Vanity Vibes
Dear Lovely,
Now that I am writing letters to you full time, it seems as though my Reticular Activating System has in fact, been activated, and everywhere I look, I tend to see an opportunity for something new to share. I noticed back in January, many of the things I wanted to share with you were coming from the direction of our primary bathroom, so today, that’s what you get. Here is a list of elements in our bathroom that just make sense.
I keep a stack of black washcloths under my sink for washing my makeup off each night. I use an oil cleanser to take off makeup which doesn’t pair well with my white bath towels. So I purchased a stack of black washcloths to use instead. I also throw a few in the guest room when we have someone stay so they don’t worry about staining the white bath towels with makeup. (You can learn more about my skincare routine HERE.)
I thrifted this beautiful easel from Three Generations Vintage in January and decided to keep it at my vanity with notecards and a pen. When a Bible verse speaks to me, I write it on the notecard and go to work memorizing it as I get ready in the morning or ready for bed at night. Don’t sneeze on easels at the thrift store! Pick one up next time you’re there—or you may already have one!—and use it to hold the Bible verses you are working to memorize.
The most expensive candle I’ve ever purchased was at the Dior store in Paris for €90, so when the candle was finished burning, I couldn’t part with the vessel! Not only was it so expensive for a candle, but it also brought back an incredible memory of when I was in Paris on a family girls’ trip.
So I repurposed the empty candle vessel to hold my makeup q-tips. It’s the perfect size and looks pretty sitting out on my vanity. FYI: these are the best q-tips because they are biodegradable, made with organic cotton, and also have one pointy end. Perfect for fixing smudged mascara!
I had a plummer come in and install a water filter under my bathroom sink. Since I brush my teeth in there and drink water out of that faucet, I thought this would be wise. Brian doesn’t have one on his side because he doesn’t care. But I do. And I think this was a smart thing to do that just makes sense.
I have a comb that hangs from the shower hardware. Now that my hair is so short, this isn’t as necessary as it once was, but when it was long especially, I liked to comb my conditioner through my hair while in the shower. It was a great way to detangle. I love that it hangs so easily from the shower nob.
I made an ironing/steaming station. Okay stay with me. Keeping ironing paraphernalia in the laundry room is very inconvenient for us. I don’t iron regularly, and usually if I need to iron something, I’m in my bathroom or closet getting dressed.
Well, for Christmas I asked for one of those Nori iron steamers. It basically looks like a large straightening iron for hair. This is a wonderful invention because it negates the need for an ironing board. While your garment hangs, you just “straighten” the fabric using the Nori, and it also has a steam setting!
Brian hung a little basket on the wall in my bathroom where I can store the iron. There is a plug right below the basket. We also hung a hook on the wall where I can hang the garment that needs to be steamed. It makes life so much easier. I even put a bottle of my favorite fabric refresher sprayin the basket as well. (The Woodland Sage smells sooo good!) I think everyone needs a little steaming station in their bathroom.
I keep my claw clips in a clear bowl on my vanity. I like seeing all the colors, and since the bowl is left out on the counter, I can easily grab one when needed or throw one in the bowl when I’m straightening up.
A bag stays hanging on the back of the bathroom door for me to put empty makeup, skincare, and bodycare containers. When I have gathered a few things, I take it with me to Sephora to recycle via PACT.
Lovely, this is super simple and super important. Only 5% of our curb-side recycling actually gets recycled. Most Sephora stores have a PACT bin for you to throw in your empty containers. I did it the other day and it was so easy! Please consider taking part in this free service. Thank you Sephora for offering this to us!
All bath products stay on a specific shelf in a cabinet in my bathroom, that way when I take a bath, I can see what I have and not forget to use my beautiful products. I’ve found this to be more usable than throwing things under the sink. Especially because this cabinet has a glass door—I feel inclined to keep it neat and organized since you can see right inside. It’s like I have my own personal Spa Cabinet.
These little clear drawers are wonderful for keeping my travel-sized products collected in one place. If you’ve read my book 11 Days in a Carry-on, you will remember I like to “carry-on” when traveling, so small sized products are a must! Having a specific place for all travel sized items makes packing much easier than having to root around in random drawers, cabinets, and makeup bags to find what’s needed.
So those are a few things in my bathroom that just make sense. What makes sense in your bathroom?
