Tip 2: Divvy it up, How to Organize Your Makeup Like a Pro

Makeup

How to Organize Your Makeup Like a Pro

Stop avoiding it -- it's time to clean up your makeup stash mayhem and we've got the expert tips to help you

March 28, 2011 | by Anna Jimenez | 79 COMMENTS

Tip 2: Divvy it up

Next, "divide everything into categories: lips, eyes, foundations, etc. That way, off the bat, you can see how many like items you own that you probably don't even realize," she says.

Then, grab the trash bin. "Within each sub-pile, instantly [throw away] any item that you haven't worn in over 8-12 months. If you haven't worn it yet, chances are you're not going to ever," Wade continues, and it likely has bacteria. To be safe, find out the expiration date for all your beauty products here.

Next, toss "anything that is shattered or missing tops," says Klosky. We know you think you will salvage these items and use them to their battered bits, but don�t, he continues. "Any broken powders or blushes will spill in your makeup bags and you will spend more time cleaning them than actually applying the product," he warns. The only exception Klosky gives is "eyeliners without lids -- as long as they are kept in a small brush bag or a plastic baggie."

SEE NEXT PAGE: Tip 3: Separate your brushes

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products mentioned

Sephora Core Vinyl Double Handle Makeup Bag

9.8

UNII Cosmetics UNII Palette

10.0

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I like the magnetic eye shadow one. I really need to use these tips to clean everything up.

by jessielynn17 Monday, May 6, 2013 at 01:53AM Report as inappropriate

i just bought those 3 drawer storage things to stack on top of each other to use. wonderful to organize everything.

by .flawless. Tuesday, February 12, 2013 at 11:04AM Report as inappropriate

Nice info

by EricaF123 Saturday, December 29, 2012 at 07:17AM Report as inappropriate

I like the idea of putting in a drawer liner so you are motivated to keep it clean

by sportimonki13 Sunday, April 15, 2012 at 06:08PM Report as inappropriate

The article is fabulous-I am a makeup JUNKIE-I have tried many time to organize and it makes a big difference especially for the fact we may be using expired products which at one time I really never even thought about-so I bravely trashed many items and if I really liked the color I ordered a new one which means only purchase what you're going to use (I should follow my own rule) but then we get caught up with new colors and become the bag lady of make-up again. I suppose if this is the only bad habit we have then it is what it is-but the fight will still go on.

by BlondeBabe Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at 11:53AM Report as inappropriate

Its so hard being an organizing nazi, but being in college and not having a permanent residence! >.

by chealy215 Tuesday, April 10, 2012 at 09:56PM Report as inappropriate

I love this post..and I am definitely one that needs to get rid of some of my makeup. But it is so HARD!!!! I love makeup and it is very hard to part with it. But I will...that just gives me a reason to buy more.

by jbynum Tuesday, April 10, 2012 at 09:48PM Report as inappropriate

Get a large well made train case. I did recently and it was the answer to all of my problems.

by robyne00 Tuesday, April 10, 2012 at 04:51PM Report as inappropriate

I wish I could get rid of some of my makeup! :( I have so much! I've learned though, to bargain with myself- whenever I see a new nail polish color/set I want, or a new eyeshadow palette, I first must clean out any that I don't use or that I've owned far too long or any that are broken (just like these tips suggest!) I keep all of my 'daily' makeup like foundation, mascara, eyeliner, etc. in the drawer of my vanity & any tools & eyeliners I keep in a mini tall cylindar-like bucket on my vanity. All the extras like eyeshadows, lipsticks, blushes I keep between two train cases, separated by brands & types :)

by KathrynMarie Tuesday, April 10, 2012 at 02:31PM Report as inappropriate

Love this post because I have an outrageous amount of makeup. Being able to let some of it go it KEY! I need to do that.

by Jonealle77 Tuesday, April 10, 2012 at 01:49PM Report as inappropriate

Great tips! I have a vanity with drawers, which makes it easy to store all my makeup and tools.

by WiccanLady Tuesday, April 10, 2012 at 01:25PM Report as inappropriate

SIt is so hard for me to part with any makeup.

by beautybody Monday, April 2, 2012 at 11:12PM Report as inappropriate

Love it! Now I just need something to store it in. I literally have no drawer furniture except for clothes. Sounds like a trip to Ikea!

by mrselliott08 Sunday, April 1, 2012 at 05:30PM Report as inappropriate

Maybe I'll get organized now?? :)

by powerwoman033 Monday, March 12, 2012 at 08:16AM Report as inappropriate

great tips to motivate me to clean out my make-up drawer! (especially after collecting so many "free gift w/ purchase" samples!)

by jenstar313 Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 12:29PM Report as inappropriate

Great article. Simple easy steps to organization.

by skinpro Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 02:32PM Report as inappropriate

first step should be- don't buy stuff you don't really need :)))).

by venenumletalis Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 06:27PM Report as inappropriate

Great article, this makes organizing make makeup seem way less overwhelming.

by sportimonki13 Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 04:50PM Report as inappropriate

Thanks for these great tips! I'm always a mess when it comes to my makeup. Got to get more organized from now on!

by MissXu Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 03:02PM Report as inappropriate

Great article. That UNII palette is really neat.

by mslupin Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 01:34PM Report as inappropriate

I also keep three small regularly used bags ..... Express make up, which is the least and quickest make up for when I'm in a hurry. (mostly Mally). A second for basic day make up, which I usually use ( mostly Bare Essentials) and finally an emergency quick wow night out make up for nights in a hurry ( favourite bling of the moment....... It works for me as I keep them updated. Other make up, and I'm an addict is stored as suggested in drawers.

by Davsgril Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 12:26PM Report as inappropriate

Great tips!

by WiccanLady Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 11:42AM Report as inappropriate

I really need to follow some of the tips in this article. I really do need to organize my makeup and toss out old stuff that I never use.

by BreakinMe Wednesday, November 16, 2011 at 12:15AM Report as inappropriate

nothing new here for me unfortunately I'm still over whelmed!!

by Bon_Bon Saturday, August 27, 2011 at 10:38PM Report as inappropriate

cool tips!

by lovinpinknana Saturday, August 20, 2011 at 07:49PM Report as inappropriate

I love this. I am a neat freak and keep my make up perfect, and it it easier to get ready in the morning having everything in it's place :)

by Flicky_95 Monday, August 15, 2011 at 01:43AM Report as inappropriate

My downfall is an overstuffed makeup bag in my purse. I mean onestly, do I really need 3 different eyeliners and 4 eyeshadows?

by beccaw2kids Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 03:58PM Report as inappropriate

;)

by zelda_nneka_abadom Friday, July 22, 2011 at 09:53AM Report as inappropriate

Good tips

by SunBunnyxxxooo Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 07:54PM Report as inappropriate

these are so awesome tips.

by maribel_madera Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 06:02PM Report as inappropriate

these are some good tips

by MissTyra Monday, July 4, 2011 at 04:44PM Report as inappropriate

i like to put all of my brushes in a small vase :)

by vanillasummer Monday, July 4, 2011 at 10:12AM Report as inappropriate

good ideas.

by lala0310 Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 09:55AM Report as inappropriate

by jomonique Sunday, June 19, 2011 at 10:35PM Report as inappropriate

Thanks for the great tip

by clc0304 Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 03:27PM Report as inappropriate

I'm in the middle of organizing right now actually - too much stuff in the bathroom, not enough space! My boyfriend bought me a small organizer with three drawers, and said he'd get me another one if I needed it. I do have a small basket I keep on the countertop though for things I use often, almost every day. I just have so much other makeup that I think the drawers will come in very handy for organizing it all!

by dark_beauty Monday, June 13, 2011 at 11:29AM Report as inappropriate

After reading this, I'll definitely have to rethink my current makeup organization.

by katiespeaking Friday, June 3, 2011 at 06:06PM Report as inappropriate

Im always on the go, so i need to carry my makeup everywhere. I like to have options so i probably carry a little more than i should, buti must say its hard to organize it all.

by gaej19 Wednesday, June 1, 2011 at 11:04AM Report as inappropriate

Great ideas, but I think I will stick to how I organize.

by MissPurple Wednesday, June 1, 2011 at 10:32AM Report as inappropriate

good ideas

by AmandaAmanda Sunday, May 22, 2011 at 02:17PM Report as inappropriate

Good article, but I would have loved to see some ideas for vanity top organizers.

by dawnrager Sunday, May 22, 2011 at 06:38AM Report as inappropriate

great ideas

by judyangel101 Sunday, May 8, 2011 at 01:52PM Report as inappropriate

Great tips.

by tiffany_gallehugh Wednesday, May 4, 2011 at 11:42AM Report as inappropriate

Good to know, I really need to go through my bathroom drawer and toss old stuff. Even office supply stores have little storage containers that will work perfect. I found some cool stackable containers in the clearance section at Target that helped organize the top of our bathroom sink area.

by Madrigaliv81 Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at 05:18PM Report as inappropriate

Good points, A cheaper alternative for the UNII palette is the Z-Palette, it is a few bucks cheaper, a bit bigger and is see-through so you can actually see what colors you have in which palette.

by ClauE Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at 01:16PM Report as inappropriate

this is perfect! im going to reorganize today!

by kenya Friday, April 22, 2011 at 01:35PM Report as inappropriate

Nice article. Time for me to toss some stuff.

by attagirl Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 03:22PM Report as inappropriate

I wish there were better tabletop/drawer organizers just for makeup. I keep trolling through Bed Bath & Beyond's kitchen section for a bamboo utensil holder combination that doesn't exist.

by krycekov Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 12:21PM Report as inappropriate

I wish I had more space at my apartment to sort my makeup and keep it nice and organized! Instead, it's in several makeup bags, all jumbled together. Getting rid of products I don't love would help.

by LipglossandSpandex Sunday, April 17, 2011 at 10:51PM Report as inappropriate

This is actually a good article. I had to throw away all of my makeup when I before I went to Iraq. I was NOT about to put anything on my face that has been sitting for 18 months. But it gave me the opportunity to start fresh and buy only what I needed & USED to avoid clutter. I have a makeup case I bought from Sephora, but now I want the UNII Palette too :)

by msbrown822 Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 10:05AM Report as inappropriate

I love make up so much, I often buy it and rarely use it. I am going to try to discard the stuff I dont use, and keep it to a minimum. :)

by pink023 Wednesday, April 13, 2011 at 06:50AM Report as inappropriate

I started reading this, then i got up and did it! It feels great everything is clean, organized and most of all easy to see and access! Getting ready will be so much easier now. I hate throwing makeup away but when i started making piles of stuff it became very easy!

by elena62 Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 02:36PM Report as inappropriate

Thanks. I am constantly trying to find a good way to deal with this problem

by louisac24 Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 12:45PM Report as inappropriate

Super helpful! My makeup vanity is a mess. I clean my brushes often but the only things i get rid of is MAC because I can recycle them and get a new lipstick. I am in desperate need of makeup organization.

by juliafofulia445 Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 12:42PM Report as inappropriate

i have trouble putting my makeup in garbage

by Irinovna Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 12:39PM Report as inappropriate

wow this was very helpful

by doana_marcellus Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 09:14AM Report as inappropriate

Well...i am super lazy lets see how it goes

by debjosh Monday, April 11, 2011 at 02:04AM Report as inappropriate

i'm too lazy. D:

by yckitsmary Tuesday, April 5, 2011 at 04:27PM Report as inappropriate

Also, I agree that you should clean eye brushes and such once a week but face brushes you should wash EVERY time you use it. Bacteria on your face goes on your brush when you use it and then if you use that brush the next day you're putting that bacteria right back on your face along with the bacteria that's already there.

by shimmeringfae Monday, April 4, 2011 at 02:36PM Report as inappropriate

DO NOT THROW AWAY YOUR BROKEN EYESHADOW AND BLUSH! You can repress broken blushes and eye shadows, throwing them away is a waste of money. Take the time to find out how to repress them and do that before throwing something you can fix REALLY EASILY away.

by shimmeringfae Monday, April 4, 2011 at 02:25PM Report as inappropriate

I LOVE this article. Not only does it reassure me that I am not alone with my make up hoarder self but it gives me an excuse to go out and buy accessories to store stuff in! Can't wait to get home and re-arrange!

by BlackFleur145 Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 01:43PM Report as inappropriate

I store the majority of my makeup in a large Trish McEvoy quilted zippered planner. My Trish brush set lives in its own matching quilted zipper planner. LOVE them!!!

by Jewelrydesigner Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 02:13PM Report as inappropriate

I just took on this huge product this last weekend! My bathroom needed some serious organizing! I invested in a bunch of containers from the container store which are so helpful! My bathroom looks so much more organized and I can find thing so much easier now!

by ladyboarder9669 Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 12:26PM Report as inappropriate

I follow most of those except the keeping it in a drawer.

by Aphrosie Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 12:20PM Report as inappropriate

awesome advice! Im moving soon and need to reorganize again so this was a good reminder!

by makeupbyjanalyn Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 09:08AM Report as inappropriate

Thanks for the reminder! Spring is a great time to clean out the makeup bag and assess.

by Thorne Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 07:33AM Report as inappropriate

My make up is super organize already

by ChrisanneSkye Monday, March 28, 2011 at 10:48PM Report as inappropriate

thanks for this good advice. ♥

by vanitychild Monday, March 28, 2011 at 10:41PM Report as inappropriate

great tips!!!!!!!!!!

by aly7 Monday, March 28, 2011 at 08:31PM Report as inappropriate

Good tips.

by Mysterylady Monday, March 28, 2011 at 07:23PM Report as inappropriate

This is great advice! I've never really known where to start with cleaning up all my makeup. I will try this over the weekend.

by liliofthevalley Monday, March 28, 2011 at 06:17PM Report as inappropriate

great tips

by kiofairy Monday, March 28, 2011 at 05:23PM Report as inappropriate

helpful tips - now i'm inspired to do some spring cleaning in my makeup drawer!

by jenstar313 Monday, March 28, 2011 at 03:40PM Report as inappropriate

Awesome!

by volta Monday, March 28, 2011 at 02:30PM Report as inappropriate

Good article and good timing. I need to go through all my stuff and do a little Spring cleaning. Thanks for the inspiration!

by Agrimony Monday, March 28, 2011 at 01:58PM Report as inappropriate

i love this systematic approach. i think this will be my weekend project!

by mlenaei Monday, March 28, 2011 at 12:15PM Report as inappropriate

makes a lot of sense, really

by keatonkat Monday, March 28, 2011 at 11:05AM Report as inappropriate

Wow, that was a lot of info for organizing! But this could be helpful for some!

by kat_hamilton17 Monday, March 28, 2011 at 09:30AM Report as inappropriate

I have a small 6 drawer clear container that sits on my vanity where everything is organized. It was a mess before, and I'm really glad I have a travel bag with separate compartments.

by kayla_d_moore Monday, March 28, 2011 at 07:21AM Report as inappropriate

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