What is your best tip for organizing makeup?
Organize in a way that is going to make it easier for you to find products you want to use each day!
— Christine
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I keep my dailies on a lazy susan (one made for the kitchen) on top of the desk that I use as a vanity. It is large enough to hold several jars where I keep brushes and pencils as well as a rectangular acrylic organizer that holds whatever products I am using that week. I can spin the lazy susan around to get at what I need without the containers around. Also I can carry the whole thing to a different room if hubs is sleeping late and I can’t light up the bedroom.
I love this idea!
Gonna be hunting down a sturdy triple decker Lazy Susan on Amazon, because I LOVE your idea so much, Lesley
I’m a real makeup junkie and have a ton….I have 4 drawers in my bathroom for makeup and outfitted them with acrylic drawer inserts and keep all my eyeliner pencils in one, eyebrow pencils in one, blushes lined up in one, etc. palettes lined up, you get the picture…I find I do best with each category kept together as I use different ones different days….
The #1 most important tip for keeping makeup organized is probably to limit how much of it one has in the first place 😅 After that, I agree with keeping one’s most frequently used products together and within reach; the rest, grouped by category/type. And, as much as I hate that those clear acrylic organizers are expensive, virgin plastic…they do work a treat for keeping everything visible and easily accessible (in sight, in mind).
As I contemplate how to answer this question, I am hit with reality that I have gone overboard. Very overboard. Drowning in makeup!
My eyeshadow palettes are arranged by size and usually brand in one large dresser drawer. Cheek products and probably a third of my lip products are in rectangular plastic drawer organizers in the drawer just below. On top of my dresser (makeshift vanity) is a spinning lipstick tower that houses another large chunk of my lip products, the rest sit nearest to me on the top of the dresser, lip and eye pencils are in an office pencil and pen divider container, brushes are in two large plastic tumblers, … I could go on, but even I’m dying of overwhelm (and embarrassment) at my answer!
I’m right there with you girlfriend!!!
Lol!! You sound like me! When the pandemic hit, I had to bring home my office computer (including two 27-inch screens), which meant I had to move my makeup off my desk to a small table, so I had to downsize. I moved the bulk of my makeup to a couple of big drawers, and kept only the products I use the most in reach…though it’s still a lot. This year I did several Back-to-MACs before they ended the program, so I got rid of a lot of MAC products. But I still have an embarrassing number of eyeshadow palettes, blushes, eye pencils, non-MAC lipsticks, and brushes. It’s just that most of it is tucked away where I can’t see it anymore.
How I WISH that I had had the mental (and physical) energy to have gone through every single one of my standard packaging MAC Lipsticks back in March for their now defunct Back-To-MAC program, Seraphine! Kinda mad at them for discontinuing that wonderful trade back, even if it was 5 to 1.
Preaching to the choir,Nancy! 😅
Don‘t feel too bad, I am right there with you with my out of control collection too! Sometimes I manage to organize a little here and there for efficiency or better visibility but most of the time it’s just pretty chaos.
“Pretty Chaos” sounds like a really cool way of putting it, Lisa Marie! Also, it would be a great name for a Metal or Punk girl band! 🖤
Hahaha!!!! That’s a good idea 😀
You are not alone, Nancy! Clear, plastic makeup organizers cover half of the top of my dresser. 😆
Well everyone, at least now I don’t feel like I’m all alone in this madness! Because for quite some time I was questioning my sanity over here ðŸ¤
I like keeping everything in one place i.e. do not keep makeup in two homes, so it’s easier to find specifics when you need it.
I also like to sort by color but that’s a personal thing lol.
My number one tip for organising makeup is to have your brushes in a caddy that has different compartments so that you can easily reach for the brush you need.
In terms of my eyeshadow palettes – I have three big bags – one for singles, one for neutrals and another for colourful paletes. I find this arrangement the easiest to find what I am looking for on a daily basis.
I have make-up stashes in five different “stations” of my house, and that seems to work for me. I have my complexion products in an antique sewing vanity that is perfect because it has small narrow drawers. Another station is on a shelf that holds my perfumes – this is where I keep the acrylic drawers. I have lipsticks organized by color. Putting my lip and eye pencils in a wider pull out drawer (instead of a make-up brush case) was the best decision because I could see them laid flat. Another helpful thing for me was separating the eye liners into colors and neutrals (I have a lot). A third station is next to a bright window so I can do my make-up – and this one has my most used products, bronzers, mascaras, brushes, sponges, and my favorite eye shadow palettes. Also I like having my super shocks at this one because they are good for a one and done eye look. I have my eyeshadow palettes in a taller dresser shelf, which is made of those foldable cloth storage bins – do not recommend if you have a lot of eye shadow because it’s too heavy!! But, this is the only thing that really works in the small space I have (it’s hard to find tall, narrow, dressers that are sturdy enough and have good drawer height).
I have a lipstick addiction and keep them organized in clear, acrylic lipstick holders by color family (soft pink, hot pink, pinkish-red, blue-leaning red, orange-leaning red, true red, plum, burgundy, etc.) I have a separate (small) collection of “too old to wear anymore or used up but I love the lipstick container” lipsticks.
I have my “five minute face” items seperate from my other cosmetic items. It makes it easy to find them when I have only a handful of minutes to make myself look human.
Honestly before coming up with any system or buying an organizer, go through it and throw away/donate all the stuff that’s expired or you don’t use or like. Once you get rid of all of it, then take stock of how much you actually own. It may not be as huge of a task to organize as you think. Don’t waste time organizing stuff you don’t even like!