Last year, I discovered Kate Garey’s website and totally fell in love with her makeup bags, wallets, purses and all the other beautiful accessories she creates.

The creations of this talented artist and designer from the UK are all very cute and quirky and the new collection, which is out now, is no exception. You can see some of my personal favourites above.

As you probably noticed, I have a thing for owls, they are such mysterius and beautiful creatures. I also adore the Wonderland Vanity Case, which has Alice on the front looking for the white rabbit who is hiding on the back of the bag!

Each piece is handcrafted with quality fabrics to make them last and the prices are very reasonable. In addition, everything is made in limited numbers to make each piece even more special. Kate Garey ships worldwide.

Hey everyone,

I was browsing the ‘net and came across this cute website called FredFlare. They have a great selection of shoes, bags, clothes and jewellery at affordable prices.

But what really caught my eye was their beauty section. They have some weird but pretty things like cupcake bandages and bacon floss! Here are my fave items:

The Slice of Cake pouch is perfect to store coins or makeup and looks good enough to eat! It measures 5.5”x4”x3” and retails at $14.00.

The Taco Belle Cosmetics Pouch is my absolute fave! Not only it looks very cute but is also useful to store makeup or pencils. It measures 5”x4.5”x2” and costs $16.00.

The Holly Golightly Sleep Mask looks very cute in a weird sort of way, at least to me. It’s made of satin lined with elegant trim & terry backing and is $14.00.

Aren’t these accessories really cute? Have you ever ordered from FredFlare before? If so, how was your experience?

The Kleenex brand, in 1924, introduced kleenex tissues. These were invented as a mean to remove cold cream and makeup. But people mostly used them as disposable handkerchiefs, which prompted the brand to change the way they advertised the product. These tissues are now used for a variety of things and they are a very useful makeup tool, too! Here’s some beauty-related ways to use them:

1. Blot lipstick: tissues can be used to remove excess lip color. Just press your lips over a kleenex as if you’re kissing it. Make sure you blot with your lips closed.

2. Oil blotter: kleenex can be used as oil blotter paper to remove excess oil from skin without removing your makeup.

3. Remove excess mascara from the wand: if the brush is loaded with too much product, the application will be clumpy and lumpy. To prevent this, simply wipe your mascara wand with a tissue.

4. Remove makeup: take two sheets of kleenex and fold them. Make sure they are about two inches thick. Apply a small amount of lotion on your face and wait about 5 seconds. Now, with your folded kleenex wipe.

5. Brush cleaner: you can use a tissue to spot clean your brushes. It won’t remove makeup as well as a brush cleanser, but it’s a quick way to clean brushes if you’re in hurry or have just run out of your usual cleanser.

6. Protects hair: hairstylists put tissues between clips to prevent denting on hair that’s just been styled.

7. Mixing palette: for sanitary reasons, makeup artists don’t apply products directly from the containers. Instead, they scrape off powders, lipsticks, eyeliner etc and place it on a mixing palette. That way, they can mix the colors and apply them without double dipping and contaminating the products. If you have a kleenex, you can use it as a mixing palette, but for powders only.

Do you know other beauty-related ways to use kleenex tissues? Share them in the comments.

I was browsing the I Want One Of These Website when I came across these makeup bags. They look like Y-Fronts, measure 17.5 x 12.5 x 1 cm and are £6.95. They are available in three designs: cherries, rainbows and hearts. You can also find lots of other gadgets on the IWOOT website as well and they ship to Europe and the US.

What do you think of the Pants Purse?

I was browsing the Angie Hearts website, when I came across the prettiest cosmetic bag and compact mirror I have ever seen.

The white Narcolepsy Love Bunny cosmetic bag (on the right) has a little pom pom zipper pull and measures 3 3/4″ tall (excluding bunny ears) x 7″ wide x 1 1/3″ deep. It retails at $15.

The white Narcolepsy Love Bunny cosmetic compact mirror (on the left) measures 5 1/3″ wide x 3 1/2″ tall (excluding bunny ears) and is $14.

Angie Hearts also has a nice collection of clothes, bags, hair accessories and lots more!

I don’t know what’s cuter, the mirror or the bag. What do you think?

I was browsing online, when I came across these cute cosmetics bags from the Kate Garey website. Aren’t they pretty? The bag costs £12 and there are just so many options to choose from: Russian Dolls, Owl, Mushroom, Cat and much more. You can see some of my favourutes above. I particularly like the Owl one. I don’t know why, but I find owls so cute! On the website, you can also find handbags, wallets and more. They ship internationally.

Beauty tools are underrated and overlooked for many women, but they are as important as the makeup itself. Investing in a few essential make up tools can make all the difference to the way you look. The right tools make application easier and more precise and give you a more professional and flawless look. Here’s some essential beauty tools every woman should have in her make up bag:

APPLICATOR SPONGE: Sponges are used to apply foundations and cream blushes. They are also great for re-touching make up. They come in many shapes and sizes. A triangle-shaped sponge is the best one to apply foundation as it can get into nooks and crannies, such as around your nostrils and the inner corners of your eyes. Powder and puff sponges are great for picking pressed and loose powders. Latex sponges are ideal for applying foundations and cream blushes. Used damp they provide a dewy finish, dry they provide a matte coverage. People with sensitive skin, though, may be allergic to latex sponges. Cellulose sponges are great for removing makeup. Sponges are a great breeding ground for bacteria so make sure you wash them regularly with an anti-bacterial cleanser and hot water and then let them dry. They should be replaced often.

BRUSHES: Brushes can either be made of natural hair, such as pony or goat or squirrel, or they can be synthetic. Real hair brushes last longer, are softer on the skin and have better blending properties. They are, however, more expensive. Make sure you clean them at least once a week. There are many products to clean brushes on the market, or you can wash them with a mild shampoo and then let them dry. Don’t dry with heat or the bristles will eventually dry out. If the bristles start to shed, then it’s time to replace your brushes.
There are different brushes for different jobs:

Foundation brush: Used to achieve a natural finish when applying foundation. Put a small amount of foundation on the back of your hand, dip the brush into it and apply the foundation with downward strokes.

Concealer brush: Used to cover imperfection such as spots and other blemishes. It’s small with fairly stiff bristles for better control over movements. It can have a pointed tip for precision.

Blush/powder brush: Used to apply blush, bronzer and powder. It should be large, rounded with soft bristles.

Eye shadow brush: Used to apply and blend eye shadows. They are small to medium sized. An angled brush is perfect to allow movement into eye socket, while rounded tips are a must for smooth blending.

Eyeliner brush: Used to apply eyeliner. They should be small tapered and fine tipped for precision. Sable brushes work best for powdered liners while synthetics are best for liquids.

Lip brush: Used to apply lipstick and gloss. They are thin with firm bristles for full control.

EYELASH CURLER: It makes your eyes look bigger and brighter. They are available in metal and plastic. The plastic ones break easily while the metal ones can be heated to get a better result. However make you sure you don’t heat it for more than 5 seconds as over-heating can dry out your lashes. Buy one with a soft rubber strip, as a hard rubber makes it less easy to get a good curl. The strips needs to be washed and replaced too. Always use before you apply mascara or the curler will cling to the mascara and you risk breaking your lashes.

NAIL FILE: used to gently grind down and shape the edges of nails. They come in different colors, sizes and are made of different materials. Emery boards are made of cardboard covered with emery, which is a very hard mineral. They are cheap, disposable and have various surfaces. Metal files last longer than emery boards but they can be hard on your nails, causing them to become fragile. Glass files claim to prevent nail splitting and peeling. They have a finer surface than that of an emery board or a metal nail file. They are expensive.

TWEEZERS: Used to remove unwanted hair from your face. They can also be used to hold fake eyelashes, as it can be difficult to apply them accurately with your fingers. They can be slanted or pointed. Always make sure the ends meet perfectly.

WOODEN CUTICLE STICK:Used to gently push back your cuticles. They are available in metal or plastic and can have rubber tips.