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Project Pan

Since my post of “Why Did I Stop Buying Makeup?” I was thinking, now that I don’t consume new products, what should I do with my existing stash? And that is where I present you the “Project Pan” and why you should join in if you want to reduce your stash. Lemme explain what is it.

  1. You set a timeframe (let’s say one year, or one semester)
  2. Choose all the products that you want to use within that timeframe, set aside products for the face, for the eyes, lips, skincare and so on. Remember to pick products that you are going to be okay using for a long time, and products that you love (or hate but you want to finish) 
  3. Use only the products that you set aside. (Remember not to buy any makeup during this time, unless you want it, or it is a product that you are within the necessities (mascara, eyeliner, etc.) 
  4. To motivate you, you can take before/after pictures and compare them. If you need extra motivation, there is a lot of hashtags with #PanProject, and join the community. Also, I will love to see your progress.
  5. Once the timeline passed, you are free to pick more products to try or keep going until you hit the pan. Now, some people stop using powder products such as eyeshadow pallets once they hit one pan but feel free to adjust it, whether one pan, two pans, three pans … you got the idea.
  6. Repeat until you are satisfied with your progress

Remember that you can pick more than one product on each category, I cant use the same product for more than a week so, I will use 3-4 products of each category, and basically have fun with it.

I am planning to start this project monthly because I don’t believe that I have the commitment to go for a semester, but I have a lot of products that I need to start using. I want to begin in August and record my result, so feel free to join me and share your progress on my Instagram (@la.hija.del.soll) or my email (aphrodita_55@outlook.com). Or I can create a new section for this website and share my progress here (let me know your thoughts).

Why Did I Stop Posting…?

This blog was created as a university project, and I had the time to invest in this website. After finishing my semester, I kinda gave up when I thought that my blog was not relevant at all. And I thought that I was going to use this website as part of my resume (with no updates since December, lol) and the experience I gained from managing a website, and the responsibility I held when I managed it. When you managed a website, one must be aware of the actions and consequences of the impact of the words that you have.
I have to say that the design of creating and managing a WordPress website is not as user friendly as I thought, but on July 9th of 2020, I figured out how to view comments (yay!), and upon reading a lot of comments, I saw a lot of heartwarming comments. And I thought to myself why did I abandon this website when I oath to inform people and share experiences, there is a lot to talk about, but little time to do so, but I feel like this blog could become a diary or a journal, especially during challenging times like we are living in, and I feel like sharing and talking to people can help improve my mental health, and I hope that people can join in with me. Now we do not need hate, we need compassion and love, and understanding other people.
So, from now on, I will try to keep it up at least once a week and keep having fun with writing and sharing experiences with you. I am pretty sure I have a lot to say and I hope you enjoy them and have fun with me.

How Did I Start Doing Makeup?

I was around 15 years old when I developed a liking to makeup, obviously, I started doing it because I had low self-esteem and I used makeup to aid with it. I started buying really cheap makeup, like 1-5 dollars an item. I remember I felt like a beauty guru, despite my makeup looking really bad, but it was fun to do it.

I never left my house without makeup, it didn’t matter the occasion, school, grocery shopping, going for tortillas, any occasion if I had to leave my house, I had to put something on. Whenever I didn’t have anything on I felt anxious and ugly, and I kinda hated the idea that products were needed to make me feel beautiful.

At the age of 19 or so, I felt the same about me, and I had to do my makeup every time before going to class, or going out to the mall. It was so tiring sometimes, but I felt I needed it because I felt ugly.

Then I turn 20, I started to think about it, and it was sad, that I needed products to make me feel beautiful, but at the same time, I was in love with makeup as a creative expression, I didn’t want to renounce to makeup, so slowly I started seeing makeup as an aid of my creative form of art to express myself, rather than a mask.

Since then, I started doing it because I loved it, I love creating colourful looks and adding a hella of colour into it. And I don’t see myself stoping sny time soon.

STOP BUYING COUNTERFEIT PRODUCTS

Stop buying counterfeit makeup, please, just stop.

I also want to use this space to critique Influencers using and promoting these products. STOP PROMOTING COUNTERFEIT PRODUCTS TO YOUR AUDIENCE. If they did not have a reaction, that does not mean they are safe. 

I know, the price point of certain makeup products is unreasonable high, like 70 dollars for a palette sometimes sounds like a joke. But if you think about carefully, these expensive products have been processed and lab-verified that they are safe for human use. It is going to be almost impossible (unless improperly use or allergy to certain ingredients) that you are going to experience an adverse reaction.  

I remember that I was in that position, too, especially when I was younger, and I didn’t have a job. I found the palette that I really wanted the Naked 1 from Urban Decay for 15 CAD. I was so tempted to buy it, thankfully I read the reviews. A lot of people claimed that they got severe infections due to using the counterfeit product.  

https://brightside.me/inspiration-girls-stuff/7-clever-tips-to-spot-fake-designer-makeup-232060/

These products are commonly found in street markets or are sold within those websites that sell everything cheaper such as Wish or Alliexpress. I know it is very tempting to buy these products, especially when we see Influencers using it and talking great about it. We feel like we need to rush and buy it, but I encourage you not to buy it. 

  1. Because I care about your health and I don’t want you to get a bad reaction because of the product, and believe me, you DO NOT want to use them. Let me scare you a little bit. As the Refinery mentioned, it has been found “human waste and bacteria […] the FBI reports that its agents have also found aluminum, human carcinogens, and even horse urine in the products they’ve seized (Refinery, 2018).” I am pretty sure that you do not want these products in your face.
  2. The people that sell you these products do not care about your health, they are only interested in your money. I know, legit corporations may seem like they are only interested in your money. Still, they are also worried about your health, these products are safe (unless notified). 
  3. I know that it is tempting to buy counterfeit products but think about it. Is it worth it? Is it worth it to risk your health for makeup?. They are a lot of affordable products on the market. I know we want the stuff that everybody is using on Instagram, but I encourage that be aware of the products that you use. Expensive makeup does not make your makeup better, practice does. 

How to tell apart counterfeit products from the real ones? The people who are selling these products are getting better and better recreating these products, almost to the point that it is impossible to recognize it. But we can fight them by:

  1. Getting your products from authorized sellers. 
  2. If it is really cheap, probably it is fake. 
  3. If there are no ingredients on the packaging or website, DO NOT buy it.

So, I want to buy makeup, but I can’t afford it, what can I do? Well, luckily, there is a lot of range of products that you can get for a really affordable price, and they are approved to be used as cosmetics. For example, drugstore brands offer affordable makeup and have vegan and non-cruelty products such as ELF or Wet’n’Wild. Also, indie brands can be accessible, and they care about your health. Look at Juvia’s Place, they offer a great product at an affordable price, and if you wait a little bit, they have fabulous sales throughout the year. 

https://www.thedoctorstv.com/videos/harmful-chemicals-inside-counterfeit-makeup

I will leave more accessible information about how dangerous these products are.

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/counterfeit-makeup-a-health-danger#7

https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/counterfeit-cosmetics-fragrances

https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2018/04/196518/counterfeit-makeup-tested-for-human-waste