Capsule Makeup Collection Challenge 2026

[itsfi]

Hello, BIC! 👋 It's year 3 of the Capsule Makeup Collection Challenge. Whether you're looking for a fun way to use the new-to-you and tried-and-true products in your collection or if having a set of makeup products picked out in advance makes it easier to get ready in the mornings, welcome! 

Please don't hesitate to jump right on in from the get-go, or feel free to take part during a week when the theme suits your style or piques your interests. We love seeing and being inspired by what beauties everyone is using. 

▶️  NOW PLAYING: CURRENT Makeup Capsule Theme:

Week 3 (January 19 - 25) - The "Less is More" Makeup Capsule

Is less really more? You tell me. Curate a makeup capsule consisting of:
  (a) no more than six (6) makeup products; or
  (b) makeup products having an aggregate total (pre-sale/pre-discount) retail price of $100 USD / $139 CAD; or
  (c) one brand (this is for the maximalists among us; "less" = one = one brand); or
  (d) any combination of (a), (b) and (c). 

⏩  UPCOMING Makeup Capsule Themes

Spoiler

🎶 Week 4 (January 26 - February 1) -The "Musical Artist Founded / Owned Beauty Brand" Makeup Capsule 🎶
The Grammy's are taking place February 1. The beauty industry has seen a wave of makeup lines founded by musical artists, including, but not limited to those in the spoiler below. For this week, curate a capsule made up of one or more product(s) from a musical artist founded/owned makeup-centric beauty brand.

Spoiler

Below is a non-exhaustive list of brands founded or owned by a musician that have makeup products as a primary focus of their beauty brand. There are other beauty brands that may fall within these parameters not listed below and if you have any in your collection, it will exciting to see them in your capsules. Brands with an asterisk (*) after the brand name are available at Sephora US (in store or online) and/or Sephora at Kohl's. 

about-face (Halsey)
Fenty Beauty (Rihanna)*
GXVE by Gwen Stefani*
Haus Labs by Lady Gaga*
Kesha Rose Beauty
Keys Soulcare (Alicia Keys)
Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez*
R.E.M. Beauty (Ariana Grande)
Victoria Beckham Beauty

Capsule themes for February will be posted on or before the end of Week 4 (i.e., on or before 2.1.2026) and a link will be included to that posting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Spoiler

What is a makeup capsule?

A makeup capsule is a collection of makeup products curated by you with the intent of simplifying your makeup routine without compromising quality or functionality. It typically includes essential products that can be used to create a variety of look. A makeup capsule can reduce clutter, help save time getting ready in the morning or for events, and provide you with a streamlined and versatile makeup wardrobe tailored to work for you, your budget and lifestyle. While makeup capsules generally include a few pieces, the size of your capsule collection is ultimate up to you.

Why a makeup capsule challenge?

Many of us here have a robust collection of makeup and it can be difficult to pare that down to a handful of pieces for capsule. This challenge, with its weekly themes, is meant as a fun way to try your hand at curating a makeup capsule for yourself. Each week you'll have an opportunity to go through your collection, identify one or more product(s) that fits the weekly theme (all you need is one product for this challenge), and put together a makeup look with that and other products.

The challenge is also another way to use your stash, allowing you a chance to discover products you might have missed out on or re-discover past favorites.

For more info on this challenge, check out the previous years' challenges:  Capsule Makeup Collection Challenge 2025 
Capsule Makeup Collection Challenge 2024 

[itsfi]

Week 3 - The "Less is More" Makeup Capsule

I tried doing six or fewer products having an aggregate retail total (before tax) of $100 but that latter criteria isn't going to be doable with these six beauties, even if we calculated them at what I actually paid for them on sale or with reward points/gift cards. 

After having larger capsules the last couple of weeks and as I'm still nursing the last bit of a cold 🤧, this smaller capsule has been a nice way for me to ease back into wearing makeup on a daily basis and should give me what I need to look a little better than I may feel from day to day.

Product Details:

Complexion:

• Primer (Face): I'll use my skincare, mainly my sunscreen, as primer. INNBEAUTY PROJECT Mineral Sun Glow Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 43 PA +++ with Peptides and Vitamin ... will give my complexion a healthy glow.

• Foundation: MILK MAKEUP Hydro Grip 12-Hour Hydrating Gel Skin Tint - it's interesting, compared to the Tower28 SunnyDays (🐐), this MILK skin tint is meant to focus on hydration and a dewy finish while the Tower 28's claim to fame is supposedly its sun protection and the natural finish coverage it provides. While I find that both products live up to their claims on my normal-to-dry skin, the Tower28 offers a more glowy and dewy finish on my skin than the MILK skin tint, even when I layer the MILK over the INNBeauty sunscreen which offers a noticeable glow on its own. Not a criticism, just an observation. I do like the MILK skin tint, but I'm still partial to Tower28 SunnyDays. That said, I've been very happy having both in my collection. 💖

• Concealer: DIOR Forever Skin Perfect 24H Multi-Use Foundation Stick works beautifully as both a foundation and concealer. One of my favorite ways to wear it is as here, as a concealer paired with a lighter coverage skin tint. 😘 I also love that this combo gives me an extra foundation to work with in a capsule. For some blemishes, I'll apply a thin layer of VIOLETTE_FR INVISIBLE BANDAGE Protect + Prime Solution Gel with Niacinamide 0.27 fl. oz. / 8 mL (for me, this is a 🐐 product in the making) before going in with foundation and concealer.

• Setting Powder: SEPHORA COLLECTION Microsmooth Multi-Tasking Baked Face Powder Foundation is one I repurchase again and again (🐐). I'm told it's meant to be a dupe or close to a dupe for MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Powder, but I like how this SC powder has performed for me that I've yet to give the MAC Mineralize powder a try (other than when it may be used on me when I have a chance to have a makeover). I'm okay with it not including a mirror (keeps the cost down) but if I were to suggest an adjustments to the product line, it would be to include a few more shades; for me personally, that would be a shade between 15 Nude and 25 Beige.  

Eyes:

• Skipping eye makeup products this week. Will simply curl my lashes with Shiseido Eyelash Curler Eyelash Curler to open up my eyes more. If I feel up for eyeshadow, I'll reach for Yves Saint Laurent Couture Mini Clutch Eyeshadow Palette 100 Stora Dolls (🥘) as I can get a few different quick and easy looks from it. 

Cheeks:

• Keeping it simple with just blush this week, namely, Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Cream Blush Provence. This is product that has made me love a pale pink blush on my complexion. Have loved that hue on other people but not so much me. Very happy I decided to give the deluxe sample I had a try and not pass it along.

• Lips:
• I'll alternate between rhode Peptide Lip Shape Contouring Lip Shaper (I *think* this is the shade: Lean) as a fill color when I want a more natural looking lip, topped from time to time with whatever lip balm happens to be at the bottom of my handbag or in my coat pocket 😄and DIOR Lip Glow Oil Hydrating High-Shine Gloss 104 Black Cherry when I want more color and opacity. The Dior lip oils have been among my favorites for a long time; I do love the sheer (but slightly buildable) finish they provide, but I'm loving the more opaque color payoff and glaze finish of this one. There'll definitely be more shades (and possibly other new finishes) making their way to my collection but for the time being, I'm going to enjoy 104 Black Cherry (and other lip products I own) a little longer.

All six makeup products, along with the Violette fr. Invisible Bandaid and a mirror (not pictured) fit comfortably in this mini makeup organizer. 

[curlychiquita]

Good luck with your cold this week, @itsfi! I hope it goes away soon. I haven’t worn eye makeup since I’ve been sick, either, I think it’s been a month! I’m excited that I’ll actually have a reason to for a meeting on Wednesday!

[itsfi]

Thank you @curlychiquita! I’m feeling so much better than I have this morning so hoping I’ve kicked it!

I’m excited for you, for Wednesday. It’ll be great to be back to a makeup routine you’re familiar with and fun to do your eye makeup again. ✨ Out of curiosity, do you have a set of eye products that make up what you consider your core eye makeup look - like do you usually do ta full eye look with eyeshadow, liner, mascara, brows or something more streamlined like eyeshadow and mascara?

[danielledanielle]

@itsfi , firstly, speedy recovery.  Two, I think picking multitasking products was more less is more, because the maximalist in me cannot.  (Can you tell I'm struggling with this week's theme 🤣?)

[itsfi]

Thank you so much @danielledanielle; this last stretch is going painfully slow on the recovery front. I actually have little to complain about as the entire duration hasn't been very long, other than that tiredness before all the symptoms hit. It just takes so much longer to do things. I will be putting these 6 through a Sephora Six - Fast & Furious Edition run, but that'll be later in the week when I don't feel the need to take a break so often. 🤣

For this week's theme for my maximalist friends, I'm thinking:

• go for palettes or center your capsule around 1 or 2 palettes that you feel you'd be happy with option-wise for the week; if they're palettes that can multi-task, even better
• OR, take some creative license with the less = one brand and expand the definition of brand to mean one brand and its parent company
• OR, go with one brand = one brand ambassador, like RiRi - you get your Fenty and your Dior 😉 

[danielledanielle]

New Year, Week 1

I put in a few things from Shop Your Stash Challenge: Winter 2026 ❄️ and the newer stuff was NARS Talc-Free Powder Blush Mad Love and ISAMAYA Lip Liner- Universal Lip Liner Tonka 

Also some fragrances that I should pay to Advent Calendars 2025 - Let the Unboxings Begin!! 

Plus new to me Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 91 Rosa Charmosa Body & Hair Perfume Mist 8 oz/240 mL and newish Nette Thé Vanille Eau de Parfum Travel Spray with Matcha and Salt .33 / 10 mL eau de parfum spray 

Fit Check 

Spoiler

 

Golden

I think the thought process was ... glowing. Golden. A bit bougie + ✨ ✨ ✨ 

And trying to pan some things

Spoiler

Surprisingly HAUS LABS BY LADY GAGA Precision Sculpt Shaping Balm Contour Stick Silhouette is done 🙃😮, I need to look up when I got it, because that was really fast.  I did use it pretty much everyday, so there's that. 

ETA: purchased 11/7/25, so gives two months just about with heavy use

Advent fragrances up next

Spoiler

 

Fit Check , why three... Why not? I wanted to use the lipstick one for awhile, it's small though and the Béis one has so many compartments.

Spoiler

[curlychiquita]

I love a golden capsule, @danielledanielle! I have yellow undertones and gold is often my go to color.  Great work using up the Haus Labs contour stick, too!

[itsfi]

Oh wow 👀, you did some good work on that Haus Labs contour stick @danielledanielle. 👏 Impressive that you used it pretty much everyday. Is it something you will repurchase? Very nice work on the Fenty Stunna lip paint - there's a ton of product in that bottle!! 

[danielledanielle]

@itsfi I bought another in spite of its short life🙃🤣, Haus Labs on the Shop app gives deals pretty often, plus I got a small amount of for a review, so if there's any HL HGs, Shop is the way to go.

It's hard to finish a Stunna, so TY

[itsfi]

"hard to finish a Stunna" - before seeing your post @danielledanielle, I would have said it's near impossible!!! First, the product is pigmented so you just need a little and then there's the sheer amount of product in that tube. Goodness! Brava to you! You deserve a huge pat on the back for the progress you've made.

Good to know about HL and Shop, ty. 🗒 From past capsules and working on whittling my collection, I'm finding I have quite a few favorites among the Haus Labs brand - concealer, blush sticks, foundation, lip oils. I did like her older formulation bronzers too and now there's an asterisk on the contour stick on my list. Would you say you like the HL contour stick more than the Fenty contour stick? Or are they different enough to not make it fair to compare them?

[itsfi]

Week 2 - The "Glowing & Golden" Makeup Capsule (Part 1)

My quick takeaways from the red carpet looks for the Critics Choice Awards and the Golden Globes Awards can be summed up as follows:

• demi matte or satin finish with a healthy, natural looking soft flush of color to cheeks
• skin looked luminous without being overly wet, sparkly or looking like a strobe light
• more so at the Critics Choice Awards, eyes generally took a minimalist approach, some appeared to even skip mascara, and possibly eyeshadow, too, or, at least had that "no makeup" makeup eye look thing going
• particularly at the Golden Globes, many hairstyles harkened back to Old Hollywood Glamour or having a thoughtful structural element to them; that aesthetic seemed to run through many of the makeup and fashion aesthetics as far as what caught my eye. 
• statement lips ranged from bold and vibrant reds and corals to soft pinks to toasty milky nudes and browns.

Product Details:

I gathered most of these items after the Critics Choice Awards with a few tweaks in the beginning minutes of the red carpet for the Golden Globes. I was going from room to room trying to juggle watching both the latter and the NFC Wild Card game. There were a lot of looks from the Golden Globe Awards Show that caught my eye after I had put this capsule together, so I'm going to call an audible 🏈 and will be adding a few different products over the weekend this week aim to put together a capsule for some looks inspired by some of the glam from the Golden Globes red carpet at a later date. I caught a cold the latter half of Week 2 and was sans makeup until yesterday, so I'll circle back to a Golden Globes inspired look at another date. Posts will be made at some point to other threads wtihin the Forum. [ETA (1.19.2026) strikethroughs & underline text] 

Spoiler

Complexion:

Primer (Face): Touch in Sol Icy Sherbet Primer (🥘)

Foundation: Rotating between two skincare-makeup hybrids - Cle de Peau The Foundation (🥘) and Typology Tinted Serum. Both offer a lightweight tint to the complexion, the CdP providing a more dewy glassy finish and the Typology a more radiant satin finish. While both offer just the hint of color (true tints they are), the Typology provides more coverage than the CdP but both are easily layerable.

Concealer (Blemishes & Redness): The probably soon-to-be-discontinued Armani Beauty Power Fabric + Longwear Matte Concealer (🔥). I really like this concealer but it appears that it may be undergoing a reformulation à la the Luminous Silk Foundation. If there's going to be a new reformulated version, I'm going to want to compare it to this original so I will be slowing down on my usage of this after this month. 

Concealer (Undereyes): Victoria Beckham by Augustinus Bader The Concealer Pen (🔥) - her eyeliners get a ton of raves but my eyes have a more challenging time with pencil or gel eyeliners in general. Of the products from her collection that I've used, it's her lip products, bronzer, highlighter stick, brushes, and this concealer pen that are the standouts for me so far. 

Setting Product(s): SEPHORA COLLECTION Microsmooth Multi-Tasking Baked Face Powder Foundation  (not shown)(🔥) and for days when I want a more glowy finish, PAT McGRATH LABS Skin Fetish: Glass 001 Legendary Glow Setting Spray 3.38 fl oz/100 mL (🔥).

Eyes:

Eyeshadow: Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow Stick Golden Bronze (🔥) is an oldie-but-goodie for me. It's one of  those "love at first sample" products where I've never actuallypurchased a full size because I've always managed to find my way to a deluxe sample size or mini by way of a gwp. 

Eyeliner (Upper lash line): Heme Liquid Eyeliner 01 Black

Eyeliner (Waterline): Makeup by Mario Master Mattes Brightening Pencil  - Light 1 (discontinued) (🔥)

Brows: Merit Brow 1980 Volumizing Pomade Neutral (limited edition) (discontinued)

Mascara: I'll go without mascara most days as many did at the Critics Choice Awards but for days when I want to give my paltry lashes some oomph, it'll be courtesy of Yves Saint Laurent Lash Clash Extreme Volume Waterproof Mascara Black (🔥) this week.

Cheeks:

Blush: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Cream Blush Provence - if I wasn't holding the line on expanding my collection arbitrarily, I would pick up more shades in this line. The formulation, consistency and sheer to buildable coverage suits me. I get flushed veeeery easily and have mild rosacea flare ups on occasion so blush isn't a product I tend to get super excited about but I like this LM blush a lot. One of my favorite beauty discoveries from 2025. 😍

Bronzer: Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Glow Liquid Bronzing Drops for underpainting and MAKEUP BY MARIO SoftSculpt Transforming Skin Enhancer®  (🔥) as a traditional bronzer, both will be used sparingly as I'll primarily be focusing more on contouring this week. It's not that I can't use both a bronzer and contour but for me personally, it'll be easier for me to practice / work on contouring if it's just that and a little wash of color with blush. 

Contour: It was Fenty Amber stick last week and SEPHORA COLLECTION Cream Contour Stick  this week. It's too early to say if I have any favorites for contour but I can say that while I haven't created that totally snatched, defined look for my nose, cheeks or jaw line, I have been able to get some definition to those features and, on one occasion, enough for a couple of people who don't notice these things to say "wait, did you do something different? ... you look a little different, you look like you did something different ... you did something different, didn't you?!" 😅

Lips:

Lip Contour: Melt Cosmetics Eyeliner Ivory. Currently, this year's go-to for my lip contour.  I considered picking up another one during Melt's year-end sale when it was 50% off but I was good and held off on the idea that lip contouring is something new(ish) for me and I'm not sure if it'll be something I keep up with in the long haul and also because I was trying to be good about sticking to a low buy. 

Lip Liner: Going with a variety of hues for options this week:

• Pink: TOM FORD Runway Matte Lip Liner Pencil for Sculpted Definition Re-See - the Tom Ford Runway lip liners are one of, if not the, longest wearing lip liners on the market. It leans a bit dry as a result. This is not my favorite shade from the line, it's more chalky than dusty pink on me but paired with the right lip product it's not so bad
• Red(ish): Rare Beauty Kind Words Matte Lip Liner - Admired is a long-wearing brown-toned rosy red liner. I like this liner paired with softer neutrals, nude or brown lip shades as it creates a wearable red for me.
• Rosy Nude: MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Color Pencil Long-Lasting Lip Liner 606 Wherever Walnut has a huge fan base for a reason
• Plum: Saie Lip Liner 101: Creamy & Nourishing Lip Pencil Tease is brown-toned plum
• Nude/Neutral/Beige/Brown: rhode Peptide Lip Shape Contouring Lip Shaper Lean - warm medium brown is a mid-tone brown; warm-ish toned. I'm not fond of these lip shapers as the contour liners they're intended to be; for me, they work better as a fill shade, on their own or topped with a clear gloss.

Lip Balm: Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment Peppermint Glaze (limited edition)

Lip Gloss: Choice between MAKE UP FOR EVER Super Boost Moisturizing & Plumping Lip Gloss 06 Wherever Walnut, a soft, muted neutral rosy nude, or Gucci Hydrating Plumping Lip Gloss 509 Rosso Ancora, a sheer but buildable pinky-red gloss. For the weekend, I may see what kind of color and shine I get with layering the Gucci over (or even under) the new DIOR Lip Glow Oil Hydrating High-Shine Gloss 104 Black Cherry. 🤔

Tools

Makeup Brushes: Going with the MAKEUP BY MARIO Mario's Essential Cosmetic Brush Set. I picked the set up last year and I've really been enjoying these brushes. The bristles are soft (but not too soft); I like the shorter handles and that they're not double ended.

Lash Curler: Shiseido Eyelash Curler Eyelash Curler (🔥)

Fragrance(s)

Lake & Skye Discovery Set (🛒) from Shop My Stash Winter Edit

emoji key
🏆  fits the Glowing & Golden capsule theme
🎉  a new to me product or a product making its first appearance in this challenge
🐐  GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) product 
🔥  Top Shelf / Favorite
🥘  Pan it! Challenge item
🛒  Shop Your Stash: Winter 2026 item

The "Fits":

For being as compact as they are, both the pouch that comes with the Makeup by Mario brush set and the YSL case hold quite a bit of products. The fragrance vials can fit into either if I removed them from the box but keeping the intact will make it easier for me to remember to use them for Shop Your Stash. 

[PDXXXX]

I love your product reviews @itsfi . I've been curious about the Typeology Serum Foundation for some time and this is the first I've gotten a nice comparison of it. I'm so curious about the possible Armani reformulations as well. I haven't tried the Luminous Silk reformulation yet but am nervous they'll come for my beloved Luminous Silk concealer next! We shall see..

[itsfi]

Thank you for your kind words @PDXXXX. Jotting down some notes / mini reviews is helpful for me especially if there comes a point when I'm trying to decide whether to repurchase, or even whether to pass on or declutter something. It took me a few uses to get the hang of it, but I'm liking it a lot - I didn't realize how much I've used it. 

Oh, the new LSF!! Did you see that we can now add 3 samples with a minimum $25 purchase - there are some exclusions but the product(s) purchased need not be foundation. You probably have several foundations you love and are working on but just a FYI for the next time you go shopping. This code stacks so you can add the samples along with a promo gwp offered at the time of purchase.

So far, it looks like your beloved LSF concealer is safe and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you. 🤞 I'm holdig off on breaking mine open and hoarding it! 😅 Based on the product pages at Sephora and other retailers, it looks like the Armani Power Fabric foundation and concealer are the next to either go away / go for purposes of being reformulated. I'm hoarding what I have of those items too; the concealer I'm going to slow down my usage as I want to have something to compare a new one to, if, in fact, a new formulation is coming. 

[PDXXXX]

Ooh - thanks for the LSF reformulation sample tip @itsfi ! Yes, now is the time to hoard!! It's so hard when a staple product goes poof 😞

[itsfi]

Week 1 - The "New Year, New-To-You" Makeup Capsule and/or The "Mentally Minded" Makeup Capsule 

For the new year, going to take a different approach to my makeup capsules, at least on a trial basis for the first three months. I'll go into more details about that in a reply to this post but for my first capsule of the new year, I went with these beauties for a mix of the two themes.

Product Details:

Spoiler

Complexion:

Primer (Face): Going to try the Rare Beauty Long-Lasting Setting Spray (💪🏼) as a primer or Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base Moisturizer & Primer with Vitamin C + Hyaluronic Acid 1.7 oz/... (🐐) for days I reach for the UD foundation.

Foundation: Urban Decay Face Bond Self Setting Waterproof Foundation (medium-to-full coverage) (🔥) or Tower 28 Beauty SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation 40 Runyon (🐐), the latter of which I'm including in this capsule as I'm a handful of uses from finishing the tube. 

Concealer: Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Medium Coverage Liquid Foundation with Hyaluronic Acid 8 Neutral (💪🏼) 

Setting Powder: KimChiChic Beauty Puff Puff Pass Set and Bake Powder (Ivander) (💪🏼)  

Setting Spray: Rare Beauty Always An Optimist 4-in-1 Prime & Set Mist or Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray (💪🏼) - Both are fine enough, just not among my Top 5 setting sprays. I decided last year that I'd keep both in my collection and try to use them up by end of 2026, which means I need to keep them in the rotation, so here we are.

Eyes:
Primer (Eyes): NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base (🐐) - this holds some sentimental value for me as it was one of the first, if not THEE first eyeshadow primer I used. 

Eyeshadow: Yves Saint Laurent Couture Mini Clutch Eyeshadow Palette - Stora Dolls (🥘)

Eye Liner (upper lash line): Heme Shade Liner 00 Shadow

Eyeliner (lower lash line): Makeup by Mario Master Mattes Brightening Pencil - Light 1 (discontinued) (🔥)

Mascara: Dior Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Waterproof Mascara (🔥) - one of my current top 2 favorite mascara

Brows: either L'Oreal Faux Brow Eyebrow Tint Double Brush Brow Pen - Dark Brunette (Ulta Beauty World) or Merit Brow 1980 Volumizing Tinted Eyebrow Gel-Pomade - shade is a limited edition color from a holiday set a couple of years ago. I'm close to finishing it and will be rotating it in capsules to get more use out of it as I work my way through the final use.

Cheeks:

Blush: Tower 28 Beauty GetSet & Blur + Set Matte Powder Blush - Samo Spritzer (💪🏼🥘) - we'll be seeing this in a lot of capsules this year. Powder blush is a challening product for me to pan and I need to keep it in the rotation in the first few months as I try to build a habit of reaching for it.

Contour: Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Match Stix Contour Stick - Amber (💪🏼) - this is the Snackz size (love this size) - I'm going to try to learn how to contour this year, at least that's the plan. Got distracted last year from really digging deeper into it so we'll be seeing contouring products coming through my capsules a lot more often this year.

Lips:
Lip Contour: Melt Cosmetics Slick Waterline Eye Pencil (Ivory) - is one of the products I've purchased with the hope of being a suitable replacement for when I've finished the Makeup by Mario Light I liner generally work well as lip contour. Love being able to repurpose products.

Lip Liner: Rare Beauty Admired (part of limited edition holiday set from a couple of years ago) or Maybelline Lifter Liner Lip Liner Pencil with Hyaluronic Acid - On It (strong)

Lipstick: HUNG VANNGO BEAUTY Creamy Matte Longwear Lipstick with Hyaluronic Acid - Call My Agent or Sephora Collection (discontinued) (🎉)

Lip Balm: rhode Peptide Lip Treatment Nourishing Glaze - Peppermint Glaze (limited edition, December 2024) (discontinued) (🛒) or OLIVIAUMMA Glow Ceramide Liptox Napa Valley (🎉). I've been reaching for this Oliviaumma balm at least 4 times a week for the last couple of weeks - nourishing, wears comfortably & fairly long for a lip balm, and the color is gorgeous! 😍

Tools:

Going with the SEPHORA COLLECTION 8-Piece Pro Face and Eye Brush Set (limited edition) (🎉)

emoji key

💪🏼fits the Mentally Minded themeI
🎉a new to me product or a product making its first appearance in this challenge
🐐  GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) product
🔥Top Shelf / Favorite

🥘 Pan it! Challenge item
🛒Shop Your Stash: Winter 2026 item

The Fits:

And they all fit nicely, snugly, in one of my favorite makeup bags, this puffy one from Rare Beauty (💪🏼) - it reminds me of a puffy winter coat.

[caitbird]

@itsfi  great collection of products, and cute bag - it does look like a winter puffer coat! Thank you for keeping this challenge going - I need to inventory and organize my makeup, but I will try to participate as I can!

[itsfi]

Yep, feel free to join whenever you're up for it @caitbird. It's been a good (and fun, creative) way for me to go through products and see in practical ways what's a good size makeup capsule for me. Or what makes sense from an actual use perspective which, in turn, has had the effect of helping me curb my spending, and not just on beauty items; well, most of the time, lol. 

[itsfi]

Going to take a slightly different approach to my capsules this year, at least for the first three months of the year, on a trial basis: 

• Instead of curating my weekly capsules from my entire makeup collection, at the beginning of the month, I'll put together a group of products that I'll use as my pool of products from which I will curate my weekly capsules for that month. This monthly pool of products will be larger in size than a typical weekly capsule but much smaller than my entire collection.  My intention here is to provide myself some opportunities to see what size capsule (and what number and mix of each category of products - foundation, blush, eyeshadow, lipstick, etc.) gives me the variety I need to put together a variety of looks. 

• I may elect once a month to curate a one of the weekly capsules with products from one brand (or 80%) of my capsule from one brand. I'm including this option to offer up a change from what will be the new capsule routine and also to provide me an opportunity to use all my products from one brand for looks throughout a particular week. Other than when I started wearing a semi-full face of makeup for the first time (and didn't really have any products except for a few (6 or 7) products from one brand), my makeup look has never been made up of just one brand. I'm not sure how many brands I can do this with but I guess we'll find out. We'll also find out if I can see myself just having my makeup (or most of it) be from one brand. 

I'll assess how this new approach is working out for me at the end of March; if it's something I'd like to continue with, I'll extend the trial run for another 3 months. If not, then I'll go back to curating my weekly capsules as I have in the past, pulling products from the whole of my collection.  Why extend it just for 3 months? That would take me through June. I tend to wear less makeup in general in July, August and September so my makeup routine/looks don't require more than a handful of pieces. I'll probably come up with something different for those months, but haven't really thought through that. 

The pool of products I will draw from (for the most part) for January's capsules: 

I will occasionally swap out something from this set for another similar product, either to meet a capsule them, to work towards using up a product, or for some other reason. I'll keep those instances to a minimum because I really do want to see what a good "capsule" size for me would be. For January, we have 41 products which took me by surprise; at the same time, I look at these items and feel like I could have added a couple of more products. 😬 

[caitbird]

@itsfi  I'll be interested to hear how this new approach to curating your capsules works for you! 

[itsfi]

I'll keep you posted @caitbird; I'm interested to see how things play out for the rest of January and also the first 3 months of the year.