Shop Your Stash Challenge: Spring 2026 🦋

[itsfi]

Hey there BIC beauties! Spring is here! 🦋 The transition from winter to spring can serve as a time to refresh for many. Some do a deep clean and declutter of their homes; some swap out heavier cold weather fabrics for lighter ones, or heavier skincare products to lighter cleansers, toners, moisturizers, etc. Or, for some, it's about introducing, slowly, or all in one fell swoop, spring colors to their home decor and/or their  makeup and clothing options.

As we move towards longer, sunnier days and warmer weather, consider taking some time to look through your beauty collection to pick out a few items to focus on using this spring. It can be for a month, the entire spring season, or any amount of time in between. There are a host of ways to go about this challenge, including, but not limited to, some of the approaches mentioned here.   

You can start on the spring equinox (March 20, 2026), or on April 1 if the beginning of a month suits you better, or after you've shopped the upcoming spring savings event or completed the current Spring Beauty Challenge. Shopping your stash could mean using the new beauties you've picked up during either or both of those events. 

What Is "Shopping Your Stash"?

"Shopping your stash" is the practice of using / making the most of the beauty products in your existing collection. Check out the posts below for more info regarding:

• Why Shop Your Stash / Benefits of Shopping Your Stash; and
• How To Shop Your Stash. 

If you're interested in or looking to work on a year long project with the aim of using up / finishing or hitting pan on products check out the Pan It! - 2026 Challenge thread. For those wondering, what's the difference between "Shop Your Stash" and the Pan It! Challenge or project pan?, that's great question, because they do have some similarities to them. Everyone has their own approach to panning projects. I've briefly noted in the spoiler below how I look at each and how I approach both challenges.

Spoiler

• I use the Pan It! Challenge to work through products over the course of the year, with the aim of trying to use up the product, hit pan or to see how much I can get through in a year. The Pan It! Challenge has been great for accountability and encouragement. For myself, I have, in the past picked a smaller number of products to focus on panning during the year and the items I select are usually made in an effort to try to get myself into a routine of using them or reaching for something and being consistent with it. The monthly check-ins on that thread help me hold myself accountable, and let's face it, they often spur me to use one or more of the items I've set aside for the pan it! challenge before it's time to check in, which usually causes me to be better about using those items at the start of the next month. 
  
  
• The Shop Your Stash challenge, on the other hand, for me, at least, have a more seasonal approach to them, whether due to the product's functionality or because it's something I want to focus on for a particular period of time (but not the entire year). For instance, while there are no hard line rules on what shades to wear during a particular season, I am more likely to wear deeper tones or do a smokey eye more often in the winter season. In that vein, in an effort to help me actually use those types of products in my collection, I may identify 1 or 2 blush shades or eyeshadows to primarily rotate through during the winter months. That's not to say that I won't use other products or buy other items but my focus is to try to get as much use out of what I already have during that time period. 

[itsfi]

Making a note @danielledanielle. I'll probably post an early check-in mid-week next week. That'll be 2 weeks in to using these.

[ather]

@itsfi  Great goals!!!!! I can’t wait to see how this goes. I am interested in the Topicals Faded Tranexamic Acid Dark Spot Patches for Hyperpigmentation 20 Patches/pack  I almost picked them up but I still have some Peace Out Microneedling Dark Spot Brightening Dots i need to work through. I should pull them out as part of my shop my stash!  I love the cleansers and the mask colours are so similar. The picture is so pretty! 

[itsfi]

Yes, yes, yes @ather, grab those Peace Out Dots and put 'em to work with the challenge. I'll keep you posted on how these Topicals one work out. I'm interested to see how well they live up to their claim - wouldn't it be great if my post-acne dark spots really did fade away more quickly than it currently takes them?! 🤞

Yeah, I feel like my skincare can easily be color coordinated to a certain extent - years ago when masking, color stories happened naturally for me because I'd use same or similar ingredients - products with cica are usually going to involve some form of green and its not uncommon for products with hydrating properties to have a blue color theme, or for honey or propolis focused products to be golden or yellow, or bakuchiol items to incorporate purple hues. I also noticed when I was going through some past photos (which I was trying to see if I could recover data from laptop after it crashed) that a lof my spring products have in common, green or pink packaging. 😆 

[ather]

@itsfi  ahhh i never noticed the colour cues!! I’ll have to look harder to notice it!!! I obviously don’t pay attention!! 

[curlychiquita]

@itsfi I’m going to purchase the Topicals Faded Tranexamic Acid Dark Spot Patches for Hyperpigmentation 20 Patches/pack during the upcoming sale.

[itsfi]

Yes @curlychiquita, we'll have to trade notes on them. I've only just started using them but they adhere well. I've placed one on my cheek overnight and it stayed on, did not budge. 👍

[digivate]

Oh wow, I am so excited for this! I’ve been trying to be better about using the lipsticks and glosses I’ve been hoarding from Sephora, and this challenge is giving me the perfect excuse to finally play with them all. Can’t wait to dig into my stash and discover some forgotten faves while adding a little spring sparkle to my looks!

[itsfi]

Fabulous way to approach this challenge @digivate! I've been guilty of hoarding and have a bevy of lipstick and glosses as proof of that 😂 but it's a great time to take a look through your collection and pull out some beauties to try this season! 

"adding a little spring sparkle to my looks!"  Love this! Excited to see/hear about what lip products you decide to use this spring and if you end up finding a new favorite lipstick or gloss, or a new go-to combo. If you do find find some beauties you're up for sharing, you might be interested in posting about them - either identifying them by name or sharing a photo, or both, as you're comfortable on theLips on Lock 🔐: List Your Lip Combos 💄👄 and/orWhat are you wearing in 2026?? threads. We do love our lip products around here, among other beauty items. 😃 Welcome to BIC! 👋 Please do stop on by Introduce Yourself: New Member Monday when you get the chance (any day works, not just Monday 😉). 

[ohlonna]

Hey, hey, thanks for doing this again. It’s been really good for helping me get thru my extra stuff especially the things that can pile up pretty fast and easily. It’s been nice to do that but also to find things that I already have that I really like, like hidden gems. 

The hubs and I did a little spring cleaning the other day and I found some things that I thought would be fun for this challenge. To be honest, my hubs did say when he found the bag of the foot masks “Onna, really?? Why’s there a stack of these?”

The foils are part of my march towards hitting 100 foils this year. # on bottom left is the number of foils I have / want to use up in the spring. Easier for me to do that than take everything out of the shoeboxes or plastic baggies they’re in right now. If I finish all the foils in the spring shop my stash, then I’ll have 47 with the ones from the winter challenge and a few other foils I used separate from the challenge. That’s not counting the foot masks - didn’t know if those are deemed foils but I thought no because they’re not samples? That’s just a little less than half and I think I can get some in separate from this spring challenge that’ll get me to 50 or maybe even over that halfway point. Fingers crossed.

These will be funsies. My fav perfume combo is Gucci Black por Homme with Givenchy Irrisitiblre. The Gucci is a men’s scent but it’s not very strong and I like it on me. Like it more with the Givenchy. Really good. Like could be ride or die good. It’s a whole different scent than the snif hot cakes from the last shop my stash but I kinda like that. I’ve been picking up samples but have decided that my treat to myself if I use up most of my perfume samples is that I can get full sizes, or maybe I’ll do travel ones first. They can be expensive. I still have a handful of perfumes but these shop my stashes have really gotten me thru more of them faster than I thought I could. 

The ones at the top are perfumes I’ve used before and like. The Morrocanoil body oil is what I love to use as a base scent in spring and summer for evenings out. Thinking about seeing how the others in that bunch mix with it. I’ve been into mixing scents a lot more; started with that Gucci and Givenchy and then I realized it helped with getting thru these sample sizes faster and then that I would come up with some yummy scents. 

The bottom right are perfumes I’ve never tried before. I picked them at random for the challenge. 

I have a question, I seen some of you use emojis and on your photos you put up, they look like they do on my emoji keyboard on my phone but mine who up white. Wondering if you use a special program or app for that? 

Shiseido I’ve used many times and like but haven’t decided if I like enough to look for it at my Marshall’s.  I think I’ve used a sample of the Sunday Riley before it looks familiar but I don’t remember if I liked it or not. I feel like I should remember these things but I'm keeping these pics on my phone so maybe that will help in the future. Fingers crossed. Everything else if new to me except the Charlotte Tilbury may just be in different packaging?

[Samtian]

@ohlonna Ah these are fun!!! 

[itsfi]

Happy to hear you're seeing benefits from shopping your stash @ohlonna! You have some lovely products in your collection. Wow, you're really working hard towards your foils goal, that's impressive and inspiring. Hahaha, I gotta say it is easy to collect a stack of those foot mask. They used to be one of my go-to add-ons if I was trying to meet a minimum spend for the promo gwp's. They're actually good things to have on hand, errr, on foot. Teehee! 😆 

I don't think I've ever tried those Gucci or Givenchy fragrances on their own yet alone together. I pulled up their notes and I wouldn't have thought to layer them but they both have an underlying woody floral profile to them. I love pairing fragrances and you've definitely piqued my interest with this one. 🤔 You might want to swing by and share the combo on the Olfactory Overtures: The Fragrance Layering Thread . Out of curiosity, how do you layer them - Gucci over the Givenchy or the other way around? 1:1 ratio or something else? 

[ather]

@itsfi  I love this!! I will need to go through my stash and see what I can shop! My aim is to pick out a couple products that will help transition into spring (If it ever comes! Fake spring came and gave me a taste of nice weather and it’s been snowing and cold now the last couple days) 

[itsfi]

I love your plan @ather! Shop your stash!! 🛍 It's fun to look at the things we have with a fresh pair of eyes. 

It sounds like your weather is similar to the weather here. Spring is definitely a hodgepodge of weather here too, with temperature swings. I had the heater turned on and a sweater all day today, but tomorrow it looks like short sleeves may be a better fit. 🙄 Fake spring ... confused spring ... 😆 I just posted my last check-in for Shop Your Stash Challenge: Winter 2026 ❄️ and need to post my items for spring, but I like your approach - the calendar may say it's spring but we gotta be on the ready for a couple of different scenarios - winter and spring!

[ather]

@itsfi  You are definitely right about confusing spring. It was cold and snowy today but later this week looks beautiful! Spring is very confused!!! 🤔 hopefully it will come to real spring soon so we know how to dress and how to apply skincare! 

[caitbird]

I had so much fun “shopping my stash” for this challenge! It’s always fun to look through what I have and pull out what best fits the current season and what I’m most excited to try. I ended up with a pretty large selection in the end 😅, but then my overall stash is pretty large, and I have lots of goodies that I want to actually get some use out of. We’ll see how many of them I actually manage to use by the time summer rolls around, but I’m excited!

there ended up being a lot of Glow Recipe here...

For skincare, my focuses were on products to help brighten, glow, hydrate, and achieve glass skin, as well as some new lighter moisturizers and new SPFs to try, as I feel I’m in need of a refresh in those areas. A few of these are carryovers from my winter Shop Your Stash selections that I never ended up trying.

Beauty of Joseon Ground Rice and Honey Glow Mask 5.07 oz/150 ml 

Glow Recipe Cloudberry Bright Essence Toner™ 1.01 oz / 30 mL 

Glow Recipe LHA + AHA Korean Watermelon Toner Pads for Hydration and Gentle Exfoliation 60 pads/115... 

Glow Recipe Vitamin C Brightening Korean Guava Toner Pads for Undereye & Cheeks 60 pads/115 g 

Glow Recipe PDRN Repair + Soothe Korean Prickly Pear Toner Pads for Skin Barrier Repair 60 pads/115g 

Tatcha The Silk Sunscreen SPF 50 Weightless Mineral Sunscreen 1.7 oz / 50 mL 

I tried to group these by type - face, blushes, highlighters, etc.

For makeup, my focuses were on spring shades - like pink, lavender, and light green - cream/glowy formulas, and easy, one-and-done products, like skin tints/tinted moisturizers and combination lip & cheek products. I also included some more subtle, work-appropriate eye and lip products, since I’m thinking of trying to wear light makeup to work sometimes. A few of these are also carryovers from winter, either because I never ended up using them during that challenge, or because I wanted to keep using them in spring as well.

Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Hydra Vizor Huez Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum Mineral Spf 30 Sunscreen ... 

DIOR Forever Glow Maximizer Longwear Liquid Highlighter 011 Pink 

HUDA BEAUTY Blush Filter Soft Glow Liquid Blush Ube Cream 

HAUS LABS BY LADY GAGA Color Fuse Longwear Hydrating Glassy Lip + Cheek Blush Balm Stick Glassy Pome... 

rhode Pocket Blush Buildable Hydrating Cream Blush Sprinkle - warm pearly pink 

Glossier Lidstar Long-Wearing Shimmer Cream Eyeshadow Slip 

ILIA Eye Stylus Shadow Stick - Long-Lasting Cream Eyeshadow Vignette 

Charlotte Tilbury Eyes To Mesmerise Cream Eyeshadow Rose Gold 

Summer Fridays Sweet Pink Duo with Birthday Cake + Strawberry Soft Serve Lip Butter Balm 

DIOR Dior Addict Lip Glow Balm 001 Pink 

Glossier Ultralip High Shine Lipstick with Hyaluronic Acid Portrait 

I have already tried a couple of these the past two daysFor fragrance, I focused on new-to-me scents in my collection that sounded good for spring - so lighter, fresh scents, florals, some citruses and other fruity scents, etc.

Versace Bright Crystal Eau de Toilette 

DIOR Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet 1 oz / 30 mL eau de toilette spray 

NEST New York Santa Barbara Strawberry Eau de Parfum Travel Spray 0.27 OZ/8 ML spray 

Juliette has a gun Not A Perfume Travel Spray 0.25 oz/ 7.5 mL 

By Rosie Jane LEILA LOU travel spray with pear 0.33 oz / 10 ml eau de parfum spray 

Valentino Donna Born in Roma Coral Fantasy Eau de Parfum with Rose & Orange 1 oz/30 ml 

Looking forward to incorporating these beauties into my rotation over the next few months! And looking forward to seeing what everyone else picks when shopping their stash this spring 😉

[Samtian]

@caitbird Those graphics are so fun! Amazing selection of products!

[itsfi]

Your makeup stash for this challenge makes for a fab seasonal capsule @caitbird! That's interesting you use the L'Oreal Lumi Glotion as a base; for me, it's a highlighter, but it goes to show the versatility of the product. Your fragrance choices sound perfect for spring! 

[itsfi]

Ooh la la, these are definitely some beauties for sure ❣️ Agree with @danielledanielle, I’m liking this next level shopping of your stash here @caitbird.

I will have to swing back another day to follow up on some of these - my laptop fell on the floor earlier today and this time turned out to be too much for it 😔 🪦 I was able to get another but need to see if I can get back everything. 🤞🏼 That, however, is not gonna happen tonight since I’m beat, it’s late for me and  my skincare routine needs to take priority. 😂 

[curlychiquita]

Oh no! Good luck with a new laptop, @itsfi!

[itsfi]

Thank you @curlychiquita! No luck on recovering many files but I have backups of a few more important things that I stored elsewhere. A minor blip with everything going on in the world, so gotta keep perspective of that. Not being tech savvy I did take breaks from trying to figure out how to locate things and I think that time out and off my computer was a nice change of pace.

[caitbird]

@itsfi  oh no, sorry about your laptop 😟 I hope you are able to get everything back on your new one! My old laptop finally bit the dust late last year, and I didn't have everything backed up, so I am still working on reconfiguring the replacement so that I have everything the way I want it again 😣