If there is one question that I am always asked as both a makeup artist and beauty blogger, it’s what items I simply can’t leave my house without. From too many lipglosses, to the odd ball essentials, here are my purse must-haves.

L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Creme

Especially during these cold, dry months of winter, a great hand cream is a purse essential. I love L’Occitane’s original shea for its ability to leave my hands baby-smooth, supple, and ready to tackle whatever the weather may throw my way. 

Murad Pomegranate SPF Moisturizer

No matter the season, two things that are essential to this visage of mine are hydration and spf protection. No matter that it isn’t hot out, and that I spend most of my day indoors, I need sun protection for this pale face, to not only protect against aging and sunspots, but also against those harmful rays of the sun. 

Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Perversion

If there is one cosmetic item I always have handy, it’s a great pencil eyeliner in blackest black. On those days when I want to go from work to play, a swipe of black liner is all it takes to get me party ready. 

Hair Ties

When your hair is curly and near waist-length, as mine is, things can quickly get out of hand. Enter the classic hair tie, which becomes an invaluable tool in the fight against wayward strands.

Other items may come and go, but these are my tried and true purse staples. 

Hi there! Jen from IHeart Organizing here today to share with you how I organize and store my jewelry, and provide some additional examples of other awesome jewelry storage ideas as well.

What girl doesn't love a little bling? It is the icing on the outfit and is how we finish off our style. However, if we don't have a little control over how we store our jewels, they can become damaged, ruined or lost.

The first thing I do that is super simple and works like a charm, is place an itty bitty dish on my nightstand. That way, when I go to bed at night, my wedding bands have a special home while I sleep, and are easy to find again the following morning.

For all of my other jewelry, I am a "have to see it to use it" kind of gal. So, I created a simple jewelry display above my dresser. The display allows me to see quickly, at a glance, what I have and what will work with the day's specific outfit.

To create the jewelry storage, I used a few simple frames and inserted special backings to display the jewelry.

For the necklaces, I used cork covered with fabric, which allows me to use push pins to hold the jewels.

By using pushpins, I can select the location and height of each piece, it's a very simple and versatile setup.

And for my earrings, I found this super fantastic sheet of cutout aluminum {from Home Depot}, which I cut down to size and popped into the frame.

I use this for my dangly earrings, and I love that I can always see what I have and make a quick choice in the morning when I am getting ready.

For the smaller bits such as stud earrings, extra backs and broaches, I use a ceramic egg tray.

And although I am not a big ring wearer, I do have a couple and found this charming white ceramic hand silhouette to be the perfect solution!

And last but not least, another dish, this one larger, is a great solution for extra bracelets and watches.

I scoured the web for some additional jewelry organization ideas and it seems that many others are fans of displaying their pretties as well.

{Source: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8} 

There are many great tools on the market to help you get your jewelry in order, from jewelry trees to earing holders to the classic jewelry box. Or, you can get a little creative and repurpose everyday items such as ice cube trays, decorative dishes and muffin tins. And if a good DIY is what you love, updating picture frames and cutlery trays to display your goodies is a simple and effective option. The main thing to remember is to pair things down, only keep what you love and then keep it all divided. Jewelry can easily become mismatched, lost or tangled, so dividers are a necessity and giving every piece a home is the key.

Happy Organizing!

Jen

Read more from Jen on her blog, iHeartOrganizing

Hair is typically one of the most remarkable features of any beautiful woman. And while it’s easy to believe models “are just born that way”, the reality is having beautiful hair is more science than art. There are many tricks every woman can use to have beautiful hair of her own, and to receive insights from a top professional I asked Master Colorist Rob Pizzuti for some of his “tricks to having beautiful hair”:

Trick #1 - WASH YOUR HAIR LESS. The best plan is to wash your hair only every 3rd day. The day after washing, just brush smooth and only blow dry what you must. And on the 2nd day brush thoroughly, and create a low ponytail or bun with your natural oils.

Trick #2 - If your hair is dirty, and you have a last minute party invitation or hot date – think braids! Braids look neater and more defined when your hair is a bit dirty (or if you use lots of product). And if you read fashion mags, braids are very stylish… and this is a great reason to save your hair from washing again and stripping it’s moisture. For a few braid style ideas, check out a video I recently collaborated with Dove Hair Care on “How to Tie a Boho-Braid”.  

Trick #3 – With dry winter weather outside, and the heat turned up inside… deep moisturizing weekly treatments can be used EVERY time you wash. Start at the ends and stop at your eyebrow level so you still have volume.

Trick #4 - There are LOTS of “oils” on the market. Forget about the directions and think about this – oil and water do not mix. So, always apply a small amount of oil to your damp hair, not dry hair. This will lock in the water inside your hair and protect it better. Also, remember that oil will burn if it gets too hot, so turn down your hot tools!

Trick #5 - When you get your hair coloured ask about sealers, glosses or clear treatments. Usually 10-20 min and costing $20-$45, these treatments lock in your colour, moisture and seal all the tiny cracks on the outside layer of your hair. When done by a professional, the difference in hair quality and shine can be remarkable.

Trick #6 - Put a intensive mask in your hair before you do hot yoga or have a sauna at the gym after you work out. The heat will push the conditioner deeper into your hair for extreme results.

Thanks for the terrific advice Rob Pizzuti. Curious to hear from everyone, what are some of your favorite tricks for having beautiful hair?

To hear more from Marta, head over to her blog WithLoveGabrielle

See more from Shae on her blog, Vanilla Fringe