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It's 2025 and we're on YEAR EIGHT (8) of the Pan It! Challenge 🍾
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 😃 *this is the number one recommendation for everyone, regardless of how long you’ve been panning! Those photos add up and can help you realize progress you might otherwise overlook.
- 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:
For those of you who are interested in trying the challenge but fear you may not finish or move as quickly as others, remember:
Things being evicted from the Shelves Of Shame in March 2025:
BBW body cream in Twilight Woods: notes are lush berry, sparkling mandarin, soft mimosa, apricot nectar, and cypress wood. I thought I was going to love this. I thought I remembered everyone and their mother living this back in the day. But I don’t love it and I don’t think I’d repurchase, unless a fresh tube (not one that is 2.5 years old) smells better.
Kora Organics Turmeric Brightening Pore Scrub + Exfoliating Mask: this doesn’t burn or dry out my skin, but it definitely turned me into a tomato every time I used it (no matter if that was for a short amount of time as a scrub cleanser or for 10 minutes as a wash-off mask). For $54, I don’t want to be a tomato that doesn’t get ~wow~ levels of exfoliation and pore clean-out. Would not repurchase.
Method shampoo in Pure Peace: supposed to be volumizing, and this has been decanted into my transparent shampoo bottle for Crow Brain panning purposes. It’s barely been used because it’s a bit drying for my fine hair. This is probably going to the entire rest of the year for me to use up. I also don’t particularly care for the scent (notes are peony, rose, and quinoa protein).
Method conditioner in Daily Zen: supposed to be the daily/normal line from Method, and this has also been fully decanted into my transparent conditioner bottle for Crow Brain panning purposes. That bottle also contains the remnants of my Method Simply Nourish conditioner, which is thicker and more moisturizing/coating. Happy to report I’m about halfway done with the transparent bottle, so that should take about 4-6 weeks to fully finish. Notes are cucumber, seaweed, and green tea—so fresh, slightly spa-like, and non-offensive for daily use.
BBW body cream in Pastel Skies: notes are soft cloud berries, pink spun sugar, and coconut musk. If I could eat this, I’d be thrilled. It’s so so so good. It’s in the same family tree as Cotton Candy Clouds, which is another one of my tip-top favorite scents. Would happily repurchase, which means BBW will probably never bring this back again.
Laneige Cica Sleeping Mask: this was a fantastic layering or last-step night moisturizer during the late fall and winter months for my dry, sensitive skin. It’s so plush and comforting. I’m holding off on repurchasing until the fall Sephora VIB sale because this is going to be too heavy for upcoming hot months, but I do happily recommend for others with dry skin, sensitive skin, or those looking for a really good sleeping mask or layering moisturizer.
Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer: every decent Project Pan has that one product that, when finished, feels like the End Of An Era. Right now, this is that product for me. I’ve used this formula for like 10 years, but it’s not working quite the same as it used to on my 30s skin, it’s heckin expensive, and the SPF 15 is a bit weak compared to other options on the market that work better for me (looking at you, Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen). Also, my last bottle that I actually bought (normally I bought the big refill tubes) lasted for like 6 or 7 years before the pump mechanism gave out—this bottle’s pump mechanism gave out after about 1.5 years. I think it was a sign. I will always appreciate the mems, but have no plans to repurchase.
CANDLES
BBW/White Barn Raspberry Tangerine: notes are wild raspberries, fresh tangerine, and lemon zest. Lovely tart citrus scent; happily would repurchase.
BBW Pink Peach Blossom: notes are peach nectar, magnolia petals, and sweet mandarin. Not a favorite, but nice enough. Probably would not repurchase.
BBW/White Barn Peach Bellini: notes are succulent white peach, sparkling Prosecco, and sweet orange. Smelled like the alcoholic cocktail sister of Pink Peach Blossom, and I felt similarly about the experience.
BBW/White Barn Pineapple Mango: notes are fresh pineapple juice, mango, and vine-ripened raspberry. I was less enthusiastic about this one compared to Raspberry Tangerine. Probably would not repurchase.
February Check-In:
- Monthly Summary: "Slow and steady wins the race" or that's what I'm hoping for, with the Vegamour detox serum, OSEA body oil and haruharu wonder eye cream. At the moment, the OSEA has the best chance of being used up before the end of the year, possibly around the summer months. Next month will be a better month to estimate progress for the eye cream as it will be the only eye cream I have in my rotation.
- February All Stars: I didn't really have any "all stars" this month in terms of significant movement or progress on any of my pan products.
- Next Month's Focus: I need to find a way to get the Hourglass finishing powder and the Cle de Peau foundation in a better routine in terms of use. It's not so much that I dislike either but I am just not accustomed to using a finishing powder and I'm rotating through several different foundation / base products at the moment, including the CdP, all of which I really like.
Next month's check-in will include more details on all products in my pan it! challenge.
Things being evicted from the Shelves of Shame in February 2025:
BBW body cream in Vanilla & Patchouli - notes are vanilla and patchouli (groundbreaking). I used to actively not like the patchouli note in here when I first got it way back on Christmas 2022, but the scent has mellowed in its old age. I finally kind of got the “comforting” aspect of it. But would not repurchase; it’s not a favorite.
Clarins Cryo-Flash Instant Lift Effect & Glow Boosting Cream Face Mask (1 oz deluxe sample) - it’s fancy Pond’s Cold Cream with a minty tingly feeling. This should not cost $80 for the full-size jar in any universe. I refused to wipe or rinse this off after 10 minutes per the directions because I don’t like watching metaphorical money go down the drain. I used it as a moisturizer instead and it made my face feel just as cold and icy as the wind chill temperature outside my house. Absolutely will not purchase; doubt I’ll recommend unless I want to troll you out of your money.
Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Balm in Orchid (“mauve”; teeny baby sample size) - my favorite clicky sticky lippie. Not that I have much experience with many others that have come out recently because I’m actively avoiding the Crow Brain collect-and-hoard mentality. But, I like this balm so much I purchased a full-size in Rose (used an Ulta coupon at the time, of course) and I’m looking forward to starting on it. Functionally Orchid is done, but I’m curious how much product is still left below the plastic lip/rim of the tube, so I’m going to keep it around and use a lip brush when I feel like it to continue getting usage. Happily repurchasing and will recommend.
CANDLES
Better Homes & Gardens Blue Fern & Citrus - notes are citrus, green, floral, amber, moss, and woods. This one burned far better than the last BH&G three wick candle that I had, although it was more sooty than any of my BBW candles. The scent was fresh and semi-floral—so alright, but not my favorite.
BBW Pink Pineapple Sunrise - notes are sweet pink pineapple, palm sugar, and sun-drenched nectar. Nice fruity sweet scent better suited for summer, albeit scent throw was poor. My gripe with the candle waxes from this summery collection that released last year with these heavy, saturated, bright pigments is the pigments seem to contribute to poor burning, tunneling and lack of scent. Perhaps would repurchase if the wax was changed.
BBW Iced Dragonfruit Tea - notes are tropical dragonfruit, vibrant green tea lemonade, and sweet coconut milk. Same collection as above. I got none of those notes while it was burning and I was really looking forward to the tea and lemonade aspects of it. Would not repurchase.
BBW Island Margarita - notes are sweet mandarin, island mango, and sea salt. Same collection as above. Again, zero of the listed notes came through during burning. Would not repurchase.
Huntington Home (Aldi I think?) in Citrus Peach Sangria - notes not listed. This was one of two Huntington Home candles our realtor gifted us last year when we closed on our house. I reeeally wanted to like it, but after burning it twice the peachy sangria scent disappeared and it started smelling like crayon wax instead. Also, the wicks seemed incapable of staying lit. I hope this one was just from a bad batch because I like the scent of the other we still have. Would not repurchase this one though.
BBW Calypso Clementine - notes are juicy clementine, neroli nectar, and coastal woods. This one is fantastic; my partner started walking around the house smelling things and asking what smelled so good. I told him to go see if it was the candle and he beamed like a little kid on his birthday. Hopefully BBW brings it back at some point, because otherwise partner will have to be content with getting his Calypso Clementine fix with the bar of soap that I have in my inventory.
