Trend Tuesday // What's in my Purse Make Up Bag

I did a little post like this before (see it here) but I've changed it up a bit ever since getting my new purse - which I'm in love with - from TJ Maxx.  I no longer use my purse organizer from this DIY because it doesn't fit in the bucket style of this bag.  However, the style of this bag really organizes things for me.  Things fit perfectly inside it all neatly!  But this is just a post on my little make up bag inside my purse.

The bag is an old Ipsy bag from Summer 2014.  It has a fun pattern on it of some like pineapples and some leafy plant.  It's pretty bright and cheery which is what I like the inside of my purse to look like especially when I'm reaching into it at work.  It's the little things right?

Some Ipsy bags aren't that roomy but this one is big enough to fit what I need.  I rarely change out the items in here except for maybe when the seasons change - like adding in a darker or a brighter lipstick - but right now we're in neutral territory.

The two face products I won't be caught dead with out are my Mally Evercolor Poreless Face Defender and a pressed powder - right now I have an ELF powder in there because it's small enough.  I love the Mally Face Defender and the key to it is to press and blot it into the skin.  It really does take away the oil and refresh your make up.  I'm not sure what kind of magic is in there but it truly is magic.  The pressed powder also helps with oils and refreshing my make up.  If I've lost coverage in an area it helps to bring it back.  It also helps to have this in my bag to set any concealer I've reapplied.  I like the Revlon ColorStay Concealer Wand because it has pretty good coverage.

The remainder of this bag is all lip colors - which I'm realizing now are quite similar.  I keep neutral colors in this bag because they are easier to apply and very low maintenance.  While they are all kinda the same they are kinda different!

The Milani HD Advanced Lip Color (which I got a the Dollar Tree last fall) is a darker, more fall-like mauve color named Lovely Rouge.  The L'Oreal Color Riche lip color (which I got a Big Lots) is more of a pinky nude color named Rose Taffeta. and the NYC City Proof crayon balm is an in-between shade of these two called Riverside Rose.  You know, you have to have variety.  I might throw in a deeper shade now that we are going into fall but these are all super easy to throw on if I need to in a pinch.

I have two balms in the bag - the L'Oreal Colour Riche balm is also an easy hint of color but it does help with chapped or dry lips.  And the other balm is actually intended to be the last step of the Cover Girl long wear lip colors but it is a really nice, nourishing balm when you have dry lips.

This slips so nicely into my new bag along with my Filofax, wallet, pencil case, & just-in-case bag.  I'm pretty sure I could also slip my iPad in this purse if needed!

What are your make up on-the-go essentials?

xoxo, Moe

Make it Monday // Easy Purse Organizer DIY from Placemats

I think when the beginning of the year hits something in our DNA screams 'it's time to get organized!' and I've been listening.  A few weeks ago I shared with you what I keep in my purse and I'd love to say that it's stayed that way - simple & organized - but the truth is it didn't.  Right now my purse is a receipt burial ground full of lost lip balm & pens.  My phone gets lost in there every two minutes and who knows what lurks at the bottom.  I love my purse from Target - it's big enough for everything, has two side handles, & another handle for a cross body if you want it.  The other day I was watching organizing videos on YouTube and I found something amazing: a little contraption to keep your purse organized called a purse organizer.  The person doing the video purchased hers on etsy (which is a great option!) but I decided that I could make something similar.  I knew that mine didn't have to be super duper fancy - just something to organize my crap.  So I picked up two cheap placemats & got to sewing.

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Supplies:  Sewing machine (or needle & thread, or fabric adhesive for a new sew option), two cheap placemats (or one, depending on the size of your purse), straight pens, ruler/tape measure

The best type of placemat to work with are the Mainstays brand from Wal-Mart.  They are $1.97 (so cheap!) and have little ridges that make it easier to sew in straight lines.  They are also pretty sturdy with out being too thick so your sewing machine needle will be able to pierce the fabric.

 First, lay the placemat flat horizontally & decide where to fold your placemat to make the pockets.  I decided to fold up the bottom of the placemat 3/4 of the way to the top.  The placemats ended up being a bit too tall for my bag so I flipped the placemat over & pinned the top flap down a little as well.

If you have an idea of things you want to store in the pockets, use the tape measure to measure out & pin the individual pockets.   Repeat the pining & measuring if you need to on the second placemat.  Leave each side of each placemat unpinned, we are going to join the placemats together at one end to create a longer organizer.

Now sew, sew, sew.  I used the thread I had on hand (but I'd suggest matching thread since you do see a bit of the thread in your bag once you're done.  Unless you don't care about that, which is fine).  You can see in the pictures above that following the ridges on these placemats is really easy.  Make thick & thin pockets as well.  Randomizing as you go is best especially if you didn't map out your pockets in advance.

Once you've sewn up all your pockets join the two placemats by sliding the hem of one placemat over the hem of the other placemat.  Pin & sew the placemats together in between each hem.  This is the easiest because you're not pushing your needed thorough 4 thick hems.  Hopefully the picture will help you see the placement.  Trim your ends & you're done!

Your organizer might be a bit too long - mine was even though my purse is huge.  So you can double over the sides like the picture below.  Also don't be discouraged if your organizer is like a lump of weird fabric in your bag.  It doesn't quite look right until you get all your stuff in there.  I slipped the organizer in my bag then filled it up with my things.  I actually had a bunch of pockets left over after I put all my things in there!  I was totally not optimizing the amount my purse can hold!  I got rid of some of the little baggies that were in my previous what's in my purse post because I now have other pockets to hold the stuff - but I may add them back depending on the things I'll add to my purse now that everything has a spot.

You can either place your purse organizer with the pockets facing in or facing out.  I prefer the pockets facing in towards each other - I can get to things better.  Now your purse has like 4x the pockets it had before & you can easily move between purses and find everything you need! (In the photo above you can see that I used blue bobbin thread since I just had it on hand.  It doesn't bother me too much but if you don't like those kind of things use matching thread!)

I also made one from a single placemat for a clutch style organizer.  This one was supposed to be fancier, just in case you were going to a nice place or out for the evening, etc but then I realized I have no nice clutches!  So you can see that you can make one of these organizers from however many placemats you need.  I think this might even be great for a travel make up bag as well!

Want more easy sewing projects?  Click here!

Are you getting organized this year?  Are you including your purse in your organization plans?

xoxo, Moe

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What's in my Purse // My Make Up Bag

Keeping a touch up kit handy is great if you're on the go or have a long day at work.  Sometimes it just feels nice to be fresh faced if you're having a stressful day - which is nearly everyday where I work!  A touch up kit is also great to transition your look from day to night if you're headed out after work as well.  I recently posted What's in my Purse where I featured a little floral bag that held some everyday make up essentials so I thought I'd share what it contained:

Revlon Matte Balm in Sultry //  Flower Skincognito Foundation Stick in SF1 // Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Spicy Cinnamon // Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Sand Beige // Manna Sheer Glo Shimmer Lotion // Sally Hansen Vita-C Lip Plumper // Elf Liquid liner // Wet n Wild Eyeshadow in The Naked Truth // Profusion Khol Eye Liner // NYX Powder Foundation in Natural

Only part of these are for touch ups - the lipstick, concealer, powder, etc - but sometimes this little kit comes in handy if I'm headed out after work or going to do something totally different.  A little more eyeshadow or added a bit of smokiness to my current look transforms your eyeshadow from day to night in no time.  I like this Wet n Wild palette because it has many options & the brushes it comes with aren't terrible in a pinch!  This is also a simple travel pouch if you're got making a spontaneous weekend trip - which I need to take more of!

What make up do you keep in your purse?  Anything fun?

xoxo, Moe

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Trend Tuesday // What's In My Purse

While I was visiting Virginia over the holidays I finally picked up a good purse.  First let's talk about how many purses I actually have - next let's look at the fact that the ones not made well tend not to hold up.  Also, lets add another thing to the list of things to do - get rid of old purses.  Anyway, off topic now - back to the purse.  I picked up another sturdy purse from Target that I call my business purse.  It's super professional looking, I think.  It is has a faux leather body - nothing pleather but like a sturdy leather-type fabric that I think will hold up well.  It won't flake away if you know what I mean.  Here's what I keep in my purse:

 First off I love this purse! Like I said above it's from Target - it's the Merona brand Satchel Handbag in Cognac.  I love the matte finish look of the material it's made of & I don't think it will fall apart anytime soon!  I love the different pockets inside & the two side pockets and middle zip pocket on the outside.  It holds e v e r y t h i n g .

 I usually keep my iPhone in it's purple Morphie Case in one of the outside side pockets so it's with in reach.  These three lip balms - peppermint flavored ChapStick, a Sally Hansen Vita-C Lip Plumper, & a Dr. Rescue Baby Lips - live in the small zipper pocket in the back inside of the purse.  Next I have a fun little notebook pulled from my endless notebook collection inside to jot down notes for the blog, shop, life, etc.  It was from Target as well.

In the small, clear bag with a flower pattern (from H&M ages ago!) I keep extra lip colors I'm loving or using at the time.  These include chubby lip crayons that are really easy to apply through the day.  I always have deodorant in there too, just in case.  I run out the door quite a lot with out putting on some D-O, whoops!

Another little zipper bag from Target that came from the same line as the notebook is used for feminine items & other doo-dads I may need.  I love the chevron pattern on this!  Opening my bag & seeing so many colors & patterns makes me happy!  And finally, the thing I need the most - my wallet, which is also from Target last year.  Man, Target makes some cute stuff, right?  This wallet is huge and I recently just cleaned it out because it was holding everything under the sun.  I like that it has a few inside pockets as well as a middle, zipper change pocket.  I mean I can fit all my cards, change, checkbook, moolah, & receipts in there.

Not pictured above but sometimes floating around in there are various cord chargers, my keys, & my iPad.  I love that this purse fits everything.  It also has two small handles & the option for making it a cross body bag with an adjustable strap.  Great versatility.  Cross body bags are much easier to shop with.

What's in your bag?  What are your daily essentials?

xox, Moe

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