If you're like me and makeup is one of your favorite hobbies, you have probably acquired quite the collection. While accumulating different products to experiment and try new looks is fun, storing a large assortment of makeup in an organized manner is tough.
Keeping makeup in your bathroom is convenient, as it makes getting ready in the morning much easier.
But without proper organization, your routine can become a stressful ordeal.
Let’s go over a few important bathroom organization tips that will help solve your storage problems.
Where to Store Makeup in Your Bathroom
This ultimately depends on the amount of space available and the layout of your bathroom.
However, it is best to avoid storing makeup close to the shower or the toilet, and away from direct sunlight to prevent humidity, bacteria, heat, and UV rays from coming into contact with your cosmetics and potentially spoiling them.
Exposing makeup to the open bathroom air can be bad for your products and skin. Warm showers and baths can create excess humidity, affecting the freshness of your products and creating a breeding ground for bacteria or mold.
Aerosol droplets from the toilet bowl can be carried through the air and contaminate the products you use on your face. This can lead to breakouts or even infections.
It’s best to store your makeup in a drawer, cabinet, storage container, or in a neatly organized way at least three feet away from the toilet.
How to Organize Your Makeup
When storing makeup at home, it's best to ditch the bag. A makeup bag can be useful for those instances when you’re on the go, but at home it can lead to a disorganized and dirty mess.
First, start by separating your makeup into categories:
- Face makeup
- Eye makeup
- Lip makeup
- Brushes
I keep my face primer and moisturizer with my face makeup since those are the products I use first.
An important step after organizing your makeup into categories is to go through your collection and toss anything that you never use, or anything that might be out of date.
Check the expiration dates of your products and assess whether there have been changes in color or texture—these can be signs that your makeup has expired. Maintaining the freshness of liquid eye makeup is especially important as your eyes can be more prone to infections.
If you can downsize your collection to only the products you really enjoy wearing, it can help you stay on top of organization.
Wash Your Makeup Brushes and Other Utensils
Makeup brushes and other utensils can harbor bacteria or mold, so it is important to regularly sanitize and clean them for your health and safety.
Utensils
For utensils like eyebrow combs, eyelash curlers, or metal tweezers, you can first wash them with soap and warm water. Then dip your utensil in hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol—this will disinfect the tool. Wipe it clean and let the tool air dry on a clean cloth.
Makeup Brushes
It is recommended that you wash your brushes every 7 to 10 days. Older makeup can hold bacteria, which can grow exponentially in the bristles of your makeup brush, causing breakouts or other problems when you use it.
To clean your brush, use water and a gentle soap or brush cleanser. There are many brush cleaners available on the market that work well. You can also use your favorite face cleanser.
Wet the bristles in lukewarm water and do an initial rinse. Then you can either fill a bowl with a little soap and lukewarm water and swirl the brush in the bowl, or you can put some soap on the palm of your hand and massage the bristles with the soap while placing it under the faucet.
After you have thoroughly cleaned the bristles, you can then rinse the tips of the bristles under the sink with lukewarm water.
Squeeze out all of the excess water by using a clean towel, and then re-shape the brush to its original form.
Let the brush dry on a clean towel with the edges of the bristles hanging off the counter. It’s important that the bristles aren’t touching anything while they dry so that they are less likely to grow mold.
Be careful when cleaning not to get the base of the brush head really wet or soapy. It can degrade the glue that attaches the bristles to the handle. This can cause your bristles to fall out, forcing you to throw the brush away and buy a new one.
Makeup Sponges
Makeup sponges aren’t always made to be reused or last a long time unless they're microbial resistant. If they are, they will still need to be cleaned at least once a week with warm water and a gentle soap or cleanser.
Toss your brushes and sponges when they start to shed, fray, or lose their shape.
Using a sponge holder or a brush organizer with a lid can help them last longer.
How to Organize Makeup in a Small Space
Having a small bathroom has its perks, like being easier to clean, but it can make storing and organizing cosmetics a bit of a challenge without the right tools.
There are many storage solutions available to help you manage and organize your makeup. However, a number of things need to be taken into account before selecting the right solution for you.
If you already have a designated makeup drawer, you may want to use organization solutions like trays, drawer separators, or liners that will help organize your makeup categories and keep your drawer tidy and clean.
However, if you have more available space away from the toilet and shower, you may want to find an option such as a drawer organizer, bathroom cart, or armoire.
Here are a few products that you can use to maximize the space in your small bathroom and keep your cosmetic collection looking great.
Clear or Opaque Drawer Organizers
A makeup organizer can be an easy and ideal way to store your makeup. Having a designated drawer for lipstick, eyeshadows, foundation, and brushes can help keep your products fresh, clean, and easy to find.
Floating or Corner Shelves
Adding extra shelving in your bathroom helps increase the available storage. It can also be a unique way to organize your makeup where it is fun to look at and easy to find.
However, since your makeup will always be visible, this method makes it all the more important to stay on top of your organization.
You can start by narrowing down the products you use the most. Then organize each row or section by product type. Try to keep your shelves a decent distance away from the toilet and shower.
Rotating Makeup Organizer
Rotating makeup organizers come in a variety of fun styles and shapes. They can be a fun way to keep your makeup, especially if you have room on your bathroom counter.
Trays or Drawer Organizers
Trays can be especially handy when trying to keep your makeup drawer organized. They come in a variety of sizes and can be used inside a drawer or cabinet. Organizing each tray by category makes managing your makeup collection easier.
Over-the-Door Shoe Holder
These handy organizers aren’t only for storing shoes but can also be used in a myriad of different ways. Shoe holders can be a handy article to use if your bathroom is on the smaller side and you don’t have a lot of dedicated storage for your makeup or a lot of wall space.
Can You Store Makeup Under the Sink?
Yes! Makeup is best kept in a cool, dry environment.
As long as your sink isn’t leaky, this is a great way to store makeup. I like to use cabinet liners to protect the surface under the sink and lined baskets to store my cosmetics.
Depending on the size of your under sink area, you can also use shelving units, a drawer organizer, or even store your beauty fridge for those temperature-sensitive products you want to keep cool.
How to Keep All Your Makeup Organized
When you’ve amassed a collection of quality products that you may not use every day but don’t want to throw out, it’s still important to find a storage solution that ensures that they aren’t getting ruined.
Finding a designated place for all your products can help you save money and make it easier to find that orange lip stain or glitter eyeliner when the occasion calls.
The list of space-saving items above is helpful even in full-sized bathrooms, but when you have more space, you have more options!
Bathroom Cart
Hello, beauty bar! A bathroom cart can be a stylish and fun way to store your makeup. It can be a functional and elegant statement piece.
Keeping it organized and looking snazzy can take some work. Adding other organizational elements like a makeup organizer drawer can help create a sleek and sophisticated cosmetics cart.
Spice Rack
Using a spice rack can be an easy and convenient way to help with makeup organization. There are many different styles and looks that can be affordable and look great when used in your bathroom.
Glass Jars for Brushes
Storing your makeup brushes in jars can be a fun way to stay organized, and it can also help your brushes keep their shape, which will extend their life.
If you’re storing your brushes in the bathroom, a brush organizer with a lid is a great option that will protect your brushes from particulates and aerosols while protecting their shape.
Nail Polish Rack
Nail polish racks can be used for more than just nail polish. People use them to store everything from essential oils to crafts. They can also be used as an easy wall organizer for your makeup.
Table Tray
A table tray can be an exciting addition to your organization solution. It can be used to express your style and keep things tidy. You can place a few of your favorite products in an arrangement on the tray.
There are many different styles you can choose from. It really depends on the look you’re going for. Some trays have mirror bottoms, while others are made of wood or metal.
When choosing the material, you may want to keep in mind how easy it will be to clean.
Beauty Armoire
A beauty armoire is the ultimate storage solution for your products if you have the available space. There are many different styles and they come in a variety of sizes.
Ready to Get Organized?
Once you choose the right storage solution for your situation, you can stock it. Put each category of makeup in a separate area in your tray, drawer, or storage organizer.
Again, it is important to address a few key things before deciding where to store your makeup.
Liquid products like mascara do best if they are stored vertically. But the most important thing is to keep them in a cool, dry place.
Too much direct sunlight or heat can make some makeups change color, cause emulsifiers to separate, and creams and lotions to get clumpy. So it’s important to take those factors into consideration when deciding how to best store your favorite products.
Place the items you use most in the section of the organizer that’s easiest to reach. For most, this would be concealers and foundations, but everyone is different.
For large eyeshadow pallets and products you want to keep but rarely use, you can either choose to store them in your organizer together or find an out-of-the-way place where they will be safe and easy to find when needed.
Staying Organized Over Time
I know once I get organized, sticking with it can be tough. Having a proper place for everything will always help you maintain an organized environment.
If your organizer or drawer starts to get too crowded, it is a sign that you need to downsize or reevaluate your cosmetics.
No matter the size of your bathroom, organization is key in protecting your products and keeping your skin healthy. It can help save you money and time, and it can mitigate the stress of getting ready.
