Here’s the story. I tried project pan last year and failed miserably. Why? Because I chose products I mostly hate. Nobody wants to apply such products to their face every single day, right? So this year, I’m doing it differently. I chose 10 products that I like but which have been in my collection way too long. I’m not including any mascaras, because I have never used up a mascara in my life – I only toss them once they dry out or don’t work properly anymore, which is usually around the six months mark.
These days, when every beauty vlogger on YouTube is boasting their huge collections, it’s important to remind ourselves that make-up actually expires and we have to use it up while it’s still good. Expired products can give you skin issues or even cause bigger complications, especially those which are used on the eyes or the mouth.
Five of these will be a piece of cake. Five of these will not. But I will try my best. I’ll update you here after six months and every month or so on Instagram – don’t forget to follow me there. So without further ado, here are my 10 products that I’ll try to use up in 2018. I’ll start with the easiest one and work my way up according to how difficult I feel each product will be.
Project pan 2018 #1: Essence Fresh&Fit primer
I use primer on a daily basis and I really like this one, especially for spring and summer as it gives me some extra glow. I normally use up quite a few bottles of primer each year so this one should be a piece of cake.
Project pan 2018 #2: Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation
This foundation has been in my drawer longer than I care to admit. It’s a lightweight foundation with light coverage so I’ll probably wear it around the weekend. I usually prefer medium coverage for workdays. It’s hard to tell from the bottle, but I think there are about three quarters left in there. Goal for the product: use it up completely.
Project pan 2018 #3: Collection contour kit
I bought the The Collection contour kit in Ireland over two years and it’s getting a bit tired. I don’t care for the highlight, but the contour color is really good because it’s dark and neutral. Goal for this product: use up the entire contour pan. I don’t think it’ll be that hard, to be honest
Project pan 2018 #4: Trend It Up Contour & Glide lip liner – 400
This is one of my go-to lip liners for many of the lipsticks I wear on everyday basis. It’s a great nude color with the tiniest hint of pink undertone. This Trend It Up lip liner doesn’t have the best staying power, but I like to wear it with lippies or alone combined with a lip gloss. I don’t think it will be a problem to use it up entirely in 2018 since it’s quite soft and consequently goes down much quicker then a regular pencil liner.
Project pan 2018 #5: Lancome Juicy Shaker – Mangoes Wild
This juicy shaker is another product I’ve been carrying around for a while now. I feel like I’ve used it quite a bit, but when looking at the level in the bottle, I’ve actually used only about a tenth. Consequently, I’m not buying the matte shaker until I’ve used this one up. And I really want the matte Juicy Shaker, so that’s the deal I’m making with myself. Goal: use the entire bottle.
Project pan 2018 #6: Avon Eyeshadow Primer – Light beige
I swear, a pot of this eyeshadow primer will last you ages! I’ve been using it for over a year now and I’ve made a nice dent, but there is still so much product left. It’s a really good primer and I’m afraid it will go bad. Goal: I’ll try to use it up completely in 2018 and start on another primer – I’ve got a ton waiting to be tested.
Project pan 2018 #7: Colourpop Super Shock Cheek highlighter – Wisp
Again, this is a highlighter that I really like – as you can see, I’ve already hit pan on it. But the thing is, it’s so crazy pigmented that you have to use the tiniest amount and really blend it out, otherwise you’ll look like a unicorn. Also, this is a cream to powder product meaning that it’s more likely to go bad quickly. The goal here is simple: use up the entire product.
Project pan 2018 #8: Boho Cosmetics blush – Rose
I only started using this blush about a month or so ago so I didn’t want to include it in my yearly favorites, but let me tell you straight – it’s one of the prettiest blushes I’ve ever seen and I absolutely love how it looks on me. So why I am including it in my project pan? Simple – because I would be absolutely devastated if it expired on me. I need to keep in mind this is natural make-up and it will probably expire faster, so I really want to abide by the 12 month rule on the back of the pot. It will be difficult to use because I don’t apply much blush but seeing I have no problem with wearing this every single day, we shall see how I do. Goal: use up the entire product.
Project pan 2018 #9: Lord&Berry Polish Eye Pencil – Mirror Black
I don’t think that eye pencils are the greatest threat when it comes to using your make-up in a certain amount of time. You could just break the tip off, sharpen it and it would be like new. So there is another reason I’m including this in the project pan for 2018: I have 19 black eye pencils. Yes, 19. And I think that using one up entirely will be a huge challenge – a challenge that I’m ready to accept. Goal: use up the entire product.
Project pan 2018 #10 a.k.a. “mission impossible: Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette
Even as I’m typing these words, I’m wondering if I’m actually crazy, giving myself this challenge. The Chocolate bar palette is my favorite palette up to date. But… it’s almost four years old. Yes… four, and its shelf life is supposed to be 12 months. So I think it’s time I say goodbye to it and try to pan it. Now as you can see, I’ve already hit pan on three of the shadows. My goal for 2018 is to completely use up all the matte eyeshadows in here (6 of them) and to hit pan on all the shimmer shadows (10). If I can do that, I’ll have zero regret letting this palette go at the end of the project and decluttering it.
So these are the challenges I face. I think that I’ll do well, seeing that I’ve chosen only products that I really like and that I’ll have no issue reaching for over and over again. Normally, I’ll still be testing new products in the meantime, so this is basically a side project I’m doing to empty my collection a little bit and also to raise awareness about shelf life of products. My question for you is: which product do you think will give me the most trouble? Did you ever consider doing project pan as well – and if so, how did you do?
Until next time, stay beautiful!
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