Project Pan 2020

Makeup I plan to use up

Back in January I picked a selection of makeup products for Project Pan that I wanted to finish or hit pan on before the end of the year. Well 2020 was full of surprises and it’s safe to say the challenge was derailed quite a bit. Still, here is an update to the progress I made, and some of my top tips to finishing makeup.

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I was (and still am!) really motivated to start a Project Pan, as I just felt overwhelmed with the makeup amassing in my collection. It felt wasteful and like I wasn’t getting enough from the products in my collection. In an effort to curb unnecessary spending and use what I have, I picked a selection of products to work on until ‘finished’.

The products I picked for Project Pan 2020:

• Charlotte Tilbury Bronze and Glow in Fair/Medium
• Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation
• Mac Fleur Power Blush
• TooFaced Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Palette
• Becca Backlight Priming Filter
• Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil in Honey
• TooFaced Peanut Butter and Jelly Eyeshadow Palette
• Dior Montaigne Eyeshadow Palette
• Fresh Sugar Honey Lip Treatment
• Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer
• Nars Laguna Bronzer
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo in Medium Brown

I picked products that were on the older side and needed to be used before expiring. Products that already showed use and could make a space in my drawers once finished, and products that I had hadn’t used enough to justify the spend.

Tip: Can they be multi-purpose? Bronzer as an eyeshadow, lipstick as a blush, highlighter for your décolletage? Finding a second purpose for a product will help you use it up faster. 

Time To Make A Dent

Anything that was already showing wear, I focused my attention on. My plan was to rotate between the products to make sure I was using everything and picking these products over others in my collection. To keep things from getting repetitive, I kept it as a general rule and not ‘I am only allowed to use these products’.

As I picked products in a variety of categories, I found it easier to use 4/5 products from my shortlist every time I did my makeup.

Take Progress Photos

Taking progress photos really allowed me to see how much my efforts were working. By using the Nars Laguna Bronzer as my primary bronzer I was able to double the size of the pan showing in just a month. I found this so motivating!

Some products will be easier to pan then others. Face products especially because you use more each time you apply them. Eyeshadows I find to be quite the challenge, and I think that’s obvious as by the end of the this year I have made some dips but haven’t be able to hit pan.

Tip: Take them with you. Setting powder, concealer and lip products are my most used touch up products. By putting them in my handbag when I go out or make them visible on my desk I reach for them a lot more. 

Why it didn’t go to plan

When I picked these products in January, we were pre-pandemic. It’s safe to say once we went into lockdown and the world started to shut down, I went from loving getting ready in the morning to mostly living in sweatpants. I stopped wearing makeup almost entirely and that’s why there is a big gap from April to August in my progress. I finally motivated myself and felt better for it. Makeup means something different to everyone but to me it’s something I love and an expression of who I am. I feel more ‘me’ with makeup and more confident.

It’s a real shame I picked this challenge this year as I would have loved to see how much I could have finished with a full year of focus.

Tip: Put the products front and centre. This may seem obvious, but ‘out of sight, out of mind’ really does make it less likely for you to use the product. I forget what I have when its at the back of a drawer. Display what you want to use and it will help remind you.

What I finished

The year wasn’t a total wash, I did finish the Nars Laguna Bronzer and the Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil. I made a big dent on the Charlotte Tilbury Bronze and Glow duo, and some noticeable progress on a few of the other powder products. As I get through mascaras every 3 months, I did manage to finish 2 this year as well. I know I can do better this year!

Tip: Not your favourite? We all have products we hoped we would love more. Before leaving it to expire before parting ways, can it be repurposed? Or passed on? Not all cosmetics can be shared, (i.e Mascara) but if you have only used a blush twice for instance, it can be sanitized with rubbing alcohol and given to family. Or could that blush be used as a topper or body makeup? Get creative and don’t just let products go to waste.

Time for Project Pan 2021

Despite the pandemic really slowing my progress, I really want to continue the challenge this year. Finishing what you have is a really great feeling. Even if you don’t love a product as much as you hoped. Use it up and move on to something better. Less waste is so important and makeup lasts much longer then you would think! I encourage everyone to take up this challenge. I will be picking some new products for my Project Pan 2021 soon.

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