Author: Stefanie Drinkwater

Hey, guys! My name is Stefanie Drinkwater. I'm an upcoming junior at Marymount Manhattan College; I major in Theater Arts focusing on Costume Design with a business minor in Fashion Studies. I love art, music and concerts, dogs, theatre, and of course, fashion!

How to DIY Makeup Organizer on a Budget

Sometimes it’s hard to keep our makeup and vanities organized. Let’s be real, makeup organizers can get pricey. This DIY makeup holder is cheap, cute, and clutter-free – plus, you can customize it! I’m going to show you step-by-step how I made this for my tools.

Supplies

  • a shoe box 
  • ribbon (around ⅝ an inch thick is probably best)
  • decorative paper
  • filler

Step 1—First you will need to take your shoe box (the top isn’t needed) and fill it with a filler. This will give your makeup something stand up on, and keep it from falling down into the box later on. Originally I bought a bag of small decorative pebbles to use for this, but the layer wasn’t thick enough to hold my makeup up so I had to improvise. To be honest, I stuffed the box with crumpled up tissues and I liked the result much better! If you prefer the decorative filler, just make sure you have a layer of it at least a few inches thick—depending on the depth of your box—so that your makeup doesn’t sink.

Step 2— Once your filler is in the box you’re going to make a grid across the top with ribbon. To do this I hot glued each piece of ribbon to one end of my box, folding it about ½ an inch over the side, stretched it across to the other side and hot glued it to the opposite side. Make sure to pull the ribbon tight (if you leave it loose it won’t hold your products up).

You will do this down the entire length and width of the opening of your box in order to make your grid. Be sure to space your ribbon out enough that your product can fit in between the spaces. I used a ColourPop liquid lip to measure my spacing out as I went along.

Step 3— After your grid is completed, it’s time to decorate! I covered the long sides of my box in floral scrapbooking paper and the small sides in plain paper to match. I hot glued the paper down and then labeled one side with “lipstick” and the other side with “brushes” since that’s what I planned to keep in mine. Covering it with the paper allows you to hide the fact that it’s a shoe box.

There’s no wrong way to decorate. Cover it all in plain paper or bedazzle it to the heavens—sticker it or doodle on it.

Step 4—Fill in that grid with all your makeup!

I like my things to be easy to see while I’m doing my makeup rather than being cluttered in a cup, jar, or bag. This project is easy and super affordable. For the most part, it can be made with things you have around your house. The items you may need to buy can be bought at your local craft store for really cheap (my total: $9).

If you try this out, post a picture and tag @Cfashionista so we can see your DIYs!

How You Can Layer Up This Summer

Layering may sound like a term only used for the F/W season, but don’t be fooled—summer fashion has layers, too! It’s easy to feel stuck when putting together summer looks because it feels too hot to wear anything more than just a tank and shorts, but let’s be real, that can get really boring really fast. I have five ways to add interest to your wardrobe this season using layers, texture, and accessories without making you melt in the summer heat.

1—A light, slinky slip dress. This dress is perfect for the heat, but may not always feel appropriate or comfortable to wear on its own. To add a little something, throw a white, or even graphic, T-shirt underneath! Make sure it’s not too tight but still fitted to avoid the need to pull it down all day. To add another layer and an extra pop of color to this look, I chose to add a little scarf as a neck tie.

2—The graphic T-shirt. The T-shirt doesn’t have to stay underneath the dress this summer. Mix up patterns and combine styles by wearing a graphic T-shirt on top of your favorite floral sundress. To play up the edgy side of this look, you could add a choker of your choice.

3—The bralette. Bralettes always add something cute to an outfit, but sometimes they don’t get the attention they deserve. To really show off your bralette, put it underneath a completely sheer shirt. I accessorized my edgy take on this style with a thin studded belt and a bandana around my neck.

4—Mesh sleeves. Long sleeves may seem out of the question in the summer, but this style doesn’t add too much material on the arms. A mesh long sleeve can go under any T-shirt to add texture and to bring your top from simple to bold.

5—The bodysuit. Wearing a bralette under your low neck or sleeveless tops is so expected. Opt out of “the usual” by wearing a bodysuit underneath instead. Here, I chose to go boho with a white lace layer under my flowy tank. It peeks out over the low neckline and covers the deep armholes so that I never have to worry about what’s showing when the tank inevitably shifts around. To add even more layers in the accessories, I went with my favorite layered necklace.

I paired most of these looks with my favorite black slides from Steve Madden that you see in look number two, but all five can go with anything from sandals to sneakers or even booties! On a chilly summer night, my go-to top layer is always a denim jacket which I would wear with any of these looks.

Show us how you’re wearing your layers this summer on social media! Don’t forget to tag @CFashionista.