As a beauty content creator (and beauty lover in general) sometimes I get a little overwhelmed when I look at my makeup collection.

There are so many different products that I use on any given day or week whether I’m getting ready to do a full makeup look for a sit-down YouTube video or whether I just want a five product face for a simple look.

It wasn’t until last spring that I finally had a tried and true makeup organization setup that really worked for me in terms of easily finding the products I was looking for, grouping products together in a way that made sense and of course looked pretty and neat on my vanity.

Today, I’m going to share what you need to know when choosing makeup storage, some of the best options for makeup storage on Amazon and plenty of options for storing all of your favorite products.

Types of makeup organizers

Before we get into all of the specifics, let’s first review three of the main types of makeup organizers that you might consider buying for your home.

1. Countertop organizers

These sit on top of your vanity, bathroom sink or any surface where you do your makeup and get ready, so you’ll want them to be Pinterest-worthy.

2. Organizers for drawers

Often narrow, these fit inside of your drawers and are concealed, but can help separate and group your products to easily organize.

3. Storage carts

Don’t forget about overflow storage options for anything that you don’t want on top of your counters or that may not fit in drawers in your bathroom or vanity.

You may only need one type of these organizers or you may want a mix of a few different ones to get your perfect setup, so just keep that in mind as you look for ideas.

Types of materials

Depending on what you like visually, you’ll also want to consider different materials for your makeup storage. There are three big ones that you’ll come across.

Acrylic storage

This clear, thick material is one of the most common that you’ll see when you shop for storage. Since it’s clear, that means it is see-through and you’ll want to make sure either that your products are concealed in a drawer or well-organized if they’re sitting on a countertop

Glass storage

In general, I find that glass storage is usually limited to two main types of makeup storage: jars for upright products or multi-compartment organizers that usually sit atop a vanity

Plastic storage

If you want something cheap and easy to clean, there are lots of plastic options. I typically prefer plastic organizers when they’re in drawers and out of the way, but there are more plastic makeup storage containers being designed to be on display now too.

Organizers by product

There are so many different makeup products on the market, and luckily for us there are plenty of storage options made with specific products in mind.

Brush and pencil storage

If you want an easy way to access your brushes and pencils, I recommend keeping them upright in cups or jars so you can easily see all of your options.

Compact storage

Small compacts (aka the packaging that your bronzer, blush and powders usually come in) can come in a variety of different sizes, but I like the idea of getting some good drawer organizers for these to fit as many of your products as you’re able to. There are also some good countertop options too!

Lipstick storage

For lip products, you can go a few different directions. I currently keep my lip products in small acrylic drawers on top of my vanity, but I do like the idea of separating them so each lipstick has its own place. These are some of my favorite options from Amazon.

Beauty sponge storage

Gone are the days of leaving your beauty blender sitting out on the counter! Beauty sponges deserve better. There are plenty of innovative ways to store beauty sponges now—some that even protect the sponges from dust meaning they’ll last longer and give you better product application.

Standing big palette storage

Now when it comes to eyeshadow palettes and other large palettes of blush and bronzer, you’re likely going to choose a standing countertop option. I currently store my eyeshadow palettes in a drawer and halfway through writing this blog post I’ve convinced myself to place an order for another storage solution because I can’t go on like this. My top recommendations are a mini shelf or a standing divider.

Organization tips

Now that you know what storage to get, I wanted to share some tips and best practices for how to organize your makeup products

1. Choose concealed vs displayed storage

If you own products with more unique packaging, it may be easier to tell them apart inside of concealed storage, but if you have a lot of products that may appear similar from the outside (brow pencils, lipsticks, etc.) you may want to choose clear storage for those so they take less time to find.

2. Keep out of direct sunlight

According to Byrdie, It’s best to store makeup products in a temperature-controlled and humidity free space. Whenever possible, make sure that you keep your makeup products at room temperature to help them last longer and keep them out of direct sunlight to avoid any formula morphing.

3. Store brushes upright

This may be obvious, but make sure you store your brushes upright—meaning the brush is facing up and the tip of the handle is facing down at the bottom of your jar or cup storage. Although your brushes won’t pick up anything at the bottom of the jar, your brushes can accumulate dust, so be sure to clean them (Allure recommends you clean your brushes every two weeks).

4. Organize by product first

The easiest way to keep track of all of your products is to organize them by type. Group foundations together, concealers, eyeshadows, and so on.

5. Then organize by color

After you’ve done this you may then want to organize further by color. You can group eyeshadow palettes by neutrals and brights, separate lipsticks by reds, pinks, oranges and nudes, and so on.

6. Create a daily makeup bag

If you have a lot of products but you know that you aren’t using all of them on the regular, create a daily makeup bag to keep on your countertop for easy access on days when you may be rushing out the door and don’t want to go searching for all of the essentials.

Makeup vanities

If you want to have a whole makeup command center with built-in storage, definitely consider investing in a makeup vanity. Many of them are compact enough to fit in small rooms and apartments and they tend to come with drawers, shelves and even light-up mirrors.

More creative ideas for storage

When in doubt, don’t be afraid to have fun with your makeup storage. You can add unique details to your setup and make them your own.

Ice cube trays

Do you have a lot of eyeshadow singles? These are great for storing small products so you can easily see them and find what you’re looking for.

Cake stand

Let’s not forget about fragrance! If you have extra counter space, consider placing your perfumes on a cake stand to create a beautiful display moment.

Upcycle what you already have

If you have ever seen a photo of my vanity, you may notice that I store my makeup brushes in old candle jars. Keep an eye out for opportunities to repurpose what you already have. The perfect storage solution could be a mason jar sitting right in front of you!

Shop all makeup storage:

Did you find expired or old products while organizing? Check out my other blog post all about how to recycle beauty products.

I hope you found this helpful! If you have questions about storing your makeup products, please leave me a comment down below and ask away.

yours,

Austen

Your Ultimate Guide To Makeup Organization and Storage