My (By Necessity) Capsule Makeup Collection

This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more details.

When I evacuated my home during Hurricane Harvey, I left with just two makeup items: My Jane Iredale Pressed Mineral Powder in Warm Silk (my holy grail foundation for no-makeup makeup days) and a MAC 182 Buffer Brush. That's it. Everything else (other than my makeup brushes and lipsticks, which survived) was lost. It was time to re-purchase a makeup collection.

But where to start? It was a little overwhelming.

I decided NOT to replace everything. At least not right away. Instead, I purchased just the items I absolutely needed to create the look I wear on a day-to-day basis: Natural, but noticeable. I basically created a capsule makeup collection - that is, a stripped-down kit limited to the things I most often rely on.

At the end of the day, here's what I selected, along with the aforementioned Jane Iredale Pressed Mineral Powder:

• Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye Contour Pallette
• Urban Decay eyeshadow single in Sin
• Georgio Armani Beauty Luminous Silk foundation in Shade 5
• MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NW20
• NARS Light-Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder
• Benefit Hoola Light Matte Bronzer
• Sisley Phyto Blush Twist in Petal
• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade
• Wet n' Wild Eyeliner in black (601A)
• L'Oreal Brow Stylist Plumper in Light/Medium
• Chanel Le Volume De Chanel Waterproof Mascara

And that's it!

Of course, I'm not happy that my makeup was lost in the flood, but it was an interesting experience to consider which items were the basics that I really needed. I've also learned that I can survive on much less makeup than I think I need. 

What would your must-have makeup items be if you had to start over?

If you liked this post, please share it and follow me via email or on Bloglovin' (or both!). Also, make sure you are following me on Twitter and Instagram!