Capsule Makeup Collection Challenge

[itsfi]

Hey BIC beauties! One of my goals this year is to try to put together a makeup capsule with a handful (okay, maybe a large handful, in my case) of products that will work for me for an every day look and special occasions. Given my current collection, I won't need to be starting from scratch. 😂 So, I'm treating this capsule makeup collection challenge like a shop my stash and declutter adventure all in one. Would love for you to join me if and when you can.

If this is something that interests you or just piques your curiosity, please feel free to use this thread to document and challenge yourself to

(1) use what you have / shop your stash; and

(2) determine which products in your collection to keep, which to declutter, and which to try again another day. All with the goal of curating a set of makeup products that will help you achieve a signature look - and maybe a few additional products for other looks in your daily life, including looks for special occasions or events.

Every week, I will post a group of makeup products I plan to choose from (i.e., shopping my stash) for my looks during the week. The themes / prompts are guides and if you have a certain interpretation or approach you want to take with it, go for it! Not every product has to fit squarely within the theme; it can be just one item.

CURRENT WEEKLY THEMES: [UPDATED 4.27.2024]

Spoiler

Week 17 (April 22 - 28) - The "Green" Makeup Capsule and/or The Sephora Spring Savings Makeup Capsule - In honor of Earth Day (April 22), let's assemble a "green" capsule for the week. What does it mean to be "green", you ask? You tell me! Here are a handful of meanings "green" can have - 

• Sustainable
• "Clean" by whatever standard you want - Clean at Sephora? Natural? Non-toxic? 
• The color - either the product itself or the packaging, or both
• New or young
• Other - your definition (oh, inquiring minds will want to know, so do also share your definition of green)

Or, if you have one or more products you picked up from the Sephora Spring Savings Event, show them off with a capsule highlighting one product or all of them. A shop-your-Sephora sale-stash, if you will.  

Week 18 (April 29 - May 5) - The April 2024 Edition of "On Top" or "On The Chopping Block" Makeup Capsule and/or The "More Play Time With My Sephora Savings Event Hauls" Makeup Capsule - Were there makeup products from April that stood out to you - good or bad? Did you discover any new (or tried-and-true) favorites this month? Are there products you've been on the fence about? Create a makeup capsule with one or any combination of these ideas. OR show us what beauties you picked up during the Sephora Savings Event. Now's the time to play (or to keep playing) with that newness (and those beloved restocks) you hauled during the sale! 

Week 19 (May 6 - 12) - The AAPI Owned / Founded Beauty Brand Makeup Capsule - To celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander Month, let's curate a capsule with one or more makeup products from AAPI owned or founded makeup brands. [NOTE: A non-exhaustive list of AAPI owned or founded beauty brands can be found in the spoiler below ⤵️]

Week 20 (May 13 - 19) - The "Sleeping Beauties" Makeup Capsule and/or The "OMG, More Stuff From the Sephora Spring Savings" Makeup Capsule - I was inspired by the theme of this year's Met Gala, "Sleeping Beauties" - go through your stash and create a makeup capsule with beauties that have been sleeping in your stash and could use love and attention. Or, were there makeup products you picked during the Sephora Spring Savings Sale that are just now making their way to you (or that you are now getting to)? Put them in a capsule, by themselves or mix in a few "Sleeping Beauty" products. 

Week 21 (May 20 - 26) - The "My Best Self" Makeup Capsule - May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Curate a capsule with products that make you look and feel your very best

Week 22 (May 27 - June 2) - The May 2024 "On Top" or "On The Chopping Block" Makeup Capsule - it's that time again, curate a capsule with your standout or favorite products this month or products you're trying to decide whether to keep or declutter. 

AAPI Owned / Founded Makeup Brands

Spoiler

Below is a non-exhaustive list of makeup brands founded or co-founded / owned or co-owned by Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) - the brands listed are primarily ones that offer makeup / color cosmetics.  To the extent the founder's identify cannot be determined by the brand name, his/her/their name(s) will appear in parens next to the brand name. Brands with an asterisk (*) next to their name denotes that that brand is available at Sephora.

CLE Cosmetics (Lauren Jin)

CTZN Cosmetics (Aleena Khan, Aleezeh Khan, and Naseeha Khan)

Em Cosmetics (Michelle Phan)

* Glow Recipe (Christine Chang and Sarah Lee)

Jason Wu Beauty

Kimchi Chic Beauty (Kim Chi)

* Kulfi Beauty (Priyanka Ganjoo)

Live Tinted (Deepica Mutyala)

* Mango People (Sravya Adusumilli)

Meloway Makeup (Aiden Kim and Ash Kim)

* One/Size by Patrick Starrr

Orce Cosmetics (Yu-Chen Shih)

Ourself (Lauren Otsuki)

* Patrick Ta Beauty

Purlisse Beauty (Jennifer Yen)

Seraphine Botanicals (Sylvia Phann)

The Creme Shop (Theresa and Lawrence Kim)

* Tower 28 Beauty (Amy Liu)

U Beauty (Tina Craig)

* Wander Beauty (Divya Gugnani)

Yensa Beauty (Jennifer Yen)

Youthforia (Fiona Co Chan)

FAQs: [Updated 4.28.2024]

Spoiler

What is a capsule makeup collection?  

A capsule makeup collection is a selection of makeup products that can be used to put together different looks for a variety of occasions. For some of us, that may mean a group of essential products for your everyday look plus a few extra items for a more glam or dramatic look; and, for others of us, that may mean, a lineup of our holy grail product(s) in each makeup category. My ideal capsule makeup collection probably falls somewhere in between - we'll (hopefully) find out at the end of the year! I don't see myself as a minimalist, but I don't have an extensive collection of makeup either. I appreciate the collections of people who fall within both camps but I float somewhere in between - on the one hand, my brow product collection would earn a gold star if we were using a minimalist approach to makeup; my lip product lineup, on the other hand, would not. 🤣 It would most definitely not.  

Why have a capsule makeup collection?  

Everyone will have their own reasons for having (or not having) a more streamlined makeup collection. Over the years, I've just become more interested in having less beauty products on hand (well, except for lip products, lol) - a handful of items I use or reach for more frequently with maybe a few additional products that are go-to's for me for special events or occasions.  Don't get me wrong, I love trying new products and I don't see that changing. I just like the idea of having a simpler collection (I appreciate that "simpler" can be relative), curated to my needs and lifestyle.

Why weekly? 
A few years ago, beauty & lifestyle blogger Serein Wu, did a weekly series (on her blog and YouTube channel), Makeup Bag Monday, where she rotated her makeup bag each week with new product launches and makeup already in her collection. Every Monday, she shared the products she selected for the upcoming week and provided detailed makeup reviews on the makeup she used for the previous week. I may not post detailed reviews, but will at least try to include a weekly recap (probably at the end of the week) of what products I like and which ones didn't work for me.  If weekly works for you, great. If not, feel free to join in based on what works best for you.

What if I don't have enough products to fit the theme for a full face?

No need for your entire makeup capsule to fit the weekly theme(s). Just one will do. And, even if you don't have one that fits squarely within a theme, feel free to post your makeup capsule. We'd love to see what you're using and hear your feedback on the products as you put them to use. 

I'm excited to see what results from this experiment and I welcome everyone to join in this adventure, whenever and however is most effective for you. 

[ather]

@itsfi  Great picks! I can’t wait to see how the mashup goes!!! 

[itsfi]

@ather, thank you! I'm trying what I can to get this Lawless mascara to work out. The #SEPHORA COLLECTION Love The Lift Curling + Volumizing Waterproof Mascara Ultra Black (not sure why the tag/link won't stay put) has worked out really well - my lashes still look lifted and we're closing in on hour 12. 👍 It also held up well going through a workout - minor transfer onto the under eye area on my left side, but this may have been because I applied the mascara to my lower lashes this morning, which is not something I usually do. 

[Sunnysmom]

Layering mascaras are just the way to go for me @itsfi ! Do they work for you? I’ve not tried Lawless. Thoughts? I keep trying to just use one kind and I always need more! Darned glasses don’t help either! 🤓

[itsfi]

@Sunnysmom, I only recall layering mascara once. I tend to stick with one mascara and go in for 2 layers, occasionally. I am considering layering the Lawless and the Sephora Collection waterproof. The Lawless is fine, but I'm thiking it's not the right mascara for me. I've been trying to make it work. It starts off well but ends up smudging and flaking on me mid-day, which isn't uncommong with my hooded eyes when it comes to a non-waterproof mascara. Just the way it goes sometimes.

[danielledanielle]

The one size setting spray is pretty good @itsfi , I'm wondering how you'll rate it amongst your GOATs.  The only thing I don't like about it is the fragrance, but for this glitter version, I'll bear it.

[itsfi]

Funny that you mentioned 🐐🐐 @danielledanielle. I've been wondering just how many GOATs one should have (or there should be, really); I mean, too many GOATs sorta makes something not a true GOAT, yes? 😂 Maybe I'm overthinking this. 🤔 In any event, the One/Size setting spray has been doing well so far, at least on the areas where I'm focusing on using it. I can see this one coming in handy at certain times during the year. Right now, my skin is in its seasonal transitioning phase, a smidge earlier than it usually starts, but it's here and so far, I'm impressed with this setting spray. I am, however, not so impressed with my nose since I didn't pick up a scent. What?! I am  typically pretty sensitive to scents, in terms of noticing them, but I don't recall it having a scent. Hmmm.... Okay, making a mental note (and will put a note on the can) to pay more attention to it. 

Are you loving the glitter version? 

[danielledanielle]

I'm saving it! @itsfi I KNOW I KNOW... WHY ..I should use it, but this.... This I'm saving.

[itsfi]

lol @danielledanielle! I get it. It's limited edition, special edition. I think it's OOS too, so a back up probably isn't in the cards, at least not at the retail price. So I can understand the arguments for holding on to it. But, there are grounds for using the good stuff, too. You'll put it to use at some point. 

[makeitup305]

@itsfi I haven't tried the One Size but I've heard good things. It was sold out for a while since it came out that supposedly Beyonce uses it for her shows. Idk how true that is but that would be cool. I always forget to use setting spray. My skin is dry and even with the heat over here in the summer, I don't sweat as much as you'd think since it's so dry. I wish I'd had this when I was living in Miami lol

[itsfi]

@makeitup305, I think I picked up the mini just before or right around the time it was flying off the shelves - not planned on my part, of course. 🤣 I don't typically need something "matte" except in the spring and summer for the most part, so I grabbed the mini thinking I'd save it until, well, I guess, now. Ha! My skin tends to be dehydrated year round, dry for most of the year except for late spring, summer and a few weeks into the fall, when it varies in terms of how and what variation of "combo" it is. My T-zone has been all sorts of confused since last month, which means we headed into combination skin sooner than we normally do. 

Well, if it's good enough for Beyonce on tour, then it's probably gonna do alright for me and my tempermental T-zone. lol. I've been concentrating it primarily on my lower T-zone and the area around my mouth and chin, making sure too to also keep those areas sufficiently hydrated before and after using the setting spray. So far, it's been performing well. 🤞

[makeitup305]

@itsfi That's good! I picked up one by Neogen on my last YesStyle order but I haven't used it much. I only recently started powdering. Do you use a toner to help balance out your skin? Mine is dry year round so I rely on layers for moisture. The only thing I haven't tried is slugging but the thoughout of putting vaseline or aquaphor gives me the ick lol Whenever I go visit family in Costa Rica, my skin lets out a sigh of relief.

[itsfi]

@makeitup305, my skin is probably the most balanced its been in years in the last 8 months or so. A number of factors have been involved - skincare, age, diet, etc. I reach for toners more, both as a traditional toner and occasionally for some form of the 7 skins method, in the warmer months, when my skin is feeling like it needs it. I tried slugging once, a year ago - it was fine and my skin actually did look and feel hydrated and moisturized. After I thought about slugging once every month but just never got back into it. 

[makeitup305]

I'm not really following the capsule weekly challenges so sorry if it doesn't go with the theme. I've been doing a roundup at the end of the month but this time I'm including an extra capsule since I had to fly out of town for my friend's wedding. This is probably what I would consider some of my "best of" in each category. Even though the Dior palettes are not so much a favorite anymore but I took for variety's sake, almost everything in this picture is probably something I would recommend or repurchase. 

For the wedding, I used the CT Magic Cream as a base (not pictured). I'd never tried it and really enjoyed it. The Glow Drops are nice but they might be the only product I wouldn't run out and get. The pink compact is my travel case of the Hourglass Transluscent loose powder, which is a love. The tiny UD setting spray was perfect for travel. Everything wore great well into the night. 

For the other days, I used the DRMTLGY tinted moisturizer and the Merit stick, which are both staples. 

The Clio Mascara is good but I don't wear it often because it's waterproof and a pain to take off. However, if you need something that doesn't flake or smudge, this is it. 
I used a bunch of different lipsticks which I forgot to add to the picture but the CT lip cheat in Pillow Talk was a great base for all the glosses and lip tints I was wearing. 

Tarte Shape Tape is still my holy grail. Idk how many times I've repurchased it and tried to stay away, but it still convers my dark circles like very few concealers manage to do. 

The Dior palettes have been in my collection since they came out. I even thought about repurchasing but they still work well. I wonder if the new formula change has affected their performance. I would love it if they came out with a quad of blush, that would be awesome. 

[missjeanie]

@makeitup305 looks like some beautiful special occasion make up! I love a 'best of' capsule! 

[makeitup305]

@missjeanie it was interesting to go through my collection and decide on what could really be relied on to perform and that I loved. I am blessed that I had lots of options to choose from! I'm sure I could do 'best of' capsules several times over and not repeat which I am so thankful to be able to have. 

[itsfi]

Gorgeous “best of”s @makeitup305 😍 I made myself a post it note that says “find the Clio mascara” after reading your thoughts on it. I have their waterproof and non-waterproof versions but I haven’t had a chance to try them. I may have to break my rule on the number of mascara I have open at any one time … oh, I’m going to have to remember to try that Drmtlgy + Merit pairing too. 📝 

Which Patrick Ta blush duo’s are those? Or is the darker one a bronzer duo? 

[makeitup305]

@itsfi the Patrick Ta duos are two of the newer ones PATRICK TA Major Headlines Double-Take Crème & Powder Blush Duo Not Too Much and PATRICK TA Major Headlines Double-Take Crème & Powder Blush Duo Just Enough . The Clio mascara is in the Volume Curling option. They have 3 or 4 other options. It literally says "Superproof Mascara" . I've heard good things about the Kiss Me Heroine mascara as well as the Etude one but since they're waterproof I'm skipping them. My poor lashes can't take it. Which one is the non-waterproof? Maybe I should give that one a try next time I order from  YesStyle or OliveYoung

[itsfi]

Oh, I think I'm mixing up my mascaras @makeitup305. Now, I'm wondering what that other one was too. I picked it up a while ago, in a boutique in Japantown here but the store closed up a couple of years ago. Grrr. They had some wonderful products - brands that I hadn't heard of before and that were harder to find. I want to say the packaging was very similar to the packaging, or at least the color scheme of the Clio. I'll try to find it online and if I can, will let you know. 

[ather]

I was so busy on the weekend I totally didn’t pick my capsule yesterday. But I did it today! For BIC inspired/sale buys!

Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Soft Pinch Liquid Blush Virtue inspired by BIC was a top product in 2023. 
MERIT Brow 1980 Volumizing Eyebrow Pomade Gel Blonde  inspired to try again by @itsfi 😉

caliray Come Hell or High Water Volumizing & Lengthening Tubing Mascara Set  I can’t remember who told me to try this one but I have seen it all over BIC. 
MERIT Day Glow Dewy Highlighting Balm Cava 

MERIT Bronze Balm Sheer Sculpting Bronzer Clay  both are things I picked up for the sale! 
Tower 28 Beauty SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation 30 PCH another inspired by @itsfi 

@and last but not least can’t leave the Rhode peptide treatment in toast literally my GOAT colour. It’s so good! 😊 

[makeitup305]

That's a pretty color for the Rhode @ather ! I tried the Merit brow but it's not a favorite. It doesn't really hold my brows up, which is usually what I go for. I get the best results when I use it following my brows' natural shape. 

[ather]

@makeitup305  Hmmm maybe I had a similar experience. I feel like I must not have been wowed by it since I haven’t been using it. I didn’t have time to use it this morning but I’ll try tomorrow.