Earlier this year, I made the declaration that I will be keeping a “strict” Project Pan this year. To be honest, I am very wishy-washy when it comes to my intentions to downsize… and I know that that fact hasn’t been lost on all of you. However, I really cannot ignore the gross accumulation that has been happening in my beauty and makeup life. This is, by no means, a rejection of makeup. I just want to stop buying new things for the sake of buying new things. And I realized that, when I was making extra effort to not buy things last month, I was actually rediscovering old items in my stash that work for me so, so well.
Following a makeup clear out, where I got rid of pretty much everything I hadn’t been using, I surveyed the remains (lol) and found some items that I couldn’t throw away and ended up wanting to actively use them. Now, this challenge always seems particularly impossible and gargantuan, but I think it can be done if I keep my mind to it and stop having shopping episodes.
Project (10) Pan originally called for a list of 10 products you focused on using up before you could even buy a new item in the same product category. Project Pan, get it? As in hitting pan, a.k.a. being thisclose to finishing a product. I don’t know if I’ll be super strict about this, but sometimes I feel like I need to be. Anyway, I think that 10 is a good, round number to start with for my personal Project Pan: 2015. Here are the items I’ve picked out.
THE NEARLY EMPTIES: 3 items
LUSH Cream Eyeshadow in Sophisticated: This is probably my most visibly used up eye shadow. I like the shade, but I’m sick of it, and it’s so near getting finished, I might as well go all the way. It’s a great everyday base for eyeshadow, so that’s a plus.
NARS Sheer Lipstick in Vendanges: I’d been working on this lipstick since early November. No point in stopping now! I kind of don’t want to finish this up, to be honest, but the lure of actually finishing a lipstick is far too great, haha.
Faith In Face Truly Waterly Cleanser*: I actually hope I don’t run out of it, but it’s nearly empty and I might as well go all the way and finish it before I go on to a different makeup remover.
THE I-JUST-NEED-YOU-OUT-OF-MY-LIFES: 3 items
NARS Pro-Prime Smudgeproof Eye Primer: I will hate-use this until the end. You might work for everyone else, Pro-Prime, but you were a great and expensive disappointment for me.
DHC Lip Cream: This is a great product (with lanolin), but it smells like hell (probably because lanolin). I really want to use it up—or get as close to finished as I can get—because I really can’t shake off the image of sheep hair oil on my lips whenever I take a whiff of this.
NARS x Andy Warhol Larger Than Life Lipgloss in Viva: I loved this when it came out but then I very, very slowly admitted to myself realized that I’m just not a gloss person. This is the most used one in my stash, and it’s neutral enough to wear everyday, so I figured I’d start with this.
THE TOO-MANY-ALTERNATIVES: 4 items
BECCA Resurfacing Primer: I have a shit ton of primers. This is one of the ones I like but don’t love, so I’ll slowly make my way through my primer stash starting with this one.
Le Métier de Beauté Anamorphic Lash Mascara in Midnight: OK, so this is mostly a hygiene thing + a too many open mascaras thing. I love this mascara, in case anyone was wondering.
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger: I love this concealer, but I just want to finish the tube! It’s been feeling a little thicker than usual, and I’m not sure if it’s because it’s going off or because my skin has been extra finicky lately.
Kosé Suncut Water in UV Protect Essence (not pictured, left in the car): I think the trick to finishing stuff up faster is to stop rotating them… so this is the sunscreen that has earned the prime spot for my attention. I love this since it’s meant for the face, is Asian, and is SPF 50+ PA+++ but it gets a bit too greasy for the weather here. Alas. The weather’s been cooler, so it’s a perfect time to try and use this up. I sometimes use this for the body, too.
And that’s it! Ideally, I’ll check back in at the start of the next month, but if I’ve made no visible progress, I’m not going to bother making an update. Because, duh.
Anyone else doing a Project Pan? Let me know. 🙂
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Hey Carina, good luck with the project! I just want to say I had the same experience with the NARS concealer! At some point it became so thick and carry it just had to go. I don’t know if this happens to every concealer packaged this way tho!
Thanks! I’m hoping I can still make it work. I find that not setting it with a powder is what’s weirdly working out for me now. And you’re right, it’s probably the packaging!
I always fail at doing project pan updates but I love reading them! amazing progress on the nars lipstick 🙂
Same! I hope I can stick to this one. 😀 Hehe I’ve had it since 2012, so I’m mostly relieved it’s about to be gone, lol.
This inspired me to get the Lush Cream Eyeshadow in Sophisticated. If I find one near my area… hmmm i declare it must be destiny. haha! (excuses..)
Haha it’s a great everyday eyeshadow, you should check it out 🙂
I’m not doing an official Project Pan, but I definitely want to finish a few lipsticks this year! That’s a shame about the NARS concealer–I hope the same thing doesn’t happen to mine…
Oooh, which lipsticks? 🙂 I hope so too! I still like it, I just don’t top it with a powder anymore and make sure my under-eye area is hydrated 🙂
I don’t know which lipsticks yet! I’m not going to make a specific effort to finish certain ones, I’m just going to see what happens if I buy fewer lipsticks (or none at all, as if that’s gonna happen) and experiment with my stash. Revlon Plum Velour is soooo close to being finished, and I predict I’ll use up Revlon Sultry by the end of the year, too. But who knows?
I got you! I’ve got way too many lipsticks to not designate a “to finish” one if I want to actually finish up some of them aaagh. When did it get so overgrown, lol.
Thumbs up for your new year’s resolution to downsize shopping and expenses most of all. I do have a similar trouble at the moment and would like to stick to just what I really need, instead of following the fever of the moment. A question about the Nars concealer: do you think it’s a good product, or wouldn’t you recommend it? Thanks
Good luck 🙂 It’s an amazing product! I just think mine’s on its last legs. 🙂 I wear it alone if I don’t feel like wearing foundation.
*raises hand* Me! Me! I’m on Project Pan definitely. Especially my eye brow products and blushes. I hope to use up all this year and just stop buying new and shiny things. Good luck to us! NARS Vendages is also in my Project Pan list of things haha.
Omg blushes… I think I have enough to last me 10 lifetimes. So embarrassing. Yay good luck to us. 😀 Haha I unfortunately already have my eye on some things but not reading so many blogs everyday is helping me curb the need for more shit.
My faith in face makeup remover is almost gone too! I think I’ll repurchase it. Project pan seems like a great idea!
Haha it’s soooo good. It’s really the best cleansing water I’ve tried so far. I’d probably repurchase too after I finish up all my makeup removers. I’d love to know what you end up putting in your project pan list if you ever go through with it!
I love you Carina. You are my friend in my head! I am doing a project no buy and project 10 pan through out the year. Its starting off slow (which means, I have not used anything.) I wish you Good Luck on your project ten pan and hope to see many more including your new buys.
Yay! ❤ Haha I'm glad, cos you're my friend in my head too. 😀 Good luck on your no-buy and your project pan! That's really, really scary to me, lol.
Its scary to me too.
Best of luck with this Project Pan! I was thinking about doing this and now you have convinced me to go ahead and do this. My wallet could use a breather and I have so many favorite products in my collection that I am excited to use up.
Thank you! Haha yeah, it’s fun right?? I love rediscovering old makeup I’ve forgotten about 😀
I NEED TO DO THIS! I am glad though that I was able to finish some items like my Benefit Custom Powder. I hope to finish at least a tube of lipstick. Hehe.
WOW! Haha congratulations 😀 Good luck, Juvy!
I’m about to finish my tube of Happy Skin’s Shut Up And Kiss Me lipstick in The Morning After! Best of luck with your Project Pan, Carina!
Yay, congrats Lea!! Thank you 🙂
I think I will be joining you in this! I hit pan on my first bronzer last year, and it was a great feeling. This year, maybe a blush?! LOL
Yay!! The only thing I’ve hit pan on was a brow powder, which makes me feel really sad lol.
DYING AT “hate-use” :’)) I’ve done that so many times like with this ratchet old worm-pink lipstick I can’t bother to throw out, this mascara that’s more powder cream, etc. MAKEUP, WHY CAN’T I QUIT YOU!!!
Last time I tried to pan, I also stuck with a lot of nearly-empy-move-out-bitch items, but I ended up hating my life soooo much in that using a lot of items I didn’t really enjoy put me in a bad mood. You should maybe consider that 😮
Omg worm pink HAHAHA. Please throw away the mascara, Tellie. PLEASE.
I won’t use a product if I don’t want to, but I will definitely pay these special~ attention haha and reach for them when I can’t think of something to wear. Ugh, I know what you mean. This NARS lip gloss has been haunting me for so long lol. Like, can you please leave my life.
i think you made really great, well thought out choices. 🙂 I wish you luck! I’m amazed at how much you’ve used a lot of these already to start with. I need some help using things even this much!!!
Yay thanks! I’m making the most progress with icky lip balm, lipstick, and primer. YAAAAY!
I relate so much to this post! Lanolin icks me out. I admire that you got rid of he stuff you weren’t using – that’d be most of my stash and I just can’t… and I also realized recently that I’m not into glosses at all anymore, too. I’m inspired, thanks!
Welcome, I hope your stash situation improves!
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