Anyone that knows me says I’m one of the most organized, yet unorganized and chaotic person they know. In simpler terms, my stuff is thrown everywhere, but I still know where everything is. On occasion, I’ll do the standard closet and makeup purge, where I throw things out that I think I don’t use. It never works, and I always keep the things I know I don’t need. I had been like this for about a year, and then I got my stuff together before I went to college. How did I do it? I used some tips scattered here-there-and-everywhere online, and I’ve compiled a few steps to hopefully help you with my same problem.
1. Dig. Very deep. Deep into the back of your closet where you keep your Sweet Pea body wash from 2010.
You’re going to want to see absolutely everything you own. I’d recommend putting paper towels or newspaper all over your bed, and completely dumping your current makeup storage bin or bag. From there, separate your products by use, such as foundation/concealer, mascara/eyeliner, etc. Make a conscious effort to compile all the products you own in order to maximize efficiency.
2. THROW ‘EM OUT.
Your next step is to throw out items you don’t use. I did this by throwing products away that I hadn’t used in the past two weeks. Using this two-week rule, you can see what you use on a regular basis. If you own products that are event-specific (blue and gray lipstick for me), keep them only if the event is going to happen in the next three months. Three months is the minimum expiration period for most makeup products, specifically mascara, according to Byrdie.com. You also want to throw away any product that is crusty at the top, smells weird, is broken, or is completely expired. Expiration date is usually marked by something like “12M”, which would mean twelve months.
3. Don’t be afraid to test products out.
Forgot about that bright red lipstick you bought last month? Want to check if your summer foundation still matches? Try it out! Swatch foundations, apply lipsticks, do whatever it takes to check if you still like/use products you own. You might find hidden gems, I know I sure did.
4. Organize by product usage.
Now that you have your products organized by type, sub-group them into products you use the most. Bring your go-to nude lipstick in front of the one you thought was nice because it was on sale, but never use. Organize your concealers right-to-left by the ones you use the most. Another method is to put your everyday products front and center, and organize around them. Also, make sure to keep your brushes together, whether it be in a plastic cup or an actual plastic holder. Set yourself up so you don’t have to dig for your everyday products within your drawer or bucket, whatever you use.
5. Fill your storage up!
Now it’s time to actually put everything back in your storage. Don’t have the proper storage? I’ve linked a few of my favorite options below, but go into Walmart, HomeGoods, or wherever knowing what you want, rather than spending a fortune on storage that you don’t know if you’ll use.
Organization is a personal thing that helps me keep on top of things. These tips don’t have to be for makeup only, you can use these steps for anything from clothes, shoes, to even school supplies. The main thing is to figure out what works for you and stick to it to maintain organization, it’ll help you in the long run.
A few of my favorite organizers listed below:
The Container Store ($29.99) BH Cosmetics (Normally $6, on sale for $3.60)
Storage Bag, Amazon ($17.99) Palette holder, Amazon ($24.01)