The beauty industry has exploded in the past few years, and with that, an ocean of products to navigate through. I was very happy in the beginning to see all the brands coming out with new products almost every month, because I was a junkie and I was impatient to wait for the traditional, roughly 4-collections-a-year, type of releases. Give me EVERYTHING! I bought SO many things that I didn’t need and wouldn’t use. Then the fatigue kicked in after about a year, since I saw products repeating themselves and were not innovative anymore. They were pushing out the 384th nude lipstick that I didn’t need and no longer want. Those were all for my personal collection and I couldn’t even pretend they were for work. I was bored by new releases at that point.

I went back to my freelance work for inspiration. I have always been such a minimalist there, what happened with the hoarding? I slowed down and refocused, stuck to my tried and true products in my own routine, and realized how little products it CAN be. At the same time, I was also educating overwhelmed clients on how to keep a capsule wardrobe of makeup they can easily use for everyday, without having to make a hundred decisions just to paint their faces in the morning. This should see you through basically any occasions, with some variations in techniques.

The idea of a “capsule wardrobe” is borrowed from fashion, obviously. And the rules are similar.

• Choose a colour scheme. This would typically involve choosing one or two base colours that go with everything, so that would be neutrals. This could be eyeshadows or lip colours. You could have accent colours, but I would reserve that spot for the “expansion pack”. If your “usual colour” is not a neutral, you don’t have to change that, just add in one or two neutrals to make everything versatile.

• Consider your eye/lip/face shapes. Choose a “signature” look of makeup that is flattering to your face, and just change up the colours when needed. For example, a cat eye would be more challenging on a hooded downturned eye and require more time, hence probably not the best as a signature look when you only have 10 minutes every morning to do your makeup.

• Consider your complexion. Some colours are more flattering than others to your eye colour or skin tone.

• Choose classic looks. While a glitter cut crease might sound like fun, it can wait till the “expansion pack”. The idea is to have a timeless look which does not date, that is easy to achieve.

• Choose high-quality products. As the idea of a capsule wardrobe is to own a few items that can be worn with different looks, these products get lots of wear. Therefore, it is a good idea to choose products that are well made. Now high quality doesn’t have to break the bank, but if you do decide to splurge, then splurge on the capsule.

Blah blah blah so what is actually in this capsule wardrobe?

• Foundation. In whatever formula you like. Cream/liquid/powder, anything. Layer on more with a small brush for concealing.

• Powder. Loose or pressed, again up to you. If you have dry skin you might be able to skip this altogether.

• Blush/bronzer. I prefer blush, since it works on universal skintones. Choose one that compliments your skintone. Some people can’t live without their bronzers, then that is cool too!

• Brows. Depending on your needs, you could just use a cool toned eyeshadow as brow powder and skip one extra product. I have my brows microbladed but still need to fill out some gaps. Whatever formula you like, you can use.

• Eyeshadows. Here is where the real work is. If you are a HARDCORE minimalist, then I’d say the bare minimum would be 2 neutral matte browns (so you can use on brows too), one light and one medium in intensity, and one black (as liner). If you feel safer with a palette, then have a neutral palette like the Viseart Structure Brow and Eyeshadow palette, or be a cheat and have the Viseart Grande Pro 1, which contains enough colours for pretty much any occasions and are all matte. You could also add a single highlight colour if you do your makeup that way, in this case get a face highlighter for both face and eyes because the pan is bigger and will last longer.

• Lash curler (it’s a non-negotiable for me. If you are blessed with curly lashes then skip this).

• Mascara. If you need a more intense eyeliner than the black eyeshadow, you can use an eyeliner brush to dab mascara onto the lash line.

• Lips. Choose whatever formula you prefer in a flattering colour. I love those MLBB (My Lips But Better) colours since they go with everything. I would advise to get the lip colour in a more pigmented formula, because you can always add lip balm to sheer it out and still reserve the option of a full on lip.

• Brushes.

  • Face - if you use a brush then have one. Some foundations can be applied with fingers if you choose to. Make sure you sanitize your hands.

  • Eyes - a fluffy blending brush, an angled liner brush, possibly a detailing brush depending on your style. I typically don’t use more than 3 brushes for eyes.

  • Lips - that’s what the bullet shape is for! Apply the lipstick directly! Unless you have quite uneven lips that needs evening out, then use a lip brush.

This is about it! Leave a comment and let me know what YOUR capsule wardrobe of makeup looks like!