Friday, May 4, 2012

Cabinet Confessions: A Closer Look at My Stash Part I

I received an email from one of my readers requesting  a voyeuristic gaze inside of my skincare stash. I did include a single (very messy) drawer of makeup of some makeup that I'm either testing out, or that is in rotation at the moment. I didn't include pictures of my far more organized makeup stash, the items in my desk drawer waiting to be photographed, or the drawers filled with other skincare products. Also the contents of my shower and my beloved Clarisonic are not shown.
The cabinet that you see in these shots is an old built-in in my bathroom that is from the 1920s when the house was built. It is very deep, and was intended for linens- so it isn't the most efficient space for the bulk of my skincare products- but until I come up with a better solution it will have to do.
You thought that I was joking when I said I had every single Sunday Riley skincare item- didn't you?! I'm completely obsessed. While I do test out other things periodically, Sunday Riley is my go to line for skincare. I have repurchased every Sunday Riley skincare item shown numerous times over the years that I have been using the line.
Cleansers, primers and some of my finishing products.
I try to keep things organized by type- so my body care products are grouped together.
A closer look at my finishing products. I keep them in here for ease of use after applying my skincare products.
A few backups, and a few things that need to get a little more attention.
And my brushes live here too. The large bamboo container in the back holds most of my brushes. The first two-thirds from left to right is exclusively Hakuhodo. The final third on the right is a mishmash of Rouge Bunny Rouge, Bobbi Brown, Guerlain, MAC, La Prairie, Eco Tools, Chanel, Alan Goolman, MUFE and a few other random brushes. The shallow bamboo tray in front holds Hakuhodo, MUFE, Eco Tools, and Chanel brushes as well as my metal makeup mixing palette and a small Hakuhodo brush cleaner.
This disorganized nightmare represents the things that I was either testing out, or reaching for often when I took this picture about a week ago. I think of this as Grand Central Station-- things are in here for a while, and then are put back into my very organized drawers where things are very easy to find. This is located right below the cabinet shown above. I have got to find a way to harness this chaos- because once it is over a layer deep it becomes very difficult to find what I am looking for! I'm open to suggestions!

Don't be shy- ask, if you have questions! I welcome and enjoy your comments! How do you store your skincare & makeup?

20 comments:

  1. omgosh lola! what an incredible collection. it's really quite amazing seeing what other women have in their makeup stash. i myself just did a spring cleaning of my vanity. but i don't have such an extensive collection like yours. i love your skincare collection.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jackie! Thanks! My skincare collection is really out-of-control! I didn't even show the back-ups, drawers filled with samples etc. I also didn't show my makeup collection-- just what is in that one drawer beneath the skincare. I definitely need to do a little spring cleaning myself, as well!

      Delete
  2. Hi, Lola, I can relate. I have already done a clean out and I am building up my collection with new items. It is the life of a beauty blogger, right? The problem is I always like to try new brands and products, I do my best to finish products I love. The rest often go to my mom or friends. I can't wait to see Part 2 of this post:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Rola, Yes- I definitely thin that we accumulate far more stuff than non beauty bloggers. I also try to finish up the items that I love. In fact, I generally try to finish up most of what I buy-- unless I had a reaction to it r really disliked it. Plus when I am testing something out I really try to use it for a good long while to test the claims it makes. Anyway you look at it- it ends up being a huge pile of stuff! I would love to yo==see your stash!! Part II will be coming along before too long!

      Have a great weekend!

      Delete
  3. Oh, what fun! You have an amazing collection of skincare it must be fairly bursting out into the other rooms! So Mr. Lola lives in the shed out back?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Zuzu! I have shoved Mr. Lola and the puppy into the garage, but soon they will have to relocated to a tent in the middle of the lawn in the backyard so that there is more room for product :-)

      Delete
    2. Hee hee. The only item Mr. Petals has in the medicine cabinet is his deodorant and a toothbrush. All the rest is mine. I told him married couples should live in his-and-her duplexes. Then we could date!

      Oh, and the fun I would have with my bedroom, turning it into an uber feminine haven. It's not exactly "hunt club" with a moose head on the wall, but it's a little more butch than I would like. Not that I'm a frilly, chintz-and-stripes person, mind you, but I would definitely go for a little more cush, even though the rest of my house is spartanly minimal. We girls have to let it out somewhere, eh?

      Delete
    3. Don't you mean to say that the only items that Mr. Petals is ALLOWED to keep in the medicine cabinet is his deodorant and a toothbrush?! I do believe that it is illegal for husbands of beauty bloggers to keep over two items within a 5 foot radius of out "products" for fear of contamination. You should consult your manual- I do believe that toothbrushes are on the "forbidden list." That is, of course, there are provisions specific to the greater Boston area that allow for such transgressions. There is a no toothbrush clause in Southern California!

      HA-- I have often said the same thing about the his/her duplexes- or even next door neighbors-- I LOVE THAT IDEA!! No reason to be irritated by their messes-- woohoo!!!!!!!! "Hunt-club with a moose head on the wall"- laughing o hard I almost peed in my pants! Now that's a hilarious visual for a bedroom! I know exactly what you mean though-- sometimes it would just really be nice to have your own space!!! I wouldn't go super girly either, but it would definitely be prettier and more luxurious (as opposed to pragmatic to accommodate a man and pets).

      Delete
    4. Toothbrush clause! lololol.

      Men and pets. *sigh* I love my cats dearly (and DH, too), but they would be banned from my fantasy bedroom. I get so sick of cat hair stuck in my lip balm (on my lips!). I could indulge in ALL WHITE! Down mattress cover and so many pillows they'd be like pets for beds.

      Delete
    5. EXACTLY! Me too, and mine too! The cat fur everywhere gets irritating at times! Oh, and all white down bed sounds DIVINE!!!! It would be like falling asleep in fluffy clouds of pure goodness! Sign me up!

      Delete
  4. Thank you for sharing, I loved having a nose at what you have :) Though we don't have the makeup here I'm sure I have seen the skincare from Sunday Riley online so I might have to have a look since you are such a fan, do you have any recs for sensitive skin? x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are so welcome, Replica. I have heard some murmurings that it will be available in the UK before you know it. Since you have sensitive skin I would be careful of some of the more active exfoliating products in the line. I would probably avoid products like Good Genes- which has unbuffered lactic acid that does wonders for exfoliation, but also tingles an might be too active for sensitive skin. I would probably try the cleansers and Juno Oil (a dry oil lipid serum), and see if the line resonates with you. They are very generous with samples-- I would get as many samples as possible. If you are really interested in trying anything take a look at the overview and links to individual reviews-- it will give you an idea what each product targets. If you find yourself really interested then let me know I can help you out further-- I have used everything in her skincare range-- and can certainly help you determine which things can be skipped. xo

      http://lolassecretbeautyblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/sunday-riley-skincare-for-face-body.html

      Delete
    2. Thank you Lola, very helpful, I will begin my research :)Well if the makeup will be here at some point I'd better start saving! x

      Delete
    3. My pleasure, Replica! I have it on good authority that it will be available to you before too long-- I will definitely let you know as soon as I get the details :-)

      Delete
  5. WOW! You must really love the Sunday Riley skincare. So will it take 10 years off me? LOL Come on please tell me it will!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Crazy, I know! Yes, I really love Sunday Riley skincare. While I really like her makeup- in my opinion her best products are definitely from her skincare range. I wish that 10 years melted away-- however there are a few key products that have done wonders for me-- like Good Genes and Stimulant !. Stimulant I has nearly completely erased the "11" expression lines between my eyebrows, and Good Genes exfoliates dead skin cells-- so those two couples with the Juno OIl make my skin look really good. I doubt that one would mistaken me for a 20 year old, but that's fine by me!

      Delete
  6. wow! You´ve got an amazing stash!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Miss L! I hate to think of what I spent when I look at these pictures more carefully!

      Delete
  7. Seeing your stash makes me feel better :) Now I know, I'm not the only person with a "problem"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If by "feel better" you mean less guilty because there's someone crazier about collecting skincare products, then yes- I can certainly see how you would come to that conclusion! Oh girl- you are FAR from the only one with the problem. I use eye creams that I don't like for my eyes on my neck, chest etc. I even had a failed attempt at getting my husband to use them- that lasted about a week or so before he gave up. I kept telling him that he would really see the difference blah blah blah, but he simply wasn't going for it!

      Delete

I love reading all of your comments and interacting with you- so please do not hesitate to share your thoughts, and to ask questions. Remember that what you have to say is of interest to all of us! Always feel free to email me directly as well. SPAM and advertising links will not be published.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...