July 22, 2018

Project Pan 101: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW AND HOW TO GET STARTED!

2018 so far has been filled with constant makeup launches every week, it's not only overwhelming to keep up with releases, it also empties our pockets! You may start coming across the two words Project Pan more in the future, so what is it?

Project Pan actually has been around for a while all the way back to 2010 (or even earlier!), I've only come across it this year on Youtube from more people talking about consumerism. It made me so much more conscious about the amount I spend on makeup I don't need and made me realise I don't use like 70% of my makeup.

The purpose of Project Pan is to encourage people to finish products to reduce wastage, find dupes in your collection and save money. It's such a cute sub-community! Everyone shares their progress and tips on how they're using up products to get your money's worth.

Personally, for me, I enjoy the thrill of finishing up a product, it's like a little accomplishment. It's also really fun because it challenges you to use your products creatively, even though you're using the same items, it doesn't have to be the same looks every day.

It's also helped me to not impulsively spend. I used to purchase everything I liked, just to end up neglecting it or find I that I don't really have much practical use with the product. While Project Pan focuses on finishing up products, it also taught me to let go out things. If I didn't like a product, I should give it to someone else that would appreciate it so that it won't expire (and obviously to get rid of the old stuff).

There are a few different ways to approach Project Pans, everyone's journey is different. Here are a few:

Rotate 

Have a basket of items to use and switch up the products each month so that you get good use of all the products in your collection. This one is good for those that get bored of products easily.

Pan That Pallete 

Empty an eyeshadow palette, focusing on that one palette for the year. This really helps me to use up the expensive palettes I have, otherwise, I barely touch them.

No Buy 

Use up existing makeup before you go out and buy more to replace it. E.g completely finish a bottle of foundation before purchasing a new one. Helps to get your money's worth.

Finish (number ) By (time) 

These can be seasonal projects, where you pick a certain number of products to try to finish up or hit pan on. For example:

• Finish 5 By Fall
• Finish 6 By Christmas 
• Finish 18 In 2018

Don't worry if you don't reach your goal because you may rediscover old favourites and at least get a decent amount of use. Posting updates and setting a deadline for goals is really helpful.

What do you think of Project Pan? I really like how it spread awareness of consumerism and helps contribute towards sustainability.