Beauty Challenge -- Twelve Months of Beauty Inventory

[haleyvvvv]

[EDIT-Updated to not limit to a year, legacy posts for all years.]

A few years ago I was inspired by a challenge on Instagram and we did a makeup inventory. ✨❄️December 2022 Challenge - 12 Days of Makeup Inventory - Show Off and Catalog Your Collection!!❄️✨

I was a little behind on planning this year (job interviews, life, not being able to login to the BIC), so I thought we could make this a yearly challenge for 2024+ and broaden it across all beauty categories. 

Why participate?

• I know I went back to my posts to find "dupes" for things that were limited edition (Melt Pumpkin King, in my case).
• It's a good idea to look through your products every bit to review for quality and cleanliness.
• Curation is important.
• Knowing how much in your stash can help with your Low/No Buy or keeping an eye on your backups. 
• The fun of organizing your collection!!

Rules 

Please no negative comments about the size or contents of others' collections, this is a place to celebrate our collections. Self-reflection is always welcome though 💖. Please don't take this as an impetus to declutter (unless you want to!). 

I'm going to try to get a little contemplative with mine, to see if I would purchase again or not. But don't feel obligated to join that part!!

Timeline

• January - Face Primers, Nail Polish
• February - Foundations, Concealers, Cleansers and Mists
• March - Bronzers and Contours (singles), Serums and Treatments
• April - Blushes (singles), Moisturizer and Oils
• May - Highlighters (singles), Sheet Masks
• June - Face Palettes, Non-Sheet Masks, Tools (Brushes, etc.)
• July - Eye Primers, Single Eyeshadows (free standing or in custom palettes), Body Cleansers, Body Scrubs, Body Lotion, Body Glitter
• August - Eyeshadow Palettes, Shampoo, Conditioner
• September - Brow Products, Eyeliners, Mascaras, Hair Treatments 
• October - Lip Balms, Lip Liners, Lip Glosses, Perfume Samples
• November - Lipsticks, Travel Sized Perfumes
• December - Setting Powders, Setting Sprays, Full Sized Perfumes and Body Sprays

[itsfi]

@PDXXXX, I haven't had to use the BB primer as much this winter because my moisturizer has been doing a really good job 👍 but the BB primer has my go-to for drier leaning skin in the colder season for quite a while. When I do reach for it, I use it like a traditional primer, after my moisturizer and before makeup so I can get that extra layer of moisture. I should get a sample of the new one when I'm in the store to test and compare it to the older version before winter comes to a close - I'm not sure if the one curently available is just a repackaged and renamed version of the previous one or if it's newly formulated as well. 

[PDXXXX]

FEBRUARY PART 1: FOUNDATIONS

I decided to break up the February categories for sake of ease and start this week with foundations. This was a great exercise in purging for me: I started with 13 products and have decided to keep 8. I'll get into my thoughts on what I kept and what I'm tossing below. With that said, I think these are all great foundations. A lot of my decisions came down to my own skin type (sensitive/dry) and preference for lighter coverage and sheerer skin tint or serum formulas.

So here's the full 13 I started with:

Of these I am KEEPING:

• Hourglass founder Carisa Janes's new Outside In Serum Foundation in 020: I got this in December and it might be the best foundation I have tried in...well, ever. Great color selection, applies evenly every time and buildable coverage. Also if you're considering trying it the foundation brush works fantastic with it and is absolutely worth it,
• DIOR Forever Skin Perfect 24H Multi-Use Foundation Stick 0 N Neutral : this has become one of my go to winter foundation's. Even when my skin is dry to the point of peeling it doesn't cling to patches and really does live up to the longwear promise,
• Summer Fridays Sheer Skin Tint with Hyaluronic Acid + Squalane : this is my favorite all around tint as someone who prefers lighter coverage,
• Kevin Aucoin The Sensual Skin Enhancer SX01: this is so insanely concentrated (you seriously need only the smallest drop) I do find it a little hard to work with but I like that it comes in such a light shade I can use it as a concealer and highlighter as well,
• Armani Silk Foundation (original formulation) in 1 and 3: can anyone tell me what you think of the new formulation if you've tried it? I don't pull these out often but they're my go to when I want more coverage,
• PATRICK TA Major Skin Hydra-Luxe Luminous Skin Perfecting Foundation For Natural Glow in 1 Golden and 4 Golden: I always loved the shades in this but could never get the application right using my preferred method (fingers). If you're in the same boat I promise PATRICK TA Dual Ended Foundation Brush is a game changer and works with all of my other foundation products as well.

OF THESE I AM PARTING WITH:

• The Milk foundation as it's too dark for me,
• Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Eaze Drop Stick Blur + Smooth Tint Stick Foundation 2 which I think is actually pretty fabulous but I just never reach for and have other similar options I prefer,
• DIOR Dior Forever Skin Glow Hydrating Foundation in ON as I just find it a bit thick,
• ciele tint & PROTECT medium coverage serum foundation with SPF 50+ 03 | Light as I love, love, love the SPF but have other similar foundations with a sheerer formula I prefer,
• Supergoop! Protec(tint) Daily SPF Tint SPF 50 Sunscreen Skin Tint with Ectoin again, love the SPF and think it's a great tinted moisturizer option but just not for me.

[haleyvvvv]

Amazing collection, @PDXXXX !! Kudos on going through and decluttering a few!! I appreciated all of your notes as well, as a fellow sensitive and dry skinned person. Some of these are going on my loves list 

[PDXXXX]

Now that I've found a fellow skin type girl I'm looking forward to learning from your finds as well @haleyvvvv ! Thanks again for creating this thread - the temptation gets real but it's so fun to see what's working for everyone!

[missjeanie]

@PDXXXX Great collection and great job whittling it down to the ones you truly enjoy!

[PDXXXX]

Thanks @missjeanie ! Hope you're having a good one!

[Samtian]

@PDXXXX That picture is so pleasing to look at. Great job getting rid of some!

[PDXXXX]

Thanks @Samtian !

[itsfi]

You did a great job of paring down your foundation collection @PDXXXX. Good to know about the Outside In foundation; I also picked it up last year but have yet to open it. I've heard mixed reactions to it, but will keep your thoughts on it and using it with the foundation brush in mind. 

[haleyvvvv]

February - Foundations, Concealers, Cleansers and Mists

Probably should have also added toners and essences to this one. I guess they'll go under treatments instead. Also if I'm missing any categories, let me know.

*=Gifted either from TeamBIC 💖 (thank you!) or Influenster

Mists

Top is for AM mists (3 + 1 refill) and bottom is PM mists (1 + refill). I'm happy with the numbers here and happy to keep testing mists for the AM.

Spoiler

I'm currently mostly done with the Byoma most, I like it but I mostly like all mists. The price point on it is good, although it's only available at Shoppers which I'm trying not to shop at a lot. Next up will be the The INKEY List Hydro-Surge Dewy Face Mist 2.5 oz/75 mL which is actually quite small.

I love the hypochlorous acid in Tower 28 Beauty SOS Daily Hypochlorous Acid Spray for Breakouts & Redness 4 oz/ 120 mL , and don't just use this on my face each night but anywhere I need some wound healing. I buy the refill size every year and it's good for about the year, which is nice. I have the small bottle for travel.

Makeup Removers

I tend to have both an open micellar product and a full cleansing balm. 6 ish full sized / 2 sample travel balms and 2 full sized / 2 small cleaning oils/emulsions/micellar waters. I brought all the unopened Farmacy ones in this past month ish, so I'm overall happy with the numbers here, because I do tend to go through these items.

Spoiler

My big Farmacy green clean is almost gone 😭, but now I have a bit of back up with a few of the different varieties, since its been reformulated and there's different types Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm. I remember the old Sephora Collection balm SEPHORA COLLECTION Melting Cleansing Balm with Algae Extract 4.22 oz / 125 mL being non-irritating, so wanted to see if the updated version SEPHORA COLLECTION Clean Skin Cleansing Balm with Postbiotics + Squalane 2.70 oz / 80 g  is also good. It sucks at the speed sometimes the SC stuff gets cycled out. Aside from those, I have this REN one, which I hate, and I just need to quickly use.

I like both the Clinique CLINIQUE Take The Day Off Makeup Remover For Lids, Lashes & Lips  and Sephora Collection micellar water for different things. I use the Clinique for when I have stubborn eye makeup and a micelle water when I don't need a full cleansing balm or like an having a lazy day, so I'm happy with the collection size there

Cleansers

I tend to use a different face wash type for the morning (milky/creamy/gentle) and evening. AM ones on top (2 full sized/3 deluxe/travel sized) and PM on bottom (3 full sized/5 deluxe/travel sized). Numbers here are okay and are steadily decreasing (although I got two in the past six months from Style Korean boxes/freebies).

Spoiler

I'm currently using the Perfect Whip, which is fine. I like the Origins Checks and Balances™ Frothy Face Wash Gentle Cleanser 5 oz/ 150 mL old formula a lot when I used in the past (I guess it's updated lol). I'm intrigued by the Tatcha The Rice Wash Skin-Softening Cleanser so want to get to that sample but I also want to try the Glow Recipe Avocado Ceramide Moisture Barrier Cleanser and AESTURA ATOBARRIER365 Gentle pH-Balancing Foaming Cleanser for Hydrating Sensitive Skin 5.07 oz / 150 mL 

In the PM I'm using the Peach and Lily which is fine, perfectly good, but my fave is the Youth To The People Superfood Hydrating Gentle Antioxidant Refillable Cleanser 8 oz / 237 ml . Just a few to use up to get back to there. I didn't realize that a few of these have acids, but I don't totally mind for a cleanser .

Scrubs

This is kinda out of control. I only use a physical scrub like once a week, but I just accumulated so many over the years in various sets, makeup boxes etc. 5 full sized / 12 deluxe/travel sized; I'd like to go through a few deluxe ones this year, but we'll see.

Spoiler

Right now only the Raeka tumeric one is open, which I like, because I like tumeric as a ingredient for brightening. I've also used the Tatcha The Matcha Cleanse Daily Clarifying Gel Cleanser 5 oz before but I don't find it to be the most exfoliating despite being too much for my dry skin for day to day.

I need to add cleansing wipes as a reply 🤦‍♀️.

Concealers 

10 full sized / 2 deluxe sized . This is a little much, although many I've received as gratis. I'd like to finish two of these this year, and since the Kokie is almost done and the L'Oreal is starting to get a dent.

Spoiler

Everything open is on the top, my fave being the Rose Inc, since it's super hydrating, but it's not quite the right shade, so I have to mix it with the others, but it works out since it's a little red. It takes me forever to go through a concealer 😕 and there's so many I want to try. 

Color Correctors 

2 full sized / 2 deluxe sized. None of these are getting a lot of use currently because of the Rose Inc concealer. Ideally, I would just like an eye brightener like the Tatcha Pearl (RIP) but I don't mind using these in conjunction with concealers.

Foundations, Skin Tints, BB/CC Creams

More full coverage on the top and lighter in the bottom 15 full sized (I have an ABH stick somewhere too) / 11 deluxe sized. I also have a large box of foundation and concealer samples that I need to get to at some point. This is also a little out of control. I'd like to use up 6 (three full sized, three smaller) this year, which should be doable since at least one skin tint (QMS) is almost gone and I've been mixing the Laura Mercier, QMS and Danessa all month.

Spoiler

I really really like the Laura Mercier Long-Wear Tinted Moisturizer Natural Dewy with Hyaluronic Acid for my dry skin (received from Influenster), but the shade range is bad enough that I wouldn't want to support the brand for that reason. I wish I liked the Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Skin Serum Foundation more, I like almost everything else the brand does. It'll be a lot of mixing with glowy primers and more dewy foundations to get through the more heavy coverage ones

[missjeanie]

@haleyvvvv I'm so impressed at how you've broken out your cleanser category.  I'm going to try and do that one this month for sure.  

How do you think you're doing this year compared to years past?  Are you overall feeling better about your inventory numbers?

[haleyvvvv]

Thank you, @missjeanie!! Excited to see your collection!! 

I think, in some categories I'm doing really really well. I think in general (not counting scrubs) my skincare numbers consistently go down each year (I guess scrubs do go down it's just hard to see as much progress) and while I might have more in some categories than I want, I have much less than 3 years ago. And using stuff up lets me actually try newer stuff before it's out of the market.

For makeup, I've done some decluttering over the years, but mostly my collection has remained overly large. I don't mind in some cases, but a lot of complexion stuff I bought/received when I lived in multiple different cities or when I was starting to get more in and maybe the weather and preferences are different now. And I need to be better about not buying stuff just because it's on sale. I've really tamped that down in the past few years and stopped getting sub boxes, so I do feel better but I wish I maybe didn't have as much I feel like I need to get through? 

But I like these types of challenges for critically thinking about my collection and seeing the usages and sizes over the years. 

[Samtian]

@haleyvvvv Wow what collections! Yes RIP the Tatcha :'(

[haleyvvvv]

Thank you, @Samtian !! What a sad day on the BIC when we found out it was being discontinued. Have you found anything you like similar to the Tatcha Pearl? 

[Samtian]

@haleyvvvv It was. I have not, but I haven't tried either. 

[Titian06]

A really nice and varied collection, @haleyvvvv ! 💞  I appreciate your comments about your fave products.

[haleyvvvv]

Thank you, @Titian06 !! 😊

[itsfi]

Lots of oooh'ing and aaah'ing over here with your post @haleyvvvv! 😍 The categories for this month are among my favorite skincare products. I need to sort through my stash a little more - there are a few (maybe more than a few) that I know I have somewhere and it's bugging me that I can't seem to locate them. 🤔 Will be back to post my collection.

Mists - the number in your current collection is the aspirational goal for mine. I'm not sure I'll ever get there but ... 

Makeup Removeers - look at those Farmacy cleansers!!! 😍 That really is such a good formulation. Ohhhh, that REN!!! I loved that cleanser a lot; another one that hurt to see discontinued.

Cleansers - your post reminds me that I have a deluxe sample of the GR cleanser somewhere, or at least I think I do, unless I gave it away and don't remember. Hmmm... You know, for someone who likes as many of the Olehenriksen skincare products as I do, I've never tried that cleanser before. Odd. I do like the line it is from and I hear good things about it. 

Oh wow, you have a nice selection of scrubs - types and sizes. Ohhhh, is that the AmorePacific enzyme peel powder? That's my favorite scrub. Believe it or not, my scrub collection is probably the skincare category that I have the least number of products. I have a lot of items I like in the scrubs area but as far as what I actually have, it's on the small side. 

It's not a bad thing it takes you a long time to go through concealer - you're skin doesn't need it! I know there are others you want to try when you're done with the L'oreal, but based on how it's performed for you alone, is it something you would repurchase (if you didn't have other concealers in your collection and other you wanted to try)? Ummmm.... asking for a friend, lol. 😉

Ooooh, foundations, that's gonna be a sobering one for me. Out of curiosity, have you tried the Keys Soulcare foundation? If so, thoughts? Asks the one who has zero need for any more foundation.

[haleyvvvv]

Thank you, @itsfi !! I always feel like I'm missing something every time I post a inventory. 

Oooh, I'm excited to see your mists collection. I feel like I'm still trying to find that perfect morning one, so I don't mind testing, but I'm trying to get my skincare to a place where I have one in use, and no more than 2 other full sizes reserve. But if you like to rotate, then no shame in having a larger collection. But if you want to get it down, it's just a matter of using them and not buying more LOL. 

It's so funny, because I think you were someone in the BIC that influenced me to get the REN cleanser (I got 2 from a Boxycharm I think), but I actually really dislike it, so I'm putting off using it. I need to just go through it.

I think I've maybe tried the Ole cleanser but I can't remember. Cleansers take so long to go through, and there were so many released I want to try over the past few years but then I keep getting more in boxes 

My scrub collection is a little wild for me (I use once a week at best). It is the Amore Pacific powder!! I like a powder scrub, but I do think that I prefer a tumeric one. Ooooh, that's interesting your smallest category.

The L'Oreal one is just okay, I think. It's not what I prefer, but my review is in the spoiler. I did get it for free, but I wouldn't repurchase for what I like.

Spoiler

I haven't tried the Keys foundation yet 😅, unfortunately. And now it's gone from Sephora Canada 🤦‍♀️

[itsfi]

That's a good way to approach skincare mist @haleyvvvv. I have a few mists I can generally use year round and then some that are for specific purposes. There are probably 4 I'd definitely like to have in my collection at some point or another but I wouldn't say I need all of them to be open at once, or all to be in my stash at the same time even. 3 - 6 would be a doable range with numbers 5 & 6 being ones that were new to me or that I was testing or trying out for the first time. My mist and cleanser collections are up! There's room for improvement (whittling both down) but I'm happy with where they're at - what's open is in use at a consistent rate, for the most part and none will require an overwhelming amount of effort to work my way through them. 🙌 I could not say that a couple of years ago so it feels good to have made some progress.

Ack!! So sorry the REN didn't work out for you. 😣 I'm trying to thing of a way you can repurpose it ... makeup brush cleaner? Or as hand soap after using fingers for applying your makeup. I'd go with regular soap to wash my hands in general but if I'm removing makeup from my hands after swatching, blending or applying makeup, that might be an option. 

[haleyvvvv]

Woohoo to progress made, and what's open being in current use @itsfi !! I need to be here with masks.

I'll just power through the REN, otherwise I'll never finish it. I'm almost done with my large Farmacy, so it'll be the REN next