back to school beauty essentials: organizing

the school year is in full swing, and i've already bought plenty of stuff to make sure we're prepared for homework, projects, and the "i can't find my pencil" moments {ha!}.

 it's important to have a place for all those pencils {rulers, notebooks, scissors, paperclips...} just as it's important to have a place for all those fabulous beauty tools and new product hauls. having multiples of everything can be a good thing {it's actually inevitable with beauty products, right? }, but having lots of everything can become stressful if it's all over the place. staying organized not only saves time, but it also looks good {and keeps stress levels down}!

Pottery Barn Teen was kind enough to send me a couple of unique items that work fabulously for getting and keeping your stash in check...

this Manicure/Pedicure Lapdesk from Pottery Barn Teen is a gorgeous, completely functional beauty station. its wooden top makes the perfect surface for painting and polishing, while compartments on the inside allow for plenty of supply storage. i love that this allows me to keep all my nail items together for an impromptu mani or pedi; the hard part is choosing which polish color to wear... 

The Ultimate Beauty Organizer is available in two sizes {i have the small} and can be personalized via the website {love that!}; i j'adore how versatile it is, yet still looks so incredibly elegant ~ makes staying organized less of an effort, wouldn't you say? :)

other items of note that are quite beneficial for organizing your beautiful life {some i actually own myself and others can easily found on the web}:

 this rolling cart works fabulously for keeping your faves in view but out of the way; simple plastic drawers can go under sinks, in closets or on your countertop.

 i love using mini storage trays and drawer organizers {find pretty ones at TJ Maxx!} ~ they fit into drawers and are perfect for makeup, hair and jewelry.

lipstick holders and makeup brush holders keep your favorite lippies and most-used brushes in site;

small jars and vases can also be utilized for holding items {mascaras, liners, brushes...}, and as long as you create a "home" for your goodies, you'll fell so much better.

tell me: how do you keep your beauty stash organized?

Pottery Barn Teen organizers were sent to me for the purpose of review/feature ~ opinions and thoughts are my own; pics taken by me :)

beauty tools: Mary Kay Makeup Brushes + Brush Cleaner

as they say, it's important to have the right tools for the job. in the case of a beauty girl, those tools are makeup brushes. from blending to smudging, defining to blurring, they're essential. since it's most likely you're like me and don't have time to spend hours applying makeup each day {a girl can dream}, just having a set of basics can make a difference...

and guess what? Mary Kay has just those basics to allow you to apply your makeup like a pro.

you could say i've become a fan...

Mary Kay makeup brushes are fabulously soft and make the process of beautifying yourself even better. you can give a set to yourself or purchase pieces a la carte; and to save time by keeping everything organized, i love their makeup organizer. it's the perfect thing for housing must-haves that you wear daily and of course, is great for travel! the mesh brush pockets protect dual-ended brushes, while a removable pouch and additional pocket allow for storage of up to two Mary Kay Compacts {they hold eye shadows, blushes, powders and bronzers} or your additional beauty faves.

to keep those brushes fresh and clean, MK Makeup Brush Cleaner is fast-drying and perfect for use every day. keeping your brushes clean not only ensures the best color application {not to mention good hygiene for your skin!}, but is also beneficial to making them last. just spray brush cleaner directly onto brush hairs until thoroughly dampened, sweep brush over tissue or soft towel to remove residue and lay brush flat to air dry. 

visit marykay.com or contact your favorite MK beauty rep for more info.

products featured sent to me for review consideration: pics taken by me :)

Beautifully Organized with a Hold Me Bag

dear beauties i would like to introduce you to an amazing makeup bag. it's like no other makeup bag you have (unless you actually have this one)...



meet the Hold Me bag. isn't the wrap-a-round, vintage schoolgirl's book-bag look so adorable?




it has many places to store your makeup and brushes and can hold a lot! every bag comes in a black exterior with a material called Knew Suede, a soft fabric that keeps it's shape no matter what, and cleans up easily (there are different inner lining styles. Miss Suki is the one i have).



the center section has a separate liner in the bottom that is easily removable for cleaning. it can also be used outside the bag, if needed.




the brush/tool section has fifteen compartments (!!)-- some will hold single items and some, multiple items.




i love that the Hold Me bag allows me to fill it with everything from jars to bottles to compacts and liners to palettes and mascaras, along with makeup brushes, yet still closes and looks good!




as you can see in the above collage (click to enlarge), i really stuffed the Hold Me to see for myself, and show you, how much it could store.

i am so happy to have this Hold Me bag*. it's well made and i think every makeup-lover should own one. though on the pricey side, it is very cost effective when it comes to how much use you'll get out of it, is versatile, and it just makes makeup storage so chic! :)


visit holdmecompany.com to see all the inner liner styles and for more info.

xo
*Hold Me bag featured sent to me for review by the brand.

Beauty Resolutions Worth Making

the first week of the new year is behind us (can you believe it? 2009 flew by, if you ask me!), and i'm sure many of you have made some resolutions for 2010 (or have you?). are any of them beauty-related? here are some beauty resolutions i think are worth making:

clean your makeup tools at least once a week. so many people neglect to clean their makeup brushes for months (yes, months-- yuck!), but that is such a bad habit! you can buy a daily spray (i like this one from Sephora) to spritz your brushes with each night and give them a good shampoo on the weekends (this brush cleanser from MAC is fab), and wash your sponges as soon as you're done using them each day. if you buy them in bulk, toss them after a week. the point is to get into keeping your tools clean-- your skin will thank you.




organize your stash. if you are an avid makeup collector (you know who you are), at some point, you have to get organized in order to a) know where your stuff is, and b) keep your home from looking like the beauty department exploded in it (beauty departments are organized after all). i recently purchased some drawers from The Container Store, and they are working fabulously. since the drive to that amazing retailer is an hour away for me, i was happy to find that Target carries an assortment of organizing drawers that fit nicely in my closet as well.




get your beauty sleep. sleep is so important for brain function, staying healthy, and keeps us looking good. last year i found myself very frequently going to bed late, but in 2010 i am resolving to get into bed an hour earlier. it's an easy goal that will get me into bed at a reasonable hour, but i won't feel like it's inconvenient, and i know i'll have more energy during the day.




get and keep your hair in good condition. if you color or relax your hair, it is important to get regular trims every 6-8 weeks. also, using products for your specific hair type will aid in maintaining healthy hair between salon visits. if you don't chemically alter your hair, visits can be stretched out 10-12 weeks, and don't forget to deep condition at least once a month (more frequently of you have drier hair).




wash your face! some of you may still go to bed without washing the makeup off of your face-- stop doing that, please. i know it may seem impossible to take 15-20 minutes each night when you've had a long, exhausting day, but it's so not good for your skin to keep the makeup on. your largest organ recovers and rebuilds during sleep, so cleansing and treating it with good products (think eye cream, serum, moisturizer) will actually benefit it in the long run.


will you be making any beauty-related resolutions this year?


xo

New Years Resolution: Getting Organized

do you have a resolution to get organized in 2009? whether you have a drawer, a closet or a whole house to reorganize, or you just want to get your schedule under control, here are some fabulous tips for doing it, as well as amazing websites that will give you inspiration and keep you on track!

**clean out your belongings before you think about organizing (organizational tools, furniture, etc.). don't do it the other way around. you can only really accurately know what space you have when you've cleaned up. if you don't really take a hard look at what you're stuffing in your spaces, you'll waste time and money organizing stuff you don't need anyway.




**to organize your makeup, first, get rid of what you know you'll never use again (be honest!). then separate the products you use most into a basket or other easy to get to place. sort the rest into categories (foundation, blush, mascara, etc.). you can use more generalized categories of you have very few products (lips, eyes, cheeks, etc.). keep your less used items in a train case or separate them using any type of drawer organizer.

**use timers. setting a timer for how long you think an organizing task should take will make it a little more fun, so you can work like crazy to get it done in the allotted time. if you don't get it completely done, well you're a lot closer than you were before! tackle it again the next day.

**use a planner. planners are especially useful if you have a lot of appointments and your days are so varied that you have trouble keeping track of your schedule. if you happen to travel a lot or attend classes at various times of day, it's much easier to carry a planner with you to consult frequently-- you can't do that with just a calendar. if you prefer a more tech-savvy approach, let that PDA (palm pilot, iphone, blackberry) do it for you!



**if you're not a naturally organized person, you can change your habits by starting with one small area of your living space and focusing on keeping that small area organized. by keeping that small area organized, over time it will become easier to do. after about 2-3 months of keeping it looking good, you'll want to expand your new-found organizing instincts to other areas!

**put things back right away. instead of setting things on your kitchen table, throwing them into a drawer or piling it on your desk, put it where it belongs as soon as you don't need to use it even if it's the trash). putting things like this off creates clutter and can start to get out of control. designate certain places for your keys, your cell, coats, books, etc., and always put them there-- trust me, this works!


fabulous helpful get-organized sites:

lifeorganizers.com
plannerpads.com
organizedhome.com
containerstore.com
flylady.net


start small, do a little everyday. if you need help, ask your super-organized friend to help you. i'm sure they'll be relieved you finally asked- lol! in any case, you can do it! :)

xo