Organizing My Stash + Life Update

Hi, everyone- welcome to September! The end of summertime is always a bit surreal (I know it's a cliche, but seriously, where did the time go?) and this year the transition has been intensified due to a couple of major life changes. If you read my last post, you'll know that last week marked the end of my year-long clinical internship that made for a crazy busy, yet very rewarding year. To add to the milestones, over the last few days I've packed up all of my must-have belongings and took the plunge- I've moved in with my boyfriend! We've been together for nearly five years and decided we were well overdue to take it to the next level. The kitty and I (any many boxes) are now settling in nicely at his condo and I really couldn't be happier! 

Of course I had to mark this exciting accomplishment with a little makeup feature. A few days ago when a good chunk of my stash had made its way to the new place, I decided to meld my numerous makeup bags and sort products out by category. We've all seen my massive lipstick stash photo, but I thought you might want to take a peek at my face products and eye shadow palettes!

Again, this doesn't represent my entire stash, but comprises the majority of items I've been using and loving most over the past few months. Below is a glorious shot (impressive to this makeup geek, at least) of the highlights from my face stash- primers, foundations, concealers, powders, highlighters, bronzers, and blush:

Here are the current primers, bases, and concealers in my rotation. Highlights are the Sunday Riley Effortless Breathable Tinted Primer (a flattering, lightly hydrating sheer tint), Jouer Matte Anti-Blemish Primer (a saviour during the summer heat), Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet (pairs perfectly with the Jouer primer) and the amazing Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place High Cover Concealer, which really hides everything without any cakiness. Gotta give a shout-out to two of my all-time staples as well- Revlon ColourStay in Buff and MAC Select Cover-Up NC20- I'll never quit you! 

And here are my most-used powders, bronzers, and highlighters. As you'll see, all of my favourite bronzers are amazing budget picks thanks to Hard Candy, Soap & Glory, and The Body Shop. Same goes for my current setting powders- gotta love a good frugal pick! On the other end, I've splurged a bit on contour (the Kevin Aucoin Sculpting Powder in Medium lives up to all of the raves) and on some gorgeous highlighters (MAC MSF in Light Year, RMS Living Luminizer, and BeneFit Watt's Up). 

As for blushes, I've got quite a few (to say the least). The first shot features some of my more affordable cheek colour picks, including the incredible Coastal Scents 10 Blush Palette, Sleek Flamingo and Rose Gold, and The Balm Frat Boy. On the mid-range side of things, I have my much-loved Clinique Cheek Pop in Ginger Pop and (the nearly finished!) MAC Mineralize Blush in Dainty. Gotta throw my hands up to the Body Shop powder blush in Golden Pink, which has graced my stash for years and is nearly spent! 

And here are some of my fancier blush picks. As you can see, I'm extremely partial to NARS, Illamasqua, Hourglass, Chanel, and Stila. This portion also features my  much-loved Daniel Sandler Watercolour Fluid Blusher in Cherub and the ultra luxe Tom Ford Cheek Colour in Flush. Also, I find that Laura  Mercier blushes are totally underrated- they are quite fabulous! 

Finally, we have a spread of super duper eye shadow palettes. I've featured reviews of several over the past few months, and here they are all nestled together! My stash includes some amazing budget picks (like the Wet N' Wild Comfort Zone and Walking on Eggshells palettes and The Body Shop Shimmer Cubes in Spring Bronze) and some more luxurious options, including the Chantecaille Horses Palette and the Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con The Siren. In the mid-range are some popular classics that have stolen my heart as well. Three cheers for the Urban Decay Naked and Naked3, the Too Faced Chocolate Bar, and The Balm Nude 'Tude. I also have special feelings for my custom palettes from MAC and Inglot- much love went into them! 

So there you go- a peek at some of my favourite picks for face, cheeks, and eyes. Not an exhaustive list, but definitely a nice cross-section! The beauty nerd in me loved to see them all spread out in one place in beautiful display, while the organizer in me revelled in sorting them category by category. A fun experience all around! 

I'm sure I'll be sharing more storage and stash updates with you as the move progresses, but hopefully this whet your whistle for now! Truly, settling in with my boyfriend has been such an incredible experience. Having him, my kitty, and I under one roof really makes us feel like an official family. Here's to all the adventures we'll have! 

Cheers! xo