Beauty Storage: Acrylic Drawers

I've decided to start a small mini series on how I store my beauty products. Beauty storage posts are my favourite posts to read and watch on Youtube, so I thought I'd do my own and let you know how I store my makeup, nail polishes, hair products etc. After I have finished these, I may do one for jewelry and accessories.

For those of you who don't know, my boyfriend moved in with me over a year ago, and until I graduate in the summer and start earning some pennies so we can move out, we're basically living in one small bedroom. One thing I'm good at is finding different ways to store things as you can see from my last post. Everything in my bedroom (apart from my bed frame which my parents bought when I was 17) I've chosen and paid for myself, so I'm very proud of my room. I still find it amusing that as a 19 year old student, all of my friends were going out every weekend, and I'd rather spend my money on laminate flooring and floral curtains for my bedroom.

The acrylic storage is every inch the cliched beauty blogger, but I think they look so stunning and clean. I was planning on waiting until I moved out so I could have a proper vanity to put the acrylic drawers on, but I'm too impatient. After extensive searches on the internet, endless treks to B&Q and Homebase, I eventually purchased the 5 drawer and 2 2 drawer cases from Muji. I found these were the cheapest in terms of price including postage. There were also a lot of good reviews about them. I think they came to just under £50, including postage as there was a 10% discount deal on. They came within 4 days I think (I ordered on a Friday too) and they were heavily wrapped in bubble wrap so absolutely no damage came to them.

Nearly all of my makeup fits inside these drawers so it was a good investment to make. I'd definitely recommend these Muji boxes if you're looking for some acrylic storage.

5 Drawer

I will say the 5 drawer box have very small drawers in term of depth. If you're looking for somewhere to store your foundations and powders, I would not recommend this box. It was because of this, I bought a 5 drawer and then 2 2 drawers, instead of simply 2 5 drawer boxes. I use my 5 drawer to store my Rimmel Lipsticks, as I like to be able to see what shade I'm going for. I also have my mascara's, eyeliners, single eyeshadows and palettes. I've took some photos so you can see the kind of things that fit. I've doubled up on my palettes, so you can fit a few in.

2 Drawer

The 2 drawers are a lot wider and I'm able to fit all of my foundations and BB creams, and also my taller powders such as the MUA Loose Powder. My Confessions of a Concealaholic Box by Benefit fits perfectly if you wanted an idea of how tall it is. Two of these came to about the same price of one 5 drawer box, so perhaps buy these if you're simply looking for a way to store bigger makeup items.

TK Maxx Organiser

When looking through the TK Maxx in Hull, I was very surprised to find they had a selection of acylic storage as it usually either sells really fast, or they simply don't get it in. Or if they do have it, it's a holder for like 9 lipsticks and that's it. This organiser cost me about £17 and I was debating whether to get it or not, but I hadn't seen anything on the internet like it, in terms of having so many compartments and even a drawer. I was running out of lipstick space so I bit the bullet and bought it. As you can see, it over hangs the Muji box a lot, but I don't think it's too much of a problem. I put the lipsticks in here which I can see the shade straight away without looking at the bottom. I also put the bigger pots of product that won't fit in the Muji boxes. In the little drawer I keep samples I get in magazines or have been sent, as I used to keep them in my dressing table and forgot about them.

Disadvantages

Although a lot of people buy acrylic storage, and it is sturdy and gorgeous, there are a few disadvantages not really mentioned. As you can probably imagine, the boxes get dirty quite easily. This hasn't really been much of a problem as I tend to wipe my makeup after I've used it if I think it will dirty the box, however, if you're in a rush, I imagine it could be a problem. My foundation drawer has a few smears that need to be wiped. Also, I have laminate flooring, so my room gets dusty quickly, as there's no carpet to catch the dust. This leads to dust on the boxes and makeup in the organiser, and is quite a pain to dust every couple of days so I tend to wipe it whenever I use it. Of course, this could be avoided if you stored makeup in a bag or case etc. Just something to think about.

Another thing that's irritation is whenever I open and close the box, the products move. This isn't really the Muji boxes fault, just a fault with this type of makeup storage.

I hope you enjoyed this post :) There will be another three posts about my beauty storage coming up in the next few weeks. Remember to follow me on bloglovin so you don't miss out :)

What do you think of acrylic storage?

Storage Idea: Vintage Suitcase

Anyone who knows me, knows I have an obsession with vintage, whether it's fashion or homeware. I frequently attend fairs in my hometown and love looking in little charity shops to see what I can find.

I recently got given an old vintage suitcase that had been found in my Nanna's house. I've wanted an old suitcase for ages, but my nanna's partner promised I could have this one once he'd cleared it out. Unless you've been living under a rock the past couple of years, you'll know that the trend 'shabby chic' has really taken off, with homeowners looking for old, slightly banged up trunks and chests to use as storage systems. I love this idea and wanted in on the action. 

I'm not exactly sure how old this case is, but I think it's at least from the 1930's which is crazy to me. I love the little illustration on the side and the luggage label which is from the original owner, who is a distant relative of my nanna's partner. 

If you want to follow this trend, I recommend looking in local charity shops and attending vintage fairs. I probably wouldn't pay more than £10 for a suitcase, and I'd be wary when buying. I've seen one shop who had a suitcase out on display with the sign 'retro' attached to it. Just because they say it's retro doesn't necessarily mean it is. Saying that, I'm not a vintage expert, so I'm not sure how you can tell how old a case is. 

The thing you want to look for with this trend is character. Some scratches and dint's add to the look, but you don't want to buy a case that's falling apart. You can even buy luggage stickers on ebay to make the case look more authentic. 

I like the look of stacked cases, but my rooms very small so I can't do that, but I think they also look great on their own. As to what to store in the case, the possibilities are endless. I'll maybe use mine for old uni coursework that I don't want to chuck away just yet, or perhaps use it as a memory case with old birthday cards, photos etc, I don't want to chuck away. 

But you could also use it for books, perfume, belts, bags... The list goes on. Remember if you're going to store something fragile, put the case in a place where you won't be moving it, or the things might get broken.

Do you like this trend? Would you use an old suitcase for storage?  

W7 Makeup

W7 is a brand I've always felt a bit iffy about. I mostly see it in shops such as Poundland and B&M and felt it was simply a cheap brand of makeup that simply could not compare to other drugstore giants such as Maybelline and Rimmel. However, since blogging, I've come to be a bit more open when purchasing cheaper makeup brands, knowing that there are hidden gems out there. I still can't fathom that one of the most praised concealers in the beauty blogging world is a Collection 2000 and costs £4!

With that in mind, I've recently began experimenting with W7. I own 5 products, 2 I bought myself from Fragrance Direct, the other 3 included in a goody bag at a beauty blogger event. I think W7 are mostly known for their dupes- I see a lot of products that highly resemble highend products. Whether this is intentional or not, I don't know. But looking at the Naked Nudes palette, I can see where they got their inspiration from.

I will start with the 2 products I purchased myself, the first on these being the Honolulu bronzing powder. As you can see, it looks a lot like Benefit's Hoola. Same style of packaging, similar names, almost same shade of product. I bought this as someone said it was a dupe on a youtube video (forgot which blogger, sorry) and although I'm not a massive bronzer fan, I simply could not resist buying this product to see if it really was a dupe. I own a small sample of Hoola from the Best of Benefit kit released in Boots at Christmas time and decided to swatch them to compare. I think Honolulu is a tiny bit darker although they look almost identical on the photo. I'd say Honolulu is slightly more orange toned but when used in small quantities and thoroughly blended out, I'd say it would be almost impossible to distinguish between the two.

Left - Hoola, Right - Honolulu

The second product I bought was Candyfloss. The description on the box says this is a brightening face powder, but I wouldn't use this all over my face. It has a slight shimmer to it, so I suppose it could be used as a highlighter but I prefer to use it as a blush. It isn't that pigmented but you can build it up. Like Honolulu, the packaging resembles that of a Benefit blush, although I've never owned a Benefit blush so I couldn't compare it in terms of colour. I know W7 have a few other boxed blushes out and they are definitely something I would consider buying.

The next three products I received in a blogger goody bag. I received this Lashtastic Mascara* which I've seen in B&M retailing for £1.99. The packaging is just typical mascara packaging, resembling offerings from Maybelline and Rimmel. It's bright and cheerful and I have no problems with it. The wand is very different to any other mascara I've owned in that the bristles are very short. When applied to my lashes, it does not really make a difference. My lashes feel short and stubby, and I wouldn't favour this over mascara's I already own, as I feel it doesn't alter the appearance that much. However, last summer I worked with frozen food and they didn't really allow excessive make up on. In times like that, when it's inappropriate to wear a full face of makeup, I think this mascara would be perfect.

I also received this Creme de la Creme cream blush in the shade 'Heavenly.' * As you can see from the swatch, it's very bright, however, I find that with a lot of cream blushes. I'm not entirely sure how to apply cream blush, so I simply use my finger to blend it onto my cheeks. If you have any advice, then please leave a comment as I'm clueless. This blush is very pigmented, so only the smallest amount is required or you'll end up looking like CoCo the Clown. I feel it applies quite well, although I don't favour it over my powder blushes. The packaging is simple enough, a plain black case with a see through lid of you can see the shade. Not the prettiest, but not the worst. This retails at around £3 on amazon, so for that price, I think it's brilliant.

The last product I received was a Puff Perfection cream powder in the shade 'True Touch.*' First of all, I want to say that this is way too dark for me, so I don't feel like I could give an accurate review, however, there are a few things I could comment on. First of all the packaging, like the cream blush, is quite plain, but it clearly states what it is. A bit of the gold writing has already began to rub off though, even though I haven't really been using it, so that's not so good. The product comes with a 'puff' which is simply a thin layer of sponge and as you can see the product appears quite orange. I may look at using this as a bronzer, but other than that, I can't see myself ever using this product. This retails at around £4, so not too expensive. If I purchased this in my actual skin tone, I may change my mind.

Overall, I don't think these are bad products, but I also don't think they're the best. The boxed blushes are definitely worth buying and trying out though. I also really want to try the light diffusing concealer as I've heard a lot of people say it's a dupe for the YSL one.

*Products received in Hull Blogger Goody Bag, but all opinions are honest.

PS Love Fashion Nails Review

For people who don't know, Primark have recently expanded their beauty range PS Love. On Thursday, I decided to take a wander to the Primark in Princes Quay in Hull, as it's a lot bigger than the one in Grimsby and more likely to stock more products. I wasn't planning on buying anything as I'm travelling to Bristol in a couple of weeks and I want to have a look in their Primark as it's literally about 5 times the size of ours.

However, the fashion nails caught my eye. There were so many to choose from, from little cats, pastels, Union Jacks and aztec print. I wanted to buy about 5 different sets, however, I limited myself to 1 pair as if they were rubbish, I didn't want to feel like I'd just wasted my money. Although for £1 each, it would be hard to feel like that.

I eventually chose a bright, summery set, depicting three different types of fruit. I thought these were so quirky and cute although they don't really fit the dreary weather were having at the moment :(

I hate having long nails as I struggle to do stuff with them on, so after gluing each nail on, I cut and filed them down to a length I was happy with. For me, the nails were about the art rather than the length. Thinking about it, I should have probably cut them before I stuck them on, as some nails could have done with a trim down the side, but I'll remember that for next time.

The quality of the glue really surprised me. I thought I'd have to borrow some off my mum as for £1, I didn't think the nails would stick properly. However, I've had the nails on 4 days now and they haven't budged at all.

Overall, I'm really pleased with the quality of these nails and can't wait til I go to Bristol to purchase some more. For £1, they are brilliant!

March Favourites!

I know everyone is saying this but March has flown by! In fact this whole year is disappearing before my very eyes. I can't believe in about 8 weeks time, I would have handed in my very last Uni assignment. Then it's time to be a grown up, get a proper job and start paying stuff like council tax.

March was a month I focused a lot on skin care. I bought my first Lush products, my first Micellar water, a whole lot of Soap and Glory and a few little bits of makeup. With the changing season, I wanted to make sure my skin was in the best possible condition it could be.

Once again, I've only included my top five products bought in March, or products that I really began to use and enjoy in March.

The first one is my Collection 2000 Queen of Hearts lipstick. I actually bought two Collection 2000 products, one of them being the famed Long Lasting Concealer. However, as much as I enjoy and like the concealer, the lipstick is just amazing. For £2.99, I couldn't believe the quality and the colour. I guess this was an obvious choice if you're a regular reader of my blog as I think this is the third blog post I've mentioned this in now? But yeah, if you're looking for a great lippy for an evening look that won't break the bank, look no further.

The next is my Bubblegum Lip Scrub from Lush. I bought this relatively early in the month and I'm so glad I did. It looks, smells and tastes amazing. For £5.50, you may think it's a bit expensive for such a little pot of product (well me and my student budget did haha) but I've used it almost everyday and not even made a dint. A little goes a long way and I can see this lasting right up to the expiry date.

I'm eventually going to do a separate post about Soap and Glory skin care range, as I love all 4 products I've bought this month. But my favorite has to be No Clogs Allowed. I bought it in a three for two offer at Boots as the fact it was a self heating face mask intrigued me . I've never used one before. And I must say it's the strangest sensation I've ever felt. My skin feels so clean and smooth after I used it, which I do one a week. I won't go on as like I said, I want to write another blog post, but I think it's definitely worth the £11.

MUA eye primer is next on the list. Another product I've mentioned before. I use this almost everyday and although it isn't as good as the Smashbox one, I feel for £2.50, it does an adequate enough job. I don't use it for nights out or important events, but for Uni or simply going shopping, I think it's great. It increases the lasting power of my eye makeup and reduces creasing, although it doesn't eliminate it completely. I'm still after another high end eye primer, for those night's out, and I'll probably invest in an e.l.f one when my student loan comes in (I know they're only like £2 but I plan on buying other stuff too haha.)

My last product is also an offering by MUA and it's the trio eyeshadow in the shade 'Chocolate Box.' I got this about 2 weeks ago in a Superdrug haul and I think the colours go perfectly together for a classy day time look. Although they're not as pigmented as I'd like them to be, I feel for £3 you can't complain too much. And they're doing a perfect job until my loan comes in and I can invest in the Naked 3 palette.

So there you have it :) I actually struggled writing this post as I wanted it to be genuine products that I love. I could have easily chosen my Revlon Colour Stay foundation or my Collection 2000 concealer but if I'm honest, I'm not too sure whether I'd repurchase them and I think I need a bit longer using them to make up my mind. I'd also just like to say thank you to everyone who follows me! :) I've just reached 100 followers which I still can't believe and I'm so grateful to everyone who reads my blog :)

What's in my bag!

Is it just me, but whenever I read these 'what's in my bag' posts, it forces me to take a good hard look at my own life and wonder where I'm going wrong. I mean, why can't I be that organised?! All the time I see perfectly clean, super organised, tidy bags, then I take a look into my Mary Poppins style suitcase and sigh with envy. But then I also think that some bloggers are having us on. Surely no one can own an everyday bag without some loose change rattling around at the bottom, some screwed up bus ticket or a sneaky chocolate bar to cheer us up when we're having a bad day.

With that being said, I've decided to do my own 'What's in my bag,' but I've been completely honest. I've taken nothing out of my bag to impress you with my regimented bag packing skills. I've even kept in the bits of rubbish I was dying to throw into the bin so you wouldn't think I was such a scruffy sod.

But here it is. I've used my uni bag for this, as although I moan about my organisation skills, if I take a handbag to town or something, I literally only pack the bare essentials, so it wouldn't make for an interesting post.

My bag is from Schuh and it's Iron Fist.

I couldn't actually fit everything that was in my bag in this photo. I was quite appalled at how much crap I hoard haha.

The most important stuff is of course the beauty ;) I see some girls who pack entire makeup bags, but unless I'm doing something important, I will only take a powder, concealer and lipstick with me.

Body Shop Face Powder-I use this because my Rimmel Stay Matte has finally exploded into a 1000 pieces so I can't leave the house with it. The casing on this powder is pretty much indestructible although I've hit pan so will need to buy a new one soon.

Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer - My Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer is a relatively new edition to my bag makeup. With 2 different concealers and a powder to set them with, I've found it's the perfect handbag essential.

Maybelline Baby Lips - It goes without saying that every girl has a lip balm in their bag. This was the first one I picked up out of my stash.

Impulse Tease Body Spray- I remember when this first came out and I loved the smell. I still love it, and go through so many cans of this. It's always handy to have a spray to freshen up.

Poundland Nail File- This nail file was from Poundland and I got 6 in a pack. I popped one in my bag as I have a habit of ripping my nails off if they have split a little bit.

Hairbrush -The hair brush slash mirror (the blue thing) cost a couple of quid from Bodycare. They're so compact and useful.

Phone - My phone a Sony Xperia but I can't remember which one. As you can see it's a bit battered and I can't wait til my contract runs out in August so I can get a new one. 

Kindle- I have the normal Kindle with no special touch screen feature etc. As I'm on the bus for 4 hours a day, I rarely leave home without this. 

Ipod Classic - I've had this for about 6-7 years now and it's still going strong. Another essential for the long bus rides. 

Ted Baker Purse -I love my Ted Baker purse so much. It cost £65 and I bought it with my birthday money for my 21st. I actually don't keep this in my bag as I'm scared it will get scratched, or if I do, it's in a separate compartment. This holds all my cards (I have a lot) and I also keep any vouchers for Boots etc. As you can see, I have a few £1.99 Big Mac and chips vouchers haha. The only problem with this purse is that it does not hold much change. 

 Keys - Goes without saying really. I really need a keyring as my last one broke.

Hello Kitty Umbrella. - I got this for xmas 2012 and I love it. It's so cute and quirky. Except that the white colour is beginning to fade to leave a horrible brown underneath. Oh well, as long as it keeps me dry, that's all that matters.

My uni stuff. As you can see, I have a life supply of pens, due to me forgetting to bring one and having to purchase 16 of them at the quid shop. I found the pencil case under my bed, left over from A Level exam period. It stops the pens marking my books etc, even though it's not the prettiest thing in the world.

My diary was from Asda and perhaps is the only hint of organisation in the chaos of my bag.

As you can see, I have my module handbook from yesterday's seminar which was contemporary fiction. Plus my rather battered notebook.

Now onto the random crap of my bag. A pile of loose change that wouldn't fit into my purse Some sticky notes that I really should put in my pencil case to stop them getting any more screwed up. Some painkillers just in case. And a couple of tampons, because I think every girl carries spare tampons, even if they don't want to include it in their 'what's in my bag' post. 

Now onto the rubbish in my bag. First of all, an apple bake from Tesco which was sat in my bag for around a week before I finally ate it. I couldn't find a bin, so popped it back into my bag. An H&M receipt. A leaflet for the bus station. A coffee sticker thing from McDonald's and a Michael Kors piece of cardboard which I sprayed some perfume on. Exciting stuff. 

Now the random bits of food I shove into my bag every morning. A banana. A pack of Tomato Ketchup Walkers which I thought were Ready Salted. Two little sticks of fudge, to satisfy sweet cravings (it's better than a full Kit Kat chunky!) And my moustache waterbottle I bought from Primark last year for a couple of quid. All of this gets wrapped up in an Asda carrier bag so the banana doesn't explode over books and my drink doesn't leak. Oh yes, I'm the epitome of class and sophistication. 

So here you have it. If you have done a (honest) what's in my bag post, leave the links as I love to read them :) Don't forget to follow me on bloglovin.