The Twenty Piece Capsule Make Up Collection?

Hello & happy Sunday!

I woke up this morning with two things in mind: wanting to have a good ol' chat about make up, and wondering whether I could narrow my make up down to a twenty piece capsule collection. Since discovering beauty blogs all those years ago I very quickly became accustomed to having a lot of choice within my beauty stash; different foundation finishes, matte blushes, shimmery blushes, bright lipsticks, nude lipglosses... The list goes on. Part of me really likes the idea of only having things that I use all the time, but another part of me would really miss being able to root through drawers and find something I'd almost forgotten about.

I've had a go at choosing twenty products and I didn't find it as difficult as I thought I would. I don't wear a lot of eye make up, so any spaces that may have been taken up with shadows and liners could instead be occupied by lip products and blushes.

Base & Eyes.

An illuminating or hydrating primer has been a staple in my routine for years. In ensuring my skin is as smooth and hydrated as possible, foundation application is approximately ten million times easier. For a long time the Illamasqua Satin Primer had my heart, but now I'm really enjoying both the Max Factor FaceFinity All Day Primer and the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer* thanks to the sample that came in the last My Little Box*

The perfect foundation still alludes me, but at the moment I'm quite happy with Rimmel Match Perfection. The colour is light enough and the formula glides over my skin without clinging to any dry areas or fading strangely half way through the day. Concealer wise the Seventeen Stay Time hasn't failed me yet. It's not as thick as the Collection Lasting Perfection and seems to sit a little better under my eyes and on blemishes.

Despite having dry skin I like to set my foundation with a powder just to make sure it's not going to slide too much throughout the day. The Maybelline Fit Me Powder has been a constant in my make up bag for a good while now, I think this is my second or third so it's pretty safe to say I really like it. I thought I'd also include my contour/bronzer of choice here, Benefit Hoola, because adding a little under my cheekbones for some definition is something I do everyday without thinking now.

On to the eyes, I decided to include a nude eyeshadow because sometimes it's nice to have a bit of brightness there. The Estee Lauder Pure Colour Stay On Shadow Paint in Halo* is the perfect nude cream shadow that lasts well with a bit of setting powder over the top. Staying on the brightening theme I also really enjoy adding a bit of Benefit Eye Bright in my waterline if I'm looking a bit tired. I don't reach for either on a daily basis, but they're nice to have. And in terms of mascara I'm not particularly fussy. At the moment I have a tube of the L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes*, which I think is lovely, but I also like Maybelline The Falsies and I think I'm going to try Seventeen Doll'd Up next.

Cheeks.

Blushes are probably the make up item that I love the most. The right colour can really lift the complexion and well, they're incredibly pretty to look at. Starting with the one highlight I chose, Estee Lauder Powder Gellee in Heat Wave*, I honestly just couldn't resist its golden charms.

My ultimate cream blush is always going to be the Stila Convertible Colour in Gerbera - I can't see anything replacing it any time soon! NARS Douceur is my favourite powder blush, it instantly magics cheekbones out of nowhere and I adore it, but I also couldn't resist including my favourite pink, Dior Rosy Glow. It looks a little crazy in the pan, but lightly dusted over the cheeks it gives the prettiest rosy glow, as the name suggests.

Lastly for blush are my newest favourites, liquid blushes. For the longest time I couldn't master the application, ending up with a streaky mess instead of perfectly blushing cheeks. I'm not exactly sure what I'm doing differently now but I love them because they're so lightweight. MeMeMe Coral Blossom* is a beautiful peach and despite not being a colour I would usually gravitate towards, I've been pleasantly surprised with how well it goes with my skin tone. And I couldn't talk about liquid blushes without mentioning Benefit Benetint*. It's a classic, very popular, and for good reason. It perfectly replicates the 'I've just come in from the snow' look that epitomises winter make up for me.

Lips.

When it comes to lip products my number one is the Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfector in 03. I've lost count of the number of times I've mentioned it, it's just perfect. Other glosses that I wear frequently are the Dior Addict Ultra Gloss in Dormeuse* and the Lily Lolo Natural Gloss in English Rose*. They're both comfortable and give just the right amount of colour.

Lipsticks aren't something I reach for all the time anymore, I have a thing about thinking they make me look older than I am, so when I do reach for one it's always a slightly sheer formulation. The Seventeen Mirror Shine in Camisole is a beautiful sheer nude and MAC Lovelorn is a pretty mid-toned pink that I must have repurchased at least three times.

Tinted lip balms are another story though and I especially love wearing them in the colder months. There are a few I really like including the Carmex Moisture Plus balms and the ELF Studio balms, but right now I'm loving the Pixi Shea Butter Balm in Ripe Raspberry* that I received in my last Birchbox. It's the prettiest sheer red that feels incredibly appropriate for this time of year.

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So I managed to narrow it down and maintain a pretty good variation of colours and finishes. Whether I could stick to only using these products without being tempted to try something else though is an entirely different story.

Do you like having a relatively small make up collection, or do you love being able to choose from a wide range of products each morning?

- xo