Shop Your Stash Challenge: Summer 2025

[itsfi]

Welcome to the shop your stash: summer challenge! Feel free to use this space to identify and talk through beauty product(s) that you'd like to use or work through this summer - be it makeup, skincare, bath & body products, fragrance, hair care, or other beauty items that are best suited for the summer or products in your stash that have been needing some more of your attention. 

How To Shop Your Stash:

Go through your collection and pick out product(s) you want to work on using this summer. It can be one item, or 2, 3, or 20+. Up to you. 

Purpose / Function of Shopping Your Stash:

This challenge can serve a number of functions, depending on what you have in your stash and what you're looking to achieve, including an opportunity to:

• Rotate and use products that are ideal or better suited for the summer months as a result of their shades, consistency, texture or otherwise

• Use the beauty items we already have on hand or "shopping our stash" - this can help with being more savvy shoppers by helping us to be more mindful with our beauty spend by (i) not thinking we have to have all the new things all the time or all at once) or (ii) finding not just what we love/like but what we may be missing in our current collections

• Ease our way to a working towards panning products or identifying what product(s) we want to try to work towards hitting pan now or in a future panning project

Other Related Challenges That Might Be Of Interest:

Looking for other places and spaces in the Community to use or show your use of your shop you stash beauties, check out any one or more of the following threads or features and jump on in. 

🌺  Have a bunch of blushers (or other cheek beauties) in your stash that you want to play with this summer? Stop by the Summer Cheek Challenge 2025: A Song & A Slay 

💋  Or some lovely lippies in your collection to put to use? Show us at the 100 Days of Lipstick Challenge 

😎  Do you have a look of the day you've put together with one or more of your shop your stash selections? Share your selfies or swatches on the What are you wearing in 2025?? thread

🍭  Found a product while shopping your stash that you want to try to hit pan on? Jump right on into the Pan It! - 2025 Challenge 

🦋  Want to try to put a weekly capsule together with the beauties in your stash but not sure how or what to use? Check out Capsule Makeup Collection Challenge 2025 

[itsfi]

The fall edition of shop your stash is up Shop Your Stash / Use Your Stash Challenge: Fall 2025 🍂🍁 

[cady335]

@itsfi  , I know this is a little off topic but where did you get that mini shopping cart!? It’s so cute!

[itsfi]

@cady335, I received mine as part of a swag / merch package at a work conference years ago but you can find them at a host of online sites (ie etsy, Michael's, Hobby Lobby or amazon).

[itsfi]

Hey there, here's my last update / final recap for summer 2025's shop my stash.

This season's shop my stash went pretty well. 

• Mists - All 4 mists I had in my shop my stash for the summer remain keepers. La Roche-Posay Serozinc and EADEM Mami Wata Barrier Strengthening Face Mist with Cica, Panthenol, Ectoin for Sensitive, Irritate... are good to have on hand for treating acne and redness/irritated skin (mild rosacea flareups). Gucci Brume de Beauté Beauty Mist 2.7 oz / 80 mL remains on top as far as my mists are concerned, but I include mostly in my rotation for setting and refreshing makeup because of the price. The Rhode Glazing Mist can be gone through pretty quickly which I have made a note of. 
• Tinted Sunblocks - To my surprise, I actually finished a bottle (I know, I did not expect that at all @ather! but I was reaching for it quite a bit during and after getting back from vacation) - it was the ISDIN ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica Ultralight Non-pore clogging water-resistant Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50... and will be included in my September empties (and now, I'm realizing I didn't post my empties for last month like I thought I did 😖 - making a note to self to fix that, stat). It's a great tinted mineral SPF for those on the more medium side of light-medium or those with medium / medium-plus skin tones. 
• Lip Liners - This is the category of products that benefited the most from the summer's shop my stash efforts. For a few reasons, actually - (1) I started using all (or most) my lip liners more often, which also meant (2) I was using / including lipsticks in my makeup rotation more. I also (3) discovered / re-discovered a few lip liners I've been enjoying a lot, and new ways to use some, and (4) I've been able to whittle down my stash of them as well - pared down my mix of pinky-toned lip liners by half - Pink Lip Liner Throwdown. That being said, I did, however, recently purchase a new lip liner (different color family though) so there's that, but still ahead of the curve in terms of moving products along. I felt good about that lip liner battle - pink lip liners are not ones I have a need to reach for often so I truly don't need that many in my collection. I'm down to 3, which isn't bad; I can probably do with just two so I'll try to see about letting go of another one but I'm not sweating it if I don't. All 3 that I decluttered have or will be cleaned, sanitized and rehomed or donated, if that hasn't already happened.

Lesson(s) Learned:  Having done a couple of seasonal shop my stashes now and trying different ways of going about them, I've learned a few lessons along the way (and I'm sure I'll be learning more over the next few months with Shop Your Stash / Use Your Stash Challenge: Fall 2025 🍂🍁)  

• From an overall shop my stash, unless I have a very specific product I want to use during a season, I do better with selecting a few products from a product category. It seems this is the case because the set up offers me some variety and options, which I found especially helpful with things I don't usually reach for, like lip liners.
• Finding the right number of products or options varies though, with much of it depending on how often I already incorporate the particular type of product into my routine. 4 mists were a good number for me and frankly, the actual 4 mists I chose worked out well as they all were used a good amount this summer. I went a bit overboard with the number of tinted sunscreens I set aside - 3 were opened before heading into the summer and those three were also the only ones I used for most of the summer. I had a couple other non-tinted sunscreens in my rotation so I didn't need all those options. 

[ather]

@itsfi  Love that this worked out so perfect for you! I feel like if to many products are picked out it can make it so overwhelming! I can’t believe you finished a tinted SPF. It must be good!!! 😊 

[itsfi]

Thanks so much @ather! 100% agree. It's taken a good amount of trial and error to find what works for me in terms of what's enough items that I have enough variety to not get bored but that it's not so much that I become so overwhelmed that I just don't use anything at all. With sunscreen or products with active ingredients, I'm better and limiting the number I have open at one time - or, I've become better about it. It's been a learning curve for me. 

Ha! The tint on the sunscreen is a darker shade than I will be in the cooler season so I made an extra effort to reach for it and I've been outside more this summer so both those factors contributed to it being used more. Always good to keep up with suscreen application so if I'm going through my sunscreen, I'll take it! 😃 I do find myself reaching more for my not-as-tinted tried-and-true OGs with fall here.

[itsfi]

Checking in with progress with Summer Shop My Stash Challenge

Shop Your Stash: Summer 2025

Tinted mineral sunscreens:

The ISDIN, Soleil Toujours & Lightsaver have been on heavy rotation this summer. 🙌🏼 The tint on the LIGHTSAVER Tinted - Activated Mineral Face Sunscreen Broad Spectrum - SPF 33 1.69 oz / 50 ml will continue to work into the fall season and the early parts of winter. Not so with the ISDIN ISDIN Eryfotona Ageless Ultralight Tinted Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 to even tone and fight phot... & Soleil Toujours Face Glow Tinted Moisturizer Mineral SPF 50 with Vitamin C 1.3 oz / 40 ml so I’ve been reaching for them with a bit more frequency while I can still make the warmer, more golden / tan tints work for my complexion. 

The other tinted sunscreens will work better when my summer “tan” has completely faded and I’ve not really been using them as much, other than to see how they perform paired with different foundations in connection with the Capsule Makeup Collection Challenge 2025.  I probably won't carry these tinted mineral sunscreens into a fall shop your stash so I'll plan to post my thoughts on those in the National SPF Day ☀️ thread when I've had a little more time to play with them.

Mists:

It's been a summer of mists. I’ll continue to keep these beauties in my rotation throughout the year. Some are more skincare based; others are a mainstay in my makeup collection. 

La Roche Posay Serozinc is the oldest of the bunch, in the sense that I’ve had it in my rotation for the longest period of time. It's good for keeping my oil production and acne in check, without irritating my sensitive skin. It doesn’t prevent acne from happening but I notice my skin behaves better, including my breakouts when I incorporate this into my routine when my skin goes through its oily phase. 

EADEM Mami Wata Barrier Strengthening Face Mist with Cica, Panthenol, Ectoin for Sensitive, Irritated Skin null is excellent for helping to reduce redness during allergy season or when my skin needs some soothing throughout the day. This one has the most intense mister of the group; it doesn't hurt but it's not a soft spray like the others. The herbaceous scent on this won't be for everyone but I don't mind it.

Ahhh, Gucci Brume de Beauté Beauty Mist 2.7 oz / 80 mL, how I love you.❤️ One more bottle finished and we are on to the next. I was reminded this month how beautifully this works to blend my powder and liquid makeup, and to refresh it mid-day.

Did not want to like the Rhode Glazing Mist but I do. Unscented, has a good spray, this hydrates and refreshes. @Samtian asked in a hauls post (?) whether this replaces my beloved Gucci. It does not. The Gucci somehow pulls my makeup all together in a softly blurred way that tops everything I’ve tried so far. The Rhode for me is more beneficial as a year round, no muss, no fuss hydrating skincare product.

These are all likes, if not a love. What will be most telling will be which of these, if any, I repurchase when I finish the current one. That won't need to happen for a while as most of these are fairly new bottles and I just recently started a new Gucci mist. I also have a Caudalie Grape Water Moisturizing Face Mist in the rotation but it's taken a bit of a back seat to these this summer.

Lip Liners:

With the exception of a couple MAC & Victoria Beckham Beauty liners, a mini one from Pat McGrath Labs and the ones I've weeded out of my stash so far this summer, this should be all my lip liners. 😬 I forgot to take photos as they were taken out of my stash at different points during the summer, but I've parted ways with the following, all of which were sharpened, sanitized and donated to a couple of not-for-profits.

- REFY Lip Sculpt Longwear Liner Taupe - the one I have is the older ? version as it's called Warm Taupe. By the name, I should have expected it to be on the warm side, but I didn't expect it would be as warm as it was. This just didn't work out for me; too warm, terracotta-ish. And the packaging didn't agree with me; I kept taking off parts of the liner when I tried opening it. 😅 Completely user error, but hopefully it goes to someone who will be smarter when it comes to removing the cap.

- Sweed x Lydia Elise Millen Lip Liner Rose Thorn - the shade is a little too warm for my liking. I've set it aside with other similiar liner shades - I might go through and pick one I like best or I may just end up donating all of them. If I go with the former approach, I'll aim to post my results to the Beauty Product Battles, Throw Downs and Showdowns thread later in the year. We shall see; on the chopping block for now. 

- tarte maracuja juicy lip liner x3 - my best guess is that I purchased a set of 4 of these at some point during a past holiday season. I kept one shade, the one that had been used, the other 3 were unopen and I included it in group of kitchen appliances and clothing that went to Goodwill. 

- Dominique Cosmetics Creamy Fill & Define Lip Liner - one of my favorites but it was a duplicate and unopen - and it's highly unlikely I will get around to it with all these other liners to use.

- MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Color Pencil Long-Lasting Lip Liner 606 Wherever Walnut (gratis - Sephoria 2023 NYC) - I have a full size of this and while it is also one I enjoy, I don't need multiple backups.

- TOM FORD Runway Matte Lip Liner Pencil for Sculpted Definition Re-See - I like the liner in general but the shade isn't for me - too pink for my lip color and skin tone. I can make it work, but I have other similar shades that work better and other shades that are more compatible with my complexion and lip color in the Tom Ford formulation. 

So, all in, I've parted ways with 7 liners and have one that I may pass along as well later this year. Whittling down my collection little by little, as I shop it. 

[ather]

@itsfi  

This post is everything!! I love your tinted sunscreen collection and reading how they all work!! Amazing! 

The sprays!!!! Rhode doesn’t replace Gucci but sounds like it might be a contender! If it pulled makeup better together!! Love this! 

Great job shopping your stash!!! 

[itsfi]

Awww, thank you @ather! I like the combo of one (or two) layers of a tinted sunscreen and a thin layer of a skin tint, or just concealer if my skin is having a good day. These 4 are solid mists for me - the Serozinc and Eadem really serve specific skincare purposes so they'll stick around so long as I have breakouts and redness. It's been a good shop my stash this season, in part, I think, because I chose a grouping of products that worked for me in the summer months - I'm going to wear a sunscreen and a tinted one makes it easy and convenient to get a little help with evening tone and sun protection. And a mist in the summer? A must. The lip liners stretched me a bit since I'd ordinarily be just about balms and glosses for the most part in the summer. I'll be able to whittle down what I have a bit more as I start to reincorporate them back into my makeup capsules with more regularity.

[Sunnysmom]

This is a very good idea @itsfi , I like it! I’m going to work on my stuff but off the top of my head I am trying to work through using my Hourglass palettes. So many shades work great for summer, easy one and dones. 

[Sunnysmom]

Here are some of my palettes I need to really concentrate on for the rest of the summer @itsfi . I really like so many of these shades and I don’t want them to go bad. It seems to take so little product and I have used these a bunch!  I also love the trio which is one of my more recent ones. Truth be known I am just fine with a trio and do not probably even need a 6 pan. But I do love to try the other shades in them I may otherwise not buy.  I do have a few more palettes I’m not too thrilled to admit either and I need to clean up/ gift them if I’m not going to use. I am going to work on some other categories and will also add them soon. 

[itsfi]

@Sunnysmom, those are pretty, and will offer some variety for the remainder of summer which keeps things in use and keeps you from getting bored of any one thing. These are a good way to ease into it; you can continue with these in the fall or swap them out for something else next season, depending on how it goes for you. Good luck!

[itsfi]

@Sunnysmom, by 'one and done' do you mean the Hourglass eyeshadow palettes? Palettes (of any sort, eyeshadow, blushers, highlighters, powders, etc.) are good items for shop my stash projects - and seasonal ones, too. You can choose one or multiple palettes to rotate through for a season and get a lot of use (and looks) from them. Less likelihood of getting bored with a shorter duration, too. Good luck if you decide to jump on in to the challenge!

[Sunnysmom]

Oh I’m sorry @itsfi , I meant the seasonal powder palettes with blush, highlighter, powder and bronzer. This will be a good challenge and well- needed over here. Lol. 

[itsfi]

@Sunnysmom, hope this will be helpful for you.

[greeneyedgirl107]

@itsfi I discovered a sample of Pureology Color Fanatic Heat Protectant Leave-In Conditioner from years ago that I'd like to try, but idk if it'd still be good.  Same with Bumble and bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Primer Stay + Vacay Duo Gift Set (not quite the right product)

[itsfi]

@greeneyedgirl107, I have a bottle of that Pureology leave-in as well (and that B&B spray) but both are more recent and I haven't opened them yet. I hadn't thought about leave-in conditioner expiring but it can. Maybe a sight and smell test first if it's been longer than 12 months since you opened it.

[greeneyedgirl107]

@itsfi good idea 💡 

[itsfi]

I'm taking a slightly different route for shopping my stash this summer season. Last season, I chose a few specific products to work through - in large part, that was because of the later start to the spring shop my stash challenge. For summer, I have a mix of specific products I want to use and also groups of products. Here are the items that I plan to use or work through this summer:

Facial Mists: These are primarily skincare mists though I have used a few as prep before makeup application or for setting my makeup (hello, Gucci 😉)

• EADEM Mami Wata Barrier Strengthening Face Mist with Cica, Panthenol, Ectoin for Sensitive, Irritate... 
• La Roche Posay Serozinc - I've had this product in and out of my skincare routine for about a decade now. I find it helpful in the warmer seasons, especially the summer, when parts of my face can get a lot oilier and I'm more prone to breakouts.
• Rhode Glazing Mist
• Gucci Brume de Beauté Beauty Mist 2.7 oz / 80 mL - still a favorite; I'm nearly finished with the current bottle and this is the last of my backups. 
• Caudalie Grape Water Moisturizing Face Mist (not pictured)

Tinted Sunscreens: Some here are ones I've used before and others are completely new-to-me. Most of my favorite sunscreens do not have a tint to them, but I've picked up (and enjoyed) a few in the last year or so (and there are more on the market these these days) and summer seems like a great time to give them a go. I'll share my thoughts on these at some point this summer on the National SPF Day ☀️ thread and come back here near the end of summer to share which, if any, of these beauties will be repurchased.

Lip Liners: I didn't realize I had thiiiiis many lip liners <<gulp>>. To help with shopping my stash here, I'll be rotating these into various weekly makeup capsules for the Capsule Makeup Collection Challenge 2025 - and, as I work my way through them, I'll plan to pull out ones that are similar (in shade and/or consistency, etc.) for a future battle of the lip liners, which I'll try to remember to document on the Beauty Product Battles, Throw Downs and Showdowns thread. 

[ather]

@itsfi  Look at all those liners 😀