The best blogger tips to sort + store makeup | Kaitlin McElroy Lifestyle Consulting

instagram shot from @theskinnyconfidential

So many of us (both men and women) enjoy the benefits of spicing up our look with the help of makeup and skincare products. The daily challenge some of us face with the products is how to keep them organized.

I follow lots of beauty bloggers and home organizers alike – which brings me to this post: a quick & easy how to for all things beauty x tidy! Read on and enjoy!

1. PURGE!

Makeup expires – beyond that, my rule of thumb is toss it after 6 months of being open! The easiest first step is to discard anything deemed expired.

2. BEWARE: EVENT FREEBIES

When you get home from an event, empty your swag bag. Don’t keep everything, or very soon you’ll have to go back to step one. Trust me, less IS more!

Anything you’re interested in should be placed with your daily use items to try right away.
Anything you think you want to try should go in another section where you can see it.
Anything that isn’t of interest should go straight in a bag for the Share Your Beauty Program (or a similar foundation) that donates to women’s shelters.

3. BE MINDFUL: TRAVEL SIZE GOODS

My rule of thumb (for everything in my home) is to keep only what you need on hand. Keep your travel size toiletries, moisturizer, makeup – organized in your travel kit.

If you take extras from hotels, and you take more than one set, they'll pile up before you can use them (read: you have too much). They’ll only take up physical and mental space in your home, ultimately being more of a burden than a benefit.

Challenge yourself: You only need one backup! When you’re low on something, toss it out and then introduce your replacement (this is a money, time, and space saver!).

Tip: If your favorite products come in travel size, invest in them and take them with you. I always travel with my favorite clothing and products – they’re a homey comfort while on the road (like the Happy Pamper Gift Set by Soap & Glory)

4. HAVE FUN: STORAGE

Makeup is designed to be pretty, lots of thought goes into the user experience and packaging. So, don’t you want to display your favorite items?

I believe that makeup, similar to jewelry, needs to be seen, to be used (if we can’t see it, it doesn’t exist).

There are lots of great acrylic drawers and cases on the market these days. Acrylic makeup storage solutions are great for standing lipsticks, brushes, liners on their end so you can read the color label with ease. Muji has my favorite acrylic cases, I also really love their Makeup Boxes that function as dividers. I use them for my nail polish and it’s a great solution!

Once you have your IG worthy acrylic storage containers, you can do as the bloggers do and check out the fan favorite – IKEA’s Alex 9 drawer unit. With 9 drawers, you can organize by category (face, eyes, nails, palettes, skin care), remember to never fill beyond the capacity of your storage unit.

5. BE PRACTICAL: RE-PURPOSE HOUSEHOLD ITEMS

As much as we love a good acrylic container, we also know they get expensive quickly. Look around the house for empty containers (jars, candles, pretty boxes) – and use them to hold a category like lipsticks or brushes. I always clean out my diptyque candles and use the jar around the bathroom for storage (cotton balls, matches, lipsticks) – they spark joy!

There you have it – 5 quick tips to sort + store your makeup or skin care collection. Next time you’re digging through your drawer to find that perfect lipstick – take pause, see what you can toss, and consider a new organization system for you to enjoy!

How do you store your makeup and skincare?