I used to be such a makeup and skincare hoarder. Since we’ve been home quarantining I have been organizing every room in our home, just like everyone else, purging what I don’t need/use anymore and trying to keep everything super neat and tidy, so I wanted to share with you how I organize my makeup and skincare, as well as share my vanity set up with you guys. When we renovated our bedroom, we created the floorplan based around the furniture we had and wanted to put in the room. I really wanted space for a vanity. I used to have a little play one in my room growing up and absolutely loved getting ready at the vanity each morning before school and by getting ready, I mean taking out my pencils from the drawer and putting on my chapstick. Ha!

How To Organize Your Makeup

Anyway, if you’re a new reader or just want a little refresher take a look at our plans for the bedroom HERE and my vanity plans as well! That little drawing is so funny because I actually ended up finding a very similar mirror to the one I dreamt up. For the vanity, I chose this mini-desk with a single drawer. (This rattan desk and simple wooden one are great options for a vanity too). Here are all my tips for keeping your makeup organized and creating the perfect spot to get ready each day.

Small Desks + Vanities:

Get Rid of What You Don’t Use Anymore

Keeping everything in order helps me stay sane, but sometimes it can be hard to know where to begin. Chances are you have more than you actually use or reach for often. So before you can organize, go through your makeup and purge what you haven’t reached for in a few weeks. I’ve saved lipsticks for way too long thinking that would be the perfect dark shade for fall and never wear it, or black eyeliner (that I never wear) just because I might feel the urge one day. Chances are you won’t. Toss it or share it with a friend if it hasn’t been used. Then you can start organizing. 

USE CLEAR Organizers SO YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING

The desk/vanity that I have has one big drawer for organization, however it’s a bit shallow. I found these acrylic organizers/trays to organize everything by category. They’re clear so I can see everything easily. If you have deeper drawers you can find some that stack and slide like these organizers. 

Vanity Mirrors:

Clear Drawer Organizers:

Organize by Category

In each organizer tray I keep things together by category: lipsticks in one, foundation and concealer in another. I keep all “cheek” items together: bronzer, highlighter, cream and powder blushes, etc. I put whatever I don’t reach for on a daily basis (like eyeshadow palettes, etc.) in the back of the drawer.

Keep Your Vanity Top Minimal + Organized

I like to keep the surface of my vanity pretty bare so there’s room to get ready. I have a small circular ceramic tray by Hannah Garvin atop along with a few ceramic cups for makeup brushes. I also keep face mists and a jade roller handy.

Small Trays:

West Elm Mini-Desk as Vanity | Rattan Chair | Sheepskin Throw | Arched Mirror | Rattan Planter Stand (similar here) | Terrain Pampas Grass | Studio Noos Makeup Bag

*For my easy everyday makeup routine, click HERE.
*Also, don’t forget to check out my clean makeup and natural skincare posts.