I officially have enough posts in my trash talk series for someone to read one every day of the week! I'm not sure who would do that but I just thought I'd mention it 😂

Over the summer holidays (yes, Australia is opposite for those reading from the other side of the world), I accumulated quite a few products. You'd also be aware that I am attempting a project pan so, by the end of the year, I hope to include more makeup products within these posts. For now, let's talk trash...

The Body Shop - Almond Milk & Honey body lotion

$20 

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

This is a product I don't generally use up. When it comes to moisturising my body I often opt out of that step but I'm glad I used this up. This body lotion claims to soothe uncomfortable tight, itchy dry skin. I found it to be really hydrating and did not leave a greasy feeling. I'm unsure whether I would repurchase it as I have a few other lotions that I need to work my way through, but I did really enjoy this one so I would consider it.

NYX - Dewy Setting Spray

$14.95

⭐ ⭐ ⭐

A nice daily use spray if you can be bothered taking the extra step. It did leave a very dewy finish to my face which sometimes made my makeup feel heavier? Or at least made me notice I had makeup on my skin, which at times was not a pleasant feeling. I guess this did work but isn't a must for me so I won't be repurchasing. I also do prefer the Urban Decay All Nighter over this.

Josie Maran - Pure Argan Milk

(sample)

⭐

As someone with dry skin I did not think I would ever say this, this was too much for my skin. In the sense it was over hydrating but my skin didn't really absorb it. I found it to clog my pores and whenever I used it I had those small congested bumps afterwards. I ended up tossing it before using it up so luckily it was just a sample.

Models Prefer - BB Youth Boost

$16.99

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

This is a beautiful BB cream. It sat so nicely on my skin and I absolutely loved using it. The only reason it lacks that final star is because of the shade range - there are only two. I found it to be a little too ashy/pink for my skin tone so for this reason I won't repurchase but it really was a lovely product and gave my skin such a healthy look.

Stem - Hydrating Face Fluid

$23.10

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

If you have sensitive skin and struggle to find a moisturiser that works for you then this is a great product. It is hydrating yet has a thin consistency so it absorbs nicely into the skin. For dryer skin types this pairs nicely with a facial oil for added moisture. I have a review on it here. I would consider purchasing this in the future.

Colourpop Ultra Matte Lip

$6.50

⭐ ⭐

Regular viewers of my Instagram stories would know I am tossing Midi, Beeper and Clueless from Colourpop as they are old in my collection and were well loved. The other Ultra Matte Lips I am decluttering (rehoming). These three in particular have had their formula change over time and just crumble off my lips. I personally wouldn't repurchase this formula from Colourpop as I am not the biggest fan of liquid lipsticks. Due to their formula and comfort they get quite a low rating however, the shades are gorgeous.

Nourish London - Kale 3D Cleanse

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

I loved this cleanser, 30% because it changes colour when it comes into contact with water and being rubbed on your face and 70% because it worked well. Kale is one of my favourite vegetables so if it is in a cleanser I immediately love it. It left my skin feeling clean and brighter looking (over time). Even though I really enjoyed using this I won't be repurchasing as I have a pretty solid skincare routine right now so I don't require another face wash. 

Palmer's - Ultra Gentle Facial Cleansing Oil

$10.49

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Another one bites the dust. I won't say anything about this as it is in every skin diaries or trash talk I have written. There is one new thing I have to say about this though, *SHOCK ALERT* I won't be repurchasing this any time soon as I have replaced it with LUSH's ultrabland cleanser. This could make an appearance in the future though, I am missing it.

Derma E - Nourishing Rose Cleansing Oil

sample

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

This product is similar to the Palmer's cleansing oil however, is a much thinner oil. I did enjoy using it but like I said, I don't require it in my skin care routine. If you aren't a fan of cleansing oils that leave your skin feeling oily then I recommend this one. It is very gentle on the skin and removes makeup quite well.

Chi Chi Cosmetics - Super CC Cream

$29.95

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

This is one of those products that I changed my mind about the more I used it. At the beginning I didn't really like this CC cream. I found it broke up on my skin or left me looking cakey. After working with it and getting to know the formula I actually loved this product. I found it worked best on my bare skin and if I was going to powder it then loose powder seemed to work best. It offers great coverage but doesn't feel heavy on the skin. I will say, when I paired it with primer, concealer and pressed powder it did feel heavy and I hated wearing it. This is more of my go-to product when I had to wake up at 6:30am for work and wanted quick coverage and a very minimal makeup look.

When I work my way through more foundations I will figure out which were my absolute favourites and if this still makes the list I would repurchase.

Physician's Formula - Organic Wear CC Cream

$18.27

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

It appears that BB/CC creams are a common theme for this trash talk. I really enjoyed working through the ones in my collection over summer because they're the perfect base product. For a lighter coverage, and I mean barely there, this was a great option. It has really basic ingredients that are good for your skin which I appreciated. I found it applied best with my hands as it really helped the thicker cream melt into my skin. It wasn't cakey as it was super light-weight and undetectable. I won't repurchase for the time being and I want more coverage if I am going to wear makeup. I see myself buying and wearing this when my skin is clearer and I have a full time job because it would work better for that.

Andalou Naturals 1000 Roses Rosewater Mask

$18.95

⭐ ⭐ ⭐

This was an ok hydrating mask. I did enjoy the consistency of it, I found it sunk into my skin nicely and when I rinsed off the excess my skin felt soft and hydrated. The strange thing is that it is formulated for sensitive skin types but I found it burnt mine sometimes? Due to this I wouldn't repurchase.

Brite Organix Masques in mango and coffee

$15 each

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

I love a good hair mask. Not only do these work well but they are practical and come in a variety of scents and hair needs. I have multiple more in my collection so I will be well off for a while.

I find I can get 4-6 uses out of each pouch. Keep in mind my hair is above my shoulders. They're easy to use, not oily or sticky, I love them. The reason they have 4 stars is because I personally find straight up coconut oil to be a super beneficial hair mask and that is my #1 favourite. These are still a great alternative if you don't want to melt coconut oil to make your own.

Urban Decay Perversion Mascara

$18 (4ml)

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Prior to trying Inika Organic's long lash vegan mascara this way my absolute favourite. I would even say they may be equal first in terms of how they make my lashes look. I am trying to be good and only have 1 mascara at a time but I would definitely repurchase this in the 4ml size. It lasted me quite a while and my lashes looked so fluffy and natural, yet I could get them to look dramatic if I wanted to. I love the size of the brush, I love the formula, I love everything about it

I even love the packaging and wand so much that I think I will repurpose it to be an eyebrow and eye lash oil serum or just keep the wand to act as a spoolie.

Organic Care Coco Repair Shampoo

$6 (larger bottle)

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Can you tell I don't keep a theme to these posts, I'm always all over the place because I literally pick things out of a box as I go. Anywho, this is the only shampoo brand I've used ever since I can remember. I have always used natural/organic hair care in my life so I can't really compare it to anything. I like it and I find it cleans my hair, although I don't have oily or problematic hair. It gets the job done and I will continue to use it. My favourite range of theirs is the dry nourish range though.

The Body Shop Fuji Green Tea Hand Cream

$7

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

This is an exciting product for me as I've never used up, let alone owned a hand cream before. It was a joy to use this every night before bed or even throughout the day because it didn't leave any weird residue. It sunk in nicely and my hands were not slippery at all. I enjoyed the smaller size and scent, I am considering repurchasing it in the future.

Natural Instinct Hydrating Facial Wipes

$7.99

⭐

I rarely dislike a product that is good for your skin but I just didn't find these wipes to be "moist" enough to remove makeup. They also dried up pretty quickly so I wasn't able to use them all.

I appreciate that they are also biodegradable but they didn't work for makeup removal. I guess in the future I could maybe use them as hand wipes? But for now, its a no from me.

Keratin Complex

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

I purchased this when I was in Italy so I have no idea where to find it or if it even exists anymore. I did enjoy this spray as it left my hair feeling nice but I can't repurchase it.

Grants of Australia Mild Mint with Aloe Vera toothpaste x2

$2.60

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

My favourite SAFE toothpaste. It feels like a "traditional" chemical toothpaste in the sense it feels and tastes minty but it does not irritate my teeth whatsoever. It is also an affordable green switch that anyone can make.

Derma E Overnight Peel

sample

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

I have dry skin, texture and scarring so I love peels. I don't know how to describe what this product did but it somehow make my overall appearance nicer. I would repurchase once I work through a few other skincare products.

ARCONA Cranberry Toner

sample but usually $55

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Ahhh, I hate to love this because the full size is so pricey for a step I usually skip. It is refreshing, hydrating, gentle and just magical liquid in a bottle. I don't know if I would purchase this but I indulged in it while I had it. It also smells amazing. I will have to think very deeply about repurchasing it but I really did love it. P.S. Repurposing the bottle to use for traveling. Reduce, reuse recycle!

Blissoma Tone Intense Hydration Tonique

sample

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Another toner I loved? I never used toner before, I never saw the purpose of it but I actually enjoyed this one too. It is in a spray bottle which I love a little more than the previous one because it's convenient. It is also cheaper at $32. It worked quite similar to the ARCONA one and since this one is marketed for dry skin it worked wonders for me. I am also repurposing this bottle for travel and may repurchase.

Eye of Horus bio Lash Lift mascara

$38

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

If you have sensitive or easily irritated eyes then this is the mascara for you. It gives off a very natural appearance to your lashes but I also found the wand to be a little difficult to work with at times as it can gather excess product. If you remember to wipe the excess off then it is completely fine.

Tilk - Love me hand cream and regenerate me facial cream

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

First off the hand cream. Since I am a newly converted hand cream user this was another one I enjoyed. Similarly to the body shop one it didn't leave a strange film behind and I actually found it to be a tad more hydrating. It helped with dry skin and I don't know what they're called but you know when your nails peel on the edges and if you rip it off they bleed? Those things. It helped prevent those but even soften it enough for me to cut off easily. It was a great one to use at night time as it comes in a little pot.

The regenerate facial cream left my skin feeling hydrated and soft. It didn't irritate my skin in any way nor did it break me out. I found it had an almost mousse like consistency but very airy. I did enjoy it and now I'm excited to try out their other products they sent to me.

Both of these products are vegan, natural and travel friendly, which is awesome!

Nourish London firming facial oil

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

I am a big fan of facial oils, in fact I have a drawer full of them and have no idea when I'll get to using them all. Thankfully I find I go through them at a pretty good pace as they pair well with my dry skin. I've tried many oils in the past and currently, this one sunk in nicely, didn't break me out (which some can) and had a thin consistency. If you're familiar with facial oils you can tell when it is a good one and when it isn't. My preference is a thin consistency that sinks in well, typically with oils you don't want your skin to feel or look oily. Two to three drops is plenty. 

This is another bottle I can repurpose and keep for travel. It is a good small size for me to transfer my larger bottled oil into.

Sukin sensitive Facial Moisturiser

$5.49

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Finally, the last item. I know these posts can get long so I will write a little about this and then I'm done. I used to be a fan of cream moisturisers and this is a great one but I've gone completely oil based. It is light and gentle like it states, sits nicely under makeup, affordable and natural.

If you made it this far then I am very impressed! What is something you have used up recently?

A no-buy, something that could be good for some or challenging for others. I've done a few no-buys over the time of being a beauty lover and I am currently on a year long one. I've figured out and learnt a few tips and tricks so I thought I'd share.

1. Make a makeup inventory
This tip is the most important in my option. You physically how much you own, how many products you have in each category etc.

I've put mine together via excel but you can do it in your bullet journal, word, a notebook or a follower of mine (Tanya) suggested an app: Momento.

Having a monthly tally will also help to keep you motivated as it will tell you how much you're actually using up, whether it is money-wise or the quantity in a certain category.

My previous blogpost is all about how to make a makeup inventory!

2. Start off with a low-buy
Instead of going completely from frequent makeup purchases to none at all, consider taking baby steps. You could set a monthly or yearly makeup budget, whichever works for you. Or you could only purchase a new product for X amount of products you use up.

For me, I will only repurchase something if I run out of products in that category. For example, I only own two black mascaras so once they're used up or dried out I will allow myself to buy another one.

3. Set yourself challenges
If you're the type of person that likes challenges or setting goals with makeup then consider doing a pan that palette or project pan. There are heaps of types on youtube, there's project 10 pan, 18 by the end of 2018 and so on. You would have seen my intro to my first project pan a few weeks ago so,  I'm only picking a few products to see how I go.

A few of my favourite YouTubers that promote using the makeup you own:
Kelly
Elle
Samantha
Liv
Tash

I find binge watching these ladies (and a few others that pop up in recommendations), really helps me stay motivated to use what I own.

4. Don't give in to new releases (how?!)
This is sometimes easier said than done. However, Elle has a great video about FOMO (fear of missing out) which has really helped me not care for new releases. She makes a great point that those products will a) always be around, or b) if it's limited edition and you fall in love with it, you won't be able to repurchase it any way.

5. Shop your stash
Switch things up often, play around with your makeup to create new looks you haven't tried before.

Hopefully these tips are helpful, as well as the youtubers I have recommended. Let me know if you're giving a no-buy a go, if so, how long?

This year I finally put in the work to actually create an inventory for all my makeup and body/skin care. Today I will be sharing my tips and screenshots of my inventory so you can use it as a guide. I am hoping to create a downloadable pdf template but I'm not good with excel and conversions so it isn't included in today's post. Hopefully one day!!

Tip #1
Store it all in one excel document but use labels. For my inventory I split it into various categories - eyes, face, lips. I also personally included a tally and products i've used up. I will attach a screenshot to better explain my layout a bit later on.

Tip #2
Use similar headings for each category so it is easier to track and familiar to you. The headings I chose were:
Brand
Category
Colour
Price
Size
Notes - e.g. if it is a sample size or to make note of how much i've used
Uses - this is just for a personal experiment as I wanted to see how many uses it would take to hit pan
Total for category - if you're interested in tracking an overall price as well as the individual price

Tip #3
If using up makeup is something you're interested in tracking, I suggest you list all the eyeshadow shades in palettes individually. This way you will feel more encouraged when you notice you hit pan on a shade or use it up. It also gives you greater insight to how many shadows you actually own as one palette could have 12, 9 or so on.

Here is a look at how I've laid my inventory out. I decided to colour code because I am a visual person.

Tip #4
Highlight products you have either
a) hit pan on
b) plan to use up
This helps to make them stand out amongst all the other products and makes it a lot easier to track.

Tip #5
Categorise items by brand. Especially if you have multiple lip products but they're all 'NYX'. I just find that it simplifies things by having it listed in the same area. It is personal preference though, as having it randomly could work just as well.

Tip #6
Have a tally with an overall count of how many products you own per category. It is one thing to list everything all out and see what you actually own, but a tally simplifies that and helps you see what you may own too many of or, where your collection is lacking. So for me, my tally tells me I own majority of eyeshadows and lip products. This information will help me put off buying those items or it could work in reverse and draw your attention to areas where you have room to purchase more products to try.

Tip #7
Do regular tally check ins. This is just really insightful to show you what products you use up the fastest or if you happen to be doing a project pan etc. it is encouraging to see the numbers for each category drop.

I have decided to go with 3 month check ins for my tally. But you could really do monthly or even three a year, its up to you!

Tip #8
Track the overall price of your entire makeup collection. This could be daunting, especially if your collection is on the large side. However, as you use products up you will physically be able to see that you are using your moneys worth.

Tip #9
Have a tab for used up/decluttered products. This is another personal preference but I find it interesting to track almost all aspects of my makeup collection. I enjoy taking note of what I'm using up and whether I've enjoyed the product. Including a decluttered section is also eye opening as it shows what products aren't your type and it can help guide future purchasing decisions.

By including the date of when you declutter items can help tell you when you last went through your collection. Doing this regularly, as well as the tally check in will encourage you to "shop your stash" or even be aware of what you own.

Greetings friends. For some reason Project Pan videos have become my obsession. I love seeing well loved makeup products and I know, when I hit pan or use up a product in my collection I am extremely excited. After all, it does mean you use what you pay for, rather than let it sit in your collection.

I am going to attempt a project pan this year and because it is my first one I won't make it too challenging. I am picking products I currently enjoy using or old favourites that deserve more love again.

Here's what I'm planning to pan:

Eyeshadow palette - Tartelette in Bloom

Ok so I don't want to pan or use up this entire palette because that probably won't be possible. I have done damage with one particular shade already (flower child), so I plan to use that shade completely but also pan two other shades.

Bronzer/Highlighter - Urban Decay Naked Flushed

Another product that is already well loved. Because I have used quite a bit of this highlighter and bronzer already I hope to use the two shades up completely by the end of 2018. I'm not a big fan of the blush shade for my skin tone but I will push myself to use it rather than leave it untouched.

Brows - Chi Chi Brow Pomade

I've included this one because I am curious to see how much of a pomade I can actually use up within a year. I only have two brow products in my collection so this one is 100% included just out of curiosity.

Blush - Nudestix Nudies all over face color matte in bare back

This is a product I am in love with lately, I love how easy a cream blush is to use. You can use this product on your lips, eyes and cheeks. I mainly use it on the cheeks but I think this would be pretty easy for me to use up a decent amount of.

Foundation 
Possibly cheating with this category? But rather than choosing certain products to use up I just hope to use up a total of 5 foundations this year. Whether they are liquid or powder I don't mind, I just would like to reduce my collection so I can try more products.

Lips - Colourpop ultra glossy lip in Weho (sample size), Chi Chi lipstick in O.M.NUDE!! and Colourpop lippie stix in Oh Snap

My favourite makeup category, yet one I really struggle to work my way through. I think this will be the most challenging for me because I don't really stick to one lip product. I've chosen a few that are shades I know I can wear every day and are a variety of finishes.
The Chi Chi and Colourpop lipsticks were actually part of my 5 in 1 review last year, so I'd really like to make more progress on them. Also, I'm not a big lipgloss wearer but I also want to finish up the sample size of Weho I have.

They are all the products I will specifically be focusing on throughout 2018. Are you planning on doing a project pan or have you ever done one? Let me know!