We can all probably agree that rummaging through a pile of dirty products to find what you’re looking for in your overcrowded makeup bag takes away from the experience of getting ready. And if sitting down to do your makeup has become stressful due to the mess that is your makeup bag, it’s time to give it the refresh it needs. Ahead, we’re sharing 9 tips to help you clean and organize your makeup bag 一 taking it from chaotic to condensed.
1. Take Inventory
The first step in cleaning and organizing your makeup bag is to know what’s inside. While this might seem obvious, you might be surprised to see what products have been hiding underneath the mess. Dump out the contents of your bag and assess what you use and don’t use. Anything that you won't get use out of should be recycled or discarded in order to keep clutter to a minimum.
2. Check For Expired Makeup
While you might be tempted to hold onto your favorite mascara or foundation, it’s important to ensure that the makeup you’re using isn’t expired. It’s best to only keep makeup for the time recommended on the packaging of the product. If you're unsure when to throw away makeup, check for foul smells, separation, and discoloration in your products. If you spot any of those, it’s time to toss the product.
3. Protect Your Sponges And Brushes
While it makes sense to keep your makeup tools and your daily products together, throwing your sponges and makeup brushes in your makeup bag can make for one big mess. If anything leaks or spills, your tools will get dirty which can be both annoying and unhygienic. It’s best to keep them protected by putting them in a small pouch or bag within your makeup bag.
4. Stock Up On Multi-Use Products
A great way to pare down your makeup bag and prevent clutter is to focus on multitasking products. For example, rather than keeping both a setting powder and powder foundation, opt for a product that does both, like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Up to 24H Fresh Wear Foundation in a Powder. If you’re really tight on space, you can also use your lipstick as blush and pass on keeping a blush in your bag altogether.
For more multitasking products check out our article: 6 Unexpected Ways To Use Makeup You Already Own.
5. Wipe Down Each Product
Once you’re content with the contents of your makeup bag, the next step is cleaning off the products before putting them back in the bag. Using a damp cloth with water or a water-based cleanser, like the L’Oréal Paris Micellar Cleansing Water Complete Cleanser Waterproof - All Skin Types, wipe down your products to remove gunk like smeared mascara or dripping foundation from the outside packaging.
6. Wipe Down The Makeup Bag
If you’ve been dealing with spillage, chances are the inside of your makeup bag is filled with stains. To clean the bag, hold your makeup bag upside down over the trash to get rid of loose debris. If you’re using a cloth makeup bag, pop it into the washing machine using hot water to get rid of any bacteria. If it’s made of plastic, simply turn it inside out and use a makeup remover wipe to give it a proper wipe down.
7. Use Clear Bags Within Your Bag
If you carry a slightly larger makeup bag, organize all of your goodies into smaller, clear makeup bags that will make finding specific products a lot easier. This will also protect your products and the makeup bag itself if something spills and help you keep your makeup bag clean for longer. Try pairing all of your lip products together, all of your eye products together, all of your face products together — you get the idea.
8. Use Cotton Pads To Prevent Shattering
Finding your go-to eyeshadow palette or face powder completely shattered is a makeup bag catastrophe. But the truth is, day to day movements can cause your products to bump up against each other, break, and spill. However, preventing this is easier and quicker than you may think. Simply place a thin cotton round on top of the palette or powder, then shut the compact as usual. Having this protective cotton layer will help prevent any breakage. This is especially helpful when you’re traveling.
9. Organize The Products By Size
When it’s time to reload your makeup bag, instead of aimlessly tossing all of your products into the bag, group them by size. Put all of the square and circular products, such as face powder, bronzer and blush next to each other, lined up in a neat row. Then group together the long, slender products, like your eyeliner, mascara, lipstick, lip liner, and brow gel. This will be easier if the bag has compartments, but it can still help to keep some organization regardless.
Next: 10 Nail Polish Organizer Ideas To Stylishly Store Your Polish
Edited by: Alyssa Kaplan, Photo: iStock
A month ago, I moved into my dream place. It’s a 1939 Spanish-style Art Deco building with original hardwood floors and glass doorknobs—a total find. The one problem? There’s absolutely zero bathroom storage.
At first, I didn’t think this would be an issue. There’s plenty of storage in general (not one, but two walk-in closets!), even though the bathroom is tiny, lacking a medicine cabinet, and with the world’s smallest under-the-sink cabinet. And since I’m renting, there’s not a whole lot I can do about it.
There’s barely enough room on the counter to hold a hand soap and a tube of toothpaste, so I initially piled all my cosmetics and skincare in a heap under the (tiny!) cabinet. There were serums stacked on face masks stacked on extra toilet paper stacked on my hair dryer; taking anything out to use was like a game of Jenga.
It was not working, so I decided to put everything in cosmetic cases—sort of an obvious answer in hindsight, but it still feels revolutionary to me for how good of a solution it is.
I remember the first cosmetic case I ever had: a satin Christian Dior case in scarlet red. My mother had given it to me sometime in middle school, and I remember feeling so sophisticated, despite the fact that I used it to store things like DuWop Lip Venom.
Since then, I’ve remained partial to the idea of having a dedicated space to store cosmetics. I’ve always loved the precision involved in packing a travel kit for toiletries—I put in everything I need, nothing extra—and reorganizing my disorderly bathroom sink into several ordained cases gave me the same kind of cathartic pleasure. I threw out anything I didn’t need and created specific spaces for all the things I did; nothing more, nothing less.
I have three cases under my sink: one for everyday makeup, one for skincare, one for “specialty” extras like faux-eyelashes or Troi Ollivierre Matte Luxe Lipstick in George, which I only wear on special occasions. I also have a pre-packed travel case (it’s like an incentive for a spontaneous trip!) with a miniature shampoo, conditioner, face wash, an extra razor, and so on. I keep a fifth case in my car with stuff like breath mints and duplicate cosmetics in case I need to touch up my makeup on the go.
A good cosmetic case should be made of durable material with few frills, save for a pocket to secure really small things (like tweezers). They don’t need to be expensive or fancy; two of my under-the-sink cases were cheap finds at Target. Simplicity here is key. For my travel case, I use this Longchamp Le Pliage Pouchette since the material is water-resistant, and I trust that neither the case nor the products inside will get damaged during travel.
I know exactly where everything belongs, and it makes it easy to purge products that I otherwise would have stockpiled in my medicine cabinet. The best part? Everything is where it should be, which means I can focus on enjoying my new house without fuss.
—Arielle Pardes
Photo by ITG. For more organization tips, check out how we keep ITG's beauty closet orderly (and how you can apply that to your makeup collection).