It was a dark and stormy night in August and I was at home…..organizing my make-up drawer.
I don’t know about you guys but, as soon as the end of August approaches I seem to go into an organizational frenzy. I don’t do Spring cleaning. I do pre-Labor Day cleaning. Even though I haven’t gone “back to school” in years, I still get this urge to make sure my life is organized for September.
Until recently, I stored all of my make-up in a couple different cosmetic travel bags that I kept in my bathroom drawer. It was messy and it was hard to find the things I needed. I decided on a whim to reorganize my make-up drawer. After a quick trip to the dollar store, I now have a system that works so much better.
I was so proud of my work that I thought I’d share it with you! {In case you’re like me and are always curious about what’s inside other people’s cupboards}
1. Daily essentials: bronzer, Kiehls Midnight Recovery (aka crack for your skin), sunscreen, 3 different kinds of eye cream (eye moisturizing is serious business! I’m a tiny bit obsessed)
2. More daily essentials: concealer, mascara, clear mascara, MAC eyebrow make-up, foundation.
3. Eye-shadows: I love golds & neutrals (taupe & brown). My go-to color is Woodwinked by MAC. For night I’ll kick things up a notch with a darker, smokey eye.
4. Brushes: When I worked at a make-up counter in university I invested in a whole set of natural hair brushes (with my employee discount). It was one of the best purchases I have ever made. Natural brushes apply the product so much better & if you care for them properly, they can last for years.
5. Lip stuff: I don’t wear much lipstick these days but, I do have bunch of different lip glosses in berry tones that I wear almost daily. If I do wear lipstick its red, always. I have one tube for special occasions.
6. Odds and ends: Nail files, nail polishes, eye-lash glue & other products I don’t use all the time.
On the right hand side there’s also a pink comb (the only way to tame my hair after I’ve washed it) and a set of MAC fake eye-lashes. Carly – my roomie in Vegas was with me when I bought the comb and also when I nearly glued my eyes shut with the falsies. Rushing to put on fake eyelashes = not a good idea.
Now let’s take a closer look!
Lip stuff! Glosses from MAC, Victoria’s Secret, Sephora & Joe. Red lipstick (top) for night and Burt’s Bees to moisturize. Surprisingly, the real stand-out star here is the Joe “Fresh Glass” lip gloss. If you’re not familiar, Joe Fresh is a Canadian cheap & chic brand from the makers of Club Monaco. I received a few samples from them recently and was very pleasantly surprised. It’s $6 lip gloss but it definitely doesn’t feel like it. I hung out with one of Joe’s VP’s recently and I have on good authority that their cosmetics are made in the same factory as a high-end brand CoughCoughNARSCoughCough.
I’m not a product snob. I like stuff from the drugstore. I like MAC. I like some fancier stuff too. I’ll use whatever works the best. Here are a few higher end products that I really, truly love and I actually think are worth every penny.
1. Kiehls Midnight Recovery Serum: I don’t believe in miracle products but this one comes pretty close. You apply this oil (yes, oil) to your skin at night. It absorbs almost immediately & when you wake up in the morning your skin is literally glowing. It contains Lavender oil which helps promote healthy sleep & heal blemishes.
2. NARS foundation: I bought it for my best friend’s wedding a few years ago and never turned back. I only wear foundation a couple times a month but this one is great – it’s light, natural and blends really well.
3. YSL Touche Éclat under eye concealer: the most expensive piece of make-up I’ve ever purchased but also one of the best. You know those nights when you go out for drinks with friends but somehow end up partying at an after hours club until 4:30 in the morning? This stuff will make you look alive the next day.
Cleaning out my make-up drawer was a great idea. Being able to actually see all of my products has definitely has saved me time & energy in the morning. I also think it will save me money in the long run. I’ve been craving new makeup lately but once I cleaned everything out I realized that I actually have a lot of the things I need – I just couldn’t see them before! Now I can replace the things that I actually need, instead of going on a random, budget killing Sephora binge.
The best part about this? This project only cost $3. 50.
It’s all about the little things…
What are some of your favorite beauty products? How do you organize all of your goodies?
