Pink Paradise Beauty: Makeup Vanity

Saturday, 16 May 2015

Makeup Brush Collection, Storage and How I Clean My Make-Up Brushes

I think I've mentioned before but a make-up brush can make a world of difference to how you apply your make-up and the way it looks. Over time I've expanded my make-up brush collection and storage into something I'm really happy with, so I thought I'd share with you my brush collection and storage and some of my most used brushes I can't live without.

Do you have a brush or make-up sponge you can't live without? Tweet me or leave a comment down below.

Brush Cleaning Routine

I don't know about you, but I loathe cleaning my make-up brushes, just like I detest doing the ironing, but this is one job that has to be done, to ensure my make-up brushes are bacteria free and plus there's nothing better than applying make-up with a freshly cleaned brush.

For years I've used good old Johnson's Baby Shampoo to deep clean my make-up brushes, along with this nifty little facial pad I found in Primark, that works wonders as a cleaning pad to get into the bristles of the brushes more efficiently. For quick cleaning I use the MAC Brush Cleanser on kitchen towel.

To dry my brushes I usually leave them to air outside if it's a nice day, put them in the airing cupboard or dry them on the radiator.

Brush Collection and Holy Grail Brushes
A majority of my brushes I purchase are from MAC, Real Techniques, Crown & Royal & Langnickel. While MAC is at the top end of the price scale, there are so many other affordable make-up brush lines now, that stock equally as good, quality brushes, some of my favourites are Real Techniques and Royal & Langnickel.

Here are my holy grail brushes I really can't live without, from left to right.
Bare Minerals Light Stroke Brush - This is great to use with powder to set concealer under the eyes.
Royal & Langnickel Short Flat Liner C455 - I use this to define my brow with concealer.
Real Techniques Contour Brush - This is the best brush for applying blusher.
Real Techniques Buffing Brush - My favourite brush ever for applying foundation when your in a rush.
MAC 217 - The ultimate eye shadow application brush, this blends any eye shadow out like a dream.
Royal & Langnickel Brow Angle - I use this to apply gel liner as it has the perfect small tip for getting close to the lash line.
Royal & Langnickel Line & Smudge - I actually use this to highlight and powder my brow bone.
Royal & Langnickel Large Powder - This is the softest, most gentlest brush ever and works fantastic with face powder to set your foundation.
Crown Pink Eyebrow Brush - I love this to apply powder to my brows as it's short and dense.
Beauty Blender - This is the most amazing sponge for applying foundation as it helps give the most flawless, airbrushed finish to your make-up.

Make-Up Brush Storage
I love these Muji acrylic storage units because you can see every brush clearly and they are super affordable. I also love Ikea for cute, inexpensive storage ideas, like this mint green pot I found to store my make-up sponges in below.

Room Decor, Organisation and Storage Ideas

Room Tour Organisation and Storage Ideas

I defiantly like a tidy house and when it comes to clutter I love everything to have an organised place or storage solution and this is where my passion for DIY and my obsession for Ikea comes in. Now Ikea I like to call the Primark of home ware, you go in for one thing and then you come out with a lot more than you expected, I just love them because they have the best storage solutions and ideas. With regards to DIY I always look at things and think I could make that for half the price with what resources I already have available, so I wanted to share with you a few DIY and general storage ideas for your bedroom, make-up room and office area etc.

Nail Polish Storage

NAIL POLISH
Being a nail polish hoarder, I was constantly looking for storage ideas to display all my polishes on, until I discovered the joy of the Ikea Ribba picture ledge, which I'm sure you've seen a ton, but this is the perfect idea for storing polish on and you can fit two rows of nail polish, one behind each other on each ledge.

Jewellery Tree Storage

JEWELLERY
If you have lots of jewellery and are a magpie for sparkle like me then it seems a shame not to have your favourite pieces on show. There is plenty of ideas you can use, so let your imagination run wild! I found this affordable jewellery tree from Wilko, which displays some of my most colourful and sparkly costume jewellery.

Beauty and Fashion Books

My jewellery tree is stored on top of some of my favourite books which I love to display too as they add colour and interest to a room.

Jewellery Tray

Another great idea for storing your go to jewellery and current favourite nail polish is on a pretty tray, I have jewellery I wear everyday and so it's nice to have it out where I can access it easily. The same applies to nail polish, if you have a few favourites for the month or you think I must wear that polish again sometime, display it on a tray so it reminds you to wear it and plus it looks pretty too. See how I made this Jewellery tray in my recent video below.

Ikea Candle Tray

DIY Light

LIGHTING UP A ROOM
Lights for me always adds atmosphere to a room, whether it be fairy lights, chandeliers or lamps, but these can be expensive, so look around to what you already have stored in your house, can you re-vamp or update something? I had an old Moroccan looking lamp which was brown that hadn't been used in ages, I just spray painted it white to bring it back to life and now I use it all the time.

Ikea Malm

THE FUNDAMENTAL STORAGE
Ikea Malm has been my favourite storage solution for years, mainly because they are affordable and the fact they look clean, crisp and come in so many different varieties and colours now that the possibilities are endless.
I like the 3 drawer units as these work for me the best and plus there's the option of a glass top which finishes the draws of perfectly.

I use the Ikea Skubb draw inserts to keep things organised inside as well as out, they come in black, white and pink and fit perfectly into the Malm series. Other storage ideas for inside draws which I like to use are mason jars and old jewellery and make-up boxes.

Clothes Rack

WARDROBE SPACE
If you don't have a lot of wardrobe space like me and your fiancé ends up having more clothes than you, then a clothes rack is a great idea to display seasonal clothes on,which are easier to reach than being banished to the back of a tiny wardrobe. I picked up this clothes rack from Argos for under £10 and it defiantly has been a stress-free lifesaver when picking out clothes in the morning. You can also find these on Amazon too.

Hangers - Primark

OFFICE SPACE

I only have a tiny corner as my office and the Ikea Kallax is what I use to store everything in, I like this unit as it comes with additional cupboard inserts, draws and storage boxes to fit in to the shelves so you can customise it to your tastes. At the moment I have the Ikea Drona in Mint Green in the bottom two shelves.

Tassel Garland

To jazz up this little corner I made an easy affordable tassel garland that will brighten up any dull area, these are great as you can customise them in any colour you would like and they are really easy to make.

Use jewellery trays, mason and candle jars to store washi tape, paperclips and pens.

Fill frames with inspiring quote postcards, these are from Paperchase.

To stay organized and inspired I came up with this DIY Planner Board. This doubles up as a weekly planner to stay on schedule and an inspiration board that can motivate you to move forward with your goals and aspirations, which is what helps me.

Makeup Vanity

MAKE-UP VANITY

I think I'm in the majority vote when I say that the Ikea Alex is the best for storing make-up in, they just have the perfect sized draws where you can see everything in them.

Ikea Alex

I find the best storage for inside the draws for make-up is the Muji PP Storage and Ikea Godmorgon.

I also like the Ikea Variera draw liner, which you can cut to size and keeps the inside of the draws clean.

Old make-up bags are also a great way to store your cotton wool, q tips and sponges etc.

Old gift boxes and candle jars can be used to store nail polish and nail essentials in.

Muji Acrylic Storage

Muji have the best acrylic storage at an affordable price for keeping almost anything in, these draw versions are great for lipstick so you can see every colour clearly.

Another acrylic storage idea is the lipstick holders that display your lipsticks beautifully, you can get these from as little as £3 from Amazon.

Look for cute heart dishes in the kitchenware sections to store lip balms in, this one is from Wilko.

Mirrored trays are perfect for displaying pretty perfume bottles as I think it's a shame to keep them hidden away in a cupboard. Check out TK Maxx for mirrored storage.

Vanity Make-Up Organisation & Inspiration Tips

Vanity Makeup Organisation and Storage

I'm always striving to find the perfect storage for my Make-Up and Nail Polish so that everything is easy accessible and clearly laid out so I can see what I have. I finally have everything organised in my vanity and thought I would show you how you too can store your Make-Up, Brushes, Nail Products etc. using clever storage that doesn't have to cost you the earth if you shop around.

I hope you feel inspired to get organised this January! Share any tips and favourite ways you like to store your beauty products in the comments box below!