Jewellery Organisation

To continue off of one of my earliest posts of jewellery organization, I thought I would post images of my necklace and earring system that has been working well for me.  

These hooks and wall-hangs are all repurposed from our storage room. My mom used them in past houses that we've lived in, but they have been sitting there for four years so I snatched them up for myself. Once upon a time, these were gold, black and cream, but a fresh (and somewhat messy) coat of paint can make anything look brand new. I love the way the necklaces overlap and everything looks busy but organized. I can see everything I have and don't have to fight to find something in the morning.

The only storage solution that I have stored away are my earrings, and this is just because this is the only system that works for me. I have 6 piercings on my ears, therefore a lot of earrings to decorate them with. I've tried earring holders, hooks and a million different DIY suggestions, but this really keeps me most organize. Earrings never go missing and I know exactly where every pair will be. One of the trays goes further back into the drawer and isn't as accessible, so that is where I store my less-worn earrings that I am not quite ready to give to my baby sister. The section on the right holds earrings that don't fit in the little square compartments (I have very few of these as you can see) as well as delicate bracelets that I don't want to throw in the bowls in fear of them getting scratched, tarnished or tangled.

So, there you have it! Bracelets, necklaces and earrings all have their own place and everything is simple enough to find when I am still in my half-asleep phase as the sun is rising. Any delicate and sentimental jewellery I actually didn't bring with me in my move, but it has a special place in my Grandmother's jewellery box back home in Toronto.

How do you store your jewellery pieces?

B

Products I've Used Up 3

Another PIUU post and I am happy to report I am almost to the end of all my samples and excess products… well, relatively speaking. I have about 20% of what I started with, which is a huge improvement. That being said, I still have a lot to get through. Anyway, let's get started!

In my previous PIUU post, I talked about the L'Oréal Voluminous Waterproof Mascara. The only thing about this mascara I didn't like was the fact that it was waterproof, but my lovely friend Jodie gave me her favourite mascara as a gift which was this exact mascara but not waterproof and with a curved brush. I still love this mascara, but I don't know if the curved brush was for me. Once I use up some more mascaras I will be buying the regular brush, non waterproof version and I think this will be the jackpot!

Another mascara I used up was a sample size of Le Volume de Chanel - this mascara was absolutely amazing. I rarely buy high-end mascaras because I find that there is always a drug store version available that can do the same if not a better job. This one, however, is unlike any mascara I've ever used. It separates the lashes, the formula is nice and thick but easy to work with, it is incredibly black, adds incredible volume and even lengthens (though that isn't one of it's strengths.) This is one of those mascaras that I may end up revisiting down the line if I can't find one like it, which makes me upset because I can imagine that this won't be cheap… 

Something more boring will be these hotel amenity deluxe samples I've been using up from BeeKind - I used up two shampoos, two conditioners, two shower gels and one bar of soap. 

All of these products were okay… nothing better than that, though. The conditioner worked, the shower gel cleaned just fine and the shampoo took the sand and salt out of my beach hair, but that was it. Nothing was the least bit moisturizing and none of them had a great smell, all with a bit of a natural citrus scent, which are two of my least favourite scents. Ever.

The cleansing bar I actually used for my makeup brushes. I had never tried a solid cleanser before for my brushes and it was a pleasant surprise, I just hate barred soap so much that I can't stand using it. It made my hands feel dry and waxy, even when just using it for my brushes. It did intrigue me to try the beauty blender solid cleanser, though. I felt that this product in specific really didn't impress me. 

Next up, makeup wipes and vitamins - thrilling, I know… The Kirkland wipes would have been the best makeup wipes of all time if they didn't burn my eyes so badly! The Bioderma Baby Wipes are nice and sturdy, but don't really remove makeup that well. I only ever use these when I am using a cleansing balm or makeup removing oil, and for that they work well. I have another pack on the go now and my opinion remains the same. The Simple Eye Make-Up Removing Wipes were horrible, but perfect for after doing my eye shadow and using them under my eyes and to create a clean line. I will definitely be repurchasing these, but for that reason only. I hate wasting a whole full sized wipe just for removing fallout from my face, so these worked perfectly. Last but not least is that silver package, and the reason I am not giving those a name is because they look the same but come with different names (as you can see in these two images) - these are the best makeup wipes I've ever used in my life and the least expensive, too. Highly recommended. 

Vitamins are vitamins, but I don't need to take these anymore as I've changed my diet and reintroduced meat, so I simply finished these up and tossed them, but they've been sitting in my cabinet for ages so wanted to include them just so I could feel a sense of accomplishment. #sorrynotsorry

Next up is the Benefit Gimme Brow - I have never used a brow gel before, so perhaps thats why I love this so much, but this is amazing! The tint makes your brows look fuller for days you don't want to have to do the whole brow routine, but still leaves them looking a bit alive and helps frame the face. I am currently using the lighter colour and I definitely think the darker one is better for my brunette hair, but I am loving it and so happy I have some back ups as I don't want to ever be without this product. I will definitely be trying some other brow gels just to compare and make a well rounded decision, but yes - definitely recommend this product.

This Loreal Eyeliner was horrendous. It transferred thick, it was impossible to achieve a fine line, it flaked off after a few hours of wear. Just horrible!

 The Soap & Glory Feel Good Factor SPF25 Facial Moisture Lotion was a disappointment. The packaging claimed that 90% of women said they would never use another moisturizer again, but after using it I have come to the conclusion that these women were clearly not in their right mind. I used most of this bottle as a face primer after moisturizing and before foundation as I did find that it helped the product adhere to my face better, but it didn't soak it at all and it smelled funny. The Pantene Pro-V Milky Damage Repair was an amazing conditioning treatment for my ends. I am currently using the Healthy Sexy Hair spray in conditioning treatment, but after using this and the Macadamia treatment, I think I will be hearing off of spray treatments and sticking with ones similar to this - I will definitely consider purchasing the full size of this once I'm done the other two full-size products I currently have that serve the same purpose.

I have never spray tanned, fake tanned or laid in a tanning booth, but I got this PR sample so thought I would give it a try and it actually worked really well! I will never be a fake tanner, ever, but if this is something you like, I highly recommend the Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Glow Pads. 

 Lastly, we have a pack of Cool & Cool Cosmetic Cotton Buds. These are amazing as they have one flat ended sided and another tapered pointed end, which are great for cleaning up mistakes or making clean lines on the face. There are a million brands of this, but this is the one I got and it works great.

Well, that's it for now, but there is more to come! Speak soon,

Bianca

DIY Coasters

Hi everyone! I'm back today to share with you a project I took on recently. I've been searching for coasters that match my room decor for quite some time and I either found ones that weren't quite right or were way out of my price range. Of course, I took it upon myself to make my own!

Things you'll need: Cork coasters, white acrylic paint, a paint brush, a spray paint in the colour of your choice, another spray paint in the accent colour of your choice and a sealing spray

Step 1: Paint all the coasters with the base coat of white acrylic paint. This step can be optional, but I find that in order for the colours to be vibrant, this really helps.

Step 2: Set up an area where it is safe to spray paint and go to town! As you can see, I've included here a box lid that I will be using for another project that essentially follows the same steps.

 Step 3: Wait, flip, spray, repeat.

Steps 3 + 4: I don't have pictures of these, but all I did is waited until the coasters were completely dry, in my case I waited until the next weekend as I never have time on weeknights, but as long as they are dry it should be fine. I used masking / painters tape to create an array of designs, making sure to tape over the areas I wanted to remain the minty blue colour. I then sprayed with my gold paint and let dry. The gold I used was really good quality so only one coat was needed, but spray as desired.

Step 5: Right after you spray and the paint is still wet, delicately remove the tape and leave to dry.

Step 6: Enjoy your beautiful, custom designed new coasters! I used a theme of mixing geometric with organic patterns, making sure each design lacks consistency. I wanted them to reflect my style, so make sure you use patterns that reflect who you are!

Here is the finished product:

Let me know if you make your own coasters, I'd love to see pictures!

B