What is Project Pan? A beginner's guide to using up your makeup

If your drawer is full of half-used palettes and lipsticks you forgot you owned, you're not alone. Project Pan is a simple idea that a lot of people in the beauty community use to get back in control: choose a handful of products and use them up before you buy anything new.

Where the name comes from

"Pan" is the little metal dish that pressed powders sit in. When you've used a powder long enough, you start to see the metal through the middle. That moment is called hitting pan, and it's the first big milestone of a Project Pan.

The idea grew out of beauty fans on YouTube and Reddit who were tired of buying more than they could ever use. Today people pan everything: powders, but also foundations, mascaras, skincare and perfume.

Why people do it

• You save money. Every product you finish is one you don't replace with something new.
• You learn what you actually like. Using one blush every day for a month tells you more than swatching ten.
• Less waste. Products get used, not thrown away when they expire.
• It's satisfying. An empty is a small win you can see.

How to start your first Project Pan

1. Pick 5 to 10 products

Start small. Choose products you already like, plus one or two you keep skipping. A good first mix:

• something you use every day, like a foundation or concealer,
• a powder product where you can watch the progress, like a blush or a bronzer,
• one "guilt" product you bought and never reached for.

2. Check what's close to expiring

Products that are near the end of their life are perfect pan picks: use them now or lose them. Not sure how long something lasts after opening? Our makeup expiry checker tells you in a few seconds.

3. Set your rules

Decide what counts as done, and what you're allowed to buy in the meantime. Common rules:

• No buying a replacement until the product is finished.
• Hitting pan counts as a win, but the product stays in the project until it's empty.
• If a product turns out to irritate your skin or has gone off, you can swap it out. Using something unsafe is never the goal.

4. Take a "before" photo

Progress is slow, especially with powders. A photo at the start and one every couple of weeks makes it obvious how far you've come.

5. Log every use

This is the part that keeps you going. Each time you use a product, count it. You'll see your empties get closer, and you'll start to notice which products you reach for without thinking.

Tips to stick with it

• Keep your pan products in front. Put them where you'll grab them first, and move everything else to the back.
• Use them in new ways. An eyeshadow can be a liner, a blush can tint your lips, a bronzer can contour.
• Celebrate every empty. Finishing a product is the whole point, so make it feel good.
• Don't punish yourself. If you buy something, just carry on. Project Pan is about awareness, not perfection.

How Vannie helps

Vannie was made for exactly this. Add your products in seconds with a barcode or photo scan, then:

• start a Project Pan and pick the products you want to finish,
• tap +1 Use each time you use something, and watch it go from full to empty,
• add progress photos and share a before-and-after when you hit pan,
• get a reminder before products expire, so the right ones end up in your next pan,
• and earn badges for every empty along the way.

Ready to start? Get Vannie on the App Store or on Google Play, and pick your first five products today.