I saw a few videos on YouTube where people claimed the juice/gel inside an aloe vera plant could help clear acne and scarring. I finally went out and purchased one from good old Bunnings Warehouse. Before my cheeky puppy destroyed the plant by ripping it out of the soil I managed to test it out for a week. 

So before I write all about what I noticed etc. I thought I'd jump straight in with a before and after photo since that is probably what you all care about or are most interested in. The images were taken on Wednesdays a week apart.

You'll notice that no, Aloe Vera cannot completely clear acne or scarring in only 7 days. I don't think anything could do that in that short time. In saying that, my larger breakout areas completely smoothed out and the redness was minimised. A few blemishes also banished within the week of using Aloe Vera, mainly in the temple area.

The most noticeable difference I found was how smooth it made my skin. Even though I had active pimples popping up daily (thanks PCOS), the Aloe Vera juice really helped flatten them pretty much over night. Makeup sat a lot better on my skin as well.

The way I applied it was by cutting off an outer leaf, then a smaller section before slicing it in half. I left the remainder in the fridge to use for the other days. I rubbed the sticky consistency from the two sections all over my face and let my skin absorb it. I decided to sleep in it every night and by the morning there was no residue on my skin nor was it sticky. In the mornings I rinsed my face with cold water. Some people like to use Aloe Vera gel as a mask then remove it or even to spot treat. It is personal preference what you would like to do but the overnight method worked best for me.

Benefits of using Aloe Vera as your skincare

• Helps with sunburn
• Acts as a moisturiser and easily absorbs into the skin - non-greasy so perfect for oily or dry skin types!
• It is anti-inflammatory so it treats acne - hence why it sorted mine out 🙌
• Combats ageing, fine lines and improves elasticity in skin
• Reduces puffiness (especially since you store it in the fridge)
• Protects your skin from environmental toxins

I would definitely continue using Aloe Vera as my night moisturiser/mask. If it could make those subtle changes within a week imagine what a month of use could do. As soon as my plant has the rest and recovery it deserves I will be back to harvesting my crop and using it as my skin care. I recommend Aloe Vera to everyone, even if you buy one large leaf it would definitely last numerous uses. You do have to store it in the fridge to keep it going!

P.S. My Aloe Vera plant survived the attack and is currently in rehabilitation out of reach from my puppy. Also, my puppy was not poisoned in any way as she did not ingest the plant, she just enjoys pulling things off the table now that she can reach.

P.P.S. The images of the Aloe Vera plant and leaves are not my own. I didn't get a chance to take a photo of mine when it was new and looked nice in the pot so I had to rely on Google.

I haven't updated you all on my skin since October last year. So I thought it was about time to check in. I was hoping this post would be the one all about how I finally cleared my hormonal acne but it's not.

October 2017-February 2018 were the months when my skin was at its best. I will attach photos throughout this of my skin but you can check out my last update to see how smooth it started to become. For whatever reason, the clearer skin phase was just a phase. It has gone back to breaking out and only clearing up around ovulation time. Since I have PCOS and my hormones are constantly regulating due to treatment (naturopath) my cycle length has altered. My cycle has gone down to 32-37 days which is a lot better than the usual 48 days or skipping. This now means I ovulate quite late so my body has less of progesterone or testosterone (I can't remember which one). Therefore, I have larger amounts of time with my breakouts.

Since the naturopath is dealing with the supplement side of things I will leave that out for now. Especially as it is personalised. I will mention I still have a herb mix, vitamin A and zinc.

My diet is pretty much the same, although I would like to cut back on sugar again as I was less strict for a while. I am also going to aim to eat the rainbow when it comes to vegetables on a more regular basis.

Now for skincare, my favourite part. Once again I want to reinvent my routine. It already is quite minimal and natural/organic however there are some changes I'd like to make.

• Olive oil - currently using this as my first cleanse to break up makeup. Olive oil doesn't clog pores, contains antioxidants, hydrates and so much more. I find it a lot gentler than store bought oil cleansers and it doesn't leave an oily residue.
• Dr Bronner's Pure Castile soap - this remains as a staple. I only use it if I really have to (when I have heavier makeup on and the olive oil cannot take it all off), as it can be drying. I am hoping to purchase a cleansing milk to have as my second cleanse though. So that is a change that may happen between the now and my next update.
• Sukin Hydrating Face Mask - I am only using this product until I use it up completely. I also want to use up all of my other masks so I can switch this entire section out. I plan to purchase an aloe vera plant and vitamin C serum. I will use those two ingredients as my face instead.
• Liquid Zinc - Currently using this as my serum before moisturising, and only at night. I have gone on about zinc numerous times so I won't get into it here. I do find it is helping to reduce my active breakouts.
• Zumface Facial Oil - the same as last update!
• Tea Tree Oil - to spot treat any larger pimples.
• Aloe Vera plant - This is something new I've FINALLY added to my routine. I have been using it for about a week (blogpost coming next week showing results) and it has done amazing things!

Based off my photos you will notice that with almost a year difference it has cleared up quite a bit.  I am excited to see how it is in another years time, I guess I was just kind of expecting it to be clear by now. These photos really do keep me motivated and help me notice progress.  

June 2017 - June 2018

I share photos with you all to show that it is possible for pimples to clear up. If you are also taking a natural route it may take a little longer but it works.

That is all I have to share with you for this update. My skin can only get clearer i'm sure!

Welcome to my third project pan update. I was hoping to get another blogpost up between my last update and this one but May was a very busy month for me. I had three weeks of placement (teaching every day), my mum's 50th and my brother's 18th. I am finally on Uni holidays so I can delve back into blog post writing again.

I did pretty well this update and have some exciting progress to share with you all!

Eye Shadow - Bh x Carli Bybel (original)
No new pan here. I have only expanded the existing pan from the last update and created more dips in the matte cream shade, matte deep brown and two shimmers.

Bronzer/Highlighter - Urban Decay Naked Flushed

Unlike the eyeshadow palette, I have made amazing progress with this! The highlight is almost completely used up and there is a lot of pan showing where the bronzer is. Pretty much all the product I repressed has been used which is really exciting.

Brows - Chi Chi Brow Pomade (blonde)

The brow pomade is finally showing some usage! I have created quite a dip in one area which I am proud of.


Blush - Nudestix Bare Back
I pushed myself to use this more often over the past month. I found a new favourite way to apply it, using a pretty dense stippling brush or flat top brush and applying the product to that then onto my cheeks. I find it distributes the colour a lot better and is easier to blend.

Foundation
I wasn't able to use up any foundations but I am getting close to using up my Lily Lolo Mineral Powder and Scout Cosmetics Luminous Finish Mineral Foundation. I will continue to focus on them and hopefully by next month they're done and dusted! 

Just a reminder that my goal with foundation is to use up a total of 5 this year. So far I have used one.

Lips

I have the worst luck with losing lip products! Unfortunately when I was trying mattresses (for my new bed) my 3ina Lip Oil must have fallen out of my pocket. It's such a shame as I had a quarter left and worked so hard to have it finished by this update. Also with Colourpop Oh Snap I ended up giving it to my mum as the shade was not nice on my skin tone. 

With my Gerard Cosmetic's lipstick (Vintage Rose), the only survivor, my progress was going really well. I think I was a little optimistic to think it would be done by this update. Lipsticks are so hard when you're someone that forgets to reapply! There isn't much left so fingers crossed by next update I finish off the bullet.

Added in

Since I decluttered and lost products I had to add in new ones. I chose the 3ina Eyeshadow Stick and NYX Butter Gloss in Eclair. I'm unsure how to share the lipgloss progress as the tube isn't see through. I will have to figure out to weigh it maybe? I started tracking progress with the eyeshadow stick and have been reaching for it often so there is progress for you all on that!

So to conclude, I wanted to set myself goals for the next update. I'd like to use up the two foundations, use up Vintage Rose, hit pan on another eyeshadow and finish off the highlight.

Reached goal on 6 items

- Tartelette in bloom flower child (empty)

- Tartelette in bloom smarty pants (hit pan)
- Tartelette in bloom charmer (hit pan)

- Colourpop ulta glossy lip in weho (empty)
- Inika Organic BB cream

- BH x Carli Bybel light brown shade (hit pan)

Lost or decluttered 3 items

- Colourpop Oh Snap (decluttered)

- Chi Chi O.M.NUDE!! lipstick (lost)

- 3ina Lip Oil (lost)

Sorry for my absence lately on my blog. I've been away on placement and been super busy planning my mum's birthday and writing lesson plans. Today I am back with my second update for my project pan. The months seem to be flying by!

This project is really pushing me to make use of my makeup. It is exciting to check in and see progress, it really helps to motivate you to continue.

Before getting into all my progress I will let you all know that I won't be switching anything out this time around. When I started this I had the expectation in my head that every month I would use something up or hit a goal and be able to involve new products. That is definitely not the case and doing this has taught me how long it actually takes to use products up.

Eye Shadow - Bh x Carli Bybel (original)
I think eyeshadow is an area of strength for me. Since I am such a creature of habit and always reach for the same shades on a daily basis it is easy for me to make progress. Within one month I even hit (baby) pan on one shade (matte brown)! My goal was to hit pan on three shades so only two more to go.

I find the bh shadows to be on the powdery side but very easy to blend. The shimmery shades, in terms of pigmentation can fade throughout the day but the mattes are quite good. I am enjoying this palette and am glad I included it. By next month I hope to hit pan on the matte cream shade.

Bronzer/Highlighter - Urban Decay Naked Flushed
I ended up repressing the bronzer so the photo in this update will look different. I am making steady progress with the bronzer and have used up quite a bit of the highlight! I won't have an issue finishing this off.

Brows - Chi Chi Brow Pomade (blonde)
I feel like this product will never show product but I am starting to made a dent on one edge. I will definitely never buy another brow pomade in my life because one tub lasts forever haha.

Blush - Nudestix Bare Back
I didn't use this much this past month because my cheeks broke out pretty badly. I wanted to let them breathe as much as possible and when I was wearing makeup I wanted to apply as minimal product as possible. You'll see the very little progress I made better down below.

Foundation
For this category, the only "foundation" I used up was a sample size of Adorn's cream foundation. It is better than nothing. I am also making good progress with my mineral powder foundations as they're what I'm reaching for lately.

Lips

Colourpop Oh Snap
I'm surprised I actually made visible progress with this lippie stix this time around. I barely reached for it purely because my all time favourite lipstick was added to the project. I'll continue to use this until it is empty or I'm absolutely sick of it.

3ina Lip Oil

I did draw a line on this a month ago but because it is an oily product it kept rubbing off. I was roughly at the bottom on the 3ina logo when I included this so I am making good progress. This lip oil is a pretty easy product to pan because I apply it multiple times a day. If I put my mind to it I could finish it by the next update but I am spacing out using it so I also use my other lipstick.

Gerard Cosmetics Vintage Rose
My absolute favourite lipstick! I'm really happy with the progress I've made and it is the lip product I reach for most. I think I want to focus on this so it can get out of my project sooner and I use other lip products too. But I am loving having this in my project.

Here are my updates for stick products:

Just to keep myself sane and motivated throughout my no-buy/project-pan, I am putting together a wish list. These are the products I will allow myself to buy when I have used up or hit pan on a significant amount of products I own from the related category.

I am planning to transition to non-toxic beauty products so this is my wish list!

Body care
Chocolate Sun Cocoa Fleur tanning atomizer - hopefully I can get it shipped to Australia!

Butter London 8-Free Nail Lacquer (Mum's the word) - I rarely ever wear nail polish and I've never had my nails done. When I do paint my nails I often go for nude shades or a deeper pink mauve shade. I already own a nail polish by Mineral Fusion but would like to try other brands.

Makeup
Ecco Bella Blush - I want to store face/eye products in a z palette type of case. These blushes come just as the pan and don't contain talc (something I find breaks me out when worn too often). I am also someone that doesn't need multiple blush shades so I hope to find my perfect shade then only ever have to repurchase refills.

Lily Lolo pressed bronzer (Montego Bay) - This is one of the pressed bronzers I've found that have natural ingredients as most seem to be loose. The Urban Decay bronzer that I love has a sheen/slight shimmer to it so I thought this would be the perfect healthy alternative.

100% Pure anti-ageing Pomegranate Lipstick (Foxglove) - of course I am mentally planning an entire new non-toxic lipstick collection. Lips is my favourite category however, I've noticed I only reach for the same few shades. I love the packaging and shade of this lipstick so it will definitely join my collection.

Luk Beauti Food Lip Nourish Natural Lipstick (Tea Rose & Pink Juniper) - of course I couldn't pick one shade so I've added two very similar ones to my list. I may even pick up a few shades for the purpose of reviewing and swatching. I didn't find much on this brand but I love what they're all about and their ingredients. Also the packaging kind of reminds me of the Too Faced lipsticks, which I love the style of.

Eco Minerals Flawless Foundation - I have tried multiple organic, natural and toxic free complexion products already. I am currently using some by Lily Lolo, Scout Cosmetics, Hynt Beauty and have used ones by Inika Organic and Adorn Cosmetics in the past. I will eventually purchase a liquid foundation but there are so many that I need to do more research. One base product I am sure I want to try is this flawless foundation (powder) by Eco Minerals. The thing that has drawn me in is that they offer refills so I could just top up my existing packaging, less waste makes me happy! They also offer samples so I could easily pick out a few shades to find my perfect one.

Eye of Horus Brow Define Dysnasty (medium) - I am an eyebrow powder lover but I do enjoy the ease of a pencil with an attached spoolie. This looks similar to everyone's favourite ABH brow wiz or the NYX one. I've only ever tried the one by NYX and liked it so I'm excited to eventually use this.

Vapour Organic Beauty Luminous Foundation - Just the fact that this foundation has luminous in its title and is housed in a stick format makes me want it.

Fragrance
La Vanila perfume - this brand has always caught my interest but I own way too many perfumes to buy another. Whenever the day comes where I need a new perfume, this is at the top of my list.

That is my current wish list/plans for future purchases. I am thinking of doing an update on this post, maybe next year to see what I actually purchased and if I ended up liking it, or prefer another green beauty product etc. Also, I will track my transition via Instagram and my blog so keep an eye out for future posts.

I love watching tag videos and while I watch them I always answer them, even when I'm not tagged. So I thought i'd pop it into a blogpost for anyone that may be interested in my answers. This tag was created by Lisa.

1: What kind of eye primer do you use and why? Liquid eye primer or shadow stick?
I don't tend to use primer or even concealer for my eyelids, which may be weird for some of you. I don't find that my shadow wears off or creases when I just use shadows in comparison to when I use some bases.

I do however, use the left over foundation on my brush over my eyelids to get an even layer then I always set with a white or light beige shade.

2a: What colour eye shadow makes you feel bold and pretty at the same time?
Gold! I usually only ever do matte eyeshadow looks. If you saw my project pan or follow me on Instagram you would know I adore the Tarte Tartelette in Bloom palette. I always reach for the lighter matte shades. Whenever I have an event or a party I like to do a gold smokey eye or halo eye. It is very different to what I usually do so it is bold for me, but the sparkle also makes me feel pretty.
2b: What eye shadow colour do you least like to wear and why?
Bright colours - pink, green, blue, yellow, red. I am not someone that ever reaches for colour when it comes to my eyes. I have pretty hooded eyes so I don't see a purpose for doing fun looks when it is 99% hidden unless I blink. I don't own any "fun" colours either because I know I would never reach for them.
3: Do you wear liquid or pencil eye liner? black or brown liner?
Neither. There is just something about liner in general that I do not like on myself. If I use it then it pretty much covers my entire visible lid space, or if I use it in my water line I feel like it is way too dark. Keep in mind I tend to do really natural looks and never use bottom mascara either so a brown or black water line would look odd.
4: Covergirl or Maybelline mascara?
Once again, neither. They both test on animals. I enjoy Urban Decay Perversion mascara or Inika Long Lash Vegan mascara.
5: If you could have your brows permanently done or not wear any blush for the rest of your life which would you choose?
Definitely brows. I only have half eyebrows as my tails are very very sparse. If they were already done for me it would be great!
6: Does your best friend or you wear more makeup?
About the same! I tend to do less "dramatic" (smokey eyes etc.) looks though.

7: Who taught you how to do makeup?
Mainly youtube but also picked up a few things from my aunty.
8: Are you a fan of cream products? (Blush, bronzer, contour, etc?) why or why not?
Yes!!! I have dry skin so cream products really help my makeup less cakey and more "natural" looking. I find it sits a lot better on my particular skin type and you can adjust the amount you want so easily.
9: Are you a project panner? what projects are you in right now?
I am proud to say that yes I am for the first time this year. I am doing a basic project pan where I selected a few products out of my collection. I'm not sure if I want to make it a rolling pan so when I use up one thing I bring in another.
10: Setting spray: Do you believe in it? Which is your holy grail?
I don't not believe in setting spray but I also don't think it's absolutely necessary. In the past I have enjoyed the Urban Decay All Nighter and in the future I hope to purchase a Mario Badescu one. For the time being I am using the NYX Dewy setting spray or a Swisse one.

What are your responses to these questions? I'd love to know!