IKEA Helmer

Earlier this week, I picked up the Ikea Helmer drawer unit, which is highly recommended by many beauty and nail blogs like Lipglossiping and Polish Police for storage.

Assembling the Helmer took just under an hour and was fairly straightforward, requiring only some basic tools like a screwdriver and hammer. I also used a pair of scissors and pliers to help fold down the metal tabs of the drawer panels. There are videos on Youtube that walk you through the process but I was able to figure it out by relying on the instruction sheet.

Compared to my Muji 6-drawer chests, the Helmer offers a bit more storage space. It is also easier to move around as it has wheels. The Helmer in its flat pack box from Ikea already weighs 13kg, so when completely filled up with products, it is probably too hefty for me to lift. However, it lacks the internal compartments that make the Muji drawers so handy, so you either have to purchase those separately or make your own. I usually make my own by re-using the cardboard boxes from mooks and beauty products.

In the top drawer are my Sleek i-Divine palettes, Blush By 3 palettes and blush singles, plus my Too Faced palettes. I re-used the packaging from the Paul & Joe mook to make dividers for the palettes. Towards the front, I have two small Muji plastic pots with my lipsticks and glosses by Rimmel, Tom Ford, Burberry, YSL, RMK and Paul & Joe.

I just picked up another two Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate lipsticks from FeelUnique.com which carries five shades from the spring 2012 collection.

The second drawer holds an assortment of palettes and blushes from RMK, Becca, Lancome, Clarins, Chantecaille, the Body Shop etc. In the upper right corner are two re-purposed Crabtree & Evelyn boxes holding my L'Oreal HIP eyeshadow duos, Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Colors and MAC Paint Pots.


In the drawer below are my Guerlain Meteorites, Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks and other assorted face powders and blushes.

Below is the base makeup drawer containing foundations, primers and concealers. It is deep enough to hold the liquid foundation bottles by Za and Soap & Glory standing upright. I'll need to get dividers for this.

Another drawer holds a smattering of nail polishes from Essence, China Glaze, Dior and Nicole by OPI.

The bottom drawer holds the bulk of my nailpolishes from MAC, Catrice, OPI, Paul & Joe, Anna Sui, Lunasol, RMK, Deborah Lippman and Accessorize. The only lacquer in my collection that was too tall to fit was Bourjois One Seconde Nail Enamel.


The Accessorize nailpolishes, which have flat tops, are stored upside down so that it's easier to see the shades.

As there is no catch to prevent the drawers from pulling out completely from the frame, I always place one hand under the drawer when pulling it out just in case it falls. When fully filled up with nail polishes, the thin metal drawers are prone to bending, more so than the Muji drawers. The Muji drawers also make a much softer and smoother sliding sound as they are plastic, versus the metal-on-metal sound of the Helmer. It is not unbearably scratchy or squeaky as to be a dealbreaker, but it was one of the first things I noticed.

If you don't mind the self-assembly, the Helmer is definitely worthwhile considering if you're looking for storage options for your beauty stash. It retails for CHF40 (about S$55), versus S$69 in Singapore, US$40 in the US and £25 in the UK.

Storage solutions: Muji Drawers and Ikea Flaren Cabinet

Aside from the Muji 6-drawer chests, I am also using a Muji 4-tier stocker for storing part of my beauty stash. This was purchased in Singapore for S$59 (versus 2900yen on Muji Japan.)

The drawers slide out very smoothly without catching or jamming on the slides like drawers by cheaper brands often do. Made of polypropylene, it is very easy to clean. There are no internal dividers.

The ridge on the sides help to prevent the drawers from falling out inadvertently. To remove the drawer from the frame, you just have to gently press the two sides towards each other.

One drawer is used for perfumes.

My Jo Malone colognes.

Lovely samples from Penhaligon's.

Another drawer holds my RMK Christmas Base Kit, a La Mer skincare trial kit and assorted face sheet masks.

Foundations and loose powders, plus Urban Decay's 15th Anniversary palette.

Right at the bottom, I have my stash of Daiso sponge detergent, Ettusais shower colognes, Bioderma Sebium H20 Micellar Solution and other assorted skincare items.

The stocker comes with wheels that can be easily snapped on or removed. As the Muji store at Ion only had the display set left at that time, the staff was kind enough to provide me with a brand new set of wheels.



Another useful storage solution is the Muji PP Case Drawer #7721515 (S$13) which measures 25x33x15cm. (On the Muji EU website, it costs £10.95.) There are no dividers, so it's more suitable for bulkier bath/skincare products rather than tiny makeup items.

The top of the drawer is structured in such a way that these are easily stackable, so you can simply add on another drawer if you need to.

The drawer easily fits Lush's biggest black pots and bath bombs as well as the Body Shop's 250ml long shower gel bottles (laid on their side). You can view Muji's range of drawers in their furniture catalog 2011.


At Ikea, I found this Flaren cabinet which has a more feminine charm to it than Muji's utilitarian aesthetic. I can't remember the price here in Switzerland but it costs £99 on the Ikea UK website.

I haven't organised it properly yet, so everything is still in a bit of a mess.


On the top are an Anna Sui brush holder, loose powder and a gold tin for cotton pads, Lunasol eyelash curler, Guerlain Perles de Nuit Meteorites, Soap & Glory Kick Ass Concealer plus my fragrance and foundation of the moment (Jo Malone Pear & Freesia cologne and Rouge Bunny Rouge Milk Aquarelle).

The top also flips up to reveal the pull-out drawer, where I keep mostly lip products and cheek stains.

Hope this has been useful for anyone looking for ideas on how to organise their stash!

Anna Sui Beauty Mirror L and Muji Makeup Storage

For beautifully crafted makeup accessories, Anna Sui is by far and away the best in the business. Back in December, I received their Beauty Mirror L as a surprise going away gift.

Framed by Anna Sui's signature rose and butterfly motifs, the mirror is generously sized, standing at 10.8 inches tall and 8.5 inches wide. Made in Japan, the mirror feels quite weighty and has a decent width so it does not feel flimsy at all.




The hook allows you to adjust the chain and the angle of the mirror as you like.

The Beauty Mirror L was a limited edition item from last year's holiday collection. According to Maddy Loves, it was previously released in 2003. I'm not sure if it is still available at the counters in Singapore, where it was priced around S$91 (versus 6030yen in Japan). If you are in the US, it is still available on Urban Outfitters for US$58.

I keep the mirror on top of my Muji drawers, which holds the bulk of my makeup stash.


The Muji 6-drawer chests are perfect for organising makeup products as they come with adjustable dividers. They are very sturdy and easy to clean. Two of these are more than four years old and they still show no sign of wear and tear. Each costs S$56, which seems expensive but considering the number of years they will last you, they are a worthwhile investment. Toyogo offers much cheaper storage alternatives but nothing as functional and well-designed as this.

Becca Deluxe Travel Toiletry Bag and Paul & Joe pouches

Yesterday, I popped down to Fenwick in New Bond Street to pick up a few more Louise Young brushes. I wandered over to the Becca counter in search of a brush roll as I've purchased several brushes on this trip. Although they didn't have any, the Deluxe Travel Toiletry Bag (£40, about S$79) caught my eye with its generous size and multitude of compartments. This will come in very handy for keeping my beauty products and tools neatly organised and well protected.

The lightweight nylon bag in Becca's signature dark chocolate shade looked stylish with the silver metal studded handles while the soft leather pullers on the zips felt luxurious and much easier to grasp than the usual metal zip pullers. The bag should be quite easy to clean. The price in the UK works out to be slightly cheaper than the US, where it costs US$68 (about S$82).


The bag has three main sections. The front section has three plastic open-top pockets on one side and two mesh zippered pockets on the other side.


The middle section has the widest base and is meant for storing creams, gels or liquid items, which can be secured with the three elastic bands. One side is covered with water-resistant plastic.

It is wide enough for me to fit a fairly thick Paul & Joe pouch inside.

The third section has elastic holders and pockets for brushes/mascaras/liners etc, plus a zippered pocket and two clear PVC pockets with magnetic closures. The pockets are all fairly sizable.

The elastic holders and pockets are best suited for short handled brushes rather than long handled brushes which would risk falling out or being crushed by items in the zippered pocket.


On this trip, I've been using a variety of Paul & Joe pouches that I've collected over the years.

This flat pouch was a gift with last year's Sahara collection. I carry this in my bag daily for holding basic makeup necessities like a lipstick, powder foundation, concealer, eyeshadow primer, eyeshadow palette, blush, perfume sample vial and cotton buds.

The whale print pouch, which is a recent gift with purchase with the L'Horizon Bleu collection, is very roomy and useful for storing larger bottles/tubes as well as just throwing in whatever odds and ends I come across while packing for a trip.


The pink and grey pouch was a gift with last fall's Clair de Lune collection. It is well padded but can't fit much. In this, I have a Sleek palette, a Tokidoki palette, a Paul & Joe powder compact and a Magie Deco palette.

The green organizer has been around for quite awhile. I think I purchased this when it was on sale at ASOS.com (which no longer stocks it). Beautyhabit.com still has it at US$65.

I like this pouch for its multi-functionality and detachable pouches.

It can fit several brushes but not brushes with longer handles like those by Louise Young. Some of my brushes also got their bristles bent at an angle, which was why I started looking for a brush roll.