When is the last time you really thought about your morning routine? You may find that getting ready in the morning is a little more enjoyable with just a few tweaks! Whitney, an organizer at Abundance Organizing and the person we go to when we need makeup advice, has done just that!
Step One
As with any organizing project, the first step is the sort. Put like with like and create categories, such as eyes, face, lips, and tools. A more detailed sort will create sub-categories, like foundation, bronzers, blushes, and highlighters. Decide what makes the most sense to you. Once you have all the makeup sorted, weed out any products that have expired. There is usually a tiny open jar symbol with a number and the letter “M” on the bottom of all cosmetic and skincare items. This number is the number of months that the product is safe to use after being opened. Can you remember when you bought the product and opened it? If not, it might be time to let it go.
Here are some general guidelines for how long a product is safe after opening:
3 months
Mascara
Liquid eyeliner
Eyeliner
1 Year
Eyeshadow
Concealer
Cream blush
Foundation
Lip gloss
2 Years
Powder blush
Eyeliner pencil
Lipstick
Step Two
Wipe down everything you are keeping and clean any storage that you are using for your makeup. Once all the items are clean and you have the appropriate containers, start to put each makeup item back into its designated home. Whitney recommends Muji makeup drawers to store makeup and brushes. Whitney has her makeup organized from left to right, in the order she follows during her morning routine.
LEFT DRAWERS: The left drawers contain items pertaining to the face. This is where Whitney stores her primers, concealers, and foundation. She designates a drawer to each of these. This is where she starts the day.
MIDDLE DRAWERS: Whitney stores her highlighters, lipsticks, and eye makeup, in this order top to bottom, in the middle drawers.
RIGHT DRAWERS: The right drawers house her brushes, standing up, and extra bottles of foundation. These drawers to the right are a little more out of the way, so she uses them to store items that she does not wear every day.
Whitney’s Tips
• Too much is too much. Whitney loves makeup, but she does not want to have an excess amount. Her storage serves as her boundary. When her drawers are maxed out, she does not buy more until she clears out what she already has.
• Clean your makeup storage with a glass cleaner and microfiber cloth. Whitney also keeps a washcloth on hand for quick clean-ups.
• Recycle your cosmetic containers! Find a Terracycle bin near you or Bare Minerals also provides recycling in their stores. It doesn’t matter what brand you use.
Click here for more of our favorite makeup storage solutions.