2021 January Project Pan Update and Monthly Empties
It’s time for a monthly check in regarding my 2021 project pan. And I’m actually feeling really good about it. I managed to pan one item last month and made good progress on two others. I also have decided to include my other monthly empties in these check-ins. They are not officially project pan items but I wanted to start tracking the items that I using up on a regular basis. I did a huge declutter of my skin care and body care in December and am focused on using up a lot of them items I have and in my backup box (yes I have a backup box, don’t judge me).
First let’s talk about my Project Pan progress. I managed to use up my ABH Brow Wiz a week into the January. I didn’t realize it was that close to finishing which was a pleasant surprise. I am HOPING to finish my other brow products by the end of this month. But who knows. These Lime Crime brow products feel never-ending. I thought I was close to done with them back in October! As for my CoverFx PowerPlay Concealer I have been using it eevrytime I do my makeup. Unfortunately the plastic container is opaque, so I can’t really measure my progress. I feel like one day it will just be empty and that will be that. But right now it still has a fair amount of product in judging by the amount I that comes out on the applicator. I have made ZERO progress on my Pat McGrath powder. Mainly because I haven’t touched it since I added it to the project. I’m regretting adding it only because it is a very matte powder and with the cold dry winter air here, I haven’t been reaching for anything mattifying. I will be swapping it out for another product which I had decided I wanted to use up mid-January, Philosophy Fresh Cream Warm Cashmere Parfum. I’ve already made really great progress on it. Since I’d finished the brow pencil I felt okay with adding in something else. I may re-add the Pat McGrath powder in the warmer months when I tend to produce more oil. I’ve made good progress on my Neutrogena Eye Makeup Remover as well.
I used up a decent amount of items last month considering that I did a huge declutter the month prior. I used up two Banila & Co Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm minis (I’ve been working on a project for an upcoming post and these are part of them), my ABH Brow Wiz (mentioned above), Aveeno Eczema Therapy Lotion. I love Aveeno body products but I feel like they never feel the bottles up and so I go through the products relatively quickly. I really enjoy their Eczema Therapy line for the winter months for my dry eczema-prone skin. My trusty CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion. I’m on my third bottle of this moisturizer. It’s a staple on my skincare shelf.
And finally a travel size of the REN AHA Smart Body Renewal Serum. I actually finished this this week, but decided to add it here and get it put of the way. When I was decluttering my skincare I rediscovered this product that came in a REN order I placed back in Summer 2020. I had a huge dermatitis/ezcema flare up in late Summer and my skin hadn’t been the same. It felt like no matter what I did it was still dry and bumpy and textured.
This was a game changer for me. I noticed a difference with a day of using it. This serum paired with my Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub in Vanilla Bean was the one-two punch my skin needed. Myskin still isn’t 100% back to where it was but I would say it’s about 90% there and it’s largely do to this serum and my scrub. This serum does have some drawbacks: I hate the smell - it reminds me of slightly rancid oranges. I still needed to add an additional moisturizer after using it, and the price is NOT cheap. A full sized tube costs $43. I was not willing to pay that and so I went on the hunt for a cheaper alternative and found the DermaDoctor KP Duty Lotion on sale at Ulta (it’s normally about $32 and I got it on sale for $10, so still expensive but I got a good deal on it). I haven’t tried it yet but am hoping it will do the same job. They are both lotions with AHAs that help exfoliate the skin and promote turn over.
Overall, I am really happy with my progress so far. With the exception of the powder I feel like I made good choices in what to start off this project with. As I finish items, I will be swapping them out for new items to pan. Additionally, I have started a monthly makeup capsule that I post every month on my Instagram. I decoded to do this to help me focus on using more of my collection and make sure that I am sticking to my projects this year (like a different foundation each month for 12 for 12 and my 15 Uses Projects). Follow me on Instagram to check out what I’ve chosen for February.
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