Organize Me! - Makeup

I've always had such difficulty when it comes to organizing my makeup and hair accessories.  The biggest problem I have is the fact that the only closet that is in my bathroom is a linen closet - as in the closet is built to store towels and linens.  This is great to have, but the problem is that it is very deep - and it makes it difficult to reach anything I need.  

I was getting very fed up with the constant state my bathroom was in.  I needed a major fix before school started - because there was no way I was going to function in mayhem.  And that was exactly the state my beauty products were in!

After reading a few ideas for organizing beauty products, I went to Target and bought myself a three-drawer cart in purple for $15.  Its so cute and fits perfectly just under my sink!

I store my body lotions, makeup removers, perfumes and face wash on the top of the storage unit for easy access!

I decided to group my makeup and organize it by drawers - face and lip products are in the top drawer and eye products are in the second.  The third drawer was for hair care products.  this organization worked well because it gives me room to grow my makeup collection while having more than enough room to organize everything nicely and neatly!

Here is how I organize my top drawer.  I couldn't find any small compartments that would work to store makeup, so I made due.  I used the lids to jewelry boxes (which I had a TON of) to sort and store the makeup in groups.  The layout worked so well!  I have all my face brushes and nail-grooming supplies in a drawer I took from a storage unit I never used, and then sorted face powders, blushes, bronzers and lip products into boxes in which they would fit.

My second drawer is all for eye makeup.  After doing a bit of cleaning out (throwing away old shadows, eye primers, liners that I never used, etc.) I was able to make a lot of space to expand!  I'll need that since I am absolutely addicted to eye products.

I grouped my mascaras, eyeliners and eye curlers into one of those drawers from the storage unit.  Its the perfect size and keeps all those liner tubes from rolling away!  I then stacked and stored my shadow trios and quads in the back behind the box that held the more "dressy" eyeshadows - ones with glitter and wild colors that would only be worn for a night out.  I couldn't find a box in which my cream shadow quads would fit, so I just laid them out it front.  

The third drawer is completely dedicated to my hair care regimen.  Here I store my hair masks, heat protectants, and hair accessories (hair clips, bobby pins and hairbands) as well as my wide-tooth comb - the only acceptable brush for damp hair!

And that is how I organize my makeup and hair products!  How do you organize yours?

-xx, Beccy

DIY | Mason Jar Candle Holders

I love Mason jars so much.  There are really too many things you can do with them - store food, supplies, use them in crafts, or use them as cups.  I have a Mason jar holding all of my makeup brushes and always put my Arnold Palmer in a Mason jar.  Chances are if you like to craft or if you grew up south of the Mason-Dixon, you have a few Mason jars around your home.

I am currrently involved in planning a party for my youth group and we were in need of an idea for table centerpieces.  After a few hours online we decided to make spray painted Mason jar candle holders, which looked cool in photos and were very cheap and easy to make.  

What we bought:

14 Mason jars

Stencils in various designs

Spray Paint

We bought our Mason jars in bulk from Rural King, and the stencils and paint from Hobby Lobby.  It was very cheap for the number of jars - the project in total was about $20 (not an exact figure, but close!).

The first thing we did was attach the stencils we wanted to the Mason jars - the party's theme is Starry Night, so we wanted stencils with a whimsical, swirly pattern to echo celestial movements.  We cut the stencils apart and taped them on with Scotch tape.

The Mason jar before we put on the stencils....

And the Mason jar after!

Once we had the stencils on in the pattern we wanted fixed onto the jar, we sprayed the jar down with a heavy, metallic silver paint.  We went slowly, rotating it as each side dried so that the paint didn't run and mess up the delicate patterns.

The covered jar - yes, I was spray-painting in my Jacks.  Not advisable!

We let the pattern and the paint dry before removing the stencils.  The final effect was something gorgeous - the silver paint with the swirling designs looked so chic on the jar.  I knew instantly that it would be amazing when we lit a candle inside it.

The finished product!

We stuck a small tea candle inside and lit it.

And.....

Voila!  A gorgeous candle holder made entirely in the design you like!

Here's a photo of another jar.

How gorgeous for a warm summer night?  

These would be perfect for parties, weddings, even just around your home or on your patio.  The spray-painted designs cast soft shadows that flicker from the candle, and truly make any space feel magical.  I love these so much, I will have to make more just for myself!

What's your favorite craft involving Mason jars?

-xx, Beccy

DIY Dry Hair Shampoo!

Hello friends!

I'm sure it is safe to say that the dry hair shampoo trend has turned into a craze in the last few years.  I have seen countless articles on beauty websites and in tabloid magazines about the wonders of not having to get in the shower to have clean-looking hair.  Many of them comment on how it is great for hair health, and it is.  Washing your hair every day makes it dry and brittle, so having a working alternative to greasy hair will make your life easier and your hair healther.

Even though there are benefits to using dry shampoo, there is no way I will pay the prices for a bottle.  The general price range I have seen run from $10 to $30 for a bottle.  I am a budget freak - I hate buying full price ANYTHING, so there is absolutely no way I am paying that much.  Plus, a lot of dry shampoos have drying ingredients like alchohol, which make your hair brittle.  And if you are spraying the shampoo at the roots, that means you are making your hair breakable at the root.

That sounds like a bad hair day.

After a considerable amount of research - I consider myself a bit of a hair snob - I found an easy DIY dry shampoo for both light and dark hair.  And even better, the ingredients are cheap and non-drying!

Here's the recipes below:

For light hair:
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking soda.

No really, thats it.

Mix these two things together and you have dry shampoo.  If you want it to be perfumed, no problem.    Just put in a few drops of essential oils and mix.   The cornstarch will absorb the oil drops, but the smell will be left behind.  In my mix, I dropped two drops of peppermint and one of basil.  Its smells so fresh and heavenly.  Not to mention that peppermint essential oil is also great for stimulating hair growth!  The more you know.

However, if you do not have blonde hair like me, here's a recipe for dark hair:
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking soda
2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder

It is insane how easy this is.  I've used it and it works great, at least for my hair type.  I store my dry shampoo in a salt shaker, shake a little of it on to my roots, massage it in and style my hair.  Its great!

Happy hair days to all y'all!
-xx, Beccy

Budget Preppy | DIY Lilly Pulitzer Decor

So I am always looking for something new to spruce up the decorations in my room.  I am someone who gets bored very easily - I'm always looking to change it up every once in a while.  I have managed to temper myself to small changes - since I figured a major room remodeling every six months would neither be affordable or practical (though I can assure you, I'd play interior designer all day if I could).

When I last remodeled my room, I bought a bunch of super cute photo frames from Hobby Lobby.  They were silver photo frames with pearls all around the edges - PERFECT for a girl who loves her pearls!  While I proceeded to fill many of them with photos of family and close friends, one sat empty for a while, as I had no photo that would fit well in it.

It's been a year since I bought the frame, but FINALLY I figured out the perfect use for it!  I went online and searched for pretty, preppy printables (all that alliteration...) on Google.  I then found one I completely loved.  It was a Lilly Pulitzer print of beach balls with a quote written on it.

I printed it out, cut it to size and stuck it in the frame, and voila!

Such an easy way to add a bit of color to your room!  It certainly brightens up my workspace! 

What do you like to do to decorate your room?

-xx, Beccy