Make-up Storage & Organization

I'm not a huge make-up person. That being said, I seldom leave the house without mascara... Anyway, the make-up I do have sits in a decent sized bag on the counter in our main bathroom. When I know we're having company, I slide it into the under sink cabinet but for the most part, it's out all the time. The bag is way too big for what I have so I lose stuff in it and then find it when it's expired or dried out. Speaking of expired make up, if you didn't realize it could expire or are unsure of the shelf life of certain products, go here. To remedy this situation, I decided to overhaul my make-up storage.

My first step was to clean all of my brushes and throw out anything expired, dried up, or unwanted. I clean my brushes using mild baby shampoo, rinse them really well, and let them air dry overnight.

Sometimes it grosses me out to see how much junk comes off these things! But it does encourage me to wash them more often.

Once I saw what was left, I went out on a mission to find a smaller make-up bag. It was my intention to visit our local beauty supply store, but ironically, on my way there I stopped into the Salvation Army for a separate project. I just happened to walk by this beauty:

$1.99 and brand new! Yes, please. It was the perfect size and definitely the perfect price and I love the bold colors.

So home I went to start organizing. I saw this picture on Pinterest awhile back and was inspired:

Image Via

Our main bath has a bit of a beach theme and I have a glass jar on the counter already that is full of rocks that the Mister and I have collected throughout our traveling adventures. I figured this would be a perfect way to store my brushes. I was hesitant about the idea of dust and germs collecting on them, but they are tucked back in the corner far enough that I'm not super concerned with germs. I've also added cleaning these brushes to my cleaning schedule to ensure I do it at least every three months. Perhaps I will up that to once a month if I like keeping them out in the open.

I put all the remaining make-up contents into my new bag. I adhered a command hook to the inside of the bathroom cabinet and hung a pants hanger on it.

This allows me to clip the bag onto the hanger when it's not in use, and easily bring it up to the counter when I need it. No more big, ugly bag on the counter!

So for a simple $1.99, I was able to overhaul my make-up storage and start on a clean slate!

Do you have any make-up storage tips and tricks?