Make Up Storage

Finding good make up storage can  make a really nice little project when you have the time. It will give you some control over the mass of make up brushes and eyeliner pencils, cleansers and moisturizers, lipsticks and lip glosses and bottles of nail polish, nail whiteners and nail stengtheners that spill out of the bathroom cabinets and off the shelves, threatening to engulf you and even worse, your man. Mind you, you might even be able to find something nice for him to put his selection of deodorant sprays and mens lotions in too.

Here are a few great make up storage ideas to help get you going.

Make up storage boxes. Well, one idea is to get a big box and chuck everything in. Job done. A really nice alternative that will give you a chance of finding what you are looking for is to check out a good office store for desk organisers. Turn your make up storage box on the side and slot in what was supposed to be a set of in-trays or pen holders to separate your mascaras from your glitter jars, and your foundation brushes from your bronzers. Anything from DVD racks to Tupperware will work too.

Why not get your hands on a make up storage case. There are some beautiful chrome professional and semi-professional fixed and portable storage cases with some large spaces for big make up pots, pallets and containers and lots of funky fold out drawers and shelving, perfect for all those small make up goodies like eyeliner pencils, lip pencils and mascara. They can look a little like a posh oversized tool kit but they work really well, as long as it isn’t commandeered by the man in your life for his prize set of spanners and wrenches. To get your own back, steal his (definitely not yet used) fishing tackle box. This will probably work out as a much cheaper alternative to the pro kit, and there are lots of other plastic and more basic alternatives around too.

For make up brush storage, probably the best thing is just to use a plastic cup or beaker or, if you can find one, an ‘I Love Lipstick’ or ‘Lady at Work’ novelty mug. Stick the brushes in there and you’re done.

Whilst we have been discussing make up storage solutions, we should also mention that it is a good idea once in a while to have proper clear out of your cosmetics. Quite a lot of products have a relatively short shelf life. When hairs from your brush start to get left on your face, it’s probably a good time to get a new one. With some make-up, it starts to smell very strange after a time so throw it out. Mascara lasts for about six months maximum. It is only really some of the powders, if stored correctly without getting too much moisture in them that last for a long time.

For more make up storage ideas, please click here.

Party eyes

Go for the cat eye look. Light tones for the eye shadow and dark tones lining the eye make your eyes really stand out and appear bigger. Alternatively, try a really bright colour on the upper eye lid, perhaps a blue or yellow, and keep the rest of the colouring fairly low key so this element stands out. A really fun party look. Or how about a metallic copper or electric blue eye shadow or even a spot of glitter for the office Christmas party?

Try something new

Use lip gloss instead of lipstick. Play around with colours around your eyes but keep the rest of your make up very simple. Or how about some shimmer for night out. You might be very comfortable with a small range of colours and shades so try to change one or two perhaps getting some ideas from the fashion and gossip magazines.

Wedding and bridal make up

Consider hiring a bridal make up artist and if you do, book at least one consultation and practice in. Make sure the artist has a thorough understanding of the hair style you are having on the day, and the dress and flowers and any accessories. Allow plenty of time on the morning of the wedding to have your make up done, factoring in that you may want some changes once you have seen it. Always sit with natural light on your face so you can get a good idea of the colours and shades you are using.

The holiday look

Using glitter and sequin are two popular options at the moment. There are many glitter eye shadows, lipsticks and lip glosses available. You might like to go with bolder colours at a holiday party than you would at home too.

Provocative Halloween make up

Fake a little beauty spot with an eyeliner pencil. Try a light shade of foundation first to create that Marilyn Monroe look. Or go with a wild out of character lip colour like gold or blue, or perhaps something in your make up collection that you bought in a rash moment, and base a look on this.

The first key thing to remember is often forgotten. It is really important to sit down with a mirror near a source of natural light. Tungsten lights which are most household light bulbs, or fluorescent light sources, can leave a really marked colour cast on your face so you will not know for sure what colours of make up you are applying to your face.

Make sure you have cleaned and dried your face thoroughly.

Apply a brand of concealer that will not gunge up too much. If it does, a moisturizing cream applied first can help with this. Key areas to concentrate on are any blemishes, marks and rings under the eyes. The shade of the concealer should be very slightly lighter than your foundation.

Foundation comes next. The shade should be a close as possible to the tone of your skin. Many people have a yellow based tone to their face and many foundations will to designed for this. In this case, do not pick out an orange or pink based one. Apply a few dots around the middle of your face and smooth it outward using a sponge.

Moving on the eyebrows, you can use either an eyebrow brush and powder or a pencil which gives a very different look.

The areas around the eyes are sometimes the most challenging. Apply a paint base to your eyelids then start with the eyeliner. Using a brush and eyeliner or an eyeliner pencil, carefully trace a thin line across the eyelid both above and below the eye and at the base of the lashes. You might want to only complete this line two thirds of the way across from the outside of the eye at the bottom. If you complete this in full, it gives a more dramatic effect.

Choosing your eyeshadow colour and finish will depend on your mood and what you are doing that day or evening. But a safe bet is to go with a colour that is complementary to the colour of eyes. Purple goes well with brown eyes and orange with blue eyes. Remember not to go below the eyelash line or your eyes will appear very heavy and use a lighter shade for the brow bone area.

To complete the look around your eyes, apply mascara to the lashes thinly to avoid it clogging. Brown works well if you have light skin tones, black if your skin is darker.

Smile so you can see the apples of your cheeks and apply blusher there. A simple sweep of the brush in the shape of a tick outwards from your nose works well.

Apply your lipstick before you line your lips. This way if they rub off over time, they will rub off together.

There are quite a few steps to even a basic application of make up and when you multiply this by all the colour and brands a girl likes, you have quite a kit to content with and that you need easy access to. Try our make up storage ideas to give you more time for the fun things in life.