The definitive guide to organising your make-up

Every year when Spring rolls around, it sets off an almost primal instinct within us, mimicking the seasonal connotations of new beginnings and making us want to start afresh, de-clutter and emerge shiny, tidy and new. As certified beauty hoarders, there’s nowhere we need to organise more than our over-flowing make up bags, boxes and that ‘throw in products on a whim’ messy drawer.

Being able to see the products we own stored in a neat display ultimately saves us time when getting ready, rather than rummaging around for that one great lipstick we swear we saw six months ago. But even if you don’t have a mammoth hoard of products, your make up will require a regular thorough clean to avoid a build-up of bacteria that could lead to acne, or skin becoming irritated. To help you declutter, we’ve compiled the best tips and tricks to Marie Kondo your toiletries.

This way for a cleansing sort-out…

Cleaning your products

To begin, wipe the area that’s stored your beauty products. Be it a drawer, cabinet or cupboard, ensure to thoroughly wipe the inside, handles and exterior with antibacterial cleaning wipes or a cleaning spray. On our beauty products themselves, we use EcoTools Cleaning Wipes.

Wipe over the entire packaging, but lids and caps especially, as germs can easily build up there. You can wipe over the tops of blushers, cream eyeshadows and lipsticks with EcoTools wipes, or use a 70% isopropyl alcohol, (do not use ethyl alcohol) decanted into a spray bottle to clean products.

If needed, you can cut off the top of a lipstick with a sharp knife when cleaning the surface just won’t do. The only product we’d always suggest renewing rather than cleaning is mascara. It can’t really be cleaned, so buying new is always best. Your lashes will thank you.

Make-up bags

We’ll be suggesting some fab new bags below, but if you already have sufficient make-up bags that do the job well, here’s how to clean them. Once empty, flip the bag inside out and use makeup remover wipes to clean the inside. If you have a cloth make-up bag check if it has a label inside, then follow the washing instructions as advised. If not and it’s a fabric bag, you can either hand wash or put it on a 30-degree cycle in the washing machine with corresponding colours.

Tools

To clean eyelash curlers, take the padded strip out and wipe with the EcoTools wipes. If cleaning with alcohol spray, leave 24 hours before using the curlers again. If yours are in need of renewing, you can buy replacement pads, here. When doing a deep-clean, we also wipe over eyebrow brushes and replace any spoolies with new, eco versions like these, from Flirties. 

John Lewis & Partners Beauty Products Storage Caddy

A stylish solution to storing your make-up brushes, this caddy will not only help streamline your make up kit, but it’ll also look wonderfully chic on your dresser, too.

Primark Tortoise Shell Vanity Case 

This vanity case in trending tortoiseshell provides you with a pretty way to store your products. We’d use this case to house our blushers, bronzers and highlighters for ultimate organisation. Plus, it looks well beyond its price point at just £14.

Estella Bartlett Clear Travel Case 

A clear case is our personal preference for storing make-up, as clear bags are both practical and easy to clean. We have one of these zip-up bags for our lip glosses and liners and another for our array of brow products. Follow suit to invoke a beauty storage system that means you always know exactly where your favourite products are.

The Flat Lay Co Tropical Leaves Make-up Bag

When we spotted this quick-to-tidy bag on Instagram, we knew we had to have it. The clever multi-way bag allows you to display make-up spread out flat, with a drawstring toggle fastening that allows you to store it away in seconds. The incorporated elastic holders helpfully hold brushes while small pockets store even more products. Plus, this looks stylish even when it isn’t stored away thanks to the trendy leaf-print design.

Ikea GODMORGON Smoked box with lid 

To keep our skincare organised within our dresser drawers, we use these Ikea boxes in fashionable smoked grey. Perfect for separating out moisturisers, face masks, cosmetic pads, cotton buds and wool – they’re an ideal, affordable solution to your beauty storage needs.

Oliver Bonas Cream & Gold Ceramic Make-up Brush Pot

Oliver Bonas is our go-to right now for savvy yet stylish storage. Keep your makeup essentials in this gorgeous ceramic pot that is practical yet super-elegant. The scalloped edge and geometric gold-patterned details make it a must-have for a style-conscious organiser.

House by John Lewis Ratio Storage Basket

If you like to have your skincare, bath and shower products on display in your bathroom in order to grab and go, use this to stylish storage basket to neaten the room in a modern way.

The Vintage Jar Co. Glass Bathroom Accessory Set 

Add a touch of vintage to your storage with these American-style mason jars. A great way to say goodbye to plastic, each product in this set is handmade, decorated with rustproof stainless steel lids and finished with a waterproof decal. These made-to-last accessories offer a unique way to display cotton wool, brushes, soap and more.

Wayfair Chapman 4-Piece Makeup Organiser Set 

Keep the essentials at your fingertips with this four-piece set. Multi-purpose and versatile, use these to store cotton buds, hairbrushes, bobbles, hair turbans and so much more.