3 quick and easy DIY bathroom fixes
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Meet makeup artist Neala Olivia
-This week we were lucky enough to speak to super-talented makeup artist Neala Olivia. After telling us about her fabulous beauty room, we just had to check out her blog and see how a real makeup artist tackles eyes, lips and cheeks!
For those of us who can barely create a sexy eyeliner flick without it smudging, Neala’s blog comes complete with handy tutorials and a full list of products used to create the look. We were impressed, and while it will probably take a whole lot of practice (and around 3 packs of makeup wipes) before we get anywhere near Neala’s standard, we’re going to have a real good go! More
Is your makeup bag due a clear out?
-When was the last time you cleaned out your makeup bag? For many of us, the answer to that question is probably a long time ago. Our makeup is the one thing most of us rely on every day, yet it’s also the one thing we seriously neglect. To put it simply (and quite revoltingly too – sorry) you wouldn’t rub dirty hands all over your face, so why do it with makeup products? Experts say you should have a clear out of your makeup at least three times a year, if not more. So, just for you, we’ve compiled this handy guide on the best way to keep your products clean and stop those pesky little germs from making themselves at home in your cosmetics. More
Add some dressing room glam to your bedroom with these top tips
-If you’ve ever found yourself tumbling over discarded clothes and empty bottles of foundation while getting ready for a big night out (admit it…), then you’ve probably dreamed of having your own super-organised yet ultra-glam dressing room.
If only we had more money and space, eh?
Well, wish no more, dear reader. For with just a few changes, you can transform your bedroom into a dressing room that’d leave Hollywood starlets green with envy.
Here’s how to add some dressing room glam to your bedroom:
Make sure you have the essentials
There are a few items every dressing room should have, which we have handily compiled into the checklist below:
- A Hollywood mirror
- Storage
- Surfaces & space
A vague list, granted – but that’s only because creativity is the key when coming up with the dressing room of your dreams.
The obvious solution would be to invest in an expensive dressing room table with hundreds of drawers, but for most people this isn’t practical or affordable.
A good alternative is to use any surface you have in your bedroom at the moment (a desk for example). Place your Hollywood mirror on top and invest in various jewellery boxes to store all your trinkets in; you can pick up some beautiful vintage pieces in charity shops if you snoop around hard enough.
If you don’t have shelf space for your make-up, invest in a gorgeous make-up bag instead; there are plenty available from leading brands, and the prices aren’t as high as you might expect – especially if you shop around!
Choosing a colour scheme
Unless you’re planning on redecorating your own room, the colour of your mini dressing room is going to have to conform to the rest of your room.
Therefore, neutral shades are your best choice. If you want a vintage look, cream is a good option.
Of course, neutral tones can be quite boring, so injecting a splash of pink here or there (with accessories, for example!) is a good way to add some personality.
Accessorise accordingly
The essentials and a suitable colour scheme are all important, but it’s accessories that will ultimately make your dressing room yours.
Add a few things that express your personality; it could be a photo frame with a few pictures of you and your friends, some important family trinkets, a few candles to set a romantic vibe – it’s entirely up to you!
De-clutter
Let’s face it; getting ready for a night out involves a lot of products and equipment. The natural by-product of this is a lot of clutter, the kind of clutter that can result in a nasty injury when you roll in a bit worse for wear at 3am.
Therefore, before you clear out a space for your getting ready station, clear out anything that is no longer essential. Empty bottles, old clothes, random odds and ends you’ve held on to for this reason or the other; everything must go!
So there you have it, a few quick tips to give your bedroom a glamorous dressing room vibe. Feel free to take a look at our Hollywood mirrors if you want to make an early start!
Top bathroom design tips from the best interior design bloggers
-We’re a big fan of bloggers here at Illuminated Mirrors. They provide a constant source of design inspiration with interesting posts, and we often find ourselves amazed by the unique ideas they come up with – ideas that you wouldn’t find elsewhere.
So, this week, we’ve decided to share six fantastic bathroom design tips from our favourite bloggers with you. Make sure to check out each of their blogs once you’ve finished reading!
Choose a paint colour that isn’t a wishy washy pale – Abigail Ahern
Abigail Ahern has been described as ‘the woman rocking the world of interiors’ by the Sunday Times, and thousands of people click onto her blog to pore over said rocking. Abigail specialises in dramatic interiors and provides brilliant advice on a near-constant basis.
One of our favourite pieces of advice from Abigail comes from her post on creating the perfect bathroom. There are 4 steps in total but our favourite is Abigail’s plea for people to stop using pale colours and switch to dark colours instead:
“Everybody has pale bathrooms and they are so boring so consider going dark. Just don’t tell anyone about it before doing it otherwise you will get comments like this ‘isn’t it going to feel a little overwhelming and gloomy.”
Dark bathrooms certainly do offer something different to the norm and make a bold statement indeed. Just don’t expect to ever switch back to creams and beige again:
“…once you convert to the dark side you can never ever return. Promise. Once you start living in this magical world there is no return everything else feels not good enough, bland and boring. Promise, promise promise.”
Some essential bathroom products – Rohini Wahi, The Beat That My Heart Skipped
Rohini Wahi is the brains behind the brilliant ‘The Beat That My Heart Skipped’, a blog covering shopping, books, trends and, of course, interior design
This post on bathroom basics doesn’t offer groundbreaking advice but instead presents 9 bathroom products that we’re pretty convinced we need to buy. Our personal highlight is the beautiful wooden digital scales, but we’re also fond of the stone faceted canister.
Oh, and there’s also something called a Toilet Butler, which isn’t what you think it is!
Invest in details that you love – Apartment Therapy, Sarah Coffey
Apartment Therapy is a giant in the world of interior design blogging; in fact, it probably can’t even be classified as a blog anymore.
Nevertheless, we’d be fools to leave out this post on designing a small bathroom, which provides some superb tips including sacrificing size for luxury and using paint, tiles and textiles to renovate bathrooms in rental properties.
Our favourite tip, however, is one that can be applied to bathrooms of all sizes: invest in details that you love. Think personalised soap dispensers, coloured wicker baskets and illuminated mirrors (not that we’re trying to blow our own trumpet); little details give a bathroom personality and help it stand out from the crowd!
Use…concrete?! – Karine Candice, Bodie and Fou
Karine Candice is the blogger behind Bodie and Fou, described as ‘…a little black book of interiors, with tips on how to recreate effortlessly stylish French chic’ by no less than Vogue.
The post we’ve chosen doesn’t so much draw from French design as it does from industrial design, however, with Karine exploring the use of concrete in the bathroom.
Specifically, Karine focuses on concrete tiling and flooring. It’s not the most obvious of design choices but, judging by the photos included with the blog, it does give an extremely unique look. One for the brave, perhaps.
Wallpapered bathrooms: trend or travesty? – My Friend’s House
My Friend’s House is a blog run by Ros and Jill, two journalists with a wealth of experience writing for publications such as The Guardian, the Independent and ELLE online. Ros even has the distinction of being the editor of Cath Kidston magazine.
This post brings up a love-it-or-hate-it debate regarding wallpapered bathrooms. We’re still not convinced but we like the tip about cleaning wallpaper clean – paint a layer of Decorator’s Varnish over the top for a wipe-clean quality.
So, those are some of our favourite tips from our favourite bloggers. Do you have a favourite blogger, or a tip you want to share? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter!
