Project Pan Finale: Empty Products

A few months ago, I decided to embark on a project pan to use up or hit the pan of several makeup items. My goal was to finish 12 products before Christmas/the end of 2018. And as you will see below, I not only hit that goal, but I surpassed it! I used up/hit the pan of 19 makeup products!

In this post, I'll walk through all of the products I used up and discuss if I plan on repurchasing or not.

Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot
Goal: Finish
Status: Will not repurchase

As you can see with this dirty pan, I accomplished my goal of finishing the setting powder. The powder developed hard pan, which made it difficult to use, so I needed to repress it to get rid of the hard pan and give myself an even pan again. This is what it looked like before repressing:

And after:

Once I repressed the powder, it was much less densely packed, which meant that I picked up more product with my brush. While I liked this product and I think it does a good job of keeping the face matte, with the loosened product, I found that it left a white cast on my face and make me look really powdery. This didn't happen until I repressed the product, which, again, was generally difficult to use before repressing. 

I don't like to keep more than one powder in my collection at a time, so I have replaced this product with the Hourglass Veil translucent powder. So far, I really like that one. 

Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel

Goal: Hit the pan

Status: Will continue to use, but will likely not repurchase

Back when I was living in New York and using makeup as a coping mechanism, I purchased the very expensive and not at all inclusive Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel cream bronzer, which is also known as the "universal bronze." This is not a universal bronze. This is the first and only cream bronzer I have ever used, and while I think it's a good product, I have to really blend it out or else it leaves my face with an orange/brown stripe. Obviously part of this could be my application or user error, but the shade just isn't right for me or what I would want. With that said, the product works, and I would like to use it up since there is nothing wrong with it and I spent quite a bit of money on it. 

Generally, I find that I prefer my powder bronzer (Hourglass Luminous Bronze Light), so while I intend to use up this product, I doubt I will repurchase. 

Tarte Exposed blush

Goal: Hit the pan

Status: Will continue to use, but will not repurchase 

This may be the only powder blush I have ever hit the pan of, and the only reason I have is likely because I have to use so much product just to get any color payoff. I do like the color of this blush, but Tarte is not a brand that I want to support. I'm tired of how non-inclusive the brand is, and until that changes, I don't want to purchase anything for them. I don't know if Exposed will stick around in my collection long enough for me to use up the entire thing, but if it does, I will not repurchase. 

Physician's Formula Butter Highlighter in Pearl

Goal: Hit the pan

Status: Will continue to use

I have a lot of highlighters in my collection, but this is one of my favorites. I'm not a huge fan of the twist packaging or the swirl design, but I really love the product. It has a duochrome finish, and I find that it lasts longer on my skin than many mid-range or high-end products. I don't hear a lot of people talk about this, but it's certainly a product that I love. This is only the second highlighter that I have ever hit the pan of, and the other is Becca Moonstone, which is my all-time favorite. 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light

Goal: Hit the pan

Status: All-time favorite

After I finished my Dim Light powder last year, I immediately replaced it with this one. I love this product. I use it as an all over finishing powder, and I find that I just don't like my makeup without it. I will continue to repurchase and love this product. 

Physician's Formula The Healthy Foundation and Milani Conceal + Perfect

Goal: Finish

Status: Will not repurchase 

I am usually a huge proponent of "do not use a product that you hate just to finish it," but I made an exception for these two foundations. In an attempt to find a more inclusive foundation to support (we will get into this more in the next product), I purchased both of these foundations. On their own, I hated both of them. Mixed together, I hated them less. The worst offender of the two was The Healthy Foundation. This looked so dry on my skin, and I have combination skin. The coverage was very thin, and while I don't like full-coverage foundations, this one didn't even seen to be able to provide an even layer of coverage at all. The shade I purchased was also too light for my skin tone. Conceal + Perfect, on the other hand, was way too full coverage for me, and the shade I purchased was too dark. I was able to mix the two of them together for shade and coverage/texture, and while that was better than either on their own, it still wasn't great. 

It's worth noting that the cap on The Healthy Foundation continually broke and splintered off as I worked through the bottle, which made this miserable to use. I can see both of these products working for people with skin types that are different from mine, but I will not repurchase. 

It Cosmetics CC+ Cream

Goal: Finish

Status: Will not repurchase until the shade range improves 

If you've been a longtime reader of my blog, you'll know that this is my all-time favorite foundation. Truthfully, I would be very happy to just use this foundation and not even try another one. But, this foundation shade range is unacceptable, and I cannot support it. Until recently, there were only four shades in this range, and none of them were dark enough for deep skin tones. The range has expanded to 12 shades, but seven of those are meant for light skin, three for medium skin, one for dark, and one for deep. So, even though the range is slightly better, it still skews too heavily toward light skin, and it is not something that I am comfortable supporting. 

To replace this, I have recently purchased the Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r foundation, and I absolutely love it. 

Elf Mineral Face Primer

Goal: Finish

Status: May repurchase one day, but not now 

I used up a few primers during this project, and I think this one is good value for the money. I liked it just as much as the Make Up For Ever mattifying one, and think it gives generally similar results to the Hourglass Mineral Veil. I didn't love it, however, and I have found other primers that I like more.

Samples: Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Primer, Becca Backlight Primer, Becca Blurring Primer

Goal: Finish

Status: May repurchase Becca Backlight Primer

I had three primer samples, so I used them all up in this project. 

Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Primer: I hated this primer. It was impossible to pump (but that may just be the sample), the smell was off-putting, and the texture was very waxy and thick. It clung to the foundation and my Beauty Blender—making it impossible to wash—and I did not like the results on my face. 

Becca Blurring Primer: I also hated this primer. I left behind a powdery residue on my fingers and face after application, and I found that it didn't work well with my foundation. 

Becca Backlight Primer: I've purchased this before and didn't care for it or notice any difference with it, but it looked absolutely gorgeous with the Fenty foundation. I am currently using the Australian Gold mineral tinted sunscreen as a primer, and I love that, but I can see myself buying the Becca Backlight again soon. 

NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base

Goal: Finish

Status: Have already repurchased 

This is my all-time favorite eye primer, and one that I will continue to repurchase. I have finished several bottles of this primer, and I will continue to repurchase it. 

L'Oreal Lash Paradise Base

Goal: Finish

Status: Have already repurchased

I haven't tried too many mascara primers, but I loved this one. I use it with Benefit Bad Gal Bang mascara, and I love the effects of it. I finished up this entire bottle (even before the two month expiration date) and immediately repurchased another. I love how it makes my lashes look. 

Sample: Benefit Bad Gal Bang 

Goal: Finish

Status: Have already repurchased 

I received a sample of this mascara, and, in an unusual act for me, I used up the entire thing. I have long loved many Benefit mascaras (They're Real and Roller Lash have been favorites of mine), but I always find that I get tired of paying the high price, and then I'll buy a drugstore one for a while. That tradition may continue, but I really love the combination of this mascara and the L'Oreal Lash Paradise primer. 

Physician's Formula Eye Booster

Goal: Finish

Status: Have already repurchased 

This is another boring one to write about as this has been my all-time favorite eyeliner for years, and it continues to be. I have used up many of these eyeliners, and I always immediately repurchase another. 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer 

Goal: Finish

Status: Undecided 

I find that I'm always torn on brow pencils. On the one hand, I really like the smaller brow pencils (like ABH Brow Wiz), but on the other, I hate how quickly I use those up. The ABH Brow Definer certainly lasts longer, but I like the precision that smaller pencils provide. This is the second Brow Definer that I have used up, and likely won't be the last, but I do like smaller pencils better.

NYX Micro Brow Pencil
Goal: Finish
Status: Will continue to use

A while ago, I was gifted several of these NYX brow pencils, so this is what I will be using until I finish all of them. I love this pencil and have purchased it before, and this is the size of pencil that I prefer to the ABH Brow Definer. The negative with this pencil and others like it is that there is so little product, and I go through it very quickly. Even during the time I started this project, I was able to use up two of these pencils (that were brand new) in a shorter amount of time than I used up the ABH Brow Definer that was more than half-finished. But, I'm happy to have a nice supply of them, and I will continue to use. 

What I'm Not Buying: Benefit Dandelion Twinkle

Benefit has released Dandelion Twinkle, what I assume is a highlighter inspired by their Dandelion blush. 

I won't be buying. 

I've written before about how I am not a fan of Benefit boxed powders, and this is potentially the most egregious of all of them. As far as I can tell, Dandelion Twinkle is Dandelion blush:

Except somehow even less pigmented and with glitter:

Photo: Temptalia

 My biggest gripe with Dandelion is that I have never seen it actually show up on any skin tone. It definitely doesn't show up on my skin, which is light to medium with warm olive undertones. I have friends who have significantly paler skin than me and who would absolutely be considered "fair" with cool undertones. And still, Dandelion barely shows up on them, if at all.

I understand that it is next to impossible to have products that are universal and work for everyone, however, I think Dandelion may work for too few people. I find a similar problem with Benefit's other boxed powders, like Coralista:

Sugarbomb:

And Hervana:

These powders all look relatively similar and seem to me that they will primarily work for the lightest of skin tones. And, I don't know, that is just really off-putting for me. The cosmetics industry already skews so heavily toward light skin tones that to skew further into the lightest of skin tones is just kind of tacky? It would be different if Benefit offered a range of boxed powders that will work for all skin tones, but since they don't, I find them to be a difficult brand to support. 

Looking at Dandelion Twinkle as a highlighter, Benefit is, like many brands, just so far behind in the game. If it provides a light sheen to the skin, I can see that being pretty, but how it is different than any other highlighter? 

I'm sure I sound like a broken record at this point, but on the skin, sheered out, almost all highlighters will look exactly the same. Highlighters typically come in huge pans, and even with everyday use, one highlighter will likely last over a year. Because of that there is just little point in owning multiple highlighters. 

The highlighters Dandelion Twinkle most remind me of are Becca Rose Quartz:

And Becca Amethyst:

And honestly, there is little difference in color from more inexpensive highlighters as well, like those from Makeup Revolution:

Photo: Maklina Makeup

Dandelion Twinkle brings absolutely nothing new to the table as a highlighter, full stop. 

I've heard Dandelion Twinkle mentioned as a blush topper, and that concept in general makes me roll my eyes hard. A blush topper, in my opinion, is something unnecessary that was made up to add an extra step in the makeup process and to get people to buy more crap. No one needs a blush topper. If you have a great blush, you don't need anything else. The concept of blush toppers are also used to justify keeping (or buying) a blush that in no way works for someone. If it's too light and shimmery, instead of getting rid of it, people will say they can use it as a blush topper. If the blush is way too dark for them, they'll say they can use it lightly as a blush topper. What? Why?

If you want to add sparkle to your blush, use the highlighter you already own or, if it's that important to you that you would shell out $29 for a "blush topper," instead spend the money on a shimmery blush that you will love and use. 

Personally, I have no use for a product like Dandelion Twinkle. If I want a pink blush that actually shows up on my skin, I have theBalm Frat Boy:

If I want a highlighter, I have ones I love from Becca, Laura Mercier and Estee Lauder.

The biggest thing Dandelion Twinkle has to offer is that Benefit boxed powders are perfumed. And I know that might sound crazy, but that is a justification I've heard from many people as to why they want to buy these powders: because they smell good. And you know, I'd rather spend twice as much and buy an actual perfume than to buy a product that will barely show up on my skin so that I can, what? Sniff the box when I use it? That's not worth $29 to me!

The hard truth is that this is just another "right now" product. This product, I highly doubt, is made up of much more than hype. In a few months—or even weeks—another highlighter will come out that everyone turns their attention to. And the reason for that is because the people who talk about these products—those on YouTube and Instagram—are being paid in one way or another to talk about and hype the latest things that come out. And yeah, it's really easy to say, "Oh my goddddd. I LOVE this product! It's so great, you have to go out and buy it!" when you are either 1.) Receiving the product as PR and therefore don't have to actually buy it. 2.) Being actively paid to say those things. 3.) Able to deduct all those purchases off your taxes as a "business expense."

I'd like to see someone who buys all their own products and gets no financial gain from it actually tell people that every single one of these highlighters is legitimately "worth it." 

Fact is, these products aren't made in super small quantities. They contain a ton of product that will take a long time to go through. Based on size, they are not intended to be one of 10 in someone's collection. The size is intended to be the ONLY ONE. And the reason the products aren't smaller is because companies want to change a huge markup. Even with a lot of product, makeup items are still ridiculously overpriced. If companies scaled them down, they would have to also lower prices. And they don't want to do that. 

And since the sizes of most products cannot be used up in a month or two, it makes NO sense to buy every single new product that gets five minutes of hype. Because after those five minutes are up, you are out (in this case) $29 and are likely not using the product as you are on to the next thing. But if you can resist the hype for the five minutes and actually find a product you enjoy, the only one who looses is the company that wants your money. You're not the one missing out. 

Dandelion Twinkle offers absolutely nothing that I don't already own, and I have zero use for it. So I won't be buying. 

What I'm Not Buying: Benefit Galifornia Blush

The latest boxed blush from Benefit—Galifornia—is set to be released in December. 

And I won't be buying. 

Benefit boxed blushes are nostalgic for me. They were the beginning of me buying products just because they were hyped without any knowledge of my skin tone or understanding of what would be flattering. The first one I heard about was Coralista:

This was "the" blush many years ago. I discovered YouTube and the beauty community while studying abroad in the United Kingdom, and I still remember the feeling that ran through my body when I first heard about this blush and that I had to have it. I think I probably even had dreams about Coralista because I thought about it so much. 

And when I was finally back in the US, I marched into an Ulta to buy my coveted blush and was astonished by the price tag: $30. That price was unheard of for me at the time, especially for a blush. Other than Coralista, the only blushes people talked about were from MAC, and those were about $10 cheaper. But I bought Coralista with no questions asked. I knew it was going to be the best blush in the world and I would look just amazing and somehow everything in my life would be okay because I finally had this blush. 

I took it home and swatched it. It looked like nothing on my skin. And even though I saw that, did I believe it? Nope. It's so beautiful! I told myself. I applied it on my cheeks the next day. It looked like nothing other than a pore-enhancer on me. It's so beautiful! I told myself still. I looked at my cheeks within an hour of having applied my makeup and saw that I had no blush on my cheeks. So the next time, I applied layer after layer and really "built" it up to the point where my pores were extra noticeable. And when people would ask for blush recommendations, I would always tell them about Coralista. It's so beautiful! I would tell them. 

And, yes. On my friend who has cool-toned, pale skin, this blush looks beautiful. On me, with warm, olive skin, this blush looks like nothing. It took me a long time to realize that the majority of people I was watching on YouTube who were hyping these blushes (along with NARS Deep Throat and MAC Well Dressed) had cool-toned skin. They also had light skin. I have light to medium skin, and the majority of Benefit boxed blushes look like nothing on me. So it's hard for me to imagine what they would look like on skin tones darker than mine. My assumption is that Benefit has created a line of blushes that heavily skew toward the fairest of skin. And that's disappointing, to say the least. 

So, my Coralista ended up with my aforementioned friend. And she loves it. 

While I was still in denial about Coralista, Benefit released Bella Bamba:

All anyone had to say about this blush was that the shade was "watermelon," and I was all over it. I made the rookie mistake of swatching this on the back of my hand instead of applying it onto my cheeks (which was actually a marked improvement over what I did with Coralista), thought the color was pretty, and bought it. This one actually showed up on my skin (again, a marked improvement over Coralista), but I could tell immediately upon first use that it wasn't a very high quality product, especially compared to my other blushes. Whenever I would tap my brush into it, the product would crumple in the pan and fly everywhere. I would always somehow apply too much, the application was patchy, and a few hours into my day, the product was totally gone. 

This never happened with my other blushes, which were from NARS, MAC, and Tarte. 

Other Benefit blushes I considered purchasing were Dandelion:

This looked even less like nothing when I swatched it, and I thankfully couldn't justify the price on something that was very much nothing. 

Sugarbomb:

This also looked like a whole lot of nothing on me. 

Hervana:

Again, nothing.

Rockateur:

Emphasized my pores terribly. 

And Dallas:

I looked at this one recently, actually. I had been on the hunt for a perfect rose bronze blush for a natural look. Many people recommended Dallas, but they were the same Benefit-loving crew: pale and cool-toned. I decided to try it on, and I laughed at the results. After all this time, I still hadn't learned. It looked like nothing on me. 

And now there's Galifornia, which, I have to admit, looks really cool in the pan:

This image of Galifornia was one of the first that surfaced:

And I wonder if the gold in the top photo is an overspray or it this picture just has exceptionally bad lighting. 

If it is an overspray, I find that really obnoxious. The only reason for overspray is decorative, and most people wipe it off immediately anyway because it taints the color and performance of the actual product. Oversprays are just another way that companies put more energy into the packaging to make a product look pretty so people will buy it than into the actual quality of the product. 

Like all Benefit boxed blushes, Galifornia is scented. This one is supposed to be "pink grapefruit vanilla." Personally, I hated the scents of Coralista and Bella Bamba. They felt cheap to me rather than sophisticated and luxurious. So for me, the scent isn't anything enticing or exciting. 

And as for color, it seems as though Galifornia will be a warm pink blush. And as far as blushes go, that's about as unique as a pink lipstick. And I think Benefit knows this (about all of their blush colors), which is why the blushes are scented and the packaging is really cute. It makes people want to collect them because they are pretty instead of high quality. 

Personally, I already have a perfect warm pink blush for my skin, theBalm Frat Boy:

I've mentioned this before, but the idea that shades of blush are nuanced enough to be noticed when applied sheerly onto the skin is ridiculous. Most blushes within a color family will look essentially the same when applied to the skin, so there is little need for more than a few colors in an entire collection. Personally, since cutting down my blush collection, I've been really happy. I can look at my eye look and think, "Should I wear pink, peach, rose, or mauve?" Once I've figured that out, I only have one blush to grab for. And I never find myself wanting more or feeling like I'm missing out. 

On the whole, Benefit doesn't impress me. I do like a couple of their mascaras, but that's it. The brand doesn't feel as though they accept and celebrate a myriad of skin tones, which is disappointing and makes me not interested in the brand. I have not tried a single blush from Benefit that worked for my skin tone or skin type, and I am frankly no longer interested in trying any further. 

I'm sure many people will enjoy Galifornia, like the packaging and scent, and think the color is pretty. But these same people will likely have several—dozens, even—blushes that look exactly the same as Galifornia and likely perform better. With blush especially I think it's important to really evaluate your collection and see what you already have. If you have a pink blush that looks killer on you in a formula that you love, you really don't need other pink blushes. I love my blush in Frat Boy and have zero desire or need for Galifornia. And I won't be buying.