Why is everyone in the beauty community suddenly talking about a ‘Project Pan’? And what exactly is this ‘Project Pan’? I can imagine these questions were popping up in your head when you first saw people talking about this new and popular movement. A lot of people participate in Project Pan challenges nowadays but what if you want to join as well? Where to start? No worries, I’m going to explain all the details in today’s blog post!
What Is Project Pan?
If you are unfamiliar with the term Project Pan, it’s essentially a commitment to finishing an entire set of beauty products within a specific time frame. It helps to combat the mentality of mass consumerism by encouraging people to “shop their stash” of already purchased products. Project Pan is not exactly new – it’s been around since 2016. Over the past few years, we could see that it really can help people who struggle with makeup hoarding.
The “Pan” specifically refers to hitting the shiny metal bottom of powdered makeup products. “Panning” is an active endeavor to finish a product. The product is considered “panned” once you can see the bottom of it. This also refers to products that don’t have a visible pan such as liquid foundation, tubes, or bottles of skincare. The conclusion is that Project Pan is a way to stay mindful and use what you have instead of spending money on more products that will end up collecting dust.
Project Pan could really help you if you’re trying to buy less makeup and spend your money more mindfully while giving the products you own the love it deserves. It often goes hand in hand together!
How To Participate In Project Pan
- Pick only items you love: there is no need to force yourself to use something you hate. Instead, you’re better off decluttering that product.
- Pick one item in each category only: once you start picking out products you want to pan, pick only one item in each category! Why? Because hitting pan can take a while so it works best if you focus on one particular product. Moreover, if you want to pan 3 eyeshadow palettes at the same time it will take you much longer and you’ll enjoy it less because of no (quick) results.
- Decide if you want to use up the item entirely or do you want to hit the pan: when using up skincare, body products, creams, foundations, and perfumes I always use every drop. But with powdered makeup, that can be a bit tricky. It can take us years, yes you heard me right, years to finish a certain product and in that case, I decide hitting pan is enough for me to replace it, especially if I had it for a while.
- Focus on products that are expiring soon: if you want to pan successfully, look at the dates to help you decide which products to focus on first. You can also use dates as your finish line: if you see that a particular item will expire soon, but there is still a lot of it left, commit to using it as much as you can before it expires.
If you would like to join the project pan community, you should check out the hashtag #projectpan on Instagram and easily follow or connect with people that are project panning too. Moreover, you’ll find some influencers over on YouTube, such as Rebecca Morgan, doing a Project Pan too. Some people even come up with certain panning projects such as ‘Partners in Cream’, ‘Pan Those Eyeshadows’ or ’30 By 30 Project Pan’. You can do whatever challenge you like to and pick the one that fits you best.
The Benefits Of Doing Project Pan
- You’ll save money: when you start focusing on products you want to finish and at the same time stop buying new products, it will save you some money.
- Less decision making: if you have a hard time picking the products you’re going to use that day because you have so much to choose from, a project pan is going to be your life safer! Now you don’t have to think about which product to use, because you already decided in advance.
- Sense of accomplishment: this might seem weird, but hitting pan on a product or emptying one can give you an amazing feeling. And the more you do it, the more you want to feel like finishing your products because it gives you a sense of achievement.
- Less waste: buying beauty products that we don’t use up and we keep replacing with new shinier things, is very wasteful. Imagine how much less waste there would be if we only bought things as a replacement.
- You’ll learn a few new tricks: beauty products can be more versatile than we think – once we make a commitment to use things up, we suddenly start experimenting with that product more and that leads us to learn a few new things.
Have you ever tried doing a Project Pan? If so, did you like it? How did it go? Let me know in the comments!
Good luck with your journey, I don’t think I’ll be able to do it honestly ahha
Thank you so much! I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do it but I’m gonna try my best hahaha
Can’t wait to hear how it goes
You picked a great mix of products to focus on – I def think you’ll end up seeing a noticeable difference in the setting sprays if you use them consistently over the next 3 months! Also, ABH shadows are super powdery / not dense, so I bet you’ll end up seeing some good dips in the MR if you use it regularly too…. especially those lighter neutrals shades that can be used as setting shades or as blending shades in the crease!
I’m pretty sure I can empty the setting sprays in 3 months, or at least one! I really hope to see some dips in the MR since I’ve never seen an actual good dip, let alone a pan, of an eyeshadow palette lol.
What a most lovely post and blog!
Good luck on your journey.
Your blog gives me inspiration.
https://www.ecoislogical.com/
Nat
Ah thank you so much, I really appreciate your sweet comment!
Im curious, are you wanting to “pan” these items because you don’t like them?? Or do you use them often so you think you’ll hit the pan quicker?
Most of the items are products I use daily, so it’s easier to pan them. When it comes to lipsticks and eyeshadow, I just chose products I have in my collection for a little while and I don’t want them to go bad before I would be able to pan them. So it’s not because I don’t like them at all. 🙂
Love love love your blog aesthetic, it’s gorgeous!! And I love this idea. I’m not too into makeup anymore, I cleared out and gave the majority of mine away because I was no longer using them, but I’m trying to do this with my clothes this year to stop me from over-consuming!
Thank you so much, that means a lot! This challenge can work for clothes too, great you’re joining me 🙂
How exciting! I’m too doing a project pan too and have a post on it coming next week! You’ve got a good mix of products in there and can’t wait to see how well you get on with it. I hope it gives you a healthy mindset when it comes to makeup and spending habits, this what I’m hoping for anyways!
Alex xx
Yay I love to hear that you’re doing a project pan too! Can’t wait for your post. Thank you so much, I definitely hope it’ll help me with my spending habits! I hope it’ll help you too and can’t wait to see which products you’re trying to pan. 🙂
I love project pan – it’s such a great way to encourage us to use up the makeup we already have whether than splurging and hoarding more make up than we’d ever finish (keeping some so long that it actually ‘goes bad’ before we have a chance to use it up)
Totally agree! 🙂
I’ve never done a project pan project before, but it sounds like such a great way to use up existing products xo
MakeupMuddle.com
Yes, it definitely motivates me to use up products in my collection before buying new products 🙂
I started in 2019, and now in 2020, by putting a focus on empties and getting my money’s worth out of products. I don’t officially label myself as a Project Panner because I don’t set goals or participate in challenges. I think I would go batty if I only focused on one eyeshadow palette or highlighter, for example. A low buy or no buy probably wouldn’t work out for me either as I have a tendency to shop til i drop, but this year I really want to focus on more mindful purchasing. Somehow I get blinded while shopping and buy all these beauty products that I know I won’t like and end up donating. So, I want to really cut back on that and save some cash. Here’s to your Project Pan and good luck!
xoxo Amanda | http://www.theaestheticedge.com
Thank you so much! I loved reading how you try to cut back on impulse shopping, so thank you for sharing! xoxo
I’m currently doing the 20 in 2020 project pan, the 1K declutter, and rotating through my makeup collection with a monthly makeup basket. With my monthly makeup basket, I used up 2 products so far this month. I am on a low buy as well. I’ve only treated myself when I got engaged. You can do this!
Girl, you’re smashing it! I really hope I’ll end up doing as well as you!
I actually love when I hit pan on a product, it makes me feel like I really got my moneys worth!? Good luck on your journey!
Totally get you lol, it’s the best feeling! Thank you so much 🙂
This is a great idea! I also have a bit of an excess of makeup products so I think I’m going to try this out! It definitely is satisfying seeing that pan after using a product continuously!
Thank you so much, hopefully it’ll help you with emptying products as well 🙂