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When I showtime moved into my apartment, I idea I was the luckiest girl on Earth. I looked at—I kid you not—about 25 apartments over a two-month menses. I used my lunch almost every work-from-home solar day to go look at apartments, and my weeknights were booked with apartment viewings too. I spent more fourth dimension on Zillow than Instagram and Twitter combined. Information technology was 1 of the near stressful experiences, and I still have some low-key trauma to piece of work through from it. And so when I finally found the one, it was perfect. I loved every single matter nearly it, and I had grand plans for how I'd decorate and make it my "forever" (AKA until they increase the hire, LOL) dwelling house.

Well, I didn't exactly move with a bank account full of savings. I ordered the bare essentials to get me through the commencement few weeks, and that'due south pretty much how it went for the last six months. I officially reached capacity for my makeup storage and was in drastic demand of some makeup organisation. (I also caught quite the organizational bug as soon as I started social distancing.) I did it on a budget because I'd rather spend my cash on new eyeshadow palettes! Here are all the steps I took to get my makeup stash in social club—from getting rid of products I don't use to what I used to organize and decorate my favorite space in my home.

Fourth dimension to get your organization on.

Before:

I wish I could say that drawer is open for dramatic effect, just nope, it'due south just how I live.

1. Take stock of what is and isn't working

This goes for both your products and your organization. Throughout the entire week before I started this process, I paid attention to what I was using and how all of my products performed. I used things that I haven't in a while to brand certain I yet like them. Consider this a "chopping block" for your beauty products.

I also paid attention to my storage. I noticed that I enjoy where I specifically store my makeup (on a shelving unit next to my vanity/desk), simply my products weren't organized in whatever way, so oft I'd but leave whatever I used terminal on my vanity and never put it away.

two. Take everything out

Yes, seriously—everything.

I pulled everything out of every drawer, every bag (doesn't everyone have like three lip balms strewn nigh every purse they've ever endemic?), my bath cabinet, nightstand, vanity, every organizer, and then on. Information technology sounds crazy, simply it was kind of therapeutic. Simply sitting there, hanging out with all my products. They condolement me :')

3. Clean everything

Now that everything is out of your storage containers, use this time to wipe down and sanitize every surface and clean all of the containers you use. Makeup is messy! I cleaned every surface, and then I wound up putting all of my storage bins in the kitchen sink to give them a good washing. I too wiped down all of my products. Maybe it was overkill, but when was the last time you sanitized all those bottles of foundation, concealer, mascara, etc. that you use every twenty-four hours? I rest my instance.

This is besides a good time to thoroughly clean all of your makeup brushes –including your beauty sponges! Most one time a calendar month, I put all of my sponges in a bricklayer jar with some warm water and dish soap and let them soak. Consider information technology a washing machine for your sponges.

4. Swatch everything

If you accept a huge collection, you can do this department by department (foundations, blushes, lipsticks, etc.). Notwithstanding, I found the all-time way to spot dupes and products that I don't use ofttimes was by laying out my unabridged collection. This took a piffling while. I swatched about a m things on my hands; I'm pretty sure I notwithstanding accept ruby lipstick stains (even afterward all the excessive hand-washing). Simply I realized I had so many lip products of the aforementioned shade, eyeshadows duped over multiple times, and products that only aren't my taste anymore. I grabbed an old shoebox and dumped in every production that was no longer speaking my language.

"Isn't she lovely 🎶 " I sing to my lip products

5. Get it out

Once you've decluttered everything, don't leave information technology in a box or bag in your flat forever. The items aren't decluttered until they've actually left your home. I recommend taking them to a donation center or researching organizations that will accept gently-used makeup items that can be sanitized. Anything that can't be donated can e'er be given to friends and family! However, brand certain to toss anything that is expired or can't exist sanitized.

Now that yous've decluttered, time to organize.

six. Organize products by what's easy for you

I organized my products by how I use them. I created a drawer for the foundations, concealers, and primers I use every single twenty-four hours. And then, I created a drawer for blushes, a drawer for bronzer and highlighter, and a drawer for my smaller palettes. Then, I worried almost everything else. Unmarried shadows that I don't pull for all the fourth dimension? Those go in a small-scale bin at the lesser of my shelves. Foundations for my summer skin tone? Bin. Extra dazzler sponges? Bins on bins on bins.

However, if it's easier for you, organize products by type. Put all foundations in one drawer, and all concealers in another. This is why that inventory footstep in the starting time is then important!

I too added an acrylic organizer to my desk to hold new products and things I'k hoping to get more than employ out of rather than putting those products right dorsum into my drove to get lost. This acrylic organizer is small enough to make sure products don't overtake the entirety of my desk but allows me to go along a few things front and middle.

7. Use your products as decor

I spend a lot of coin on makeup, and it's certainly a huge hobby of mine, so I knew I wanted this to serve every bit a piece of decor in my apartment (I hateful, it takes up enough space). So, it wasn't all about organization; I focused on making it wait pretty as well. I used a lipstick organizer to display my favorite lip products, and I stacked my eyeshadow palettes for easy access (and because they're just all and so pretty).

viii. Add decor to fill in space

I had some extra space at the top of my shelving unit, and then I used it to brandish and organize some of my jewelry. I also added a small vase and a golden mirror for, you know, ~aesthetics~.

And drumroll … the moment yous've all been waiting for:

AFTER:

here'south everything I learned