Guest Post: Makeup Station

She does it again. I of course, have been slacking. My trusty fellow blogger, Morgan, has some great ideas for those of you who wonder what are some essential pieces to have at your makeup 'station.' To go with Morgan's style, she has a beautiful, well-organized vanity. For me, I have a makeup case under my sink and some organized trays/bins in my towel closet that is in my bathroom, since my bathroom is tiny. It is really whatever floats your boat. Here is Morgan's take:

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I am one of those people who looks disorganized to the outside eye but I have a method to my madness, especially when it comes to my makeup application station... or in other words, my vanity. I have recently just redone a 1930’s/1940’s clam shell vanity. When I say redone I mean I sanded, painted, added new drawer handles... the whole nine. But I digress. I have always had my makeup put up neatly in cigar boxes, placed ever so slightly so it all fit together like a little puzzle in a little nook on my bookshelf. Little did I know, I was missing something until getting my vanity completely finished. So here’s a few things to add to your makeup application space to make applying makeup and life, if you’re a makeup fiend like myself, just a little easier.

• Having a handy way to store your makeup applicators. Now I have a whole set of brushes from Costal Scents and they came in a neat little case, which I used for the longest time. Now I placed mine in square vases with clear marbles. So nice and convenient to just be able to look, grab, apply, and put away.

• Amazing lighting. I searched high and low for a string of globe bulbs to place around my mirror. But I failed at finding any that did not cost me an arm and a leg. I just happened to pull out my old Chinese lanterns and took the shades off and hung them low enough that they were not directly next to my face but were low enough to not have shadows cast on my face.

• Makeup boxes or bags. I prefer boxes. They keep my makeup completely organized. No falling all over the place. I know exactly where whatever I’m looking for is located. I know exactly where my peacock eye shadow palette is. I know exactly where my blush is. I do not have to dig around to look for anything. Like the puzzle I was talking about previously.

• Last but not least, makeup remover wipes and q-tips. You never know when you are going to have a small mistake or a huge one... one that can ruin your whole makeup application. It is better to have tools readily available to adjust or remove any imperfections you may encounter.

Here are some pics:

If you have any other handy helpful tips you use, let me know! And if you happen to try any of these tips, fill me in on how they work for you.

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Again, always on point and timely information from Miss Morgan. She is a makeup extraordinaire. I have seen some of her work, and it is fabulous. Hit her up on Instagram: 'gingerrkidd00' or email her.

Ciao, bellas!

☮gretchen elizabeth

Please note, I am not paid to do these reviews nor am I doing this for the benefit of any company. It is just my own personal opinions, experiences, likes and dislikes!

Guest Post: Costal Scents 88 Original Palette

If you are an eye-shadow fiend, you don't want to miss this! One of my good friends, Morgan, LOVES make-up and has an eye for the dramatic. Check out her guest post on SSB:

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This is by far my favorite item I have in my makeup collection. I’m now on my 2^nd one and I cannot get enough of this eye shadow palette. I stumbled upon this gem when just looking at random YouTube videos and found the lovely Michelle Phan. Now, I’m not 100% sure if she still uses it because I don’t watch her videos as religiously as I once did, but I asked for it for Christmas after watching a ton of her videos and got it... most exciting gift I got since being a kid. I’ll hit some of the highlights on why I love this palette.

So many color options, from hot pinks, lime greens, vibrant blues, etc. for the person who wants to be more daring with their shadow choices... to a light nude with a small amount of shimmer for someone who likes to wear their makeup more subtly.

It lasts forever. I got the first palette for Christmas in 2009 and just ordered a new one this June. And I hadn’t even used the whole thing. Granted, I have found substitutes for the colors I loved the most but I still needed to refresh all the other colors I hadn’t blown through.

It’s insanely affordable and they have sales constantly. My mom was the one who got the first one and she said it was only $18. $18 for 88 colors?! Oh yea. And when I went to order it in June it was on sale for half off, ended up getting it for only $9. There is no way you can beat the price for what you get.

Colors stay vibrant even without an eye primer. I use one myself but before I got into using an eye primer the colors stayed all day long and with the primer they stay even better and don’t crease. Creasing is inevitable without the proper bases but the colors don’t crease so evidently, so it’s hardly noticeable.

My general rating of this has got to be 5/5. Only down side is I ran though my favorite colors ultra-quick but I was able to find substitutes very easily or you can order the individual colors on their site. when you use up your faves.

If anyone else has used it or tried it, I have got to hear what your thoughts are. It is easily the cheapest shadow palette around for the amount of shadow you get.

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I think this sounds awesome! I am in love with that price point and how long-lasting it is. Look for more hot guest posts from Morgan. In the meantime, if you want to contact her, email her here and check out her Instagram: 'gingerrkidd00.' =)

☮gretchen elizabeth

Please note, I am not paid to do these reviews nor am I doing this for the benefit of any company. It is just my own personal opinions, experiences, likes and dislikes!