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It can be hard to pass up all the latest Spring offerings that are currently appearing at the likes of Sephora and Ulta, and online almost everywhere (yes, they are out already) And if you wear makeup then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t treat yourself if you feel like it. But before you do, to ensure that you actually get your money’s worth from all that cool new stuff you should take a long hard look at the makeup you already own, and get that organized before you bring anything new home. Read on for my top tips on how to organize your makeup collection, and to keep it that way even when you add new stuff!
Why You Need to Organize Your Makeup
Good cosmetics aren’t cheap (or not usually anyway) and so it only makes good fiscal sense to ensure that they are properly stored and organized. It’s also important to your health, both mental and physical. Let me explain…
Expired makeup and/or dirty makeup tools can ruin your skin and lead to infection, while the stress of digging through a cluttered makeup bag in the morning to locate the cosmetics you need to get out of the door looking just the way you want to wastes time and often leaves you stressed to start the day, which is never a good thing.
With the goal of proper makeup organization, care and storage in mind here are some of my top tips.
Set a Time to Get Your Makeup Organized
A makeup organization project is just like any other home organization project. You need to make a plan to organize your makeup, and you need to set aside time to execute it. In this case it should be just a few hours – unless your collection of cosmetics is very large – but it should be dedicated time nevertheless.
Getting Started with Cosmetics Organization
Begin to organize your makeup collection by gathering together all your cosmetics, including any you have stashed away in drawers, purses etc. Lay it out in one place.
The first thing you should be on the look out for is something many of us don’t actually realize is there; an expiration date. Many cosmetic items have one, and it looks like this:
The numbers are reasonably self-explanatory, but you do have to know when you purchased the items. Going forward this should be something you note down, but for now your best guess may have to do, bearing the following in mind as a general rule of thumb:
- Mascara: 3-5 months
- Foundation: 3 months
- Liner + Eye-show: up to 1 year
- Moisturizer: 1 year
- Lipstick: 2 years
- Glycolic Peels and Face Masks: 3 months
- Retinoids: up to 1 year
Obviously, any expired makeup should be tossed right away. Not only will its colors and pigments have faded, but it may also cause skin irritations or, in the case of items like mascara or eyeliner, painful eye infections can be caused by past their prime products.
Only Keep What You’ll Wear
After you have removed expired makeup from your collection, it’s time to part with anything you really don’t wear. Grab some tissues and makeup remover for this one, as you may have to swatch extensively to determine just what long forgotten shades of eyeshadow, blush and lipstick look like.
Be honest with yourself. If you have only ever worn a lipstick once, you are probably never going to again. If it’s new, you could consider donating it to a friend, or, if prefer to do something more charitable, to Cosmetics for a Cause, a nonprofit that solicits donations of new unused cosmetics to benefit women in distressed life situations to improve their self-esteem and as a result, become empowered and successful. If it’s used toss it too, as used cosmetics have no real sanitary purpose.
Create a Makeup Storage Plan
Once you have pared down your collection, it’s time to find a way to store it neatly and in a way that prolongs its useful life. On the latter point, most cosmetics DO NOT belong in the bathroom. The damp and humidity will spoil them, and if you are going to pay $30 for a lipstick it deserves the same respect as a $30 blouse.
Begin by sorting your cosmetics by category. For many people, it makes sense to separate everyday makeup from that used to create special occasion or evening looks. This will help you determine whether you want to keep in a countertop organizer or store it in a drawer (or two).
If you’re planning on storing your everyday makeup on the bathroom countertop, you’ll want to make use of your vertical space by using organizers that stack. This allows you to create a custom solution.
You’ll find great options in a variety of materials including bamboo, plastic and acrylic. To keep everything accessible, build your solution by stacking modular organizers with drawers on the bottom.
If you have a lot of eyeshadow palettes or face palettes, be sure to measure them to make sure they’ll fit in your drawers. Then, utilize trays featuring divided compartments to keep your smaller eyeshadow quads, powders, blushes and bronzers organized. If you use a lot of makeup brushes, you may want to store them in separate pencil cups or other similar containers.
Should you decide to store your makeup in your bedroom vanity or bathroom drawers, you’ll want to use modular makeup drawer organizers to keep everything separated. If your drawer is deep enough, consider organizers that stack and slide. You may even want to use a deep tray with handles that can be lifted out to the countertop and then easily returned to the drawer when you’re finished with it.
Finally, turn your area into a true makeup station by adding a specialist lighted makeup mirror. You’ll be amazed at what a difference it makes to put on makeup under good lighting. Not to mention how handy it is to have a mirror that magnifies and can be adjusted to the perfect angle.
Make a Plan to Keep Your Cosmetics Organized
Once you makeup collection is decluttered, and you organize your makeup, you’ll need a plan to keep it that way, and much of that plan will involve exercising restraint at the beauty counter. Only buy what you really need. Can you really make use of five eyeshadow palettes at once? Probably not. Only buy what you know you’ll wear.
Finally, when you do make a cosmetics purchase, note the date down. Keep a chart someplace near your makeup supplies and check it often. As makeup passes its expiration date, throw it out.
Need help with makeup organization, bathroom organization or home organization as a whole? The Just by Taya team can help. Get 2021 off to a great, organized start by booking an appointment here.
Working with Taya and her team is easy. You can book an appointment easily on her website, or contact her directly at 832-271-7608
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