Palettes, Brushes, Creams, and Other Products: How To Organize Makeup

If you love makeup as much as we do, then you probably also enjoy organizing your stash. But then we get busy with our day and never get around to organizing all of our makeup products.

It takes time to sort through all of our mascaras, foundations, lip glosses, eyeliners, brushes, palettes, and more! That’s why, here at Alleyoop, we’ve rounded up the best tips on how to organize your makeup. 

You’ll feel better and not to mention, it’ll keep your products lasting longer, knowing where everything is and what the expiration date is on your makeup. And, who doesn’t love waking up to an excellent organized makeup system?

Great organization is the key to getting your morning started faster. Plus, it’ll help you feel more relaxed throughout the day, knowing you don't have to hunt for your products anymore or search for that one shade of pink you want to wear but couldn’t find. 

Say goodbye to disorganization! Alleyoop has you covered! 

10 Tips for Organizing Your Makeup 

From research and personal experience, we have put together the top ten tips we could find on organizing all of your makeup products.  With a bit of time, creativity, and effort, you will be well on your way to an organized, simplified makeup system. 

1. Go Through All of Your Makeup  

First things first: you need to go through everything you have before you start organizing. There is a good possibility that many of your products you have piled high in the bathroom vanity are outdated or products you never use anymore.

Take everything out of your drawers, cabinets, and makeup bags and put them in three piles:

• Outdated
• Every day
• Special occasions. 

Go ahead and toss the outdated products —we don’t need those anymore. Instead, every day will go in more functional, easy-to-find locations. Lastly, the special occasion makeup will go in a drawer or organizer labeled as such, so it’ll be easy to use when you are getting ready to go out. 

2. Invest in a Lazy Susan  

 An old-fashioned Lazy Susan is an excellent investment in your beauty routine. Set it on a counter or a vanity and put your everyday makeup products on there in order of how you put your makeup on. It’s a great time-saving technique, and it effectively declutters your makeup system. It’s easy to twirl around when you’re getting ready, and you can quickly and easily see what makeup you need next.

You could set dividers and cups and jars on the lazy susan to make excellent use of the space. You could go vertical and put mini drawer organizers on there to make even more space. Just make sure all of your products remain organized and simplified!

3. Prioritize Your Most Used Products 

Find places and organizational methods that prioritize what you use the most. For example, if you don’t use several lipstick colors and eyeshadow colors, put them in a particular organizer with an informative label.

If you have other makeup brushes, serums, moisturizers, or foundations that you only use on special occasions, grab some containers (preferably clear so you can easily see what’s in them!). Stackable containers can really help clear out your space. A good rule of thumb is that if you don’t use it every day, it doesn’t need to be out on the counter! 

4. Buy a Lipstick or Lip Gloss Holder 

A great way to keep your lipstick and lip gloss organized is to invest in a holder you like. This helps you organize names and shades of each item. Then, you can divide them by your everyday lipstick colors, and you're going out.  

5. Buy a Traveling Makeup Bag 

As odd as it sounds for your home makeup organization system, investing in an excellent traveling makeup bag (or several if you need it!) is an easy way to keep your makeup divided into what you use more.

That way, when you have a special occasion or event, you just have to grab the correct traveling makeup bag, and you’re good to go!  You can buy some in different colors or different shapes depending on how you want to organize your own personal makeup routine. 

6. Use Cup Holders or Jars for Makeup Brushes  

 Makeup brushes are some of the most complicated makeup products to know how to organize. There are so many of them, and it’s super important to keep them clean. A quick and easy solution is to invest in some clear cup holders or some jars.

Make sure they’re all see-through so you’ll be able to quickly tell which one you need without having to pick up several before finding the right one. Depending on your aesthetic, you could purchase old-fashioned glass jars. Or, if you want an environmentally-friendly option, repurpose products around the house you no longer need. Washed Mason jars could be an excellent way to organize your makeup brushes. 

7. Make Use of Vertical Space 

If you don’t have much counter space or bathroom space to keep, your makeup products start going vertical. Make use of your vertical space by finding taller drawer organizational systems to stack on top of each other. Or you could buy stacking containers to fit under your sink when you’re all out of space on the counter. 

Using your vertical space is perfect if you live in a small apartment or are limited in your counter-space. First, find containers that match your space and make sure they can safely stack on each other before putting your makeup on the organizer. Then, after you have it all in the organizer, you can see if that works for you or if you need to move things around.  

8. Buy Products That Multi-Task  

 One of the best ways to organize your makeup and beauty products is to simplify your beauty routine. Find products that are multi-tasking, multi-functioning, and simplifying your routine to make space in your life for what really matters. Feeling overwhelmed? Taking little steps is the best way to make big changes. As you slowly start to streamline and declutter, you will find products and methods of keeping your beauty routine to the bare minimum. 

Great, you’re thinking. So, where do I begin? 

Start by buying products that can multitask for you. For example, our multi-tasker 4-in-1 makeup brush is perfect for multitasking your makeup routine and decreasing repeat items that take over your bathroom counter and your makeup bag.

It contains all of your beauty necessities, including concealer sponge, blush, brow, and eyeshadow brush, all in one multi-tasking tool. Our award-winning compact game changer is definitely a step in the right direction. It has everything you need to get a full face of makeup ready for a long day! 

9. Find Multi-Functional Products  

Next, find multi-functional products, such as our skin-sentials set for clear, healthy skin! One of the best ways to organize your makeup is to find multi-functional products to clear out some space in your makeup area. 

For example, our skin-sentials set has only three products, yet it’s performing six to seven of your everyday skincare routines. 

The set includes a cleanser, toner, and double-sided mitten, all in one convenient clear cosmetic bag. These three products replace your makeup remover, cleanser, exfoliator, toner, serum, and moisturizer. And it’s TSA-approved, so you’re always ready to jet off on your next adventure. No wasting time trying to transfer your essentials into TSA-friendly containers and not having enough room. 

So often, it’s easy to take on a big project, such as organizing all of your makeup. However, as time passes by, you might notice it’s harder and harder to maintain that level of organization. But with products that serve multiple purposes, it’s much easier to find ways to stay organized for the long run! 

10. Simplify Your Beauty Routine  

Okay, we now know we need to simplify our makeup and beauty routine to stay organized and efficient long after purging our makeup. One of the best ways to do this is by simplifying your morning makeup routine.

Instead of having dozens of powders, foundations, and eyeshadows you need accessible every morning, it’s best to keep your daily makeup routine to a minimum. Keeping your routine short and sweet saves space, keeps you organized, and simplifies your morning routine so you can quickly get where you need to go.

Our beauty starter kit is for a full-face makeup routine in half the time! We’ve included only the essentials to get you going on your days, such as a blush, bronzer, highlighter, cream eyeshadow, and only the makeup tools you need in one clear bag. It’s already TSA-approved, so you can get up and go anywhere you like at any time without the hassle.

The beauty starter kit is perfect for travel but also for everyday adventures because everything is conveniently compact in a small bag. You can easily throw in your gym bag or purse and put your makeup on as you go about your day. 

All-Together Now 

There are plenty of steps you can take to organize your makeup. But don’t forget to go through all of your makeup and throw out what you don’t need. 

Find the organizers that work for you: Lazy Susans, lipstick organizers, jars, and horizontal organizers. Finally, the best tip for organizing your makeup is to find a multi-functional compact product that takes less time and space! 

Not sure where to start when decluttering your self-care routine? 

We have the perfect declutter Quiz to help you find a personalized bundle of compact, time-saving products to help you cut the clutter of your makeup routine! 

Have you already decluttered your makeup routine? Then, join #alleyooptroop and let us know how you did it!

Sources: 

8 Makeup Organization Hacks Beauty Bloggers Use Every Day | Self

11 best makeup organizers and storage ideas of 2021 | NBC News  

How to Clean Makeup Brushes Like a Pro With Troy Surratt | Vogue