STYLE

Beauty battle stations, for those of you unaware, are a cheeky term for your everyday vanity. Each has a desk, or some sort of storage space, a mirror, and then a chair. These can all be customized to your liking, of course, and you can even add fancy lighting around the mirror, or go crazy with your organizational skills. The goal is to not only have a beautiful place to pamper yourself, but a place to store and keep track of all your beauty essentials.

Now, the word “battle station” conjures up thoughts of massive spaces, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Even if you live in the tiniest room in the tiniest apartment in NYC, you can have your very own beauty battle station. The key, you see, is to use your space wisely. Here are 7 petite vanities to inspire your own.

Wooden Table With Wall Mirror

We love the soft wood grain and myriad buckets in this beauty battle station. The fact that the mirror is on the wall instead of the table itself will save you space, too.

Oversized Wall Mirror And Glass Table

The mirror is what brings this entire vanity together. The glass table is long enough to accommodate for storage underneath. You can find your own wood, or faux wood, drawers and then paint the face to match your decor scheme.

Settee and Full Length Mirror

Create both a sitting space and a vanity corner with a settee and full length mirror. You’ll be able to sit facing the mirror when applying makeup, and facing away when talking with company. The corner unit is a great way to add more shelving in a small space, as well.

Hanging Chair and Floating Desk

This arrangement takes up hardly any space at all. There’s a space on the wall for the chair to hang, plus the floating desk is narrow and modern-looking. Add another shelf above the desk that’s slightly more shallow, then adhere your mirror to the wall.

Five Minute Layered Shelving Vanity

This setup features layered acrylic shelving, a narrow desk and a dressed up chair. Instead of a large mirror, it uses a short, standing mirror. This one could even fit into a closet.

Modern Desk and Mirror Vanity

This one’s for the minimalist who loves a modern aesthetic. The mirror is straightforward and clean, the petite thrifted desk has been painted white, and the chair is unfussy.

Vintage, Ornate Vanity

If you prefer something more ornate, opt for a vintage vanity. You can go wild when repainting it, too, which makes for a fun project and a prettier space. There are so many vintage vanities to choose from out there (try your local thrift store), and many come with plenty of built-in storage.

Maybe you believe in horoscopes, maybe you don’t.

Maybe you like to go to extremes with makeup, maybe you’re more of a “no makeup makeup” kind of gal.

Whatever your beliefs or cosmetic preferences, we’re sure you’re at least a little bit curious about the whole “zodiac inspired makeup” trend. And yes, it’s totally a thing right now.

Want proof? Simply head over to YouTube, or peruse one of myriad beauty websites, and you’re bound to find a tutorials for each of the 12 signs. Personally, we’re not so sure we would ever wear these looks out of the house. Well, maybe for a costume party or a night in with the girls just having fun.

We’ve rounded up a tutorial for each sign below. Would you wear any of these in public?

Aries (March 21 – April 19)

Taurus (April 20 – May 20)

Gemini (May 21 – June 20)

Cancer (June 21 – July 22)

Leo (July 23 – August 22)

Virgo (August 23 – September 22)

Libra (September 23 – October 22)

Scorpio (October 23 – November 21)

Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21)

Capricorn (December 22 – January 19)

Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)

Pisces (February 19 – March 20)

By Wendy Rose Gould

Image credit: via Youtube: KlairedelysArt

NYFW has come and gone, but we’re still sighing wistfully over all of the gorgeous looks that walked before us. Today we’re focusing on the details: the subtle lips, the flashy eyes, the dreamy hair, the perfectly manicured hands.

For the most part, we saw a blend of sharp modernity — think swatches of bright colors on lids and funky manis — and flawless, natural beauty. There were many, many nude lips. Brows were combed, but not filled in. And hair was wild and free. Here are some of our favorite looks from Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2015. Enjoy.

Altuzarra

If you look close enough, you’ll see a hint of grayish blue on the interior corner of each eye. And nude nails — surprise surprise.

Bibhu Mohapatra

This color combination is a striking one, and we love that the nails fall right in line. Note that the lips are so pale they blend into the skin.

Cushnie et Ochs

Sleeked back hair with lots of visible bobby pins. We’re calling it relaxed glamour.

Delpozo

The nails are killer here — just subtle enough. The eyes are also pretty, and we’re a fan of the unlined, bushy-browed look.

Diane von Furstenberg

More nude nails and lips, this time paired with a “slept in” smokey eye.

Eckhaus Latta

We’re not quite sure how this hair was created, but we’re digging the unkempt vibe.

Kaelen

These nails are actually press-ons from KISS Broadway nails.

Karen Walker

It was a blue dream at Karen Walker. Super short, metallic blue nails and a soft swipe of blue on lids = perfection.

Monique Lhuillier

Super smudgy eyes and pin-straight hair made for a lot of drama at Monique Lhuillier.

Naeem Khan

Naeem Khan had one of the more “look at me” makeup looks with shadow that hit the brow bone and a perfectly drawn on, crimson-red lip. Note the gold nails, which were all over NYFW.

Nanette Lepore

Here’s another bold look, this one from Nanette Lepore. There’s something quite striking about the spidery eyelashes and pop of lip color.

Rebecca Minkoff

Black and red chevron nails were seen at Rebecca Minkoff.

Sandy Liang

This is perhaps one of the most wearable looks we saw at fashion week. A delicately lined eye, side swept hair, and an otherwise nude — but glowing — face.

Sophie Theallet

Nude lips? Check. Defined eyes? Check. Natural, but polished brows? Check.

Wes Gordon

This was one of our favorite manicures: a matte black nail with a haphazard splotch of glossy purple.

By Wendy Rose Gould

Image credit: via Instagram

In a day and age where selfies run amok, it’s important to take some time to compose yourself and, well, your image. With a little help from “pinup queen” Bettina May at Racked.com, you can perfect the art of the sexy selfie.

May covers pretty much everything in this interview, including location (“try to find a background that is simple and flattering”), vintage makeup, the perfect clothing (“a high neckline can still be sexy, especially if the texture looks luxurious and touchable”) and posing tips. We also love that she touches on feeling great in front of the camera, which is probably the most part of a “sexy selfie” in the end.

Read the full interview at Racked.

By Wendy Rose Gould

Image credit: Shutterstock.com