Happy Friday, lovelies! Lar and I decided to mix things up a bit and instead of a Friday Link Love, we’re doing a Friday Twin Take. Yeah, that’s right, we like aliteration. And we like sharing our sameness and different.ness. First up! Vanities!
Lar and I are relatively low maintenance when it comes to makeup. Don’t get me wrong, we love our trips to Sephora as much as the next girl, but we both keep our makeup routines under five minutes. Efficiency? Yes. Laziness? Most definitely.
Regardless of our brief daily makeup routine, Lar and I both appreciate having a place to apply our makeup. There’s something so luxurious about having a dedicated spot to primp and Lar and I have both done it on the cheap. Take a look:
Lar’s vanity is located right by her bedroom window. Of course natural light is the best light to apply makeup. Too bad Lar lives in a country where it’s only sunny about 10 percent of the time (sorry Lar, had to make that dig).
My vanity is a five year old Ikea desk. I used my phone to take photos so you can’t see the scratches in the paint. Otherwise, it’s perfect!
Let’s take a closer look at each set up:
I love how girly Lar’s vanity looks – although I guess there’s no such thing as a manly vanity. Matt bought her that bottle of Lancome perfume for Christmas and the pink bottle is from her super fancy Harrod’s hamper. Do you see all of her makeup brushes? Lar is the one who made me realize that makeup is so much easier to apply with brushes than with the weird foam tools that come with drug store makeup and q-tips.
Lar stores the bulk of her makeup in a biscuits (that’s “cookie’s” in British speak) tin.
Instead of cluttering up her vanity with hair tools and products, she keeps them stored in a box nearby. Do you see how she has a GHD straightener? So jealous!
My vanity is a bit more cluttered:
I purchased the chevron tray and little cupcake stand at two local shops in Decatur. The full size cake stand was made by a local potter. I like to think these items make my table top look a little more pulled together.
Lar and I both like organizing things cups (see my white tea cup and Lar’s turquoise mug). I have two tubes of Rimmel concealor because they’re now only available in the UK. Lar brings them home for me and I hoard them.
I keep my AsianCajuns name necklace within easy reach because I wear it almost every day. The little bowl is a gift from a friend who went to China and the A to Z emery boards are from Lar.
I think Lar and I get our love of vanities from our mom. She’s not big into makeup either, but for as long as I can remember she’s always had a vanity. It’s a a weird combination I suppose – like having a big closet but not really being interested in clothes. Go figure. Are we alone here? For our female readers out there, do you have a vanity? Any organizing tips? Do you keep your makeup in a cookie tin?
So many questions to think about while heading into the weekend!
P.S.: Friday Link Love isn’t gone forever. It’ll be back every other Friday.
__________________
Dearest Lar,
It’s MLK Jr. weekend and you know what that means?! Volunteering on Saturday! This will be the second year in a row where we won’t be volunteering together, sniffle ,sniffle. I hate losing traditions like that, but we can start new traditions, like Twin Take Fridays, woohoo!
Skype date Sunday?
xoxo, Cath
I wish I had room for a vanity but I don’t 🙁 I don’t wear makeup though but I would sit at one to put on face lotion and chapstick anyway!!
Both your vanities look great! If I ever get one, I will let you know! 🙂
I was totally the same way for most of adult life so far, Olivia — so I completely relate. I still don’t wear any lippie — just chapstick because I always seem to chew anything else off.
Hope you have a lovely weekend!
xoxox,
Lar
I love both of your vanities! I keep all of my stuff in the bathroom where there is no window. Would it be weird to have a vanity in the living room? haha!
Do it! Not weird at all – especially if it’s in the same style as your living room furniture! Of course if it’s right next to your TV and not tucked in a corner that might be a little weird. . . 😉 xoxo, Cath
My mom has a vanity she never uses and I use my desk. Which means I can’t do any work at said desk and make up has ruined it. I’d love to have a vanity. I never considered this as an option. Love what you two have done 🙂
I sometimes do work at my vanity when it’s the only clear surface in my house 😉 xoxo, Cath
I don’t have the space for a vanity, but I sure loved looking at y’alls! I just primp in my bathroom with a chair from the thrift store. Ha! I LOVE make up. Isn’t it fun?!
So fun! And I’m impressed you have a large enough bathroom for a chair! I can barely fit a little trashcan in mine 🙂 xoxo, Cath
Hi Kitcath!
Oh I so wish I were volunteering with you this weekend. It is seriously one of my favorite traditions we had in Decatur/Atlanta. I should do some volunteering around Edinburgh to make up for it!
Oh and I totally lied to you. I think it takes a solid 12 minutes for me to put my makeup on in the morning. I started using that Urban Decatur eyeshadow primer (love it) and that alone added a minute. I’m getting more high maintenance the older I get. By 40 I’ll be up to half an hour.
Can’t wait for our skype date on Sunday!!!
xoxox,
Lar
p.s. I totally took my vanity pics with my sun lamp at full blast just outside of the crop of the frame. The room is usually much, much darker even at noon 😉
12 minutes is still nothing! I’ve never timed myself, but I don’t my routine is super short.
I need a sunlamp for my night time photos! It works so well! You’ll probably get a decent amount of sun in the summer even though your window is north facing.
xoxo, cath
let me just start out by saying i LOVE the idea of twin take! so fun! 🙂
i wish i had a vanity. currently i don’t really have room for one.but, now that i think about it, i don’t think i ever really had one. and yet, i kind of always wanted one. i never really have all of my makeup/hair stuff/jewelry in the same area. and i wish i did. my organizational skills really blow.
Hahaha, you have an excuse – you just moved! When I lived in a small apartment, I didn’t have a vanity and didn’t miss it. Now I don’t know what I’d do without one. Yay for Twin takes! xoxo, Cath
One of the things I always wanted as an adult was a true vanity. I go to an antiques mall every year at the plantation festival where I used to work in Destrehan, and one year I finally found something. Mine is a refinished late 30s style dressing table with beautiful round curves and Queen Anne feet. I don’t do my makeup every day so it sits in the drawers, but I do display a bunch of my jewelry for easy access and perfume and hair ties. I love it.
That sounds gorgeous! I had a vanity in my parent’s house growing up that sounds similar to yours and I never used it! Still, it was much more beautiful than the Ikea table I have now! xoxo, Cath
I just added “pretty vanity” to my “someday I want this in my house” list that I protectively guard on my iPhone. Ha! These are so beautiful and feminine and special– what a wonderful way to treat yourself every day. Much better than my windowless bathroom with flourescent lights. I am excited to see the rest of the Twin Takes!!
-M
Maggie, I’m very lucky because my bf lets me use our second bedroom as a closet so I have enough space for a vanity. If we ever move or get married/have kids I’ll probably be out of luck. I’m trying to make the most of it while I can! So glad you like the Twin Takes! I think our next one will be kitchen/cooking related 🙂 – xoxo Cath
You girls are so cute!!! I have space for a vanity, but don’t use one. All my makeup *finally* got organized into little ziplocs and are stored in my bathroom drawer. Perfumes are on my dresser. Everything else (accessories, clothes, purses) is strewn across the room, like a marauding wannabe fashionista blew threw. 😉
I think an organized set up is even better than having a messy vanity. Honestly, I think the main reason I use my vanity is because it gives me an excuse to sit down. During busy weeks when I end up throwing clothes, papers, mail etc on my vanity, I just apply my makeup in my bathroom. Sometimes I like the “strewn across the room” system because you can usually see everything in one glance 😉 – xoxo, Cath
Love both these vanities! I want one, but I don’t think I have the right spot for it, sadly.
I didn’t have any room for a vanity in the studio apartment I lived it. I just had my makeup in my bathroom by the sink, which made my makeup routine even shorter (I take more time putting on my face if I’m sitting down because I’m lazy like that) – xoxo Cath
i love this Twin Take! such a cute idea
Yay! There will be more in the future!
i love this Twin Take! such a cute idea
Hi Catherine,
I, too, love Rimmel concealor. The retailer Decatur loves to hate on the corner of Memorial and S.Columbia has a good supply of Rimmel concealor as of 5pm today. I shopped for Pantene hair spray earlier at Walgreens where the price was $5.39. At the retailer Decatur loves to hate, the same Pantene hairspray was $2.00.
Best,
Nancy Martin
AC Fan
I’ve never even thought to check there! I have to admit I don’t usually go over there, but that’s mostly because I’ve never gotten in the habit. Knowing that they have Rimmel concealor changes all that! Thanks for the tip! – xoxo Cath
Unfortunately, I don’t have room or good light to put a vanity so I do makeup and hair in the bathroom. I have a slim makeup bag that fits in the drawer and and a basket for hair products that fits in the cabinet. My brushes are in a cup on the counter.
Your vanities are both so pretty and organized!