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From makeovers to personalized skincare consultations
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CURRENT MAKEUP CAPSULE THEME:
Upcoming Makeup Capsule Themes: [Updated 12.2.2024] Take a sneak peek at the weekly themes to come.
Previous Makeup Capsule Themes: [Updated 12.2.2024]
FAQs: [Updated 4.28.2024]
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.
@itsfi aww, thank you 💜 Yeah, when I was in high school I used to be able to get by on a few hours a night, but I can't do that anymore! I am hoping to be able to talk to my doctor soon about my sleep issues, and fingers crossed she can help me figure out something that will work, whatever that may be (I am just about willing to try anything, at this point).
@caitbird, I hope you and your doctor are able to find a resolution for you and you are able to get both good quality sleep and hours too.
Mine has ebbed and flowed over the last 5 years; had a bit of a relapse last month but have been making some adjustments with my bedtime routine and life that seem to be working or veering in that direction.
@itsfi thank you so much 💜 I hope your sleep continues to improve too!
Now I feel like I should go back and add sub capsules 🤣🤔🤔🤔 @itsfi
I mean, it is only Monday @danielledanielle. Plenty of days left in the week for subcapsules. 😂
3 subcapsules? Oooh that's a fun way to look at this week's challenge. @itsfi and great way to separate all your Ultimate Capsule contenders, this way everyone gets a little love. 💖
Your vacay capsule I hope gets to put to work this summer 🏝️ 🌞
@CynthieLu, I’m good with having a few categories with more than a couple of products but I have a whole lot more than a couple of categories with more than that so my thought is if I’m going to have a larger makeup capsule, I should be using the extras, so subcapsules it is 😆.
That makes sense 😉 @itsfi a little more work involved but it's a fun way to organize a bigger capsule. Do you enjoy organizing your collection? I feel like I definitely do, it's therapeutic a little or something. It just feels good to sort it out. 💖💖
@CynthieLu, my feelings are usually mixed when it comes to organizing my collection - I definitely like love the idea of an organized collection, an organized, well curated one at that would be the goal. And, by "well curated" I don't necessarily mean a very minimalist collection, but I'm not sure what the magic number would be. 😣 It does feel good when I've been able to do that, even partially. So I completely understand it being therapeautic. 😀
Sometimes I can get overwhelmed and stuck when I see how much I have to organize. Doing it bit by bit but consistently here has helped. It also helps having the accountability - I've put it out there and so, I feel like I need to at least make the effort, even if there are weeks when I don't have anything to declutter. Those weeks, in particular, I try to think through what made that group of products (or theme) one where I didn't have anything I'd let go of. Was it me and just having a hard time passing on something? Or, is there something about that prompt or that group of makeup products that suits me? It's nice to have an idea of that and it actually helps me when I think about what I might want to buy.
The battles / showdowns have been very good for helping to whittle down my stash to get it to a place where organizing my collection all at once will feel less ... daunting. And those throwdowns are a lot of fun, too!
Week in Review (Part 2) - Week 27: The Weekend Edition
It seems that I had more makeup capsules I wanted to put together. 🙄
Week 27: The Indie Brands Makeup Capsule - The Minimalist Edit
💟 Em Cosmetics Daydream Cushion Foundation SPF 50 PA+++ - a nod to Michelle Phan, the OG of social media influencer. This is a beautiful cushion compact - my third (?) box, so this makes this cushion #5. Serum-like formula glides on smoothly. It evens tones, offers some blurring effect, and leaves a lovely natural finish with a soft, healthy glow.
🌻 For my cheeks, I'm going with minori beauty, a San Francisco, California (woohoo!) based, eco-friendly brand founded by a Kazakhstan-born Canadian and her husband (who she met when they were studying in Montreal) - Cream Blush (Orchid) and Cream Highlighter (Champagne) - these are easy, peasy to apply and blend.
👁 Kept the eyes simple with a wash of brown (so surprising, right?!! 😄) from Makeup Revolution I Heart Chocolate Palette - Salted Caramel and added a pop of color with Ere Perez Natural Almond Mascara - Mauve (a pretty, plum shade)
💄 In preparation for our upcoming sticks makeup capsules, I went with two lip crayon sticks - Ere Perez Coco Crayon - Grace and Reina Rebelde Mini Bold Lip Color Stick - Divina - one for the morning and one for the evening when I added a light dab of the blue shade from the Makeup Revolution palette to my eyes (outer V) for a little (but not too, too much) extra. Touched up my lips throughout the day and night as needed with Seraphine Botanical Apple + Baume Glow Lip Mask, an oldie but goodie I found while doing a little summer cleaning last weekend.
Week 27: The Summer Vacay Makeup Capsule
I'm extra low maintenance when it comes to my makeup on vacation, especially if I'm going to warmer, tropical climates. For this makeup look, we'll start off with the fits -
No declutters this week as the products in my weekend capsules are either tried-and-true or items I'm trying for the first time and, unless they break me out (and none did), I want to give them a fair amount of use before letting them go.
I'm both excited for next week's capsule and also dreading having to put it together - it's not so much what to include as it is what will be excluded. 😩 I'll definitely be working on my editing skills when it comes to picking which makeup products would currently make up my ultimate makeup capsule. Ack! It sounded like a good theme when I came up with it, but now, picking my favorite child / children doesn't seem so easy. 🤣 Will aim to be back later today for an early post with that capsule.
@itsfi I love your approach of putting together multiple capsules for each theme - weekend editions, minimalist edits, etc.! At the moment I am happy if I manage to put together *a* capsule for the week's theme, but I love that you do more.
I know what you mean about how hard it can be to pick a favorite product (or favorite child if you will) in each category, though for me personally it depends on what type/category of makeup it is. For some things, like primers, I don't have many and pretty much use the same tried and true couple that I know I love and work well for me, so that choice is a no-brainer. But picking a favorite eyeshadow single or palette? Impossible! 😅
@caitbird, at first, when I did the subcapsules, I was using different products from the main weekly one. Recently I've been trying to modify that approach and do a true subcapsule - so, I have the capsule based on the week's theme and I've been making it a smidge larger - on an every day basis for makeup, I'd generally be fine with a tint/foundation, a lip product, mascara, a cheek product of some sort (usually bronzer or blush in the warmer seasons), an a setting spray/powder to seal the deal. 😅 But I like options for my foundation and lip products - even if I go for the same item, I still just like the idea of having something else to pick from, in case I need it. lol Going forward, I'll aim to do a subcapsule one week per month, with the "larger one" being 12 - 15 products and choosing from within that group, some mix of 6 - 10 products for a weekend/minimalist subcapsule.
I love seeing the categories that folks here have specific go-to's for and which categories people like having more options in their collection. Two categories I can whittle down to just a small, small few are brow products and liquid eyeliner. If my collection was assessed based on those two categories, I'd be in the running for being a minimalist. If we're talking lip products, maximalist. 🤣 I love that your primer collection is so well edited. I want to get there with my setting spray / powders, which I think I can; I just have so many that are open and haven't been reached for very often - there's a showdown there at some point.
Week In Review (Part 1) Week 27: The Indie Brand Makeup Capsule
It's a throwback to the original setup of my weekly capsule recap for Part 1 of this week in review.
Top Shelf:
🏆 No makeup additions to my Top Shelf, but I'm shouting out Touchland Power Mist Hydrating Hand Sanitizer and the Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Find Comfort Stop & Soothe Aromatherapy Pen 0.16 oz / 5 mL - both can usually be found in either my purse or makeup bag. I suspect it will come as no surprise that the Touchland is 🐐 and I can see that being the same for the RB aromatherapy pen at some point - this is pen #4 for me (I've also purchased a handful as gifts but have personally gone through 3, so far, at least). I stopped counting how many of the Touchland I've gone through. 😅
Undecided:
❓ No declutters (yet) from the battle of the lip liners but I have 2 on the chopping, for different reasons. More details below.
Declutters:
🗑 Sadly, neither shades of the LYS Beauty Triple Fix Serum Foundation are a good shade match, which is a shame as I enjoy the formulation on this one. I can certainly make them work with bronzer or blending with other foundations. I even tried mixing the two shades themselves. Not truly a declutter as I've used up all the product but I haven't come up with a category for something like that. I'm also keeping these jars as they are very convenient for travel (or for future samples at a non-Sephora store (that carries more shades in store) and since there are a couple of other shades that may be worth looking into). For purposes of my own declutter count, I'm not going to include samples like these in the tally, though I will count them in my empties tally.
And now, for the main event ... Battle of the Lip Liners, Round 1 @ather @caitbird @CynthieLu
Isn't it interesting how similar in shade / color these liners appear to be? I was actually surprised by that and I know I really should not have been. 😅 In any event, all but the HUDA BEAUTY Mini Lip Liner Contour Set and the Freck Beauty MAKEOUT CLUB Nude Muse Lip Liner Shade 02 survive to fight 😉🤣 another day and back into the stash they go. So, where did the Huda Beauty and Freck Beauty liners falter?
Shade 02 of the Freck lip liner (described as a "warm pink nude" on the produt page) looks so pretty in the swatch, but when applied onto my lips, it takes on a chalky, pasty, and patchy pink hue that isn't my cup of tea. I did not experience this with Shade 04. Wondering if it's just a fluke so I'm going to give it another go at different intervals during the month. Stay tuned.
Ahhhh, the Huda lip liner. I have a feeling my lips are not its intended audience. Used just to line the lips, it's fine. It's when I use it to line and fill in my lips where I struggle with it. It makes my lips feel dry, leaves a tacky feel, and accentuates all the lines on my lips. To be fair, that last bit will likely be true of most liners - it's my lips, not the liner in that regard - some of it has to do with me needing to be better with my lip care and some of it is just part of the aging process. That said, the Huda lip liner performed pretty much the same when I filled in my lips with and without a lip primer - I used MAC Prep + Prime. ☹️
Open the spoiler at your own risk. ⚠️
Edited to add: One other hiccup with the Huda lip liner is the sharpener. First, brava that it comes with a sharpener at the end. Performance-wise though it is not the best. I cannot get it to a fine point, no matter how many times or different ways I've tried - turning the sharpener and holding the pencil straight, and vice versa. Also, didn't matter how much of liner product I twisted up to sharpen. It wouldn't sharpen to a fine point and I feel like with this lip contour pencil, a fine point is a plus! Thanks for reminding me about the sharpener @CynthieLu!
@itsfi thanks for the tag! And thanks for your detailed thoughts, as always, they are both interesting and helpful. Out of curiosity, do you have a favorite lip liner brand (out of these ones or others)? I am looking for a sort of neutral pink/nude lip liner and it seems like you have a few of those 😉
PS I love your glossy sage green nails in that pic with the sharpener, so pretty!
@caitbird, yeah, just a few 🤣 Brand-wise, Givenchy for lip liners - I have two I have yet to swatch, which I'll do and post tonight or tomorrow and will tag you so you can compare the shades - one of the colors I think you might like for a pinky-brown shade. Of these lip liners though, I like the Dominique Cosmetics (wish it was part of her regular collection) and the exa liner (it's the closest to my natural lip color) best.
Edited to add: Thank you for the compliment - and the reminder. I'll post that mani to the nails 2.0 thread - it's Chanel 131 Cavalier Seul - part of their summer collection last year. It's one of my favorite green polishes.
@itsfi thank you for the answer - you are so kind! I will definitely check out those brands you mentioned. 💜
I was very curious about this lip liner outcome @itsfi thank you for sharing this with us. 🙏 But I will add, in regards to your swatches, I see them all as being distinctly different in color. 😉
It's been a successful battle by the looks of things, two opponents just got knocked out of the ring. 🥊( Well, possibly two depending on how Huda behaves for you with little more tlc. ) I hope you feel good about this outcome. 😀
I have a random question, Do you have a preferred liner sharpener? I fell like ones I've come across are all manglers.
Ahhh, I know; I really appreciated how invested you were in this lip liner battle @CynthieLu! Thank you. And especially so about your astute eye - I'm going to let anyone who might comment that all my stuff looks the same know that that is in fact not the case and the cynthielu agrees! 😁 I am feeling good about the outcome; thank you. It's helpful for me to breakdown the decluttering certain beauty products. It's also been a sobering reminder of the ... let's say, bench strength 😂 of my makeup collection, even more so coming off of my no-buy last month. Still buying 😆 but I'm much better at pausing and thinking through whether I really want to pick up something and the why.
Ouch, very sorry to hear about your liner sharpeners. Tried-and-true OG sharpeners for me are the NARS Pencil Sharpener and the old Chanel sharpener from decades ago. The NARS is still available, but just a note - at least with my older one, the lid on it is not the most secure, so if you are going to toss it in your makeup bag or purse, or take it with you when you travel, empty it before you include it in your bag/purse, etc. Otherwise, the liner shavings from previous sharpenings may spill out. The sharpener itself is excellent. 👍
Sephora had a 5-in-1 sharpener a couple of years ago, but it's been discontinued. That offered good variety for different sizes of liners. They do have a SEPHORA COLLECTION 3-in-1 Pencil Sharpener that is also good - on the US site it's currently 50% off - hoping this might be something available in Canada, also at half off. 🤞
I really do feel a sense of excitement waiting for the results of your showdowns @itsfi Comparing products and having them pitted against eachother in a week of wear tests could be a show I would watch each week. 😉 I would be a loyal viewer lol.
Okay I'll have to order the Sephora one, I get so much apprehension as a pencil wears down and I know I'll have to sharpen it. 😭
Week 27;
Indie Brand Hunt
I capsuled responsibly this time.
Reason I was able to pare down this time...I've never really had a knack for decluttering, but at some point there's was a culling. I had single shadows from The Balm, Nomad Cosmetics and lippies from Doucce and Half Cake that I thought I still had, but ousted . Indie brands have always been a wild card for me, just because the colors may not perform as I want OR when they were great, I had other similar products I reached for more.
What did survive the culling? Hindash!
I think I decluttered monochromance, but I still have Beautopsy, which is honestly a fabulous palette. The buzz died out so quickly on this one, and I think it got overlooked.
Other items:
Beauty Bakerie Sour You Doin' palette
Beauty Bakerie Lip Whips: Sangria Slush+ 2 others I didn't remember the names of
Hindash Heroline liner
I'm calling Ami Colé an indie brand, even though it's at Sephora, just because their founder is still present
Ami Colé Skin Melt Talc-Free Loose Setting Powder Deep / Medium
Ami Colé Soft Shape Waterproof Lip Liner Cafe Touba
Ami Colé Hydrating Lip Treatment Oil Excellence
Ami Colé Skin-Enhancing Lightweight & Blurring Foundation Stick
Ami Colé Lash-Amplifying Volumizing & Lengthening Mascara Rich Black
Ami Colé Desert Date Cream Blush & Lip Multistick Pink Sel
Ami Colé Desert Date Cream Blush & Lip Multistick Dune
Ami Colé Always On Point Precision Brow Pencil
The Ami Bag (of course)
And although no longer a true indie brand since the buyout 😔, Uoma Beauty. Their "Salute to the Sun" collection last year is/was gorgeous
Salute to the Sun Bronze & Gold liquid highlighter
Usuals:
UD primer in Caffeine
PAT McGRATH LABS Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Blurring Under Eye Powder Yellow
Nars Bronzer Casino
Fenty Skin Hydra Vizor Huez Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum Mineral Spf 30 Sunscreen 5
Making an appearance
GXVE BY GWEN STEFANI Most Def Clean Instant Definition Sculpting Eyebrow Pencil
PAT McGRATH LABS Sublime Perfection Concealer M18
Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Liquid Killawatt Fluid Freestyle Highlighter Hu$tla Baby 2.0
Pacifica Brown eye liner
Bite Beauty Lip
Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm for Hydration & Shine Poppy - sheer citrus coral
Dose of Colors Chocolate Wasted
@danielledanielle Great capsule! I've never heard of some of these indie brands, I'll have to check them out (not that I need any more makeup whatsoever, but you know, I'm just curious! 😅)!
PS that makeup bag is pretty snazzy!