New Makeup Set-Up and Vintage French Storage

Good evening beauty seekers!!

A bit of a slow week last week on London Beauty Banter to say the least!! Two posts?? NOT good enough! I think May is going to be a bit of a funny one as I have Uni deadlines GALORE to get everything handed in and finally say BYE BYE to Derby University ready for Greenwich in September which I am REALLY looking forward to. Anyhow, today I have pulled my finger (and my camera) out big time and had an afternoon of photography so that this week will not be quite so barren. 

Today I want to talk about something a bit different. I've not done many storage posts since I moved to London as my stuff has just been EVERYWHERE while I've figured out my new room and furniture etc etc. However, thanks to a gorgeous new edition from the lovely people over at Out There Interiors, I finally got the kick up the backside I needed to sort out my Vanity once and for all!!

So there it is....

My Vanity is actually a study desk which doesn't have a chair haha (probably why I don't get much studying done to be fair). Still, it's an improvement on a ferret cage, which you can actually see through the mirror haha, which is what I was using before!

My Vanity Consists of:

Brush Holders - These are various mugs and plant pots that I've picked up from Pound Shops over the last few months. They're cheap and work really well. I use the larger pot for my face brushes (and also nail files, hair brushes and suchlike) and the smaller mug for eye, liner, and brow brushes. 

Cath Kidston Makeup Bag (eBay) - I got this really cheaply. I can't find the exact one today to link you to but if you look Here there are lots of similar ones still on sale for very good prices. This has mostly pencils and liners in it along with my most used mascaras.

Mirror (Argos £12.99) -  I've only just got round to buying a proper vanity mirror. Before i was just using a hand mirror or my full length wall mirror because I didn't trust the ferrets not to climb up and knock it over (7yrs bad luck I could do without). Luckily they can't climb up to the new desk so I'm safe.

Scented Candles and Cupcake Scentsy Warmer* - Because I like to have things that smell nice and they just look pretty along with everything else. These ones are Neom 'Serenity' (Sandalwood and Vanilla), an M&Ms one from the Pound Shop and I currently have 'Apple Press' in my warmer. You can read more about my Scentsy warmer and fragrances in my post Here.

I'd also like to mention my homemade crochet doily that I put there just to break up the desk a bit because the wood looked boring haha. 

AND

Onto the Main Feature!!

Three Vintage French Style Vanity Boxes* from 'Out There' Interiors!!

Yes, I did a major SQUEE when these arrived. I'd been using mostly Glossyboxes as makeup storage in the past but they just don't have the WOW factor that these have! Plus they don't really hold much and were starting to get very tatty. THESE, however, as well as being visually stunning, are so roomy and very sturdy indeed! There are three sizes in the set and i use each to hold different items. They mainly hold the products I reach for the most. I do have some other shelves and drawers that hold makeup and skincare but those are still a work in progress and I don't use those items quite as much or they are a little too big to fit in these boxes. 

These boxes are just Vintage, Shabby Chic PERFECTION! I love how they have been made to look weathered and aged around the edges. The detailing is superb. The print is exactly what I go for and I'm in love with the ornate clasps. Inside they have a deep red velvety lining. They also fit LOADS in. Even the smallest box!

I'm going to take you through each box from top to bottom so you can see exactly what I have stashed in each.

The smallest box at the top is reserved for Nails Inc polishes. Nails Inc are my favourite nail brand of all time and I wanted to have my most-worn nail colours all in one place where I can just open it up and pick one out. My Seche Vite is in there too. I have another drawer full of other polishes as well (my stash seems to grow weekly just lately) but these are the ones that deserved a special place. 

The middle box is for blushers, highlighters and bronzers. Again, I have more, but these are the ones I reach for the most or have a special place in my heart (minus my BeneFit boxed blushes, as I feel they are too pretty to hide away). In here I have MAC, Illamasqua, NARS, Bourjois and a few others as well as my HD Brows palette.

Lastly, the big bucket-sized one in the bottom has my skincare, primers and foundations in it. Basically, anything that goes on my face. There is everything from moisturiser to serum to foundation to BB creams in here. Most notable at the moment for me are my Elemis Illuminating Flash Balm (Review Here) and my NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Santa Fe (Review Here). Most of my cleansers and toners are permanently kept in the bathroom but these are the items I tend to switch it up with depending on how my skin is feeling. 

I'm so happy with my new storage. The boxes are so beautiful and just looking at them makes me happy. I also love that I'm now more organised with my makeup storage and that I know exactly what is in each box and that everything has it's correct place. I'm a Virgo, this makes me MAJOR happy! I really did go through a phase of tearing my hair out over my Vanity because it never looked or functioned the way I wanted it to.

These storage boxes retail for £49.99 which, for me, is at the higher end of what I could afford to spend on makeup storage but I guess it's only the same as a decently sized set of Muji and I'd definitely say they're worth every penny in their visual beauty alone!

You can find these storage boxes along with so many other stunning Vintage French Items at 

www.outthereinteriors.com

 

What's on YOUR Vanity?? What are your go-to solutions for storing your makeup?? Do you go crazy for Shabby Chic??

Keeping Britain Shabby: Cath Kidston

Hello lovelies!!

Remember back in the day when IKEA, dramatically, ordered you all to "CHUCK OUT YOUR CHINTZ"?? To banish kitsch and floral in favour of minimalist and clean?? Swap your pastels for contrasting brights and hide your tea set away inside sleek, Swedish storage units?? I do. If you don't then here's the YouTube Link to the ad (circa 1996) for you all to have a giggle at. I take great pride in the knowledge that one woman has single-handedly laughed in their faces and, in recent years, has not only taken the world of home, decor and lifestyle by STORM, she has reclaimed British-ness for our bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms and all the personality and character that goes with it. I am, of course, talking about the interior design powerhouse, Cath Kidston...

I was recently set a challenge by Amara.Co.Uk to tell them, and my lovely readers, WHY i love Cath Kidston so much.... But i fell a bit flat trying to put it into words. HOWEVER, i realised i was answering the wrong question. Rather than writing a whole post along the lines of "I love Cath Kidston because her things are pink and pretty" (which is, of course, a part of it), i've decided to tell you a bit about what Cath Kidston MEANS to me and how it makes me feel. The woman has, basically, reinvented an entire way of living incorporating nostalgia, vintage crafts and stunning prints for all ages. She's personally sparked a national obsession with what has now become known as 'Shabby Chic'. 

Cath, herself, describes her style as being of the 'Marmite' variety. In her opinion people either go nuts for it and have to have EVERYTHING or are completely repelled by it. Personally, i haven't come across ANYONE, male or female, who has expressed any significant dislike for it. 

Whenever i spot a piece of Cath Kidston in a shop window or online i automatically smile. The style just seems to evoke a warm, safe, homely feeling in me. Kind of like how i used to feel as a little girl when i used to stay at my nana's and loved how warm and snuggly the Eiderdown she used to put on my bed was. I don't know if it's purely psychological (probably) but i always feel physically warmer under a ditsy floral print duvet than i do from anything clean, crisp and plain. 

Aside from the warming factor, i find the colour palette Cath Kidston uses to be very calming and easy on the eye. It's easy to just sit back, surrounded by all that pastel loveliness, and just breathe out! With all these lovely feelings it's not surprising that i am currently trying to introduce the style into every area of my life. My travel makeup bag is Kidston (see previous post), my Oyster card wallet is Kidston, all my laptop and iPad wallpapers are Kidston.... you get where i'm going with this. It ain't easy though cos this lady isn't cheap (and rightly so) and my student budget is lowly at the best of times. 

Here are just a handful of the items on my 'Cath Kidston Lust List'...

Pink/Spot Duvet set in Provence Rose - (link)

Washed Roses Day Bag - (link)

White Printed Bathrobe - (link)

Trailing Floral Twin-Lid Sewing Basket - (link)

Crochet 'Knit in a Book' Tin - (link)

So, all in all, i reckon Cath Kidston has done a bang up job of taking the retro and outdated and reinventing it into something stylish, current and hugely popular within modern homes of all shapes and sizes. And as for IKEA?? Well i'm sure they're laughing all the way to the bank now, as they try and sell us back all the things they encouraged us to bin all those years ago. I hear that they too have jumped on the Shabby Chic bandwagon. The Swedish may have AMAZING meatballs, but they can't take away our British character!! So feel free to sit back and pop your homemade crochet teacosy on your floral teapot, relax and feel PROUD to be British!!

And I'll leave you with a, not so subtle, suggestion.....

Vintage Vision with Atrixo

Evening lovelies!

Just over a week ago my lovely friend Grace and i were invited along to the STUNNING Home House for some late afternoon tea and a vintage knitting class hosted by the beautiful ladies from The Vintage Patisserie and old school hand cream experts Atrixo

(Apologies for the grainy images. I captured most of the evening on my iPhone and the light wasn't brilliant.)

The event was held in the White Marquee and had been beautifully laid out like a vintage afternoon tea party. There were allsorts of thoughtful little touches and details. More than your average event and it was so much fun to be there! 

So while we ate sandwiches and cakes and sipped tea we were instructed by Catherine Hirst of catherinehirst.com as to how to knit a flower. Now i'm a crochet fanatic but have always struggled when it comes to knitting. I do feel like i've turned a bit of a corner after that night though and i've just about mastered the knit stitch haha. I must say Grace and i had a few giggles and a fair bit of stress while we tried to wrap our brains around it though. 

Not bad eh!!! I didn't get to finish my flower on the night as i was too busy gossiping and drinking tea, but i continued to practise once i got home!!

The Products:

Atrixo Enriched Moisturising Cream (£5.40 for 200ml)

With Camomile to pamper, sooth and soften hands. Restores smoothness to weathered hands

Atrixo Intensive Moisturising Cream (£5.40 for 200ml)

Glycerin enriched formula to intensively restore hands. Perfect in this harsh, cold weather! Forms a protective barrier against dryness and irritation.

Atrixo Regenerating Treatment (£5.46 for 100ml)

Delivers an intensive dose of skin conditioning ingredients including Panthenol. Nourishes and provides instant relief and smoothness.

Not everybody remembers Atrixo from old. I do, but there were a fair few at the event that were completely new to it. I just remember it being the hand cream in the green packaging from when i was little. Would you believe that Atrixo is now over 55 years old?? It's come a long way and now has a whole range of luxurious hand treatments to choose from in all shapes and sizes. I can't wait to put them to the test. I've got particular high hopes for the intensive protecting cream, as my hands can take a battering in the salon and behind the bar with water and chemicals! 

How cute is this little hand cream Victoria Sponge cake!! Almost too good to eat!!

What really impressed me about the evening was that everything was so well thought out and the little touches that had gone into everything, including the goodies we got to take home with us. Everyone i spoke to said it was one of the best events they had ever been to!! It was just so different from the events i usually go to and i'm sure nobody will forget who Atrixo are for a long time to come! 

How ADORABLE is this little teacup! I actually Squee'd when i pulled it out of my bag when i got home. I just loved all the thought that went into the evening. It was so great to see how an old school brand has evolved over 50 years and that we can still enjoy vintage pastimes and products in our crazily-paced modern lives. I will definitely be reviewing some of these products in the very near future. 

Who remembers Atrixo?? Are you a lover of all things vintage??