Organisation Tips: Bathroom Drawers!

Our bathroom has absolutely zero storage in it. So when we moved in, we put in some old desk drawers to go under the sink. Not ideal, but it works for the moment. Or at least until we move.

I didn't really have an organisational system in place, and over time, the top drawer ended up being a dumping ground for everything and anything. Last weekend I decided I was completely over it and cleaned and re-organised.

Our bathroom is really cramped, so the first thing I did was take all the drawers out into my living room so I had some more space to work with. After I snapped the below photo I literally took all the products out. I laid everything on the floor and loosely grouped everything into categories. I'm very much a visual person so with this method I could work out the best way to store everything.

So this is what I was working with. From left to right, is top drawer, middle drawer and bottom drawer.
I decided that these drawers were going to be a place for excess product storage.
Here are the before and afters:

TOP DRAWER:

Before

The top drawer was the most convenient for me to throw things in that I use often, so I kept this in mind when deciding what to place in this drawer. I'm at my laziest at night time, when I just want to brush my teeth and jump into bed. I also have a lot of excess 'skincare' product, and so decided to dedicate this drawer accordingly. 

After

I didn't use drawer dividers for this one as all the products in here are bulky or in their own packaging anyway. I kept my toothbrush on top, closest to the front and the cotton buds in easy reach. Products I reach for less frequently were stored closer to the back. The great thing about these drawers though is that they aren't too deep so I'm not going to forget that I have things and never use them. 

MIDDLE DRAWER:

Before

This drawer is a little further out of the way than the top one, so it literally became a dumping ground for things I couldn't be bothered dealing with. Empty packets were thrown in here for later blog posts (I've never even done an empties post in my life), as well as other random bits and bobs. (You never know when you'll need some spare toothbrushes or extra gloves!) Knowing how I currently use this drawer, I decided to base it loosely around the same principle. 

After

This drawer became the place to store extra make-up and other misc items. Extra waxing strips and razors went in here, as did bottles for bath soak (I don't even have a bath....sigh) I used the packaging from an old Bellabox to keep smaller make-up items in and placed these towards the back. These are items that I don't use often enough to warrant having them in with all my other make up. Poor neglected eye shadows...

BOTTOM DRAWER:

Before

This drawer stored exactly what it looks like - extra make up bags and bits and bobs. This drawer is the most inconvenient for me to use, y'know having to bend down and all. So I've now kept all travel related beauty items in here. 

After

This drawer now not only houses all my travel bags, but also any travel sized containers. This way, when I do need to pack to head off somewhere everything is in this one place. Too easy! 

So far this system is working really well for me. Everything now has a home and I know exactly where to find things. Once things are in this state I'm quite good at putting things back where they belong so this will be an easy system for me to maintain; especially when I'm bleary eyed and ready for bed. 

The most important thing to keep in mind when re-organising a space in your house is how you use the space currently, and what you can do to make it not only more efficient, but easy to use without thinking about it. 

How do you organise your bathroom drawers? Anyone else cursed with absolutely zero space? What are YOUR tips?

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Christmas Gift Guide...for her!

Following on from my Christmas Gift Guide...for him I present to you, the Christmas Gift Guide...for her.
P.S. I love everything in this collage...so if you're looking for a pressy for me *hint hint* hehe!

Girls are so much easier to buy for than guys, but if you're still stuck for ideas, how about something like this:

Christmas Wish List by michaelaarghh featuring denim shorts

1. Candles - Almost every major candle company release special limited Christmas edition candles around this time of year and they make perfect gifts! I love these ones from Ecoya, but Glasshouse also do some great smelling ones.
2. Make-Up - If you're not sure what specifically, then a best-seller like the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette is a great idea. Most make-up counters have really helpful staff, so don't be afraid to go in and ask!
3. Skincare - I've included a photo of the Dermalogica Pre-Cleanse because I've fallen in looooove with it, haha, but some great skincare is appreciated by almost everyone!
4. Clothes - You could go with something festive, like a holiday themed shirt or jumper, or something like shorts or a classic blazer. Spikes are sooo in at the moment, and totally not goth at all (14 year old me was so ahead of the fashion, clearly).
5. Tea - T2 have some beautiful tea gift sets for tea enthusiasts of all ages.
6. Stationery - I really don't know many people who don't like nice, quality stationery. If the lady you're buying for works in an office or is going back to uni next year, think about investing in some nice stationery for them!

Anything here catch your eye? Is there a particular lady in your life who is hard to buy for?



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It's a Mystery!

So, if you know anything about me, it would be that I love reading.
Which is why my 'favicon' (that little picture in the tab next to my blog name) is a stack of books. I love reading mysteries. They make me think, and I'm hopeless at guessing "whodunnit" ... actually I'm pretty hopeless at that whether I'm watching a mystery or reading it. Honestly, I just get so caught up in the story I don't think that far ahead.

And now I've stumbled across a real-life mystery that has me completely baffled. I'm going to let you in on all the facts and maybe you can help me solve it, because this one has really got me and J scratching our noggins.

So I mentioned that last Thursday I had a job interview. In my rush to get ready in the morning, I had tried on a couple of outfits. The first one was a black skirt / stockings and this red shirt:

Pretty, feminine, and my favourite colour. The only reason I didn't wear it is because it's slightly shorter than I'd like and doesn't tuck in nicely. This has the effect of making me look a bit scruffy, which isn't a look you go for in a job interview. 

Anyway, so I tried it on, took it off and left it on the lounge. 

Went to my job interview in a black shirt, in case you were wondering. 

Didn't think anything else of it. 

Maybe if you're super attentive to detail you may have noticed where this is leading... 

on Friday afternoon I went to go sit on the lounge, moved my pile of clothes off the cushions and noticed this:

HORRIBLE BLACK INK STAINS ALL OVER MY BEAUTIFUL BLOUSE!

OHMYGOD. 

I know what you're thinking. "A pen obviously has leaked". And that was my first thought too. and J's when I yelled and carried on and brought this to his attention. 

Except there was no pen anywhere on the lounge. 

No other item of clothing had ink stains. 

Those spots were 100% not there on Thursday morning when I tried that shirt on. 

So somehow, in between Thursday morning and Friday afternoon, black ink splodges have gotten all over my shirt. Maybe I could understand this if it was in one spot. But no. The entire left side of the shirt is covered in these mysterious spots.

My second thought was "ROMMY!"
But then I realised that's silly. He doesn't have opposable thumbs. How would he be able to manipulate a pen to spill ink all over my shirt?

So that my dear readers is the mystery.
Help me solve it, because I'm pissed as hell that not only is my shirt destroyed, but I don't know how it came to be that way.




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Neutral Smokey Eye in Six Steps!

So since my Urban Decay Naked palette arrived, I have been obsessed with eye makeup. I've had a few real-world friends comment in passing that they are a bit scared to wear more eye makeup other than the standard eyeliner / mascara combo, in fear that they'll look way overdressed.

Today I'm hear to show you that firstly, no - being over-dressed is always better than being underdressed. and secondly, a neutral smokey eye can do wonders to brighten up and draw attention to your eyes.

Let's begin after the jump: