7 Panning Lessons I've Learnt

Two months ago was my one year panning anniversary. It feels weird. It feels like I've been doing this forever, but at the same time it feels like I started panning yesterday. There's no doubt that I've learnt a lot during this year. When I started panning I didn't know what I was doing at all. I just chose random products I thought I could possibly use up within the time frame I set for myself and then I pretty much just hoped for the best. Today, I have a better idea of how long it takes to use up a product and more importantly, I know why I'm panning the products I have in my projects. I think it's only fair to share the things I've learnt with you guys so you don't have to make the same mistakes I did. Make other mistakes and share the thing you learnt from them in the comments instead.

Lesson one: A replacement-only no-buy, ronb, is the way to go!... for me.
By forcing myself to use what I already own and not purchase new and shiny things simply because they are new and shiny, has been the most life-changing. Having to use what you have will teach you a lot about what you truly like and what you own just because you think you have to. I recommend everyone at least tries to go on a ronb at some point in their panning journey.

Lesson two: Panning is not life and death. It's supposed to be a fun learning process.
Don't be too hard on yourself considering anything that has to do with panning. I see way too many posts on instagram where people apologize for letting other panners down by their apparent failures. Breaking your strict no-buy rules isn't the end of the world and neither is not reaching your goals or having to declutter a product you thought you could finish, but later realized doesn't suit you. The important thing is that you have fun and learn more about your habits and preferences. That will in turn hopefully help you make more informed purchases.

Lesson three: It's impossible to cheat.
There are people who don't agree with me on this one, but no-one has convinced me otherwise yet. It is impossible to cheat when it comes to panning. As long as you use your products it doesn't matter how you use them. Sure, if someone lies and says they panned an entire eyeshadow palette in a week, but really just decluttered a shade a day right down the garbage chute, I'd be a bit annoyed, but that's lying, not cheating. If you want a more elaborate rant about this I suggest you read this post I wrote back in January.

Lesson four: Don't take on too much.
You might feel compelled to join all the fun projects you see, but unfortunately that's not a great idea. If you take on too much you won't actually have time to pay attention to all the products in your projects. Try focusing on just 1-3 projects at a time.

Lesson five: Get yourself a panning basket.
This has helped me so much. I have a specific section in my makeup drawer with all the products I'm currently panning, which helps me stay focused. If you store your project products among everything else it's a lot more difficult to visualize how much you have left to do. My panning basket has sort of become my everyday makeup basket. I always reach for those products first and then I use my other makeup to complete the look. The way it should be if I want to be able to use them up.

Lesson six: Take inventory of everything you own.
Yes, this is really daunting and yes, depending on how much you have this might take the whole weekend, but I still highly suggest you do it. There's nothing more eyeopening than taking inventory of your makeup. You might think you have a small collection until you see the numbers and realize how much work you have in front of you. If nothing has convinced you to go on a no-buy before, this lesson might.

Lesson seven: You don't need all the products social media is telling you to buy.
This one is probably going to be hard to read. You don't need every shade of lipstick. Learn to layer the ones you have. You don't need every shade of eyeshadow. Learn how to layer the ones you have. You probably don't ever need more than two foundations. Honestly. If you want to switch between high coverage and light coverage regularly, just get a high coverage foundation and mix it with primer or moisturizer for those light coverage days. The only reason I said two is because sometimes we need a darker shade for summer. Whenever you think you "need" a new product, just ask yourself if you truly need it or if it's your own makeup skills and techniques that are lacking. Because you won't magically improve at cut creases just because you now own a specific cut crease concealer. It took me about a year to truly accept that the black shadow in my eyeshadow palettes weren't just fillers. I just didn't know how to use them properly. As a makeup lover you should ask yourself if you want to identify as a lover of products or a lover of the art. It sounds cheesy af, but I've realized how true it is.

UPDATE: As Maria (@panningmymakeup on instagram) pointed out, hate panning is a thing and I  can't believe I forgot to include it on my list! So...

Lesson eight: Life's too short to hate pan.
Using products you hate is not worth it. If you truly dislike a product, either put it away for an amount of time and come back to it later or just declutter it. The lesson is hopefully learnt and you won't purchase a similar product again.

That's it! Those are seven panning lessons I've learnt over the year. I hope you learnt something from reading this and if you have any more tips and tricks, please leave them in the comments!