Project Pan September Update

I know I've been MIA lately but it's been one month since I introduced my Project Pan to you guys. It's probably a good time to go ahead and update you on my progress!

First of all, I hit pan on my Maybelline Dream Matte Powder! I was totally not expecting it so I shrieked and texted Sam immediately (she's the only person I actually know who would be properly impressed!). I continued to use it throughout the month but now it's going back in with my other powders.
Taking it's place in my Project Pan basket is an ELF quad in Brownstone.

When I first started wearing makeup frequently, this was my favorite eyeshadow. The lightest shade isn't too pigmented but the others are awesome. I could make a nice daytime look or a pretty nighttime look with this. In general, I think these quads are a steal. Even if 1 shade is disappointing, they're worth it at only $1.  If you can't tell, the second color has a major dip in it so that's probably where I'll hit pan.
I'm hoping to finish off the Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer this month. I'm SO close! The mascara will stick around another month because it's still good to use. I can't tell if I'm even close to hitting pan on the blush yet.
There are few limited edition products on my list right now so I might buy something, I might not. October will be a busy month and I just don't know that I will be able to make that a priority. Hopefully I'll get a nail post up soon as well as September favorites!

China Glaze Below Deck

It's starting to feel more and more like fall so I decided to wear one of my favorite (kind-of) fall shades. This is China Glaze Below Deck which is from the spring 2011 Anchors Away collection. I had just discovered polish blogs and China Glaze and I knew this was the one color I had to have from that collection. Of course I ended up with 6 more but that's besides the point. Below Deck is a greyed out plummy purple color. Maybe a little bit of taupe in there? I'm not sure. I love it though! It's such a unique color that can definitely be categorized as a neutral. Easily in my top 5 of all time.
Another quick note about Revlon Colorstay topcoat. I know we've been talking about it a lot lately but this is my first time wearing it with a cream polish and I have to say it's just as shiny as Seche Vite. Wear time has been fantastic. I'm still going to look for a nice thick topcoat for glitters but Revlon has Seche Vite beat in my book.

Nails Inc. Sweets Way

My very first Nails Inc polish! I saw swatches of these Sprinkles polishes months ago and vowed to get all of them. When Sam and I went to Sephora they were out of a couple and of the few they had left only two appealed to me. Sweets Way is blue, pink and white glitter in a milky blue base. Application was just fine, three coats to opacity but this sucker is top coat hungry. My only complaint is that the cap makes the brush a little awkward for me to hold. This is a unique color (at least in my collection) but it doesn't completely wow me like I thought it would. I'm still happy with it though.
Can anyone else believe September is almost half over already? Summer seemed to drag on and I was so happy when we got to fall but now it's going too fast. Seriously, September through December is my favorite time. Plus Fall and Holiday nail polish collections are always my favorites!

Review: Up and Up Dip It Nail Polish Remover

In case you couldn't tell I really like glittery nail polishes. But they are so hard to remove. For a while I had been using the foil method of removal but my friend Sam told me I had to try the Dip-It from Target.

The Dip-It is a container with little brushes around the sides and it's filled with acetone. You stick your finger in it and let it soak for a few seconds and then rub it against the brushes to remove the polish.

It works very well. Is that a surprise? It is a lot quicker than the foil method. The little bristles do a great job of scraping away polish and glitter. Everything is contained in a cup and you don't end up with residual polish on your cuticles and glitter all over everything. There is one downside to this though.

This method drys out my nails, cuticles and finger tips, which should not shock you since it is acetone. The little bristles actually kind of hurt and damage my cuticles. They need a little more care and cuticle cream after I use this method. (Keep in mind, I have a very very low pain tolerance so it's probably not all that painful for most people.)
Ultimately, I'm lazy and while the Dip-It takes less time, the foil method requires less scrubbing on my part and the acetone doesn't get all over my fingers. I'll keep this around and continue to use it because it's not bad but I'm only using it for glitters.

OPI Pepe's Purple Passion

As we continue to work through my stash, I figured I could show you some more from OPI's Muppets collection (Holiday 2011). This was the first collection I ever felt like I needed to own every single one. It wasn't because of the colors but actually because of the names. Muppets was a huge part of my childhood and to have a themed collection is so awesome. Anyways, this is Pepe's Purple Passion. It looks like a plummy burgandy flakey in the bottle but it dried so much darker on the nail. I struggled to capture it. All of my natural light pics turned out so red looking so this is artificial light. The flakies didn't end up as pronounced on the nail, they just give it a glow from within type look. It definitely fits into the oxblood trend for fall. I'm very happy with it.
Another note on the Revlon Colorstay top coat. It's working just fine for me. Formula is very reminiscent of the OPI top coat but it's a little shinier than OPI. It's nothing like my favorite, Seche Vite but it's earned it's place in my heart.

August 2012 Favorites

Little late but let's talk about my August favorites! It was actually hard for me to pick favorite things this month. I feel like I love a lot of the same products month to month.
NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Tea Rose I got this gloss in a gift exchange for the one year anniversary for a makeup group I belong to on Facebook. Tea Rose is a bright berry color and would definitely work year round. Seriously, NYX is one of my favorite drugstore brands. The quality and wide range is awesome!
ELF Essentials Blending Eye Brush I pulled this out of my extra brush storage at the beginning of the month. Sometimes I struggle with blending and my eyeshadow ends up looking so muddy. This brush has made it a million times easier. It's a little smaller and a little stiffer than my other blending brushes. It's also round instead of tapered. At $1 each, ELF essentials brushes can be hit or miss but this is completely a hit for me.
Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden I got this baby primer potion with my Feminine palette (the old school Feminine palette, not the disgusting new one). It's the love child of my two favorite primers, Original Primer Potion and MAC Paint Pot in Painterly. It feels light on the lid and blends really well but it also has the light skin tone color that I like. I will be buying the full size when the mini runs out.
Urban Decay Naked Palette I have so many freaking eyeshadow palettes. Like more than I should since eyeshadow isn't even my favorite products. I used Naked by far the most this month. I'm interested in Naked2 but the original is perfect for me. It's mostly bronzy and gold toned shadows but that's what I use the most anyways.
Redken Real Control Slim Supreme Slimming Serum Redken is one of my favorite brands for hair products and this stuff does not disappoint. It makes my hair feel hydrated and soft and it looks so shiny. Plus it keeps my hair from getting frizzy or sensitized. I use one or two pumps through towel dried hair and occasionally just a drop or two after blow drying. This cost me $17 but I've had it for over a year and I'm only 1/4 of the way through the bottle.
So that's it for this month! I'm so excited for fall. It's my favorite season. We have so much good stuff in store for the rest of the year, I can't wait!