Getting your make-up stash organised for 2019

We always think of January as the time to get stuff done. It always seems like the longest month of the year as you’re more than likely broke and the weekends are no longer filled with nights out and Christmas shopping. So what to do with all your free time? We love to get a bit of a clear out going, giving us a fresh start for the new year.

After you’ve had a clear-out of your beauty stash for any out of date products, now it’s time to think about how to organise it all. We spoke to Professional Organiser Sarah Reynolds for her tips on how to tackle this area that, for most women, can take over their entire bedroom. Sarah firmly believes that organisation can be absolutely beautiful, transforming rooms and making space in peoples’ lives, and we agree. As the saying goes, clear space, clear mind…

Related: The Make-up/Skincare Detox

1. Sort by category

The best way to organise anything is to do so by category. So in this instance, rather than just dealing with makeup that might be in your bathroom and then moving on to makeup in your bedroom, bring all the makeup together in one spot.

• Make sure you remember makeup hidden in other spots too – like handbags or out in the car.
• Once you have all your makeup together now you can really see how much you own. Or sometimes you discover how little you own and you may need to stock up.
• Remove any makeup that is too old or that you really don’t use. If it’s been there a while, even if you love it, it’s probably past its’ use by date by now.

2. Divide & Conquer

Now that you’re happy with what you’re keeping and you can clearly see in front of you how much you own, it’s now time to organise it! This is where you’re own way of organising comes into play. You may separate out the products by when you use them for instance;

• Morning routine
• Evening routine
• Daytime makeup
• Night-time makeup

Or you may separate out the products by how you use them on your body such as:

• All face products
• All body products
• All hair products
• All hand & feet products

For my own make-up, I create categories of lips/eyes/base/brushes etc. While my toiletries are organised by face/body/hair/hands/feet etc.

3. Storage

Use old candle holders for brushes, try a cutlery separator for lipsticks and eyeshadows or recycle small boxes. For makeup, personally I love acrylic storage. The colours and brands of the makeup inside make it look great and as you can clearly see what’s in there so it’s easy to use and maintain. Ikea sell fantastic and affordable acrylic storage that is functional as well as looking nice on display.

Godmorgan Box With Compartments; €11 at ikea.com

Godmorgon with lid, set of 5; €9 at ikea.com

That new years resolution of getting to work on time? Half the battle is just being able to find your mascara when you need it, so you’ve just made it so much easier for yourself. Now you might even have time for breakfast before you leave the house?

For more organising advice from Sarah, visit her website or pick up her book: Organised