little white truths

Hello and welcome to another Project Pan full update for 2017!

I'm pleased to say that it's been an excellent month for me - indeed, it may be my best panning month of all time - and I've finished off thirteen products in total. 

This means that I now have ten products remaining on my list and I'm happy with that amount so I won't be introducing any more products at this late stage in the game: I'll save the new additions for next year.

I guess the other thing I should note is that it's very dark and rainy here today in Melbourne, and I've had to take my photos on the stove with the range-hood light - so if they're looking a little off, that's why.

  

First up, Stila's Gilded Gold (which I've re-pressed into a smaller pan) and Becca's Under-eye Brightening Corrector. Please note that I've included the photos of these products from last month's update below so you can track progress.

I cannot, cannot believe that the Becca product is still going. I really thought I'd finish it this month, but since you need to use so little each time, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that it's still hanging in there. I know I'll finish it this month, but gosh, it's lasted FOREVER.

As for Gilded Gold, it's not the same shadow that it once was so it's not as pigmented and it also doesn't stay on the eye as well, which means I'm getting through it a lot faster than I normally would. Still, I love the colour so I'm happy to keep panning it and I should get there by Christmas. Just.

Above is how the Becca product looked at the end of October. 

Yes I've made progress since then by you can see how slow it's moving.

Above is Gilded Gold. So between now and October's full update, I've managed to hit side pan, expand the pan and also flatten the edges a bit.

We're getting there : )

Next, my Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipstick in 32 and Marc Jacobs Lipstick in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. You'll see my marker sheet for both products below.

The Rimmel is lasting longer than most lipsticks (I pan lip products very quickly) for the simple reason that it's super drying so I can't wear it alone and it's also a weird, almost fluoro colour on me. I'll be really glad when this one's gone, I must say.

The Marc Jacobs lipstick I'm really enjoying - and it's one of the rare pink lipsticks I can wear because it's deeper and not too bright. I'm rationing it a little because I like it and it's only a mini, plus I need to review it so I don't want to burn through it before I've had the chance to do swatches etc.

Both of these products will likely be finished within the next couple of weeks.

Above we have my Dazzshop brow pencil and Rimmel eyeliner. Again, you'll see the marker sheets for both products below.

I use the brow pencil daily but I only use a little because my brows are very thick and dark so too much product looks unnatural on me. I'm not sure if I can finish it this month but I'll certainly try.

As for the liner, I only line my upper and lower waterlines with this, so again, progress is very slow. However you'll see from the marker sheet that I've used about half of the remaining amount since I introduced it earlier in November, so I should be able to finish it this month.

Next, my Becca foundation and BareMinerals cream eyeshadow. Both these products have been on my list for months now so I'm starting to tire of them, but it's looking like I'll be able to get through both in December so that's promising.

The Becca product is a little too dark for me and I also don't like wearing it alone because the formula isn't my favourite, but I've been using it as a mixer for any base that's too pale for me - and to make things move faster, I also often mix in a drop or two with whatever primer I'm using to give a bronze glow beneath my tinted moisturiser. I've also been wearing it occasionally by itself (mixed with some whitening drops) if I'm not leaving the house, and if I keep triple-purposing it, I should be able to get through it by year's end. Looking forward.

The BareMinerals I'm using as a facial contour because I don't love it on the eyes, and I must say, I love it for that - it's perfect because it's exactly the right colour and it blends out beautifully. Mind you, I don't contour normally and I'm only doing it to pan this product, so I'll be pleased when it's gone so I can take an extra step out of my makeup routine.

And last, my Laura Mercier bronzer. I only introduced this product on the 15th of November, and it had barely been touched at that point because it's not my favourite and I kept forgetting to use it.

However. As you can see from the dent in the pan, this thing has been seriously flattened in only a couple of weeks. My golly! Not only this, half of the pan (where I naturally focus my brush) is about one-third lower than it was when I started using it. 

This tells me that I should be able to pan the whole thing within three or four months. And you know what? That's not good enough for a high-end bronzer. Bronzers normally take me about a year to pan, but this one's so sheer - even though I bought the darkest shade, and I only have a light/medium to medium skintone - that it's vanishing before my eyes. And it's not like I pile it on: I prefer a natural look. Grumble grumble.

There's my marker sheet below:

In sum

That's all from me! I hope you're going well with your own panning projects, and that you manage to finish off plenty of stuff before the new year.

I should also mention again that I'm hoping to wind-up Project Pan early this year (either that or I'll take a short break in January), just so I can have some 'free time' before PP 2018. I would like to finish most of the products on this list before I close down PP 2017, though, so I'll keep going until I do that.

Hope all's well with you, and speak soon x

I found these two Melbourne girls (Kat and Hailey) on their second video back when I was pregnant with my son - so it can't be far off two years ago now - and I haven't looked back. 

Their videos are quite long and they bring us beauty news on Fridays - so details of new releases, sneak peeks of upcoming releases and the occasional beauty drama - and on Mondays they update us on news they've discussed previously.

They also run a series called The Makeup Breakup, where they destroy products and weigh the contents to check that we're getting what we paid for etc, and while I tend not to watch these videos because I prefer their other ones, I know that a lot of people love them.

I love these guys because they're good fun and well-researched, and they also bring a balanced view on new releases and drama etc. I always look forward to sitting down and watching the latest episode on Fridays especially. If you haven't watched these guys yet and you love beauty, then I suggest having a look.

EmilyNoel83

Emily is one of the longer-standing Youtubers and she has to be one of the most well-respected people in the community. I'm sure you've probably seen her or at least heard of her, but if you haven't, then I absolutely recommend checking her out. 

She's lovely and she appears to genuinely care about her subscribers, plus she has this slightly nerdy/goofy demeanor (and I mean that in the best way possible) that makes her really endearing.

Better still, I believe her to be very honest and trustworthy so I know that if she recommends something, it's because she really likes it and not because she's being paid to say that. By the same token, she'll put herself out there and tell you if something is bad even though it has been sent to her for review. Not everyone has the guts to do that.

There's a reason why Emily has inspired so many other Youtubers (and they often say so): she's just good.

Jessica is one of the very first Youtubers I found, and I've been subscribed to her for a long time. I think she had around 200,000 subscribers when I found her, and I'm pleased to see that she's now close to 500,000 because I think she deserves it.

Like Emily Noel, she's honest and not afraid to tell you what she does and doesn't like - so she's another person I trust and always have.

I also like her simple, no nonsense style - she's enjoyable to watch but she's not 'frilly' - and I know she's a teacher so perhaps that has something to do with it.

Jessica is also good for budget/drugstore recommendations so she's one I would recommend if you're mainly interested in more affordable products, but she does talk about high-end stuff too.

I found Stephanie when she only had around 100,000 subscribers and she's another one that I'm pleased to say is now getting close to the 500,000 mark. She certainly deserves it, given the time she puts into her videos and the amount of detail contained in her reviews.

I love her because she's bold, blunt and she doesn't take shit. She gives the appearance of being completely herself in her videos, and if you don't like that, then she probably wouldn't want you as a subscriber anyway.

Her reviews are excellent and I find them helpful because she puts time into them and really gets to know a product before putting her opinion out there. Indeed, if I'm interested in a makeup item, then it's her review that I look out for above anyone else's because I know she'll say it straight, and she'll also have thought of things that other people perhaps mightn't have.

Definitely worth watching.

Jen is newer to the Youtube community and I'm pleased that her numbers are starting to rise (she has over 100,000 subscribers now): we need more people like her on the internet. Like Stephanie Nicole, her review videos are very detailed and well-organised - you can tell that a lot of work has gone into them.

I also like her warm, engaging style and the fact that she's prepared to be completely honest about her feelings on a product. I seem to be saying 'she's honest' about everyone on this list (!) - but obviously that's what I look for in Youtubers so it's something that applies to all the people I'm mentioning.

Jen Luvs Reviews is one of those channels that I feel should be a lot bigger than it is. Still, she hasn't been around as long as most of the channels mentioned on this list, so she may get bigger yet.

Samantha March

Samantha is another newer channel and I have a feeling she's going to get very big, very fast. She has an upbeat style and a lot of people like her for her humorous approach and also for the fact that she's a self-confessed 'book nerd' (she's a writer) who doesn't take makeup too seriously.

What I like about Samantha is that she comes up with fresh ideas for videos and is always searching for new and interesting topics, so you don't get the whole 'I've seen it all before' feeling with her that you can sometimes get when watching other Youtubers.

Also, because she's small (she's the smallest channel so far on this list), she isn't yet used to receiving PR packages so when she does, I've seen her get quite emotional about them and that's very sweet. She doesn't take it for granted. I like that.

I recently watched Jen Luvs Reviews talking about her favourite Youtubers, and when she talked about Livloveshermakeup, it was like she'd reached inside my brain and said my feelings exactly. I had to smile!

As Jen said, 'Liv's grown on me'. It wasn't as though I didn't like her previously, it's just that I found her hard to watch - she always spoke very fast, her voice was quite young and high, and I found listening to her difficult because I watch Youtube in the evenings after a long day of looking after kids, so I don't want to watch anyone that stops me from feeling relaxed.

However. Somewhere along the way, Liv's style changed. I think it was around the 12,000 subscriber mark when I watched her speak of her ADD and lupus (I didn't know she had these things), and she's also a flute teacher so she said that her ADD had a lot to do with her speed and the flute had a lot to do with the fact that she rarely takes a breath.

It was around this time that her videos started to get more gritty - she became bolder, more sassy and more blunt (her voice isn't as high now either) - and these days I love watching her. As Jen also said, 'I have to be in the mood for Liv' and I feel the same way, but I do love Liv's content and she tests a lot of makeup so I trust her opinion.

And last, I have a few honourable mentions that don't quite make the list, but I do watch most of the videos they put out and I trust them so I thought I would mention them all the same.

The first is Puffins Wife. She has that slightly goofy, nerdy and endearing style that reminds me of Emily Noel, and while at first I found her hard to watch because of the strong accent (it's just not something I'm used to hearing), I now don't notice that and she tests a lot of makeup so I know I'm likely to find reviews of new products on her channel.

The second is Mandy Davis MUA. What I like about Mandy is that she's a bit older (so late thirties, like me) and she doesn't wear super heavy makeup, so her preferences tend to be quite similar to mine. Her skintone is also similar to mine and she does a lot of foundation reviews, and since she's a makeup artist who tests a lot of makeup, I really trust her opinion.

Next, Kaily Baute. Kaily is a smaller channel but she does some really excellent eyeshadow palette reviews and she's great at breaking down a palette and telling you whether you need it. She also has kids and she has to budget for her makeup purchases (more so than younger people with more disposable income who don't have kids), so I know that everything she buys has been thoroughly researched. Plus she's a fingers-applier with foundation, and we're few and far between in this makeup-sponge world so we have that in common!

And finally, Mariah Leonard. Mariah doesn't get talked about much but she does have over 300,000 subscribers and I find her self-deprecating style to be very funny (actually Samantha Ravndahl is very funny too). Mariah's good at makeup and knows her stuff, plus she has some great ideas for content and I always find myself wanting to watch her videos because their titles sound interesting but not bait-like. On top of that, she has dry skin and so do I - so I know I can trust her when it comes to skincare and complexion products like primers and foundations.