Get Ready Faster: Organizing Your Makeup Space

Alright beauties, let’s be real: we’ve all had those days when you need life to move on fast—like, getting-ready-in-less-than-10-minutes fast—and your makeup space looks like a crime scene. UGH. You reach for your blending sponge, it’s nowhere. The foundation you swear you just saw yesterday has mysteriously disappeared into the abyss. And don’t even get me started on lost mascara tubes. 🙃

So, how do we break up with all this chaos and make our whole routine easier? The answer is super simple and life-changing: ORGANIZE YOUR MAKEUP SPACE! Like, girl, you need a system that’ll save you the stress and shave time off your routine. It’s a total game-changer.

Let’s get into how we’re taming that makeup monster one cute acrylic drawer at a time. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t have to be complicated (YESSS). Ready? Let’s DO this!

Step 1: Declutter like you’re on a mission

This is sooo not the fun part. But trust, it’s necessary. Some stuff’s gotta go. That crusty mascara from 2019? Yeah, sis, she’s expired. Take a day (or an hour if you’re quick) and go through all your makeup. Ask yourself:

• Do I even use this?
• Is this expired?
• Do I have three other products that do the same thing?

Once you’ve sorted through it all, toss the stuff you don’t need anymore. Seriously, throw it away or donate (if it’s unopened and still good). Because the less clutter you start with, the smoother this whole thing’s gonna be.

“A cluttered makeup desk leads to a cluttered mind… and late mornings.”

Step 2: Group your products by category

Okay, now the FUN starts. Time to Marie Kondo the heck out of your makeup. It’s way quicker to grab your stuff when it’s neatly arranged by type. You wanna organize by categories. Here’s the breakdown:

You get what I’m saying. Everything in its place is the way to glow (haha, sorry, I’m cheesy). By grouping similar items, you’ll totally streamline your process. It’s like you’re creating your own little makeup market where everything’s just waiting for you to grab and GO.

Step 3: Get some cute storage!

Time to make that space cute AND functional. I’m talking drawer organizers, makeup baskets, brush holders, or those clear, chic acrylic stacks that look like something from a beauty influencer’s dream setup! Yes PLEASE.

But… if you don’t have a huge budget (trust me, I get it, we don’t all have Kardashian money here), you can hit up budget-friendly shops like these:

• IKEA: Mini drawers and dividers that won’t break the bank.
• Target: Affordable bins, lazy Susans, and seriously adorable brush holders.
• Amazon (DUH): Literally hundreds of organizers—sort by price, boo.

Storage ideas to think about:

• Acrylic Drawers: These are clear and fab for stacking and seeing what you own in a snap.
• Lazy Susan: You lazy, she lazy, we all benefit from a lazy Susan when our space is limited. Pop one on your vanity for your perfumes or skincare!
• Magnetic Boards: Sounds crazy, but hear me out: stick little magnetic containers or holders to it for lipsticks or eyeliners and hang it on the wall. #CraftyQueen
• Brush Holders: Use cute mugs or glass jars to keep makeup brushes in; extra points if you go with something cute and colorful that matches your vibe.

“Makeup organization doesn’t have to cost a fortune, but girl, it can totally make you *feel* like a millionaire.”

BTW, keep your most-used stuff in reach. No point in keeping your day-to-day foundation in the bottom drawer of doom. Make your setup convenient FOR YOU.

Step 4: Label EVERYTHING

This may feel a little extra, but trust me, labeling your containers and drawers is gonna save you SO. MUCH. TIME. Especially if you’ve got all your makeup living in different drawers or bins, labels make it super easy to remember where everything is and keep it organized.

Grab a label maker (super cheap on Amazon), and start labeling. It’s giving project manager… but like, project beauty manager, you feel me?

You don’t have to label every.Single.Button.You.Click., but:
– Lips💋: Keep all your glosses, sticks, balms, and liners in one labeled drawer or bin.
– Eyes👁️: Another bin or drawer for mascaras, shadows, and liners.

If you’re more of a visual person, color code instead! Use colored bins for different types of products—pink for lips, gold for bronzers, etc. As long as it makes sense to you, then BABY you’re golden!

Step 5: Designate areas for specific stages of your routine

Let’s level up. You ever get halfway done with your makeup before you realize you forgot to put on primer? Or you go ALL in with your foundation but completely skip your brows (oof, the unfinished look)? This is where we boss UP.

Have separate sections for each stage of your makeup routine. That means organizing by ORDER of how you apply your makeup. Here’s a super simple way to do it:

• Face First: All your foundations, primers, and concealers together in one area
• Eyes & Brows: Keep your eyeliner, mascara, eyeshadows and brow tools in their own spot
• Lip Finish: Lip balms, glosses, and liners go in their mini section

So as you move through your face beat routine, you just go step-by-step, hitting each section!

Step 6: Keep your tools in check

Your brushes and sponges deserve some love too! Leaving them mixed in with everything else = total disaster (and do NOT even mention how unhygienic it can be, yikes). Plus, you want a clean space to avoid breakouts and gunky brushes messing up your perfect blend.

Here’s how to show your tools the respect they deserve:

• Get a cute holder just for brushes (remember that brush holder tip from step three?)
• Wash your brushes WEEKLY. I know, we hate doing it, but it’s necessary. At least do a deep clean every two weeks, but give daily cleansers a quick spritz after each use.
• Use a drying rack for cleaned brushes, so they don’t lose shape—and let ’em air out so they dry nicely. There’s nothing worse than soggy bristles…gross.

Step 7: Make Space for Inspiration

Okay, aesthetic time! This helps you actually WANT to sit at your vanity and breathe new life into your face. Give your makeup space a little glow-up. Consider framing pics or pinning up a mood board of favorite makeup looks. Stick your ultimate makeup inspo on the wall behind your space (yeah, those Pinterest vibes). LED lights? YES. A cute mirror? Double YES.

Inspiration can keep you motivated to organize, too! Maybe having your space cute af will push you to keep it clean… or to experiment with new looks you’ve pinned.

Step 8: Clean as you go

I KNOW, GROAN. How is it that your makeup desk manages to get COVERED in translucent powder and eyeshadow fallout after every makeup session? Like, what are we even doing wrong here?!?! 😂

The trick to keeping your space organized long-term is just to clean as you go. Take 2 minutes after you’re DONE getting ready to wipe up any messes, put your brushes back into their holders, and toss away any makeup wipes, beauty blenders, or q-tips you’ve used. Clean workspace = clean makeup routine AND you won’t waste time the next day flipping through random clutter…WINNING!

Step 9: Rotate your collection seasonally

Here’s the genius thing: we don’t use every product every season. Summer makeup vs winter makeup? Totally different. You’re not gonna need that super heavy foundation when it’s 100 degrees outside, right?

So, create a “rotation” system. Each season, go through your makeup and shift the items you’ll use more during that time to the front. Keep the stuff you wanna save back in another drawer or section of your organizer. This helps keep the stuff you NEED visible and accessible, aka time-saving AF when you’re in a rush.

And there you have it, babes! Once you get your makeup space organized and keep it looking fire, your morning routine is gonna feel like a breeze (I’d say Beyoncé-level glam, TBH). It’s the little things like this that make such a HUGE difference: giving yourself that organized setup will stop you from wasting 20 minutes digging for your favorite lipstick or that one eyeliner that makes your eyes pop.

You’ll be ready to wow the world with a flawless face in record time. Or, you know, get out of the house on time. Either way. 😏