeup and Beauty Blog!

Goodnight,
Ashley :)

P.S. Yes I know, I took my photo on my washing machine!

Getting Luckier!

I'm back again and not a month later.. *claps*
I don't doubt anyone has noticed that most of my recent posts are more "haul" type posts rather than reviews but.. no worries! I'm preparing an abundance of them so please bear with me for a little longer. Please??
I remember saying I was on no buy to a llow buy months ago (feels like eons) and I'm still sticking by it but the rules have changed a little. I started to log my purchases weekly since May of this year and I have noticed not much has changed in my spending habits. I'm still buying atleast 1 to 5 beauty products a week. Since May, I've only spent one week without buying any beauty products and it's now October... That's approximately 6 months of cosmetic hoarding! If you're interested in what beauty *junk* I've bought, I'll prepare another blog post for that, just say the word! All that money could have gone into a new desk that I've been trying to save up for!

Anywho, this is going to be my last "haul" update for awhile. The thing is, I feel like I should do these types of posts because I usually run out of reviews to publish and I don't like going weeks without updating my blog. Since my last update, I featured eyeshadows, to blushes, to make-up that wasn't widely or at all available in Canada. I was lucky enough to find Hard Candy at my closest Wal-Mart last Monday. My initial thought was that the Wal-Mart near me wasn't going to stock Hard Candy but they've finally cleared some room for the whole collection. I must mention however that the lipsticks and glitter liner are seperated from the core collection and there are no testers available unlike the first Wal-Mart I discovered Hard Candy at. This does bother me as I want to swatch everything without ruining something someone else might want to buy! The blushes and bronzers are sealed with plastics (safe) but the lipsticks weren't sealed properly (unsafe!). The plastic doesn't cover the whole entire tube of lipstick and infact, you can just pull out the lipstick from the tube like there's not seal at all! I said I wasn't a fond of the Hard Candy blush in Honeymoon or the Welcome Matte mattifying powder. I still stand by that but I will continue to use it or eventually sell it. I picked up another baked blush and this time in Living Doll. There was a fight between Pin Up and Living Doll as I wanted Pin Up before I saw Living Doll but I decided Pin Up can wait. I have many shades just like it! I am a blush fiend, what can I say? I had my primer phase and now I'm onto my blush phase. I hope I run out of phases to go through so I eventually settle into the nothing phase!

I also went to London Drugs to grab an EcoTools brush set for $8.99 (originally $15.99, on sale for $9.99 but I had a $1 off coupon!). It came with a bonus 5x mirror with suction cups on the back to place on a non-magnifying mirror (I think..?). I didn't need another brush set but I figured this set was a steal for $8.99. The brush set comes with a brush roll containing a blush brush, concealer brush, eyeshadow brush, eyeliner brush, and eyebrow comb. In total, there are 6 pieces and then a bonus mirror. I could use a concealer brush as the three I have currently, aren't very good! I also like having loads of blush brushes to go with my lot of blushes. I'm crazy, I know. And ontop of that, I bought a Balmshell lip stain on clearance for $3.97. A short review is coming up shortly on that. Loads of reviews are coming up shortly! LOADS.
(No photos for these!)
On Wednesday, I bought a Color Club nail polish set at Winners for $12.99. I bought two but tonight I returned one. The set I kept was Wild At Heart. Each set contains 7 nail polishes. Here are a few blogs that are spreading the Color Club buzz!


After returning a Color Club set at Winners, I ran into Cara (formerly The Face Shop) because I saw a hugeee poster that said Giractik Beauty products for $5. Turns out it was $5 for ONE product, $8 for TWO, and $10 for 3. I think I might go back for more, is that wrong? The original price of most of Girlactik Beauty products are $20+. Did you know Girlactik was formerly sold in Sephora? This is definitely a good steal and you might want to check it out if you're into shimmer. Most of the Girlactik Beauty products contain a hint of shimmer!
Oh anyway, now I'm babbling. I bought three blushes, all different shades in: Bora Bora, Havana, and Naples.


All in all, a very short loot. I definitely will try harder not to buy all this unecessary make-up. I know I haven't bought anything skincare for awhile so atleast I can pat myself on the back for that (besides the Garnier eye roller!). I even sold some make-up via Craigslist. I'm not rolling in the riches but atleast my make-up lot is lessening. I'll keep trying to get my stuff sold but until then, wish me luck!

Lotsa ♥,
Ashley.

Spotted: Great Deals & Finds

Remember my Spotted: ELF @ Dollarama post? Well I have another one on random finds and deals I've come across recently. I'm too excited so I'll get right to it...

Rexall is hosting yet ANOTHER 50% off sale on a particular make-up item.. Sometime before the Summer, Rexall hosted a 50% off sale on all LIP PRODUCTS and then they had another one for NAIL PRODUCTS. From October 22nd to the 29th, Rexall will have ALL mascaras 50% off regular price.I've checked their prices and it's similar to Shoppers Drug Mart prices. Don't worry though, with the 50% off, each mascara is either $10 or below. Higher end brands like PUPA, Elizabeth Arden and Emani will be a little over $10, I'm guessing. Be sure to check it out regardless and stock up on your staple mascara!

CARA, formerly known as The Face Shop is having a limited time sale on all Girlactik Beauty products. Buy ONE for $5 or buy TWO for $8. Better yet, buy THREE for $10!
If you don't know already, Girlactik Beauty used to have a stand in Sephora! Prices range from $14-$24+, this is a rough estimate but it is better priced than some drugstore cosmetics!

Wal-Mart now stocks Hard Candy in Canada. I've been longing for it!
I don't know how different the prices are compared to the US but I can give you some of the Canadian prices for comparison. The prices range from $4.98 to $8.98.
Eye Candy (glitter eye cream PLUS glitter liner) - $4.98
Plumping Serum, Hot Smudge eyeliner, Kal-Eye-Descope (baked eyeshadow duos),

Meteor-Eyes (baked glitter eyeshadows), Visibily Wet (shockingly glossy lip pencil), Painted Lady - $5.98
Blush Crush (marbelized baked blush) - $6.98
Button Your Lip (full color liquid lipstick), Outrageously Delicious (flavored body powder),
Nobody's Perfect, Welcome Matte, Moon Glow, Glitteratzi Body Spray - $7.98
So Baked Bronzer - $8.97


Missing prices: Tinted Moisturizer, Sheer Envy Primer, other lipglosses. I think the TM & Primer are $7.98 and the glosses should be $5.98.

Also at Wal-Mart, Wet n Wild products (certain few) are $2, $3, or $4. MEGA LAST Nail Color are $2, MEGA LAST Lip Colors are $3, Color Icon Eyeshadow Trios/Palettes and Blushes are $4 before taxes. I've seen the prices like this for awhile now but I'm not sure if it's on rollback. It may be permanent changes to prices but I wouldn't count on that so jump on it if you're interested!

Winners has Color Club nail polish sets (of seven) for $12.99. I think there are 6 different sets. Before taxes, each polish comes out to be $1.85. That isn't so bad and I hear the quality is beyond decent!

That's all I have for now but head on over to Sparkled Beauty for Weekly Flyer Deals and Canadian Daily Deals for .. well as the name suggests! See you all soon :)Love,
Ashley