All About Cosmetics // Mini-Series 1 of 3 "Nail Polish"

Today marks the day I begin my mini series dedicated to cosmetics. I will be sharing 3 mini posts about cosmetics: nail polish, makeup, and hair products. I will be explaining how to store your cosmetics, where to look for expiration dates (and when to throw things away if it doesn't have an expiration date), and the importance of keeping up with organizing, repurchasing, and purging your cosmetics. Today, will be all about NAIL POLISH! 

Below is a photo of how I store my nail polish. I used a similar tutorial like this to create my nail polish rack (it was super easy!). You can also purchase acrylic nail polish racks here - I just opted for the cheaper route since it was going to be hidden in our closet. Before I took this photo, every single shelf was FULL of nail polish, and I even had a few that were just balancing on the edge since there was no room for more. But then I sorted through all the polishes, got rid of more than half, and only chose the ones I would really, actually wear. I also got rid of ones that were expired, dried up, or almost gone. 

I always keep my polishes in rainbow order so I can see what colors I have (or don't have), starting with reds and going all the way to purples. I separate out the glitter polishes and the nudes, pinks, creams, and neutrals. All of the base coats, top coats, and cuticle oils are at the bottom. This is just what works for me, but I highly recommend this system. I also leave spaces for new polishes. I will only purchase a new polish if I know one will be running out in the near future, or if there is killer sale on my favorites. 

As for expiration dates, MOST cosmetics have an expiration date. In the photo below, you will see a little symbol in the bottom-right of the bottle of nail polish that looks like a jar with the lid off and a number inside. That is the expiration date. This one says "24M," so this nail polish is good for 24 months. I've only had this polish for about a year and half, so I'm going to hang on to it. I would recommend writing the date of purchase with a Sharpie on all your nail polishes so you know when to throw them away. Or keep a spreadsheet nearby with the dates of when you purchased each polish. Here is a good option.

Storing nail polishes this way is super easy, convenient, and good for the actual polish. They should be stored upright, and not laid down on their side. (And having them visible always motivates me to use them.)

Let me know how you store your nail polishes, or better yet, take a photo and post it in the comments below! Happy painting!!

 I will be explaining MAKEUP in the next mini post... so be sure to subscribe so you don't miss it!

Plumbing Pipe Shelves

Happy New Year to all of you... I hope this year brings you many blessings, love, and most importantly, DIY projects to complete. Our holiday season this year was one for the books. We actually made it through without any snow, which is unusual for Indiana at this time of year. It was about 50 degrees on Christmas Day {what?!}. We had a great time with family, despite the fact that my husband had to leave at 9:00am Christmas Day to help restore power in Michigan. It comes with the job. New Years Eve was spent in Cincinnati, OH with great friends. It was fun and something we have never done before. My favorite part was the firework display at New Years. So, now starts a new goal for 2016 for this blog... to complete a post every month (but, I'm shooting for more). I want to do more than just DIY projects though. Maybe some recipes, maybe some other things too, and that's where you come in. I need some suggestions on what you would like to see more of on here. Leave me a comment below this post of things you might like to see. But, nonetheless, I'm excited to start 2016 with a bang. So here we go...

To begin, we (because, yes, this was a project I needed help from the hubby) used stud wood from another project. It was just white stud wood. I had him cut me 2 shelves, one at 24" and one at 18". The other dimensions of the boards are 2" x 6". But you can make your shelves as long/short, thick/thin as you want.

Next, I used this stain to make them look weathered. I also applied a light coat of gray wood stain over the weathered stain, and then once it was completely dry, I added Minwax finishing wax to the shelves to ensure they were sealed for the bathroom.

Now comes the part where the hubs helped out. We bought the plumbing pipe at Menards. We picked up 4 - 1/2"x 6" black pipes that had threading on both ends, the caps to match, and the floor flanges to match. It's pretty simple, but if you need help at your hardware store, don't hesitate to ask. :) We figured out where we wanted the pipes to be attached to the shelves, then attached them with pipe straps.

Next, we held the shelves up to the wall and made marks of where the holes were to be drilled for the flanges. Then, hubs just attached everything together and to the wall.

This was one of the more simple projects we completed, but it makes a huge impact. It also showcases our style more. I love them, don't you?