A good flat lay of your makeup is the best sort of beauty Instagram — there's nothing more appealing than an organized array of products. Surely you've seen it before: a few lipsticks, concealers, and eyeshadow palettes, all arranged artfully atop a solid background.
But we've yet to stumble across a flat lay photo featuring every single product someone owns, which is likely because — for most beauty addicts — that feat is virtually impossible. That goes for most of the beauty team at Refinery29: "I would need California king bunk beds," says Cat Quinn, beauty director. "Like, four of them."
And today, a similar conversation erupted on one of our favorite Reddit threads, MakeupAddiction. One user suggested, "Flat-lay your collection!" and commenters initially responded with bewilderment. (One even said, "I would love to do a flat lay of my collection, but it would take up an entire room and I'd need a drone to capture it.")
Soon after, however, people joined in. At least a dozen self-professed makeup mavens and hobbyists were able to corral their collections for a Kodak moment — and the results are fascinating. When you're a makeup lover, your personal stash is your story. So we ask you: How much of your story are you willing to share, and would it all fit in one photo?
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