Product organize like a pro
Isn’t it amazing how beauty products can travel from the bathroom to the bedroom and even to the living room? If you’re anything like me, you might reach for the TV remote and accidentally grab any of the three-plus tubes of lipstick that sit next to it. Why is there lipstick in the living room? It’s anyone’s guess.
The solution here is easier than one might think: Create a dedicated and organized space for your products. In a dream world, that would be a vanity, where you can feel like a princess and gaze lovingly upon yourself. Anthropologie has any number of vanities that are beyond covetable. Of course, not all houses or apartments have room for such a luxury. Below, I’ll share some of my favorite tips for keeping your products in order.
Buy a shoe organizer
Medicine cabinets can be great for storage, but if you’re a product junkie, space runs out quickly. My suggestion: Try an over-the-door shoe organizer with clear pockets (this can also be good for jewelry organization). This one from Target, for example, is a great place to start. Dedicate each row to a type of product; for instance, the top row could be eye products (shadows, mascaras, and liners), the next row down could be foundations and concealers, and so on. Line up the products from left to right, with your most frequently used products on the left.
Try a bathroom organizer
Perhaps you are one of the lucky ones with a truly spacious bathroom. If you have actual drawers dedicated to your products, clear plastic drawer organizers are a must, as you can see your products more easily. Plus, when the organizers inevitably become dirty, you can just throw them in the dishwasher. It can also be fun to get some cute, scented drawer liners for under the organizers to ensure that your cabinets don’t get covered in makeup. I love these cedar-scented ones from The Laundress.
If you’re one of the really, really lucky ones, you might have a spacious cabinet dedicated to your products. This is where our organizational pièce de résistance comes in — the 2-Tier Turntable. By utilizing a Lazy Susan, you can spend less time digging through your cabinets to find the product you’re looking for. It’s all right in front of you.
Better yet, just raid the kitchen
Need a place to store your brushes? Try a mason jar. I repurpose these lovely terra cotta cups that my favorite, fancy French yogurt comes in as brush holders. Empty candle jars are also a good option. If you’re short on cabinet space and need your brushes stored in a drawer, a sushi mat can be a good solution. Simply roll your brushes into the mat and secure them in place with a piece of elastic.
Out with the old, in with the new
Of course, just like the food in your refrigerator, it’s also important to run a tight ship with expiration dates— especially with makeup that is prone to bacteria exposure, such as mascara and concealer sticks. Go through your products every few months and toss out the old stuff. To make this easier, you can mark the month and year of purchase on your products in sharpie when you buy them.
Organizing the chaos of your beauty closet can be a fulfilling— and dare we say, relaxing— activity and, best of all, doesn’t require too much effort.
Blair Smith is a lifestyle and beauty writer who currently resides (and will likely stay forever) in Brooklyn, New York.
