❧❦ My Makeup Vanity - Storage and Organization ❦❧

My Makeup Vanity Table

In my fantasy there is nothing I would love more than to inhabit a large, elaborate bedroom decorated with pale green damask fabrics and filled with pricey antiques.  I have always yearned for a makeup vanity table like Rebecca's in the Alfred Hitchcock classic Rebecca (1940).  As grandiose as my dreams are, the reality is that I don't live on a massive estate in the English countryside called Manderley and my bedroom is not very big.  


Also, at heart I'm a much more modern girl and I needed a narrow table in a dark chocolate finish that matched my existing bedroom furniture.  Like many others, I found the perfect vanity table by watching YouTube videos.  Almost everyone has one of two versions of the Malm vanity (in various colors).  I got the smaller version (now only available in white), and it's perfect for my needs.


The two table lamps are the Smart Twig Table Lamps and the mirror is the Stave Mirror in Black-Brown also from Ikea. The lamps are hand-blown, and therefore no two lamps are exactly alike.

Makeup Vanity Lighting

I like my vanity to be immaculate and organized.  I'll put anything on there or in there that pleases me.  Most often I'm busy painting my nails or experimenting with new products, and so the top of the vanity is cluttered with whatever products I'm in the mood to play with.


The glass top is easy to clean and I never have to worry about spilling anything on it because it won't stain. 


Nothing horrifies me more than makeup residue/powder/eyeshadow all over makeup bags and stuck on makeup packaging. If you are wondering how I keep my makeup containers/packaging looking brand, spanking new, I use Beauty So Clean cosmetic sanitizer products. These products are designed to sanitize makeup without the use of chemicals.  Their Cosmetic Sanitizer Wipes remove makeup residue from even the most (cool-looking but) dreaded NARS rubber packaging!  

Zadro Cosmetic Lipstick Holders (Acrylic)

I chose two Zadro lipstick holders (they hold 9 lipsticks each) for some MAC lipsticks and for a variety of other brands.  I like the fact that I can store the lipsticks upright, and if I want to see what color the MAC lipsticks are, I can lift pick up the whole thing in one hand and read the names underneath with ease.

I didn't want one long lipstick holder - instead, I can move the two around and I find this much more versatile.  Each lipstick holder has 4 slots for lipstick liner (or eyeliner) pencils, although I'm not using that feature here.

They are very good quality and inexpensive.  They can usually be found for around $12 here.

Mirrored Vanity Tray for perfumes and body sprays

I found this silver mirrored vanity tray at TJ Max for around $17.  My latest perfume/fragrance discoveries/obsessions are kept here. 

The Urban Decay 15th Anniversary tray & acrylic makeup drawers

I did a video and a blog post about these clear acrylic makeup drawers.  I stacked two sets of three drawers for a pretty and convenient way for me to store my most used eyeshadows.


I use the purple velvet tray that came with the 15th Anniversary Eyeshadow Palette by Urban Decay for face and body brushes.  

Anna Sui nail polish

Nail polish is one of my obsessions and I have nail polish bottles all over the place!  Anna Sui nail polish in these adorable rose shaped glass bottles can be purchased from Urban Outfitters for $15 each.


The white kitty cat with blue eyes reminds me of the other man in my life - my kitty cat Coco!  It looks just like him!  I introduce him in the video.

Lisbeth Dahl makeup bag, Venetian Mask and Chanel Le Coton

The Chanel Le Coton was a spur of the moment purchase.  This is what Chanel has to say about it:

CHANEL brings the highest-quality cosmetic cotton pads to the U.S., lending pure luxury to a woman’s daily cleansing and toning ritual. LE COTON is an exquisitely soft tri-layer pad developed in Japan: its outer lining, made from delicate, handpicked Egyptian cotton, and its inner filling, comprised of lightly entwined, elastic Australian fibers. Combined, this ultra-absorbent, lint-free composition increases the effectiveness of CHANEL Cleansers and Toners, treating even the most sensitive skin to unparalleled gentleness. Each LE COTON pad is generously sized and delicately embossed with the world-renowned CHANEL logo.

Who writes this stuff?!!

The Venetian mask is left over from Halloween.  I want to hang it on the wall but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

Lisbeth Dahl cosmetic pouch

I love Lisbeth Dahl products but they are virtually impossible to find in the USA so I had to order all of my LD items from Instant Vintage in the UK.  I was enthralled by this makeup bag!  It's like a large coin purse with a jewel-like clasp.  I have two - this one and an even larger one in gray satin.

Paul & Joe brush holder used for eyeliners, lip pencils and lipstick

This is a makeup brush holder from Paul & Joe.  I reviewed it here.  I have a matching Paul & Joe beauty mirror (featured in my video above).


I like to use one side for eye pencils, and the other side for lip pencils and lipsticks.

Pirates of the Caribbean OPI mini nail polish collection and Paul & Joe Butterfly Tin.

I reviewed the Paul & Joe Butterfly Tin here.  Now I use this tin to store makeup samples.


I'm obsessed with pirates, nail polish and the Caribbean and so I had to get this set the moment I laid eyes on it! The Pirates of the Caribbean OPI Mini Nail Polish Collection includes:

1. Skull and Glossbones
2. Planks a Lot
3. Sparrow Me the Drama
4. Stranger Tides

I'm giving away one of these OPI mini sets (not this one!) in my Favorite Things of 2011 Giveaway here. The giveaway ends December 27th, 2011.

Kristina Chadwick makeup brush holders

Artist Kristina Chadwick makes makeup brush holders of all shapes and sizes (and she does custom orders/colors, etc.)  I ordered a custom purple brush holder (right) and I was given the black textured brush holder (left) as a birthday gift this week.  I love the fact that each one of these is hand-made and unique.  Kristina sells makeup brush holders with matching ring holders for $30 on Etsy.


Kristina is offering a coupon code of 10% off! Use code "Sassi"

This decorative glass vanity box is from the Valerie Bertinelli home goods collection

This decorative glass vanity box is a part of the Valerie Bertinelli line for Home Goods and I picked it up at TJ Max for around $20!

Inside the vanity box 

I usually keep lipsticks (i.e. lipsticks that are packaged in square tubes that will not fit in the acrylic Zadro lipstick holders) in here, along with brand new products that I need to photograph for my blog.  Sometimes I have photographed the makeup (I keep an archive of photos for every makeup item I buy so that I can use them in blog posts) and I haven't had a chance to use the items yet.  

The rest of the items are just things that I'm busy with or have plans to use in the near future.  Whatever takes my fancy, whatever interests me now.

(L) Sephora stackable vanity trays (discontinued) (R) an Ikea Anordna tray 

Inside the vanity drawer I use the long discontinued Sephora stackable trays.  These are easily removed from the draw and the two small trays can stack on top of the single large tray.  I have more white Ikea Anordna trays (I think they are also discontinued), but right now I'm only using two Anordna trays inside the vanity drawer.  These trays are far more practical than the Sephora trays, because products are easier to see against the white of the tray, and because they can be washed with soap and water.  The Sephora trays are lined with fabric, so it's more of a mission to keep them clean.  Lint rollers and a keyboard vacuum cleaner does the trick.

Ikea Anordna pull-out tray

The Ikea Anordna trays are the perfect size to store MAC and the old style Stila eyeshadows on their sides.

Nail polishes, a Kristina Chadwick ring holder and Lisbeth Dahl coin purse

I don't know how many nail polishes I have.  I have a fairly decent OPI collection too, but I like to keep my favorite polishes close by on the Ikea Malm chest next to my vanity table.  Some favorites include Chanel, Deborah Lippmann, Zoya, Rescue Beauty Lounge and Paul & Joe.  This particular nail polish rack holds up to 36 bottles and it can be purchased here for $24.99.  Other sizes are available.


Additional makeup, makeup bags, nail products and other paraphernalia are stored in the Malm 6-Drawer Chest. 


The roses were given to me by my husband for my birthday :-)

Click here for a link to my YouTube Channel: The Sassi Wench

- The Sassi Wench

The Paul & Joe Brush Holder

The Paul & Joe Brush Holder Box

The Paul & Joe brush holder comes beautifully packaged!

Although this Paul & Joe makeup brush holder has been available for years, I only recently decided to purchase it.  

It is well made, compact, and easy to keep clean.  I have other brush holders, but I find that this particular one is perfect to place used makeup brushes in, or any brushes that need to be cleaned.  Once I have washed my makeup brushes, I use Brush Guards and place the washed makeup brushes inside one section of this brush holder where they can dry.  

The Paul & Joe brush holder has a pleated fan shape pattern.

The brush holder is patterned in a pleated fan shape, with raised chrysanthemums for a Paul & Joe signature look.

My Rock & Republic makeup brushes in the Paul & Joe Brush Holder

It's also practical to use for makeup pencils, and I store my pencils in one half of the brush holder.

The divider inside the Paul & Joe brush holder cannot be removed, it's built-in.

There is a divider inside which separates the brush holder into two compartments.  It is a permanent divider though, and it cannot be removed.

Paul & Joe makeup holder divider

The brush holder definitely looks like it belongs on a makeup vanity from a by-gone era - a little art deco, a little glamorous.  The only drawback about this brush holder is that it is small.  Measuring 4' at the base, 5 1/2" across and 3 1/2' high, it's not practical for someone with a large brush collection.  It would have been nice if this brush holder was available in a larger size.

Paul & Joe brush holder

Paul & Joe Brush Holder is available at the Dermstore for $23.


- The Sassi Wench

The Urban Decay 15th Year Anniversary Eyeshadow Collection

 
Urban Decay 15 Anniversary Palette Tray and Packaging

I know that there are about a thousand reviews on this Urban Decay 15th Anniversary Eyeshadow Palette out there, but I can't resist gushing about it myself!

It seems that just about everyone has snapped up one of these - and if you haven't, you should seriously consider getting one.

Urban Decay 15 Anniversary Palette Lid

First up, the packing.  Purple, metallic and mirrored, it compliments my vanity table perfectly, since I have touches of purple in my bedroom.


The box is so pretty - although the lid is prone to fingerprint smudges.

Urban Decay 15 Anniversary Palette Packaging

The lid (seen here placed inside the tray) includes a mirror.

Urban Decay 15 Anniversary Palette Mirror

Urban Decay 15 Anniversary Eyeshadow Collection Packaging

Because of the range of colors it is easy to create virtually any look, and transform yourself from a neutral-eyed demure damsel during the day into a sexy, smokey-eyed vixen in the evening! And what a stunning selection of brown shadows!

Urban Decay 15 Anniversary Eyeshadows

This collection of full size shadows is simply stunning!  The colors are richly pigmented, soft, they blend easily and the formula allows for a smooth application.  My favorites are Vanilla (perfect for the brow bone), Midnight, Omen and Evidence.  And they stay on!

Urban Decay 15 Anniversary closeup 

The only con about this palette is that, due to its rather large size and loose lid design, it would make it rather awkward for traveling.  So unfortunately, I'll have to leave his one behind when I travel.

Urban Decay 15 Anniversary Eyeshadow Collection

As an added bonus, the tray that the collection comes in can be used for other things...

Urban Decay 15 Anniversary Eyeshadow Velvet Tray

I'll use it on my vanity as either a jewelry tray, for for lipsticks or nail polishes.

I think that this is just about one of the best eyeshadow collections out there.


- The Sassi Wench

Makeup and Accessory Organization Tips

I love being organized (although I do have moments of disarray and a bad habit of losing things anyway), and I am particularly interested in clear, sparkly, easy to clean makeup and accessory storage.

Clear glass, crystal and acrylic makeup storage.

For me, storage containers need to be functional and clear, so that I can find everything.  I do have some  solid black containers but I chose those for a specific purpose and I'll post more on those at a later date.


The tray is called Retangular Vanity Tray and it can be personalized with your initials... mine are KFJ, and they have several fonts to choose from.  These trays are multi-purpose and can make great gifts.  Purchase them from Kate Carlyle, a Gift Boutique.

A cake plate for perfume is heavy, scratch resistant and durable.

They also need to be durable and easy to keep clean.  Makeup is a messy business, and it drives me crazy to see people who store away palettes with powdery fingerprints all over them!

Acrylic bangle storage, sunglasses storage and eyeshadow pad storage.

I went on the hunt on the Internet, in stores, and on Ebay and I found everything that I wanted.

Acrylic cube jewelry storage can be used for makeup or jewelry.

Some of the storage has a dual purpose, like a stackable jewelry drawer that can be used for jewelry or makeup.

These acrylic makeup storage containers are stackable.

 The fact that you can stack these drawers, and that they come in different configurations makes these drawers a versatile option!  I have already done a post on the drawers, and you can read about them here.

A crystal perfume tray. Everything has its place and there is a place for everything.

With everything laid out on or in clear storage, it's easy to get ready in the morning.  I have more perfume than what I have shown here, but I know that all the perfume is in one place and selecting a fragrance in the morning is easy.


The ring holder is the Lenox Crystal Heiress Ring Holder.

The Kate Spade Larabee Dot cake plate used as a fragrance tray.

Look around for objects that you wouldn't normally consider using for makeup, like a cake plate.  There are so many pretty ones out there, that you can find one to suit your decor and taste.

An acrylic tray is good to use for face creams and nail polishes.

An engraved tray makes for even better organization of bottles containing creams, or containers with powder - anything that could be messy can be wiped clean with minimum effort.

Kate Spade Larabee dot Crystal Box to hold jewelry.

A clear jewelry box with a heavy lid is good for storage, and keeps dust off valuable items.  A bonus for me, is that my kitty cats can't paw off the lid and help themselves to my jewelry (which has happened before, when I found a necklace and earrings lying downstairs had been skillfully removed by my all to clever and inventive kitties!)

Caboodles Makeup brush storage.  This is similar to the Beauty Buffet Tray.

Caboodles containers.  (L) My Essentials Box.

Caboodles is marketed to teenagers, but in fact they offer really good and practical storage solutions, so be sure to check out their site here.

Acrylic sunglasses storage from Ebay.

 Ebay has a treasure trove of acrylic storage goodies.  Search for "acrylic storage" "sunglasses storage" "acrylic makeup storage" or "acrylic jewelry storage".

Acrylic cotton pad storage is from The Christmas Tree Shops.

You can find makeup remover cotton pad storage everywhere.  I got mine from The Christmas Tree Shops.

Cotton Makeup Pad storage.

Acrylic bangle and bracelet holder from Ebay.

Click here for a link to my YouTube Channel: The Sassi Wench

Until next time, 

The Sassi Wench!