True to London form, I am resident of a flat that is not a propagator of mass furniture. In other words, there is a space issue. The bedroom has enough space for a bed and a cupboard, or two – my husband, mush to the disgust of my makeup and jewellery collection, also needs somewhere to store his clothes.

The point: I have no dressing table or drawer to keep my precious paraphernalia.

Now, I could go out and buy those plastic drawers I always see on sale at bargain stores. But I appreciate ‘the aesthetic’, and a bedroom is supposed to be romantic, not… cluttered (a state of being that my husband and I frequently debate the meaning of).

So, I concocted a better way to store my makeup and accessories. As a collector of stuff (or junk – in certain other people’s opinions) – a habit not conducive to London living – I have a rather lovely pool of resources, which provides me endless inspiration and provide creative storage ideas for makeup.

On the set of drawers in my bedroom, I have created a make-shift ‘dressing-table’ space: a Lyle’s Golden Syrup pot contains my eyeliner sticks, some pretty jars (that perhaps olives, or marmalade, used to call home) now accommodate mascara and makeup brushes, and my lipstick and copious amounts of eye-shadow live in old biscuit tins.

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You could haul out all of your makeup and spend ages trying different looks – which shade of lipstick looks best with your favourite green eye-shadow? – which mascara lengthens those lashes to the max? – to use eyeliner, or not to use eyeliner? – blusher in pink or peach?

Or…

You could try out “MakeUp” by Modiface – a fab new makeup app that allows you to do a virtual makeover on yourself. Get ready for a hot date, a gals night out or a work function, with the touch of a button.

The number of times I don my makeup, and then wipe it off (in a rage) because I don’t like it – all at the last minute, of course – are too many to tally.

MakeUp allows you to ‘try on’ different hairstyles and makeup before you do the real thing. All you have to do is snap a photo and choose from thousands of lipstick, blush, foundation, mascara, eye-shadow, or liner colours you would like to test.

The new makeup app allows you to compare before and after photos side by side, and you can also save, email or post (on Facebook) the image and products you used.

But wait…

If you fancy yourself dexterous, “MakeUp Touch” – also by ModiFace – allows you to give yourself or someone else a virtual makeover, by letting you paint directly onto the face. Now, this is probably not the best ‘I’m bored on public transport’ time-filler (although I have become expert at doing my makeup in motion) but the app is a great way to share makeup ideas with your pals.

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Okay – we’re British; we’re allowed to complain about our junky weather. It’s a national past time and is part of our character. So there!

While we bemoan the rain and all-round lack of warmth, we also feed the European economy by holidaying in sunnier destinations – the Amalfi, coast, the Algarve, the Greek isles, the Dalmatian coast.

And boy, do we make the most of it!

Living in the land of cloud and cold has birthed a nation of short-term sun-worshippers. We have to make up for the lack, you understand – and usually, we have only a couple of weeks at our disposal.

That said; we are well aware that the sun can damage our skin. One of the niftiest beauty gadgets on the market at the moment is the Oregon Scientific EB612 Personal handheld UV Monitor with Exposure Timer – what a mouthful!

Translation: it’s a portable, handheld UVmonitor that aims to protect your skin by telling how long you should stay in the sun.

The monitor measures and records UV levels and displays a UV reading from low to high. It will calculate UV exposure time based on your skin type, sunscreen factor and UV reading.

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InStyle does a really useful app that allows you to try on celebrity hair. With this new hairstyle app in tow, gone are the days of cutting out pictures from mags and thrusting them your hairdresser’s way in the hope that he or she will be able to make you look awesome.

With auto-detect technology that accurately determines the shape of your face (simply take a pic of yourself with the camera on your phone), the new hairstyle app allows you to try on and adjust the hottest celeb hairstyles.

You’ll also be able to share the results (for an opinion or two), get tips on how to get the look and find an InStyle-approved salon.

Here’s the thing: there aren’t that many styles included in the app unless you upgrade (which obviously costs). So celebs including Jennifer Anniston and Drew Barrymore require an upgrade.

The premium version of the app offers over 250 styles plus personalised recommendations and styles selected by InStyle editors – categories include the Best Cuts for Your ‘20s, Low Maintenance Work Hair and Wedding Hair.

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Is there any varnish user out there who actually maxes out an entire bottle? I never do! It always gets all sticky and gloopy before I get the chance. And judging by the season’s latest trend, fashionistas feel the same.

Mini nail polish bottles are where it’s at these days; cute little bottles that run out before we get bored, or the varnish deteriorates.

Kate Spade New York has launched a set of mini nail varnish bottles in four tropical shades – Watermelon Fingers (flirty watermelon pink), Sea Foam Swirls (vintage pale blue), Solar Orange (bright hot orange), & Yellow Cockatoo (sunny yellow) – that celebrate summer, and take inspiration from the bold prints and patterns of Australian artist Florence Broadhurst.

Max Factor has also launched a cool range of mini nail varnish bottles in 18 shades of awesomeness. From Lollipop Pink and Candy Blue to Cactus Green and Purple Haze, there’s a shade for every gorgeous nail.

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