Makeup bags full of half-used products, drawers hiding the lipsticks of years past, eyeshadow palettes you bought only to use two colors out of. It’s a never-ending cycle for girls— that is until a trend on tiktok put this cycle to an end.
Project pan is a challenge circulating tiktok encouraging girls to make use of all the makeup products they have and curb their overconsumption. By focusing on emptying a few products every month or “hitting pan”, the goal is to spend less on makeup products you don’t really need and rediscover the little known favorite products you already have.
I started project pan in September. After a month of reincorporating products into my makeup routine that have been collecting dust in my drawers and hiding out at the bottom of my makeup bag, here are my takeaways so far.
What we want is often more in reach than we think
I have had a dilemma the past few months of struggling to find the perfect everyday lip shade. Little did I know I already had what I had been searching for, it was just a lip shade I had ignored because it was one of the first lip products I ever bought. I always thought that there was no way that that lip product could’ve possibly been what I have been looking for, but I was wrong. Project pan will have you rediscovering products you’ve been avoiding in your makeup stash that turn out to be your favorites.
Stop reinventing your makeup routine every few months
In today’s culture of constant short-lived trends, the internet is often convincing you that you “need” some new makeup product all the time. I find myself constantly thinking that I’m missing something in my routine or that just because I’ve been using the same products for awhile that there’s got to be a better replacement out there. The truth is, you know yourself best and oftentimes you’ve already found your holy grail products, so there’s no need to be on the constant search for the best products for you. After starting project pan, I have embraced my current makeup routine and stopped feeling like the best products I need are still out there for me to find.
Why you should start and how to start
If you often find yourself dropping more money than you’d like to admit at Sephora and running out of room in your makeup bag, starting project pan will help you save money and combat overconsumption.
Even if this doesn’t sound like you, starting project pan can help you fall in love again with your old products. I’ve found joy in re-obsessing over products I forgot I had.
Ready to start? The best place to begin is to take inventory of what you have. You’ll probably find a few products that jump out at you that you want to start with, making the process to emptying containers feel like less of a chore and more exciting. Focus on two products to start and add more as it feels right. Good luck on your project pan journey!
