5 Bathroom Upgrades For Grown-Ass Ladies

Living with roommates and being financially strapped can lead to some really heinous living situations, and necessary bathroom upgrades are usually what get sacrificed the most. It can be exceedingly hard to share a bathroom with someone; everything from sights to smells can ruin your grooming time’s zen appeal. I couldn’t wait to take control of my bathroom now that it’s shared by only myself and my partner (and guests). Aside from keeping the bathroom clean, managing a beauty editor’s testers, extra long skincare routine, and ever-growing makeup collection can really start getting out of hand.

Setting out into the great urban house that is Bed Bath and Beyond can be traumatizing if you aren’t as cool with the staff as Abbi from Broad City. The whole experience of shopping in any megastore can be just awful. This is likely why online shopping is so popular in urban areas: Prices aren’t jacked up, you don’t have to worry about carting your purchases around town, and you can shop whenever the heck you feel like it. Trekking to a store IRL during the hours they're open can be a real PITA.

If you're itching for an upgrade, here are five improvements you can make to your bathroom without leaving the toilet with your laptop.

1. Upgrade that shower.

Shower Improvements: Before on the left, after on the right

Rented apartments are notorious for crappy water quality. Mineral buildups make cleaning a sisyphean ballad that seemingly goes on for eternity unless you scrub with bleach regularly. As you grow up and more responsibility is dumped on your desk, it seems like there's less and less time to get those chores done. It’s a racket, I tell you! Using a shower filter kills two imaginary birds with one stone, and the T3 Source Showerhead Filter is my favorite. It prevents chlorine and minerals from even going through the filter, which means all that nasty stuff won't up on your hair, skin, and shower tiles. Just a week after swapping it out for our usual showerhead, I noticed there was no pink buildup on the tub, which made cleaning so much easier!

More importantly, this helps me be more adult by giving me nicer hair and skin. This filter was tested clinically — and I agree with the results. I have been having less frizz (even though I'm going curly for the whole summer). My skin doesn’t have that prickly dryness I normally get after a hot shower, and my moisturizer certainly doesn’t have to work as hard. I was even able to install this all by myself — a true sign of being a grown up.

2. Get that stuff under control.

Testing three to four shampoo sets every month ends up growing my collection beyond belief. It is time for me to narrow this problem down to an effective and manageable VIP storage section. Simplehuman’s Shower Organizer is like next level efficient. The baskets have a gap for storing upside down bottles, so there's no more struggling to use the last bits of product. All of the parts move and shift so you can arrange your care collection to your liking and your shower’s parameters. You simply screw the top bracket over your shower pipe while suction cups keep the bottom secure. The soap dish, razor holder, and spacious layout can hold everything you need, freeing up tub ledges for sitting showers, which is much adult.

3. Add a magnifying mirror.

The dilemma that us glasses wearers have is so annoying. You need your glasses to see properly, but it’s nearly impossible to tweeze with those bitches on. The fabulous 10x Mini Sensor Mirror from Simplehuman is a lifechanger for my struggling eyes. Charge it one time and you’re set with amazing lighting for a whole month! I find having a seat and getting a close and accurate look at what’s going on with my forehead shrubbery is a much more foolproof way to end up with thick luxurious brows that are groomed but not over tweezed. No glasses needed!

4. Use "decorstorage" that looks as good as it works.

The Simplehuman 10x Sensor Mirror and two fab MakerBot printed vases.

Have you ever been on the Thingiverse? You can literally 3-D print anything, and MakerBot’s listings for user designed devices is pages and pages and pages long. A friend that works with the printers gave me these two adorable 3-D printed vases for use as decorative storage. I think they are so much cuter than jars and also way safer for use around tile floors. The items can be scaled and changed, and if you look up a facility or service that will print for you, the possibilities are endless!

5. Use a lidded rubbish bin.

Bye Felicia!

I won’t lie being a woman has it’s drawbacks, and during certain times you don’t want everyone that uses your bathroom to know your business. It’s just easier to have a lidded bin to keep prying eyes away! Simplehuman's 4.5L Retro Step Can is perfect for shielding your trash. I also would recommend using it for a recycling bin, because so few people recycle bathroom items by digging them out of the trash later — and that is a shame! I use Dentek flossers religiously to speed up my tooth grooming time, and It breaks my heart to throw bits of plastic away. Until they come out with a biodegradable version, I will be putting those and all plastic items aside in my bathroom for later disposal in our kitchen recycling bin.

With these five small changes, my bathroom feels brand new! Always upgrading is a great option for the frugal among us, making changes where you can is easier than trying to overhaul all at once or every time you move. I truly enjoyed seeing what was out there in the Internet shoppingverse and order it directly to my door, hassle free. Its the little changes that make things more put together and, therefore, more adult.

Photos: Maria Penaloza