Pan It! - 2021 Challenge 🏆

[ElleElleG]

Welcome to the 2021 Pan It Challenge !!

HUGE round of applause for the 2020 Panners 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 Despite an incredibly hectic year I couldn't be more proud of each and every one of you who spent even a second thinking about your projects.  It was a huge inspiration for me and I'm sure others as well.  Cannot wait to see your new projects and whatever this year has in store for us!

The "Rules"

To accommodate a variety of interests, you all are encouraged to pick items to pan that are most suitable to your collections.  For some, this might mean focusing on a particular type of product (like lipstick) and for others this may include a larger variety spanning your entire makeup or skincare routine.

Getting Started (please share the following)

• Which item(s) you would like to work on
• How long you will work on said item
• Goal: explore a new item, revisit an old item, decide whether to keep pass or trash, and/or completely finish item, etc.
• Starting photo of item

Please Use This Thread To...

• share what item(s) you are working on,
• provide comparative progress photos of your item(s) monthly (at the beginning of the month when possible),
• ask questions,
• encourage others,
• motivate others with the looks you create with your item(s)

Tips and Tricks to Panning/Getting Some Use Out of Your Stash:

Spoiler

• Take photos!!  When you think you aren’t making a dent in anything look back at those photos, I’m certain you’ll see some changes 😃
• If you goal is to hit pan or use something up entirely, try concentrating your brush/applicator in the same area each time you use it
• Multitask your products: eyeshadows as highlighter, lipstick as blush, eyeshadow as brow powder, etc. 
• Layer eyeshadow to create different colors (this is especially helpful to get use out of shades you’re not fond of).
• Have shadows with a ton of fall out?  Use water
• Watching the progress of others’ can be fun but try not compare your progress to theirs.  We all use our makeup differently and have different goals.
• Don’t restrict yourself to only using the item(s) you are working on.  It’s more than OK to incorporate other items or take a break!
• Makeup should be fun….if you begin to dread doing your makeup because you made a commitment to use a product that you now hate, TOSS IT!  Do not force yourself to use up something you don’t like.  Move on to something else!  (This includes excluding particular shades from your goals if focusing on palettes, etc.)

Ideas to Help You Pan Those Items:

Spoiler

• Roll the dice: number your items and use a random number generator to pick what you will use each (day/week/month/etc.) 
• Layer/Mask: items you are less fond of under things you like
• Pan a Look: at the beginning of the week pick a look that you can wear everyday
• Recreate: a look worn by a fellow BICer, celebrity, etc.
• Spice up an "everyday" look by adding subtle pops of color (in the crease or on the lower lash line, mix lip products to make shades wearable, etc.)

Past Panning Challenges:

Spoiler

Pan It! - 2019 Challenge!
Pan It! - 2018 Challenge!
Pan It! - 2017 Challenge! 

.... and for good measure, 

[ElleElleG]

Welcome @ultimatepumpkin and great question (I think I’ll compile some of the responses here and add them to the OP of the ‘22 thread to help others). 

My personal panning interests are about panning eyeshadow palettes. Several years ago I fell down a rabbit hole and watched countless end of the year update videos of people doing a Pan That Palette challenge. Seeing their progress over a years time was beyond impressive and I wanted to bring it to the community. Since some prefer to focus on using things beyond eyeshadow I made the thread more general so this thread to coincide with other popular threads from the old board like Empties, Low/No Buy/etc.

My thoughts, some of which will echo points others recommended below:

(1) I recommend starting small, it’s tempting to want to pan everything in sight but regardless of the item(s) you select panning takes time. (2) Choose something you’ve had for a while and something you have already used.  (3) Don’t force yourself into unrealistic timelines (ex selecting a brand new eyeshadow palette and thinking you’ll finish the whole thing in 6 months, even a year is pushing it). Each project is different, plan to reassess your progress and where you would like to be month-by-month. With eyeshadows, for example, think about creating dips or getting a certain number of uses from each shade. (4) It’s okay to change your mind. In my opinion it takes time to determine whether you truly like something or not so don’t discard something because you find yourself frustrated right away. Take breaks, change your technique, explore what drew you to the product initially, and consider using things differently than advertised. If it’s still not working for you after all that then let it go. (5) If you have multiple things you want to work on add them to your project overtime. I typically have a long term Pan that Palette goal that runs the entire year and I’ll throw in a One Month One Palette” here and there to give other palettes use. I ALWAYS pair none project items to my routine to keep things interesting. This includes doing a layer of project shadow and going over it with something else. Additional tips and tricks such as mixing shades, and other ways to use up your items are included in the OP.

[heavyhedon]

@ElleElleG Great advice! 

[missjeanie]

Great advice from those above @ultimatepumpkin I'm an unsuccessful panner... I've tried to do a solid project pan every year for the last 5 or so.  My 'problems' are being too rigid I think.  I tend to pick too many products at once and I choose items that I just want out of my collection.  I have a tendency to feel like I have to use the things I buy... even if they don't work for me, so I put those products in a panning project thinking it'll force me to use them up (panning for me is completely using a product).  I think the solution for me here is to pick products I actually like but that I just don't pick up enough, where I've just kinda floated along to something new.  I also think rolling projects seem to give others a lot more momentum.  If you only pick xyz products you can easily loose steam after a few months.  Take all my advice with a grain of salt though... like I said... I'm not super successful at this lol

[AznAngelLiz]

@missjeanie I was unsuccessful when I first tried panning a few years ago for the same reasons. I picked items I knew I didn't love but because I spent money on them, I felt like I needed to use them all up. Wrong! It totally unmotivated me and had the opposite effect. I started buying other products to "replace" the things I didn't love and that's how my collection grew so much in the last few years. I've decluttered almost 50% since the pandemic but now that my collection is smaller, I feel like I should start enjoying (using) what I have. 

I think your idea of a rolling project is great. Start small and add more products when you're in the groove. 

[missjeanie]

It's like you're in my head @AznAngelLiz !  Yes, I think growing up I had to use up what I had so I have a 'waste not, want not' mindset with a lot of my make up.  

[heavyhedon]

@missjeanie --

 That's what we all did when I was younger too. It took me ages to realize I could let it go. I carried one old Avon eyeshadow trio with me from Buffalo to Indianapolis and back again 14 years later. Then gave it away. Craziness! With the things that never worked for us, those kinds of items aren't good to pan anyway, & they make our favorite habit, making up, into a chore. Anything that makes it a chore for me has to go, nowadays. 

[missjeanie]

Ughhhhh @heavyhedon I may or may not have my own version of your Avon palette lol

[haleyvvvv]

Yessss, I have this too, @missjeanie @AznAngelLiz but I think trying to pan items really let me give myself permission to declutter items. Like if I'm using something and trying to find ways to work and giving it a good try and it's *still* not working, then I've gotten enough use out of it so I feel like I got some money's worth out of it.

[itsfi]

@missjeanie, this is great advice! You're a panner waiting to hit pan, like so many of us with different products. It'll happen. I think you are absolutely right, no need to self sabotage by choosing products you already want gone from your collection. I don't think you are unsuccessful at all - you've whittled down your sheet mask collection and are continuing to do so. That isn't easy - it sure is super easy to pick up new ones, you know, 🤣 but it's a huuuuuge challenge to work through them (it's such a problem having just one face - hahaha!). 

btw, if you wanna just pick 1 or 2 things to work on panning, we'd love to have you join us. But only if you want to join in. Zero pressure. You can go at your own pace. It's good to see ya! 

[missjeanie]

@itsfi Oh man... I'm contemplating trying again this year.  Both with panning and sheet masks lol.  I'd have to go check but I'm 90% sure I had between 700 and 1000 sheet masks at the beginning of last year (I blame BIC lol).  What I really need to do is declutter some.  I'm going to go through my empties in the next few days from the last... 6 months... yikes. And then decide.  I'm contemplating just picking an older palette so that I can get use before deciding to declutter or not? I loved watching your Biba though the year! Maybe a rolling face?  I'm going to think on it for sure. 

[Samtian]

@ultimatepumpkin Welcome! For me I decided to use every color of eye shadow I own at least once, it's taken me 3 years and it will take next year as well. I also picked two colors from my oldest palette ( or close) that I decided to work on actually panning. Same with my lipstick, use every color once and every once in a while cycle back through a few I have selected out to work on more. And then I also just want to work on my fragrances and samples of various things in general, just use up what I can. 

[haleyvvvv]

I love your no pan left behind with eyeshadow (and lippies!!), @Samtian!! I'm trying to do similar but then the collection keeps growing 😆😅

[Samtian]

@haleyvvvv Thank you! Hahaha I understand that completely, that's why it's taken 3 or so years lol. 

[BluePaisley]

@ultimatepumpkin yay! It’s so fun! This was my first year trying it myself and I chose to do a “rolling” 10 pan and picked 10 products at the start of the year. 
Pick products you like or love that may not be getting the attention they serve or that may be older in your collection or expiring soon. Cream products are always great due shorter shelf life or powders you’ve had a while!

Move products out or declutter that you are t enjoying and focus on using what you enjoy to help yourself be successful!

I agree to pick products that have varying goals like hit pan, finish or use goals.

I’m going with 10 products in2022 again, but you can pick any number of products you see yourself successful with! 

[Mellmars1185]

@ultimatepumpkin I am also new to this but i think maybe start with something you have already opened or want to use? I am also thinking a strategy to use would be to start with the opened items first!

[heavyhedon]

@ultimatepumpkin --

Start with something that is a short goal-- an item that is already on its last legs or has a lot of use. It should be something that can easily fit into your normal routine. Take into account how often you use any given category; that helps you decide whether to just try to hit pan/a certain number of uses, or to finish. Minis, half-used trial sizes, are good "gimme" items to finish up. 

Something you love but know is going to expire soon, even if there's a lot of it left, is maybe worth using X amount of times to get your money's worth before it dies. Those luxe items we keep for special, need to be used more often!

A mix of short-term goals and one or two year-long ones is nice. If you get too ambitious, just scale back the goal later. it's a learning process about your stash and your routine. The better it fits your habit, the easier the panning. I also set aside one day each week (Monday-PanDay or Thursday-PanDay for instance) to focus on my panning items, that way I have progress every week no matter what. The rest of the week I fit stuff in as I can.

. If you truly hate a product, don't even try to pan it, just pass it on or give it 3 uses to win you over, then ditch it, guilt-free. Life's too short.  

Use-based goals are nice. Go smaller rather than larger on the number at first; you can always use it more if you want, and that way you won't set up to feel disappointed. I think that's really the main thing; start small, you can add things in later. 

[haleyvvvv]

So much great advice here, @heavyhedon!! 💖💖💖

[heavyhedon]

Why, thanks, @haleyvvvv -- I read your panning ponderings in this thread too, and they're awesome. It IS about knowing yourself, and that's why tweaking a project when you have a realization is such a good idea. Nothing should be written in stone. 

[itsfi]

I love these tips, tricks and just downright great advice, @heavyhedon! ❤️ Bookmarking your post; lots of gems here but I know for certain that I'm going to need to be reminded of this one - 

"If you truly hate a product, don't even try to pan it, just pass it on or give it 3 uses to win you over, then ditch it, guilt-free. Life's too short."  

This is something I told myself I need to do more. I sometimes keep things for another 6 months - that's too long and it just gets buried, despite my best intentions. I really like the "give it 3 uses to win you over" idea! Making a note to self!! 

[ather]

@itsfi  I have such a hard time doing that. I hate to waste products. I have a product that clearly is giving me a weird rash and I think I’ve stopped using it maybe 3-4 times and keep going back to it to use it up. The other night I finally gave up and came to the conclusion it’s definitely giving me the rash on my face since I haven’t left my house in over 10 days so no makeup and no masks has to be that cleanser lol. 2 days not using it and my face is getting better.  Urg. I’ll try to force my husband to use the rest 🤪

[heavyhedon]

@ather -- i used to do that too, believe me, holding on to old stuff so long. It's better to choose your skin over the other costs; the older we get, the harder it is to heal our skin, and you can't see how far down a scar really goes, you can only see the surface. 

If something is just a little irritating to your tender face, maybe try it on your feet, but if it's making you itch or burn, that's not worth your skin's health. (Auntie rant ends)