Use Up 2014: Conclusion

201501_useup2014_conclusion

In 2014 I decided I’d try to finish up 14 products I liked, but didn’t love (and had no intentions of repurchasing). The “project” was just a way to move items out of my collection that were good, but not stellar.


So…. I *had* two foundations: The MUA Matte foundation in Shade 1 Soft Sand and theCoverGirl Tone Rehab 2-in-1 (CC Cream) in 110 Classic Ivory. But then, without thinking, I threw out the MUA foundation in disgust because it was turning my face into a greasepit. No thanks. No need for that amount of oil on my face thanks.

 

CoverGirl Tone Rehab 2-in-1 (CC Cream) in 110 Classic Ivory – FINISHED!
CoverGirl Tone Rehab 2-in-1 (CC Cream) in 110 Classic Ivory – FINISHED!

Next was the CoverGirl Tone Rehab 2-in-1 (CC Cream) in 110 Classic Ivory. This was an interesting one. I used it often but never fell in love with it. It was perfectly adequate: it evened out my skin and it always seemed to match me during transition seasons. It was easy to use, but it would occasionally make my face itch. Now, that may just be a by-product of me not enjoying foundation at all, but who knows.

In summary, it’s an inoffensive foundation that did its job but that I wouldn’t repurchase.

And yep, I finished it! This was an eleventh hour product – I got my last squirt out of this bottle on December 30th! I’m happy to pitch a foundation from my collection as they always seem interminable and take up an awful lot of space.


Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm in Natural Mint
Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm in Natural Mint

Jack Black‘s Intense Therapy Lip Balm in Natural Mint has been a longtime love ofTemptalia, a blog I have read daily for what feels like an eternity.  There was an uproar in 2012 when it was discovered that Jack Black hadn’t been publishing all their active ingredients on their products and many people felt they had been mislead by the brand. While I was never truly bothered about the ingredients in my products, I didn’t like the shadiness that Jack Black seemed to exude with their products ingredients. (That link above is an interesting read if you’re curious about the situation.)

ANYWAY. I got a tube, and found it rather bland. It’s not any different than flavoured vaseline and for me it just didn’t do a whole lot. Great for windburn outside during the winter, sure, but anything else? Meh. I finished it up in the first half of 2014 and was happy to see it go!

MAC Strawberry Malt lipglass – 70% finished
MAC Strawberry Malt lipglass – 70% finished

MAC‘s Strawberry Malt lipglass was a “had to have” for me when the Archie’s Girls collection came out. However it didn’t work out that great for me: The colour would bleed outside my lip lines and it disappeared faster than most lipglasses I had ever had from MAC. I also found myself going off lipglosses completely in 2014 so it was just time to get rid of this one.

In the end, I didn’t finish it. I used it fairly often, but it wasn’t enough to use up the tube. In the last month or so, the scent of the product has gone off a bit so I’m just going to call it quits and Back 2 MAC the product.


MAC eyeshadows – FINISHED!
MAC eyeshadows – FINISHED!

I’ve already re-purposed one of the pans, but here are the remanents. I was happy to use up four MAC singles, and I’m soooo happy to put Swish to rest. No one needs a frosty pink eyeshadow in their early thirties…


Physicians Formula Bronzer Booster – DEFINITELY NOT FINISHED! /raaaage
Physicians Formula Bronzer Booster – DEFINITELY NOT FINISHED! /raaaage

Ughhhh this thing. Physicians Formula Bronze Booster in Light/Medium was supposed to be an easy product to finish. In years gone by, I’ve been able to use up a bronze in about 6-9 months with daily use. This thing went NOWHERE. I used it for probably two months straight at the start of the year and I got so frustrated with seeing so little movement downwards on the pan that I just gave up and switched to something else. I don’t know what the hell this thing is made out of, but good GOD.

And there it is in all its unused glory. You can see the slightest of indentations in the middle of the product, but you never would’ve known I used it for two months without fail. I’m actually so irritated with it, that I don’t reach for it at all anymore. 😐


Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm in Twilight
Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm in Twilight

As Revlon‘s Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm is an opaque product, I really have no progress pictures to show you. I used it consistently throughout 2014 and it eventually dried up/got used up around November.  Twilight was a beautiful colour, but I’m kind of over this one.


Revlon Sunset Peach – 90% done – calling it quits
Revlon Sunset Peach – 90% done – calling it quits

Another lipgloss to move on out of my collection. Revlon‘s Sunset Peach gloss was easy to use in the summer because it seemed to go with everything. The formula is nice, the colour is nice, but I’m just not a lipgloss person anymore. (Plus, I think these are now discontinued.)

It’s mostly done, really. I’m scrapping the sides at this point and I’m over it. That’s been my theme for 2014: So Over Lipgloss.


Revlon Lip Butters – 2 out of 3 finished!
Revlon Lip Butters – 2 out of 3 finished!

Cherry Tarte was the first one to get finished early on in the year and it was definitely my favourite out of the three of them. I often wore Creamsicle over top of Red Velvet, but in the end I finished up Creamsicle but not Red Velvet. I’m still kicking Red Velvet to the curb though because it’s too slippery for a lip colour for my tastes. (Actually, what I really did was take a Kleenex and smash up the Red Velvet bullet – man was that ever fun!)


And that was it for Use Up 2014. The only thing I’m keeping out of the remaining products that didn’t get finished is the bronzer, all the rest of them have been happily dumped into the garbage! I’m glad I gave these products another year to prove their worth, but a lot of them I just felt like “meh, over it” by the end of the year.

I’ll be doing this again for 2015, but I’m bringing it down to 10 products since 14 felt like too much for me this past year. Anyway else taking part in #useup2015? Or some kind of Project Pan?

5 thoughts on “Use Up 2014: Conclusion

        1. Finish ups are fun… but the amount of effort required to complete something for a beauty blogger is goddamn impossible. We’re just always testing, trying, etc. It’s very difficult and I’ve come to the conclusion that for some products it’s just goddamn impossible!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badge