Dollar Tree Beauty Hacks

I love looking at other peoples make-up and get ready spaces. It's so interesting how so many people have found such a variety of ways to keep things organized for themselves. Some people go high end and buy some beautiful matching pieces to make their space look all coordinated and pretty.  Others use a little bit of this, and a little bit of that.

I try to figure out how to get organized and make a home for everything but not break the bank in the process. So I wanted to share some of my favorite inexpensive (sometimes free) organizing hacks!

Let’s start with “free.”  My husband and I like yogurt.  It's a great snack, sweet but not too sugary.  I always buy yogurt on sale and with a coupon.  My goal price is normally $0.25 - $0.50 per yogurt.  When all of the yogurt had been eaten, I remove the label and wash the container out and reuse it!  These containers are the perfect size for holding all kinds of lippies!  I have also used them for concealer and small tools.  They can also be used on your desk for paperclips, binder clips, and rubber bands.  You are limited only by your imagination.  Since these are recycled trash, I consider them free!

Here are some yogurt containers holding lippies!

Similar in size and function are these little baskets.

I have found them at Target in the dollar section (2 or 3 for $1) as well as at the Dollar Tree. They come in a variety of colors and shapes and they hold all kinds of things they are a little taller than the yogurt dishes so they can hold taller things!  Mine hold everything from eyeliners and primers to perfume samples and tall and skinny concealers like the Bare Minerals Stroke of Light.

I also found these little containers at Target in the dollar section. 

They were 3 for $1.  I got mine in all matching blue and use them in my medicine cabinet to keep everything organized, neat, and east to find!  I love how neat they keep the cabinet, and with the label maker, it’s easy to find what I’m looking for, but also helps everyone else know where to put things away when they are done with them. 

In order to corral all of these little containers, I use boxes. I found these in a set of 4 with a lid and just use them separately.

I found them at Walmart a few years ago and they have held many things since then.  I think they were intended as ornament holders, and I got them on clearance after Christmas.  I have used them as a mobile office as well!

I also use shoe boxes. A lot. With a preschooler, I feel like we are constantly buying new shoes. I use a lot of the little shoe boxes to contain hair stuff, and more!  I also use a big shoe box to hold a bunch of other stuff!  Since I get ready in our spare bed room, and all my stuff fits on the bed, it sometimes has to be moved quickly so someone can use the bed as a bed and not as a table.  So having everything in boxes makes it much easier!

On a recent family trip, I used a shoe box to help with packing too!  We were going to be doing family pictures while together, so I knew I needed to bring the works as far as products (my hair needs help).  I took all of the bottles I wanted to bring and packed them in a shoe box standing up, and then put the entire box into a duffle bag.  When we got to our destination, I could just pull out the whole box and set it on the vanity and have everything I needed right at my finger tips.  It was a huge stress reliever to know that I had everything I needed, and it was easy to pack and use.  Getting 15 of us ready for photos, with 6 little boys under the age of 13, was enough stress for all of us!

On my last trip to the Dollar Tree near us, I picked up some other containers too. I bought these for a birthday party for veggies and fruit and such.

But after the party I washed them and now are going to use them to organize make-up in the drawers of the Ikea desk I got for Christmas, but haven't put together yet.  

I also have these little square containers.

These come three for $1 and they actually snap together.  I have found all kinds of things that fit in these too!  And there is something cute about the fact that they snap together.  I think these will get a lot of use in my drawers too (whenever I put them together.)

At the Dollar Tree, I also purchased some of these small containers that I am going to use to store loose shadows that I use when I mix and press my own shadows!  Basically, these will store the "raw materials" until I turn them into finished pressed shadows.  

I bought these LA Colors loose shadows and am going to break the plastic open to get the product, and store it in the containers above!  Later I can use these loose shadows to mix my own colors and press them into pans for easier use.    

In the beauty section, I have also found all kinds of things I wouldn't expect to find for a dollar!  On my last trip, I found these Milani eye shadows, Maybelline shadow sticks, and Milani shadow stick.

If you have read my last post about swapping make-up (and if not, you should) you may guess why I picked these up.  These are beautiful colors, but I don’t need them.  So I bought them for a dollar, even though they are valued at $6 or $7 a piece, and I will trade them with others for something that I really want! 

I have also use this moisturizer for the eye area. 

For $1 it’s a pretty good deal.  It’s not the best product I’ve ever used, but it works!  I prefer my Bare Minerals Renew & Hydrate Eye Cream, but when it runs out, back to the Dollar Tree solution I go!

I only buy the Bare Minerals one as part of a kit because it’s a better value that way, so once it’s gone, I’ll have to wait until I can find another good deal on it!  I live within walking distance of a Bare Minerals Outlet (dangerous) so on top of finding kits to get increased value, I shop at the outlet, and get an even better value!  I also like their 12 hour beauty rushes, but more on that in another post.  I’m thinking about doing a high end make-up at drugstore prices blog.  Leave me a comment to let me know you’re interested in something like that. 

So hopefully you are still reading at this point!  I enjoy shopping at the Dollar Tree and in other dollar stores and sections to find creative storage and organization solutions for all over my house!! 

Until next time, follow your passion, share your joy!

Tags: #DollarTree #organize #BareMinerals #labelthat #packinghacks #shoeboxes #lippies #LAColors #Ikea

Wet n' Wild Review & Depotting Chat

I love surprises.  Ok, not all surprises.  I should probably be more specific about that.  But because of my love for make-up, and my love for saving money, I have been subscribing to Ipsy, a beauty subscription that comes to me once a month for $10.  It typically has 4-5 full sized and sample sized products and a make-up bag.  In the event that you are interested to try it, Here is my referral link or you can check them out at Ipsy.com.  I have been subscribed for about 5 months now.  I find that I like about half of each bag.  Now, for $10, I'm ok with not liking everything.  So far, I feel like I have gotten my money's worth out of each bag.  Of course, that leaves me with some things every month that I am not planning to use.  So in that "need to find a deal", and "make the most out of every penny" parts of my being, I have turned to trading and selling the things that I'm not interesting in keeping.

I have sold some things on my local Trash and Treasure groups on Facebook.  I'm sure these exist in most areas, but in mine, there are several of these groups where you can list items that you are interested in selling, and if other people want to buy them, you arrange a time to meet, agree on a price, and away you go.  You can do this with anything from clothing and household goods to cars and houses.  I've seen all kinds of things on there.

I have also started to sell and trade through a sample swap group on Facebook.  This group is people who have subscription services and who trade or sell items that they do not want from them, almost all make-up and beauty related.  So on here, I have been able to do some fun swaps and give someone else something that they were after and in turn receive something I am after.  It's pretty fun!

In a recent trade, I received a Wet n' Wild eyeshadow trio called Knock on Wood.  If you haven't tried these shadows out, you should.  The trios retail for $2.99 at most drugstores and other retailers.  I like to buy them at my grocery store when they are doing double coupon events, because then I can get them for next to nothing!

These shadows are pigmented, they blend well, and they have such a wide range of colors, it's awesome.  The trios have three shadows in them, labeled Browbone, Crease, and Eyelid. Of course, you don't have to use them that way!

Here is the palette:





And here are the shadows:





I took these photos in natural light, but they came out a little more intense in person than they are showing up in the photos.  These photos don't really do the colors much justice to be honest.  The top color is the browbone color.  It is a creamy light pink.  It appears almost matte with just a little shimmer to it, though I don't think that transfers too the skin much.  The second color is the crease color.  It is a warm bronzy brown color.  The finish is satin, and it has very good pigmentation.  The third color is the eyelid color and it is is a satin mauvy pink.  It is such a beautiful color, I could easily see it being used in a large variety of looks.  This is the color that really drew me to the palette in the first place.  As far as I know, this trio has been discontinued int he normal line, but can still be found at some resellers or online.  

Wet N' Wild also puts their shadows out in singles, and 8-pan palettes.  I have a few of each and find that the shadow quality is the same in all of these versions.

So, this eyeshadow palette was a trade for something I got at a great price (two passions) and my next plan is to depot all of my Wet N' Wild shadows into one big Z-Palette (throw in crafting too!).  Oh!  Lingo.  Let me explain.

Depotting is the process of removing an eyeshadow or other pressed make-up pan (the metal part) from the packaging that is it contained in.  This can be done through a variety of methods including baking, prying, other forms of heat, freezing, and more!  The benefits of depotting are that you get rid of the often bulky packaging that make-up comes in, and put all of your products into one place.  By keeping everything in one place, I find that I use a wider range of colors in my make-up, and use shadows that I might not have otherwise used.

A Z-Palette is basically a big magnet with a lid.  So when you depot your shadows or other products, you need a new place to put them so that they can stay clean and undamaged.  This is where the Z-Palette comes in!  They come in a variety of sizes and colors, and they contain a very nice magnetic bottom, and a sturdy see through lid.  They can be bought directly from zpalette, or other retailers such as Amazon.  My favorite size so far is the Large, which is about the size of a DVD case.  So you can place all of your shadows or other products in here, from a variety of brands, that are different shapes, and they all fit!  So I have one Z-Palette that is all Bare Minerals Ready (pressed) eyeshadows.  I love the Bare Minerals shadows, but a lot of them come in duos, and I find it annoying to have to open 15 packages in the morning to get one color out of this one, and one out of that one, and so on.  By depotting all of my Bare Minerals pressed shadows, I can put them all in one big place, and use them anytime, in any order.  It also means that I can see everything that I own, so nothing gets forgotten.

Here is my Bare Minerals Z-Pallete:





And just some of the packaging I was able to get rid of (or trade) by depotting:

The other great thing about the Z-Palette is that you can rearrange your stuff anytime you want to!  Since everything is magnetized in, you can just pick it up and move it!  And one palette takes up so much less space than 10 or 12 smaller packages.  (Which means you can keep more make-up, and annoy the husband just a little bit less!)

I have quite a collection of Wet N' Wild shadows now, and want to buy another Z-Palette for just Wet N' Wild shadows!  So that's my next depotting project.  I also have a plan for some other brands that I want to depot.

Well, I think that's enough random for one post!  If you are interested in more blogs about palettes like this one, or depotting, or anything else that I talked about, please let me know!!

Until next time, follow your passion, share your joy!

FTC: This blog was not sponsored in any way.  These opinions are my own, and I have never received money in exchange for a positive review.

tags: ipsy, review, wet n wild, trading, pinterest, swatches, depotting, make-up, beauty, subscription, Z-Palette, zpalette, palette, organizing, declutter, Bare Minerals, packaging, bulky, convenience, amazon

Purpose, Passion, and Joy!

In this post, I want to tell you a little about the purpose of this blog!

I believe in finding your passion and then following it!  In following your passion, you find an incredible joy!  I have found in my life that I can be a little too distracted for just one passion at a time.  For instance, I enjoy couponing, and saving my family money.  I find incredible joy in checking out at a store and knowing that I have gotten good things for my family, but saved money doing it.  I enjoy taking pictures and paper and accessories and creating scrap book albums that will help to bring good memories for years to come.  I enjoy taking time to myself in the morning, and putting on make-up, and watching videos on how to do that better, or differently.  I love my family, and love spending time together.  And when I can combine more than one passion that I have, I find even more awesome joy!  So when I figure out how to use my frugal thinking to buy things that make me feel pretty, or to do with my family, or I figure out how to craft new make-up for myself, I find a new level of awesome joy!  That is the joy I want to share with you!

So what can you expect to find on here?  Well, happy thoughts for one thing!   On any given day, you may find a make-up review, a coupon or savings deal, a walkthrough of depotting make up, a funny mommy moment, or something entirely random!

In sharing my joy with you, I hope that you will share your joy too!!  There are so many things in our world that are so good at stealing joy, so the more that we can share with one another, the better for everyone!!  So I hope that you will share your joyous moments with me, and things that you want to learn more about!  I love teaching, and sharing!

Be sure to like or comment on this blog to let me know you are interested in hearing more, or ideas of things you want to hear about!

So welcome to my little corner of the world!

And until next time... find your passion, share your joy!

#blogging #firstblog #coupons #make-up #joy #passion #family #introduction