I always envy bloggers with the most perfect makeup storage. There never seems to be the perfect answer. One minute everyone is looking at acrylic storage and the next its the
expensive Alex drawers from IKEA, and there seems to be little consensus over whether we prefer our makeup displayed in front of us or tucked away for nobody to see. It does depend on how much makeup you have and what you can fit in the space dedicated to it. I'd always wanted a
white desk to apply my makeup and to double up to take blog photos on but really don't have much space in the room I share with my boyfriend since we moved in with my Dad and the rest of my family. To make the most of little space on a budget, I came up with this multi-purpose storage system.
To make the most out of the space we had down the side of our bed, next to the window, we bought two IKEA Kallax shelving units side by side in white for £20 each. As they do have space in them for boxes instead of drawers, I have four of the Drona boxes in the floral pattern for £3.50 each to fit in bulky things like hair styling tools, large makeup palettes, skincare etc. Andy has four Drona boxes in black for £2.50 each which holds his camera, photography items and some of his clothes. We bought them in mind that this is temporary storage and when we eventually buy our own house we will separate the two, hence why we have different coloured boxes. They aren't too deep like some desks you'd find so you can comfortably apply your makeup without the storage taking up too much space. As an added benefit, I bought a £5 Ikea fold up chair which is tucked next to the storage which is obviously very convenient since I don't have the room for a fancy chair.
I do have some acrylic storage boxes just so my most used makeup isn't stuck in one of the boxes underneath. I have two boxes from Ebay which I bought about a year or so ago that have lasted well and were under £20 each. They hold small palettes, extra lipsticks, awkward shaped products and minis. My high end lipsticks sit in an extra lipstick storage box that is also from Ebay. I did used to have a third Ebay box but have since replaced it with my new love. In between them I have the 5 drawer acrylic storage from Muji which is an absolute dream with the drawers opening smoothly, deep enough to fit the longest of my eyeliners and have a completely flat top to allow extra storage there too. I have a small mirror that sits on top and is in the perfect place as it allows me to apply my makeup with natural light as I face the window. Overall I love the unique layout I have and whilst I do have a small space, I feel I've definitely made the most out of it.
