When I teach private lessons, there's always a moment....
Before we begin with step by step application, I always review current products and tools and at least half the time, women are embarrassed to show me their makeup bag! Often, it's old, ratty, dirty and not at all reflective of the beautiful woman sitting in front of me. While I definitely don't judge, I will offer tips to get that bag organized....that's a pretty defeating way to start your day!
A few of my tips were featured in Genius Tips to Organize Your Makeup Bag in Reader's Digest Today (click on the link to check out the entire article!), but I wanted to share all of my tips so you don't miss out. Let's go....
#1 Buy a new bag annually, and make sure it's big enough for your daily essentials!
If you have a lot of cosmetics, store excess products in clear, plastic containers and just keep your everyday products in your bag. Your goal is to quickly pull out your makeup bag, see all the stuff you need to get your daily makeup on and go! Your everyday essentials should fit fairly snugly to avoid jostling and breakage.
#2 Choose a bag That can Wiped Out and Spot Cleaned
Meaning, vinyl, plastic, or PVC, at least on the inside. You'll want to wipe down your bag every so often anyway, but definitely don't choose a delicate bag that will be ruined with one spill or broken eyeshadow! Skip any kind of fabric....I once had a super cute canvas bag....I was sold on it because supposedly, it could be washed. It could indeed, but the makeup stains (particularly red lipstick) would not come out, so it was ruined anyway. : (
This can be an emotional issue...so many women hate waste, AND hate to spend money on themselves. It's shocking to see an elegant, put together woman attempting to create her daily beauty routine from a crumbled mess of almost gone and broken products. Seriously ladies, you deserve better! Toss any shattered powders or items with broken cases ...now. Just do it.It's not worth dipping your hand into a case full of items covered with shattered eyeshadow every morning just to save that little bit of product! Yes, I know there are a jillion videos telling you how you can save it, but unless it's a brand new Chanel blush or something, it's not worth the hassle....just toss it and move on. And while you're at it, go ahead and toss anything that's almost gone or expired too. You'll enjoy getting ready so much more when your cosmetics are in good shape!
#4 Choose the Right Bag for You and Pack Wisely
I like bags that either have two sections that you can unzip and lay flat while doing your makeup, or cases with a squared off bottom that stand up. There's no right or wrong....which bag works best will have a lot to do with how many cosmetics you have. (Check Pinterest boards for fab makeup bag inspiration!) One thing? Don't choose a case that falls over or requires dumping everything out every morning...ideally, you want to work from your bag and replace everything when you're done.
- Store palettes and hard cases standing upright....if they were a library book, their spine would be facing up. This will allow you to fit more product in your case. This works especially well with square or rectangular cases where you can stack up palettes against the edges.
- Buy a small mesh pencil case for small items - check the container store, office supply store, or dollar store (the Japanese dollar stores have lots of great options!). Use this small case to corral lip liner, eyeliner, skinny mascara tubes, tweezers, cuticle scissors. Keeping all the little things under control is the easiest way to keep your bag neat.
- Buy jewelry ziplocks for disposables. One of my favorite organizing tricks! Try Hobby Lobby or any store that carries jewelry making supplies....they have tiny ziplock bags that range from the size of a business card (perfect to store a stash of Qtips and keep them clean!), to a deck of cards (handy to corral a few odd sized items. They even have really small ones that are perfect to store your pencil sharpener....it keeps it clean and keeps the shavings from getting all over the rest of your bag. (These bags are also genius for storing jewelry when you travel, or for packing vitamins, Advil and pills so you don't have to carry big containers.)
- Makeup wipes - always keep a pack in your case. Not only used for removing makeup, but these are excellent for wiping down your products, the inside of your case if there's a spill, or for getting eyeliner or lipstick off hands. Bonus, if your bag isn't super full, a pack of makeup wipes on top will keep your products from knocking around within your case.
- Do not, I repeat...do not store makeup brushes loose in your makeup case! It's important to keep them clean and germ free, but also they'll make a mess on the rest of your products. Assemble your most used daily brushes and then choose a small pencil case (similar to the one for eye and lip liners) or a brush roll that fits your stash...you can choose one that fits inside your bigger case, or just keep them separate. It Cosmetics also has several travel brush sets that have been edited to include essential brushes, and they're already packaged in a protective case.
Bonus tip?
If you normally do a natural look every day, create two makeup cases.....one with all your everyday essentials, and the second one should hold your date night/special occasion beauty supplies. Special occasion items could include smoky shadows, products with shimmer, bolder lip colors (yes, I recommend a deep red! : ), lashes and glue, slick black liner for a cat eye....anything you would normally choose for a fancier night out. Keeping it separate means you don't 
Remember, the whole point is that it should be easy and fun to get ready in the morning! It's pretty hard to feel beautiful and put together if getting ready means pulling out a germ laden, beat up makeup bag that has a bunch of old products covered in a broken blush, right?
Thanks again to Reader's Digest for featuring a few of my tips today!
What are YOUR favorite makeup organizing tips? Share in the comments below!
