Weekly Makeup Tray 101

I'm on a constant makeup purge. That's because I'm constantly hauling. I only have so much room for storage! Thus, my weekly makeup tray was born.

Almost every Sunday night, I put together a tray of makeup to use during the week. I have a section of staples that rarely leave the tray, you could say they are Holy Grails or no brainers. You choose. Newly bought items usually hop into the tray as soon as they are out of their packaging. I might not use them that week but they will be tested as soon as possible. I often play with new makeup at night before I cleanse, it's a good way to safely experiment.

Not everything in the tray will get used during the week and at least once a week I go to my stash rather than use something in the tray. That which does not get used goes back to my stash. That which was used has one of four fates. If I liked it, it goes back in my stash. If I didn't like it, it will be tossed or given away to someone I know or sold.

If I buy a new foundation it will usually be the only foundation I use for the entire week. I will try it with different application methods and different primers so that by the end of the week, I know how best to use it and how not to use it or to return it.  I have very loose guidelines, no rules, for my makeup tray.

The tray I use is a gadget or junk drawer insert you can find in the kitchen aisles of KMart, Target or WalMart. You can find them on amazon, too, of course. They come in a number of sizes and styles.

Inside the tray I also place a few small jars to hold things upright like lip pencils and mascaras.

I have two general goals: to use my stash and to purge my stash.  Even with my weekly makeup basket or tray, it is fairly impossible for me to get through everything. C'est la vie. Below is my usual recipe. Do I use every type of item every day? NO

Rotation items

• Lipstick - 7 or 8
• Lip gloss - 3 or 4
• Blush - 3 or 4
• Foundation - 3 or 4 unless I'm testing a new one in which case it flies solo
• Face primer - very weather or season dependent, usually 2 or 3
• Bronzer - 2 or 3
• Mascara - 3 or 4
• Highlighter - 2 or 3
• Under eye concealer - 2 or 3 
• Finishing powder - 2 or 3
• Eye shadow - who knows!
• Brushes - about 100

  
Staples

• Brow powder - 2
• Lower water line brightening pencil - 1
• Lash curler - 1
• Lip balm- 1
• Lip liners - 5
• Eye pencils for tightlining - 4
• Eye pencil for lower lash line - 2
• Eye primer - 2
• Brightener - 3
• Red nose concealer - 1
• Setting spray - 2
• Pore minimizer - 2
• Contour - 2

This beauty blog is still a work in progress. I hope to publish my Weekly Makeup Tray on Sundays. On the following Saturday, I hope to publish a Weekly Beauty Edit which will recap my week. I'm going to include purchases, returns, empties and anything that did not make the cut from Sunday's  makeup basket. I'll provide color commentary and mini-reviews as much as possible.

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Cheers,
Lulu

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