In exactly a month's time I will be moving house and while it initially filled me with dread, simply due to the general stresses of moving, I've been able to reduce these negative and unwanted emotions by organising the heck out of my life!
Tidying Up with Marie Kondo has been my motivation and has highlighted that I simply couldn't throw everything into boxes and sort it after we moved in! I will not be featuring in Season two! So I've been on a serious mission to declutter my life over the past few weeks.
One of the main areas I knew I had to tackle was my makeup collection, this is something I've been putting off for years, knowing I could do to streamline and organise everything! So finally I did it, going from a 6 tiered makeup tower, vanity case, multiple makeup bags and a whole lots of dressing table clutter to a single vanity case and storage box. I know, I surprised myself!
Whether like me you have a house move on the horizon or simply want to keep from tidying up every time you do your makeup, I hope the below tips I've picked up from Marie Kondo's KonMari method can help you just as much as they've helped me.
The Purge: Decide what to keep
First comes the declutter! This is generally the tough part, but not if you do it the KonMari way!
If Marie Kondo was in the room with you then she would want you to seriously purge, however, ditching/donating makeup and skincare you enjoying using is simply a no-no... well for me it is! But if it doesn't spark joy then it simply has to go. So instead of struggling to detach from your possessions focus on what you really want to keep, what do you always use, what makes you happy. What sparks joy!
To start Marie suggests putting everything in the middle of the room, in my case it was the middle of my bed, to see the materialism and the vast amount you actually have - this will help you!
Place the products you want to keep, from your makeup collection, and then you skincare collection in another sitting, in a pile (just the items that spark joy, remember) and soon you will have a pile of products you are keeping and a pile to donate or pass onto a friend or simply throw if it's past it's best.
Organise: Keep makeup visible, accessible, and easy to grab
Hopefully in having a positive decluttering approach you are able to downsize quite a bit! But next, it's time to organise by category, keeping everything visible and easy to grab. Because if it's not then you are likely to either not use it or take it out and not put it back, making the same mess as you once did.
Below are 5 ways to keep your makeup and skincare tidy for good!
Storage Boxes
Marie Kondo loves a good shoe box and while I have to agree a shoebox works in some situations I feel like for makeup it doesn't work.
However what does work is beauty boxes and gift boxes! Not only do they look nice but they make good drawer dividers, can be stacked (but with only things you don't need on a daily basis) and also labelled easily.
If you want to use these kinds of boxes for your daily makeup or skincare then I suggest keeping them out with the lids off and having a box for each category you decide you want to have. This may be eyes - face - lips or you want make to break it down into more detailed categories, such as - eyeshadow, blushers, highlighter, foundation, eyeliner and mascara and so on. It will be tempting to stack them with the lids on but then you are much more likely not to put things away.
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| LEFT TO RIGHT: 3 Tier Acrylic Storage £8.99 Here - Gold Metal Frame Large Acrylic Storage £34.99 Here - Extra Large Acrylic Makeup Tower £34.99 Here |
Acrylic Storage
Acrylic storage is one of the best solutions for keeping makeup neat and tidy and on display. When this kind of storage came out it was pricey but thankfully inexpensive acrylic storage options can be found on the likes of eBay (see my favourite picks below) in a wide range of sizes and styles.
As acrylic storage is generally made up of drawers and sometimes compartment this is perfect for keeping different makeup items separate. I've used acrylic drawers for years and like to keep concealers and foundations in one drawer, blushers and bronzers in another and so on. The only thing you need to remember is to keep acrylic storage free of foundation fingertips. But other than the storage looking a bit grubby if you don't, they will last you a lifetime and really can be such an investment if you apply your makeup at a vanity table.
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| LEFT TO RIGHT: Clear 3 Tier Carousel £11.89 Here - White Makeup Carousel £11.99 Here - Elegant Clear Makeup Carousel £9.99 Here |
Skincare Carousel
Meet the lazy susan of beauty storage! Yes, storage just got spinny! Let's be honest, it kind of makes sense to have something that rotates so you can use all sides.
Of course, this kind of carousel/rotating plastic storage can be used for makeup or skincare products, or both. But personally, I could see this being ideal for skincare, with the different sections for different products and fitting all you will need on it. This could also be used in a bathroom or on a dressing table.
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| LEFT TO RIGHT: Foil Heart Vanity Case Extra Large £25.99 Here - Black with Gold Hardware Vanity Case £24.99 Here - Extra Large Floral Silver Vanity Case £20.99 Here |
Vanity Case
At the beginning of last year I wrote a blog post called The #1 Solution for a Tidy Dressing Table after changing up my makeup setup. As you may be able to guess my number one solution was a vanity case... and it actually still is!
From the opening out shelves to the large central compartment, a vanity case, in fact, holds a surprisingly large amount of makeup. It's also the perfect solution for someone that's naturally messy as you can throw your makeup back into it once you're done and close it all hidden away in seconds.
It also means that you can take your everyday makeup anywhere with you. For me this means I can get ready at my dressing table or in the bathroom should I want to. Having this kind of versatility is great!
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| LEFT TO RIGHT: Samverka Plant Pot Ikea £2.50 Here - Mason or Kilner Jar - Clear Acrylic Brush Storage £7.59 Here |
Plant pots and jars
Finally for makeup brushes and eyeliners/mascaras plant pots and jars are a great way to store them. As you can see in this post I used Ikea plant pots to hold makeup brushes, which I in fact still do! This works perfectly for me, as I'm able to store a large amount of brushes in a single plant pot and keep them looking nice and neat.
Mason or Kilner jars, re-purpose jam jars and even large cleaned out candles work just as well for this purpose - they can even be painted from the inside if you so wish. Basically, you are bound to have something in your home that you can re-purpose to house all of your makeup brushes in one place.
While a good declutter and solid makeup setup may keep your dressing table free of mess, it's also key to make sure you have smaller declutters every few months. This will ensure products don't start to build up and overflow!
I really believe the KonMari method works well and hope this more simplified approach will help you declutter your own makeup collection for good!
Fee xo.
