Wednesday, July 8, 2015

35 Makeup Organization Tips

Last week I took a lot of time to sort and reorganize many parts of our closet.  A huge part of the process is the act of emptying out drawers and cabinets, purging down anything that is no longer used and giving everything a good cleaning.  Then, of course, putting it back in a way that makes sense to your daily life/routine.  One thing I realized during the process is that I am not always the best about purging down my makeup or cleaning my brushes, so I thought I would share the steps I took to give my beauty routine some fresh life.



My makeup was previously being stored in a combination of places, but the primary items I use each day were stuffed into a cosmetic bag.  Everything from my makeup brushes to bobby pins to powders, it was becoming a powdery cluster that I would rummage through each morning.  My goal last week was to get everything sorted down, cleaned and organized back into my vanity drawers.


STEP 1: COLLECT/SORT


The first step was to gather, collect and sort every last makeup item I owned and used.  I found it easiest to dump it out and go through it on a solid, clean surface.  I used this and this as a guide when determining what to keep, as makeup can go bad over time (and harbor gross bacteria).  It was time to say farewell to anything that was outdated or never being used.


STEP 2: CLEAN


It is time to tap your inner Danny Tanner and clean your makeup and tools.  Brushes are especially important to keep clean, as you use them daily to apply the makeup to your skin.  Not cleaning your brushes can cause breakouts, and again, cause you to apply bacteria to your eyes, skin and lips.  I am guilty of not doing this nearly enough.  In fact, I can't remember the last time I actually cleaned my brushes and it made me feel all yucky inside when I realized how long it has been.

There are a variety of ways to clean your brushes; mild baby soap, castile soap and oils are the most gentle ways to preserve your brush bristles.  You can also invest in special brush cleaners from the beauty department, however, there are many inexpensive and DIY versions you can make at home.  I opted to try some castile soap slightly diluted with warm water.


I mixed the water and castile soap in a shallow dish, and lightly swirled the brushes in the cleaning solution.



This removed majority of the makeup from the brushes, to remove the remainder I used the rough side of an old cutting mat.  I simply placed the mat in the bottom of the sink, ran a small amount of clean water and rubbed the brush over the mat until the water rinsed clean.


Brushes should dry at a downward angle to prevent the water from settling up inside of the bristles and to avoid water pudding inside of the brush handle.  I just rolled a wash rag to prop the back ends up the brushes up while drying.


I also took the time to wipe down all of the dusty makeup packaging and the inside of my cosmetic bag.  What better than a makeup face cleansing wipe?



For really caked on makeup, I used eye makeup remover.



STEP 3: ORGANIZE/STORE


I love using acrylic organizers for makeup because they are extremely simple to keep clean.  They allow me to keep makeup divided by type, and everything is nice and easy to see and access.  I have a main drawer for my most commonly used items, and the second drawer holds specialty items, lotions and duplicates.


Brushes should be stored with bristles upright to preserve their life span. 



STEP 4: MARK IT


When I was sorting, I didn't know when most of the items were purchased to know if they were expired or not.  It was just a guessing game that I wanted to prevent next time around.  I added a Sharpie marker to my makeup drawer which now allows me to mark any new makeup with the purchase date.


STEP 5: KNOW YOUR STUFF


Using my phone, I quickly snapped a photo of the name/brand/color of each of my favorite cosmetic items.  I then added the photos to a special album on my phone's camera roll titled Makeup Details.  So many times I have been out shopping and become overwhelmed with the choices and have a hard time recalling my favorite colors and shades.  Or, I forget to write down the specific type and see it on sale.  By saving all of the details on my phone in a single image, I will always have access to my favs and be prepared come shopping day.  

_____________

I was so impressed with how soft my brushes felt the first day I used them after taking the time to clean them and I am not makin' that up.  I now keep a small cloth in my vanity drawer to wipe down my brushes after each use, and plan to add washing them to my monthly cleaning routine.  Hopefully, taking a few minutes to organize, purge, clean and document my daily makeup products will save me a little time, sanity and prevent potential bacterial infections and break-outs.  And because I thought it was funny and so true....


(via)


35 comments:

  1. Thank you!!! I was awating for this post!

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  2. Just out of curiousity...

    What perfumes do you use?

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    1. Hello,

      My two current favorites are Oiseau - The Charmer (originally found at Anthropologie) and Very Hollywood by Michael Kors.

      xo!

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  3. Beautiful!!

    The pictures are gorgeous as well! Great job!

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  4. Thank you so much for this!!
    Totally helpful and going to do this. Made me realize a few things...
    Love ya!

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  5. You've done it again! Another amazing post!
    You are amazing!! This has to be one of my favorite blogs.
    Thank you!

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  6. I am sure I can probably look it up, but I bet you know how long you can keep make up items. Any cheat sheet for it you can share? I swear I own eyeliner from back in the day! You've inspired me to just purge and start over, but I would like to get it right going forward. Also, I like your acrylic containers, where did you get them?
    Thanks, Sherri

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    Replies
    1. Hi Sherri!

      I used this site's graphic as a guide: http://www.makeup.com/save-or-toss-makeup-expiration-dates-defined-explained.

      The acrylic organizers are from HomeGoods, but they also sell them at Container Store and Target. :)

      xo!

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    2. I checked out the guide, exactly what I needed to know.
      Thanks for the additional info. You Rock!
      Sherri

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  7. So many great tips! I use my iphone to keep a record of pretty much everything... never thought of a Makeup Details album or using actual makeup wipes to clean the outside of the packaging. I have a quick question... I have been thinking about buying clear aclyric containers to organize my makeup drawers as well... but do you find that they get scratched easily?

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Reshma!

      I have had most of my acrylic organizers for quite a few years and what I love most is their durability and versatility. They slowly show some wear, but clean up pretty nicely. I don't notice any scratches enough that they bother me.

      xo!

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  8. Love the Danny Tanner reference haha! I'll definitely be pinning this for future reference.

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  9. I was actually about to comment about loving the Danny Tanner reference (Full House is one of my 5 year old daughter's favorite shows!) but Maggie beat me to it!

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  10. Love this!! Where are your gorgeous brushes from?!

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    1. Hi Nellie,

      The brushes are Sonia Kashuk from Target - I received them for Christmas last year so I am unsure if they are still sold in stores.

      xo!

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  11. I also write the date on my make-up but, rather than the purchase date, I write the expiry date.

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  12. Thank you for sharing these awesome tips! I love the idea of adding a sharpie to your makeup drawer to help ensure products are still good later down the line.

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  13. I have a serious problem with all my make up and lotions. We moved to our current home a few months ago and they're still scattered in random bags and drawers accross two bathrooms. I'm going insane because I don't know anymore what I've got and what not.

    Your wait-no-more series was truly inspiring and I intend to tackle both bathrooms this month. Nothing about prettiness, just functionality and it'd be glorious!

    Thanks so much for sharing!

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  14. Great post - saved! anrola.com

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  15. When will you post about your kitchen? We are all excited to see it!

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    Replies
    1. I am excited you guys are excited (and we are excited too!) Summer slowed us down with the boys being home and endless activities and sports, and there are some things we are working on/deciding on still with some of the finishing details that have to be done. I have rushed projects and rooms in the past just for blogging purposes, but the kitchen won't be one of those because it is just too big of an expense and one we are trying to make sure is done right. Just picked up the last big batch of trim last night, so hopefully soon, and thank you again for checking in! :)

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    2. Yes!! Thank you for an update! Excited to see it. I love it all already though!

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  16. Jen - I love the idea of taking photos of your makeup and storing them in your phone! Brilliant! Thanks for the tips. :)

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  17. Great tips and thanks for the reminder! I so need to clean out my makeup and brushes. I like you tip on photographing the color names on makeup. Nothing worse than having the name rubbed off before you can restock.

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  18. Haha! Love the comic at the end, very true!
    I recently went through a threw out a lot of old makeup and reorganized my collection. I make sure to wash my brushes once a week (it isn't much but better than nothing) for the longest time I didn't bother and wondered by my face was breaking out! (Duh!)

    Thanks! Very helpful to mark down the dates you bought them!

    www.thethingislemons.wordpress.com

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  19. Love this! All of this organization makes me heart go pitter-patter! :) I am really motivated to do this with all of my makeup when we move into our new place. Our current set-up hasn't offered me any drawer space to do things like this but I have it in our new place -- YAY! May I ask where you got your acrylic organizers? Also, I believe you have said before about using wrapping paper somehow to line your drawers... am I totally making that up? Thank you!

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    1. Thanks Lindsay and congrats on your new place! I typically purchase most of my acrylic organizers from HomeGoods but have also found them at Container Store and Target. And yes, lining drawers with gift wrap is a great idea, especially when you cover it in clear contact paper: http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2015/03/quick-tip-tuesday-gift-wrap-drawer.html

      xoxo!

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  20. This post was just the push I needed to follow through with washing out my brushes! I was only planning to do so for, let' say, two or three weeks? It's a chore I like to avoid, especially since I don't wear make up all that often...

    I usually just use shampoo for this task, though.

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  21. I put the date I open products so I can see how long it takes me to use them. The next purchase I put "open date" and "? End date". This way I can judge when I'll need to buy again. Helps me be able to buy on sale.

    I also buy larger bottles and decant into smaller bottles (I tend to just use my travel bottles as they hold 2-3 wks of product). I find having a smaller bottle makes me use less product.

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  22. Thanks for the motivation! As soon as I read this post, I cleaned out my everyday makeup caddy (a mini Caboodle that I still have from when I was kid!) and I threw out all the makeup in my "someday-I-might-need-this" makeup bag. There were things in there from 10 years ago! Brushes are clean, caddy has been sterilized and I feel so much better knowing that I only have the essentials that I use on a daily basis :)

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  23. Hi Jen! A good trick that I do is buy make up removing wipes and after each time I use a brush, I wipe the wet excess off of it. It helps a lot when you have to do deep cleaning. I know Sephora carries wipes for that specific purpose, but it can get a little expensive.

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  24. Love this~ I need to clean my brushes desperately!! BTW ~ what color is
    the nail polish you are wearing? Love the summery color.

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  25. Love all of these ideas! I've just started cleaning my brushes...gross I know!! Love your makeup desk!!

    Seng
    sengerson.com, lifestyle & home decor blogger

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  26. This is truly a great idea! I love using castile soap as a cleaner around the house but I have never thought that I can use it to clean my make up brushes! Thanks for sharing!

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