Makeup Storage: Pretty in Pink!

The other day I was at Jumbo where I saw this little cute thing, and I got one for my niece.

When she opened it, a lighbulb flashed over my head (lol!) and I thought that this would be perfect for storing my everyday bits and pieces of makeup! Let me clarify why:

• it is pink (everything is prettier in pink)
• it has decent storage room for my little stash
• it is cheap (€10)
• it looks durable enough

Of course I don't intend to use this outdoors (as a travel bag) but because I do my makeup on the kitchen table (best natural and artificial light in my house) it is ideal to keep my things together and move them there.

So, let's take a closer look:

It has two tiers and a deeper "bucket" and the reason I love it is because I can find at a glance even the smallest item, so I don't lose time (especially in the morning) looking for this or that.

First tier: OCC Lip Tars in Memento and Melange, ELF Brow Kit and a lip balm, Benefit Erase Paste, Powderflage (the actual container didn't fit so I put a little in a little clear pot) and MAC paint in Bare Canvas, MAC Pressed Amber and Stunner blushes, MAC khol in Smolder, Prunella and Fascinating, NYX Cottage Cheese jumbo pencil, ELF brow clear mascara and a lip pencil (there's also a Wet n' Wild Pixie eyeshadow pencil that doesn't show here, I don't know why!).

 Second tier: Benefit Stay don't Stray, Garnier concealer, Maybelline BB cream, MAC Refined msf, ELF mineral makeup, Benefit They're Real mascara, MAC Painterly paint pot, MAC Blacktrack and Avenue fluidlines.

Here, there's room enough for 3 MAC palettes (two for eyeshadows and one for blushes), ELF mineral eyeshadows (all depoted in these two stackable jar sets), an eyelash curler, a MAC mini travel bottle with a spray pump for my brush cleaner, a NYX eyeshadow palette that I don't want to depot, a Jemma Kidd highlight cream in Iced Gold and a mini Japonesque lip palette.

Here's my little stash once more, there are two more items not pictured here that I use everyday:  MAC Face and Body foundation in N1 (I keep in the fridge) and my brush case.
I also have a few extra items that I use ocassionaly and I store them in a drawer.

So, what is your storing method? I 'd love to hear your (affordable) storing tips!

Mac Me Over: At last!

Well, after seeing swatches upon swatches online, and reading blogs etc, I had a 90% clear idea about what I wanted to buy from this collection.
Here it is:

So, Monday morning I rushed to my local Mac store, imagine that the mac assistant was just positioning the stands etc for this collection and I bet she skipped a heartbeat or two when I barged into the store at 09:01 (I had to go to work too, TG the mac store is very close to it!)

So, first of all, the much coveted 226 brush. I asked for the most tapered, she showed me all 5-6 available, all were rounded.

 
I'm very happy I actually did buy it because it applies eyeshadow in the crease perfectly. To give you an idea, I always had trouble with crease color going almost all the way up to my eyebrows, and I always had to blend a lot, but NOT with this brush! The dark color stays exactly where it's supposed to (in the crease) and I have room to blend it with a lighter shade, in a few words, I love it!

Next two items I bought where the blushes, and I got both of them because they're both unique to me, each for a different reason:

Equillibrium is a brown blush, and I sailed away from brown blushes until last month when I swatched (just for fun) the Pressed Amber blush from the Semi Precious collection. And I loved it! It's such a lovely rosy-caramel-brown, and for me it's ideal for contouring without looking fake or orangey. Now, Equillibrium is equally unique to me because it is lighter, less rosey and more caramel, very sweet and discreet, so it is perfect for winter, when my skintone is really pale and I'm guessing Pressed Amber will be a little too much. Of course all depend on the quantity, but I thought that a lighter shade will be more convenient.
Equillibrium on the left, Pressed Amber on the right.

Stunner blush was quite a surprise because I was expecting a blah color, but, in fact, it is a very wearable color, that matches (almost) all styles and skinstones, because it actually is an in between color: it is pink without being too pink, it is a little warmer but not peach or coral, it's light enough to make it easy to wear but not too light so as to be invisible, it's not too bright, it's not too muted.
In a word, a really practical color, and, after a summer of pink and peach and coral shimmering blushes, I find this a refreshing change!
As for the texture, both blushes have a satiny finish.
Stunner and Equillibrium

Eyeshadows! Well, at first I was very sceptical about them (do I need another brown? another highlighter? etc) but after swatching them I knew I would want them when they would be sold out, and I also rationalized my urge to purchase them (neutral eyshadows are always handy!). I already had Satin Taupe (link to a previous post of mine) so I got Creamy Bisque, Moleskin and Carbonized. Mythical was too metallic for me, beautiful nevertheless. The one shadow I didn't like that much is Outre.
Creamy Bisque (Frost) is a good for all highlight, I can't described it, it's just plain pretty!
Moleskin (Matte) is a sort of medium to light discreet brown, ideal for blending out darker shades, I didn't have something like it (not that I have that many eyeshadows for that matter!).
Carbonized (Veluxe Pearl) is really the queen of the trio, a rosy brow, lovely texture, I'm smitten!

Fluidlines...At first I wanted all of them, but then, I knew I was absurd because I simply couldn't afford them all, so I chose the one I knew would become my staple eyeliner, and that is...Avenue! This color (at least I think so) will become my HG eyeliner, and the reason is simple. I always liked Blacktrax but for day use I always smudged it with some grey or brown eyeshadow because it always looked too harsh on me. So, I tried dark grey, brown, etc, but I wasn't that happy.
So, when I saw Avenue, I really liked it in the pot but I was sold the moment I swatched it: it is exactly what I wanted, not black, not brown, just a very versatile in between color! It does have a few shimmery particles, but, they're quite unnoticeable, even in broad daylight.

 Last but not least, the only lip product that caught my attention (lip products usually sit idly in my stash, I forget to use them most of the times!) is the Social Light lipglass, I couldn't take a decent photo, so, no swatch of it.

Here's my hand with all my choices from the collection:

Prices (the hard part...):
eyeshadow 17€
blush 21,50€
eyeliner 18€
lipglass 17€
226 brush 27€

If I would only get 3 pieces from it, I would definitely get:

• 226 brush
• Stunner blush
• Carbonized eyeshadow.

What's your must have item(s) from this collection?