Project 10 Pan Update

via

I am happy to report that my Project 10 Pan has been a huge success.  It's been so fun to make my little list and cross off items as I use them up.  I am on Part 5 which means that I have used up 40 something items so far.

Sometimes I feel a little neurotic having so much fun with this, even G is on board and cheers me on along the way.  Laugh if you will but I'm here to tell you that it's eye-opening in a more than a few ways for a product junkie like myself.  I'll just make another handy list to tell you about it.

1.  I learned that it actually takes a long time to use up products.  This should be a good thing except when you really want it to finally be gone.  In fact it's ironic that I bought something and that I should want it to be gone.  Not too smart?

2.  I am so careful about what I just casually put in my shopping basket anymore because it's going to be in my bathroom for a long time.  See No. 1.

3.  My goal is to have products that multi-task so I can have less bottles.  Bottles take up too much space and I want to have a beautiful vanity like I see in the pictures above.

4.  Another goal is to share products with hubby if possible also to have less bottles.  Now if I can just get him to put his bottles away we would always have a clean vanity and sink area.  Smile honey, you're on my blog!

5.  I've been using up products that I didn't like that much just because they were there for the sake of this project.  I don't really like doing that. I took a bag of things to share with my niece and aunts when I went home, but those didn't count towards my Project 10 Pan.  In the future I will either return the item or give it away.  Life is too short to use bad stuff.

6.  The biggie here is learning that I really want to function with less.  Too much stuff smothers me.  Most bloggers goal is to use things up so they can buy more, but I'm reformed.  Even before I did this, I had stopped buying makeup.  I want to enjoy shopping for the things I need instead of being seduced into "needing" this or that.  I did happen to buy a new lipstick yesterday to cheer myself up though.  It's really pretty.

7.  Focusing on a small amount of things to use them up has been the key to my success.  I can't switch around too much or it will just keep sitting there forever almost gone.  I make my list and really only use those things.

8.  I'm realizing that I have a lot of similar items.  When I bought those different eyeshadows I thought they were unique and maybe they are to a degree, but to be honest I could have not bought them at all and used what I had.  Nobody would know the difference.  I bought them for fun and that was that.  Knowing the reason is important to change the buying behavior.

9.  I'm very determined.  To prove it, I'll show you what I used up this week.  It was my Mom's and I absolutely couldn't throw it away, so I carried on like a good soldier in spite of this.  I'm pretty sure it made me break out too.

10.  Nobody would consider me a makeup hoarder or anything that extreme but I feel that I have too much makeup and it is wasteful.  If you actually followed expiration dates and recommended throw out times, which I obviously don't, you are wasting a lot of money because you can't possibly use up a lot in the short amount of time.

Anyone else doing Project 10 Pan or your own version of it?  Let me know how you fared.  I have a vision of only having one makeup bag with all that I need.  I want an easy, peasy makeup routine and only shopping when I need something, or need something to cheer me up.  Is this the most ridiculous thing to those of you who aren't product junkies?  I imagine that it would be but those of you who understand, really do understand.  Anyone going to start a new Project Pan?