I had some recent requests from readers and friends who were curious as to how my dressing table looks and as to how to store makeup and skincare items. Reader Gette wrote to me:-
Hi Paris!
Ever since I’ve gotten into this cosmetics thing, my bathroom shelf is overflowing with my skincare, make-up and accessories. I’m pretty sure you have more things than I do, so how do you store your stuff?
Thanks!
Incidentally, just yesterday, Syen of Soloverly asked to see what my bathroom cabinet looked like. I don’t store my cosmetics or skincare in the bathroom but in my bedroom on/in a dresser. On a personal note I do not recommend the bathroom for storing cosmetics if you also use it to shower – the heat and high humidity can cause products to spoil. So, with the pressing requests, here’s a combined post showing you roughly what my dresser looks like (when its neat and clean) and how I store my makeup and skincare.
My dresser is part of a bedroom set that I picked up from a furniture store that promptly burnt down 2 weeks later. Ah yep! Insurance I have no doubt 😛 Anyway, I chose it for the many drawers it had and the large mirror it came with.
Most of my cosmetics are stored in storage boxes on top of the dresser which makes things very cramped and not pretty. However, its practical and I tend to go for practical over pretty. Practical means I have less to dust as boxes are easier to wipe down 😛
So ends the story of how my dresser looks – onto how I actually store my makeup, skincare and etc… 😉
Makeup Storage Tips
Try Toolboxes or plastic drawers
I started out with storing makeup in toolboxes – the sort you can get at your neighbourhood hardware shop or DIY shop. Don’t laugh – they are heck of a lot larger and cheaper and sturdier than most makeup traincases and you can get some decent looking ones at any DIY store! I found one in the DIY department of a hypermarket which was meant for storing screws and small objects in the garage! It was perfect for keeping loose eyeshadows and lipstick etc until I ran out of space. Key: Think out of the box.
An alternative is plastic drawer sets you can easily get at DIY stores or supermarkets. I had a few of those but I found them too impractical as they were not of the right height or width and they are now used for storing other things in my store room.
Mooncake tins or boxes come in handy!
If you buy or get those elaborate mooncake or cake tins or pretty wooden boxes, don’t throw them away. They make good storage options too! I have this box that came with some random skincare set (red box in picture above). It laid in my store room for ages until I picked it up again recently. Its the perfect size for some everyday face brushes AND looks pretty! 😀
Ikea is a fountain of ideas!
After lots of experimentation, my preference for makeup storage lies in none other than that storage and organization heaven – Ikea! 2 items I particularly recommend are the Antonius Basket Insert (RM5) and the Glis Box with Lid (RM19.90) and Glis Box with Lid set of 3 (RM12 for 3). The latter 2 Glis boxes are usually found at the Kid’s department 😉
I use the Antonius Basket Insert for skincare as its hard to find a box high enough to accommodate all the different heights skincare bottles come in. It is also useful for keeping foundation and powders neat. Most fit nicely in the spaces. Dusting is a bit of a hassle but I’m used to it by now.
The Glis Box with Lid comes with compartments and you can add your own inserts (included) to create your own compartment sizes. Very useful for keeping palettes and loose eyeshadow singles.
The Glis Box with Lid set of 3 that is found in the Kid’s department is very useful for keeping cotton pads and lipsticks! Its about the right height for most lipsticks or you can store the lipsticks or glosses lying down.
If you go to the kitchen department of Ikea, pick up the Forhoja wooden cutlery tray (RM25). Its useful for holding palettes or in my case, blush! It fits nicely in my drawer and there’s a handle so you can pick it up if you want to dust under it. I don’t have a picture here but there’s one floating around the blog somewhere 😉
To create more space on my dressing table top, I use the Ikea Rationell Variera metal shelf. Its meant to extend your flat surface area upwards. The new one is white and quite pretty. Look in the kitchen department by the cutlery trays – it sells out quickly.
Backups of skincare and perfumes are kept in a cupboard away from heat. I use a slim low Billy bookcase from Ikea. Its about the right height and the limited space prevents me from amassing too much 😛
Brushes, you already know are stored on the Ikea Spontan magnetic board at eye level and are easy to reach for in the morning. I also store my mascara there! I’m told its been discontinued but I haven’t been to Ikea lately so I can’t say for sure. Some shorter or more frequently used face brushes are now stored in the red box on my dresser. Hair brushes are stored in a round ceramic pot found in a random little shop which was meant to be for storing used oil after cooking. I picked it up because someone broke the cover and it was going cheap (RM5) and the ribbons came from presents and cost nothing 🙂
So there you have it. My makeup storage tips or rather, how I store my makeup and skincare stuff.
Do share yours! If you have a picture, you can upload it onto Flickr or Photobucket and share the link in your comment below, or if you have a blog, blog it! It’ll be fun to see how we all store our products – I’m sure some of you have very pretty dressers, not a mere practical boring looking ones like mine! 🙂
Stay beautiful,
Paris B
Pearl says
Whee…I love the magnetic board, PB. Too bad no IKEA around, else had to ship over the SEA lol..I don’t have a dresser table seriously, coz I do not like the idea of dust on my cosmetics and skin care product, specially my brushes collection.
Where is my dresser? It is inside my cupboard 🙂 When u open the door, and there is a full length mirror attached to the door. And all my stuff are arrange inside the with the use of small, hardboard boxes from the skin care products & tea bags and even chocolate boxes? Hahaha… Well my collection is not that huge, so I suppose the space is enough and there is still plenty of room 🙂
p/s: one of my weird hobby also is to collect boxes, all sort of boxes :p
ParisB says
Hi Pearl
Keeping your cosmetics in the cupboard is an excellent idea! I wanted to do it too but I needed the closet space more 😛
Connie says
O_O *blinks* O_O
and I thought I had a lot of stuff :p
I have a Glis box with lid too. holds all the lippies. Small plastic drawers for eye pencils and mascaras, 4-tier file drawers contains eyeshadows (2 drawers), blush, foundations…then everything else everywhere. hahaha
ParisB says
*waves at Connie* Blink! blink! 🙂
Glis boxes with lids are the best ever! 😀
Mera says
Hi Paris,
K I am wondering what is that metal black rectangular board holding your brushes on the wall. So if its a magnet board, does it come with those brush holders? Where do they sell them and how much is it. Hope you can share.
TQ : )
Mera says
Oopss,
K sorry Paris Ive just read the whole entry till bottom : ) oh I hope they still have that at Ikea. That’s a must item
ParisB says
Hi Mera
Yep its a magnet board from Ikea found in the stationery department. Lets hope its not discontinued!
Babybubblz says
Ooh I love this post! Right now I’m using plastic desk drawers. I wish I could find something to cover my brushes though, because leaving them out in the open and upwayds allows them to accumulate dust too. Any suggestions?
ParisB says
Hi Babybubblz
I think the best way to keep brushes dust free would be to store them in a box. Perhaps find a lacquer box to hold chopsticks? Those would make gorgeous cases for brushes too because they are long 🙂
Mag says
Hi lovely Paris,
Storing ur makeup items in a DIY box is really sth not to laugh at ~
They are practical, and yes… a lot cheaper than buying cosmetic pouches !
I am also impressed by the fact that your products are organized very well and look like they’re ‘taken care’ of 😛
However, looking at the amount of skincare products u have……do u ever finish using them ??? Coz mine takes forever to finish !!
ParisB says
Hiya Mag
Ya some people might scoff at DIY boxes but really they are so much hardier and you can get some nicer looking ones these days. I do take care of my stuff, and yes I do finish up skincare products believe it or not. It takes a while but I don’t usually have more than 3 items in rotation at any one time so it does finish up.
Gette says
The magnetic board is awesome!! I’m so jealous of those of you with access to Ikea.
I must second using toolboxes. The prettified carry-on boxes they sell specifically for make-up is ridiculously expensive and probably not as hardy as a toolbox.
Thanks for replying to my question! I also enjoy seeing how other people store their things.
ParisB says
Hi Gette
Perhaps look in a local stationery shop to see if there’s something similar? Its quite easy to dupe the magnetic board 🙂 Thanks for sending in your question 😀
Yani says
Great tips, Paris! The post couldn’t have come at a better time! I had planned to go to IKEA today, and actually read this an hour before going out! It’s fated, I tell you! Anyway, was inspired and now the mess on my dresser is organised chaos. 🙂
ParisB says
Hey Yani
LOL at “organized chaos” I know exactly what you mean – you know where everything is but no one else does!
Marina says
Great post! Your makeup is so organized. I need to do something with mine, too. I also like that everything is so tidy, I have problems with that…
ParisB says
Hi Marina
Well you just have to work at it! Do show us your dresser some day 🙂
yuki says
whoa! Much more organised than mine… haha… Sadly I don’t have a dresser in my room… I just try to arrange as nicely as possible and squeeze them into my already overflowing wardrobe… lol… I just put things that I use regularly at an easy to reach spot and the others, just behind… I like the magnetic board… very artsy =)
ParisB says
Hiya Yuki
Thanks! A wardrobe is a good place to store cosmetics – but it always helps to have your own room or your own house because you can really go nuts 😛
Jess says
i feel so ashamed of myself. haha.!!!
PANELEFT says
I just store mine in 2 Starbucks plastic cups. =p
Joyce says
I like the idea of using a dresser as a vanity because it’s more spacious. Your dresser looks modern and pretty, but still practical and I love that you have huge mirror and a matching stool/chair.
I have a West Elm vanity that I use to do my makeup. It doesn’t have a lot of space to store all my makeup and my collection keeps growing. ugh I need more storage space. I might buy a dresser like yours so that I can store all my makeup, while still being able to use it to do my makeup.