A long overdue declutter
I reached the ripe old age of 41, and yet as a beauty writer, I didn’t actually have a dressing table or makeup table.
For years, I balanced brushes on the radiator and palettes on my lap which hold a mirror up to the light.
The clutter and containers and basically a complete lack of organisation came to a head his month. I have burned bedclothes with hair tongs, stood on and broke a GHD, and generally spent a fortune replacing things I had stood on or lost from a pure lack of a space to do it - not to mention treading on painful plugs!
I invested in a dresser and some clever storage solutions which has made my room tidier and my morning routine less painful. I upcycled a mirror that I had and stood it on top in the middle, leaving space at either side of the dresser for all my makeup and skincare. The dresser is glass topped so it's easy to wipe clean.
The Glam Box from Glamdoll.ie is €129.99. It contains five smooth pull-out drawers, including a double height bottom drawer which is perfect for eyeshadow or face palette storage. It also has extremely chic crystal style handles which ensure an ultra girly look.
There's a hinged top with additional storage for larger items such as perfumes, hair-care products, makeup brushes, etc. and rubber feet for a non-slip grip to your glam station. Removable internal dividers means that you can even use it for jewellery as well.
Everything that I need is in this beauty tower which is made from acrylic so it will match any room in your house too.
I have gone for a gold and pink theme on the dresser with the addition of a gold metal shelf from Penneys (€8).
On that note, I have trinket holders and a candle, but the extra tier means that I can store more smaller items and it looks cute too.
I always burn a candle in my room and the glow on my dresser just makes me happy.
The Brush Box (€24.99) and Beads (€6.99) from Glamdoll.ie are ideal for storing brushes, lip pencils tweezers and eye pencils.
The beds are like pearls so add instant allure to the dressing table set up. Again, the brush box is crystal clear acrylic, so it’s easy to keep clean. Make sure that there is good light on your dressing table and avoid using lamps, as these cast shadows and make the job harder.
I also upcycled some large empty candle jars to hold my cotton wool and cotton buds.
I attached a large curtain tieback hook to the side as well to have my straightener or tongs off when they are in use. I also screwed a wire basket from Penneys (€6) on the side for my hairdryer as it was too bulky to fit in the drawer. Then I used the smaller one (€4) for brushes and combs. The ones I chose are pink, but they have them in white and grey too.
All in all, I am thrilled with the new space and these days there are so many great ways to make a space work for you and the dresser is doubling as a desk too because of the space saving of the glam box.
Upcycling a few things that I already had as well as decluttering my skincare and makeup has hugely helped. I am, by nature, a hoarder of cosmetics but having a dedicated spot now means I am more likely to use what I have and not be buying needlessly.
On a side note, I also bought a faux mini gaudy pineapple just for fun. It looks so kitsch and I adore it.