Must-have beauty accessories

It's the weekend! WOO! I never post this late anymore. I'm sitting here in my robe, eyes half closed, drinking a cup of tea. But, I haven't been sleeping well at all this week, and I really want to try and post every day from now on, and I won't have a chance during the day, it'll be a busy, long day. Luckily, sitting in bed next to my space heater, writing to my favorite people talking about makeup isn't such a bad way to end the day ;) Since it seemed like everyone really enjoyed the "bye bye under-eyes" post from a couple days ago, it did really well in blog views and on Instagram, I thought I would try something similar and see how it turns out! I'm trying to pay more attention to views and get a feel for what you guys like to read.  But, if you have preferences or suggestions, please do comment below, I would more than love to hear from you!

In my makeup bin, there are several things I couldn't live without. Now, you're probably thinking brushes, tweezers, etc. But, there are a few things that I bet you won't expect. Also, since I did my makeup brushes post last week, I'm excluding brushes from this post. If you guys want to hear more about brushes though, do let me know. Now, I'll be honest, there are a million must-have beauty accessories in my opinion, but I tried to narrow it down to my can't live without accessories.

1. Makeup sponge // One thing I absolutely could not live without is my BeautyBlender. I seriously don't know how I ever did makeup without one (not well, that's for sure). It's the most amazing tool for seamlessly blending out liquid foundations, as well as patting in concealer to make it look like your own skin. It's much more gentle than patting your under-eyes with your fingers, and much faster too. If you aren't keen on spending $20 on this little pink sponge, I've heard that the Real Techniques sponge ($5) is pretty up to par. The only thing I dislike about makeup sponges is that they are difficult to clean. They are basically a home for bacteria, so I wash mine way more than I wash my brushes. I try and wash very gently, in warm water, to keep the sponge in good shape, although they should be replaced about as often as toothbrushes (every few months).

2. Index cards // Surprised? That's what I was going for! Luckily, you probably have these lying around your house. These are great for covering your eyelids while applying mascara so that you don't have to clean up the area where your eyeshadow is on point. It's also great for holding under your bottom lashes while you do bottom lash mascara, so you don't get mascara smudges under your eyes and look like a raccoon! You can also slant the card at the outer corner of your eyelid for a winged liner guide.

3. Lash curlers // No way I could leave the house in the morning without curling my lashes. I have pretty long lashes naturally, and if I don't curl them, they just kind of stick straight out awkwardly. I'm fine leaving the house without mascara, but leaving without curling my lashes is a huge no-no. It's such a quick trick that makes them look extra long and tamed. I love these Tweezerman curlers because (i) they're rose gold, my jam, (ii) they have rubberized curlers so they are extra gentle on your lashes, (iii) they are shaped for rounded eyes, so they are long enough to grab all my lashes, and shaped perfectly for my big eyes.

4. Tweezers // Okay, TMI here you guys...if I don't pluck my eyebrows every few days, I have the worst unibrow ever. I look like a sasquatch. Or like wolves raised me. It's just a huge forest in between my brows. It's the worst, but I'm way too afraid to get them waxed, I'm kind of a baby. So, I need some hard core tweezers. Also, am I the only one who sneezes every time I pluck my eyebrows? The tackiness of mascara kind of ruins the tweezers for their main purpose of plucking, so I have two pairs of tweezers. I have some crappy ones for separating clumpy lashes, and some nice ones for plucking my eyebrow hairs.  My nice ones are from Anastasia Beverly Hills, the brow queen, and they are pink. Yeah, they're pink. And they are perfect. And they pluck brows like a beast. 

5. Pencil sharpener // This is an essential for home and travel. In case I ever need to travel with it, I got an enclosed pencil sharpener for my lip and eye pencils. Mine is from NARS and only cost a few dollars, but it still has their killer rubberized packaging that looks super sleek and feels amazing.

6. Q-tips // Cheapest, and most essential makeup accessory I own. Q-TIPS! I use these nonstop. I use them to clean up mascara marks, winged liner mistakes, all sorts of makeup mishaps. They are the perfect size to dip in some makeup remover or warm water, and just swipe the mess away. I always have a giant box of backup q-tips in my bathroom, along with another drawer full.

7. Scotch tape // If you are learning to do winged liner, or want perfectly edged shadow, scotch tape is going to be your holy grail. Shadow Shields are really popular for this as well, but it's around $20 for a small pack. Why buy that when you can use something you probably already have at home? Tape from the outer corner of your eye up to the tail end of your brow to create the perfect winged liner, or to create the perfect shape to your eyeshadow. The end of the tape will create a perfectly straight line, and since it sticks to your skin, you can use both hands to work on a really perfect line. Once you get the hang of it, you probably won't need the tape anymore, but it's such a great idea for beginners!

What are your must-have beauty accessories? Do we share a few? I hope you have a lovely weekend!