The beauty of being organised
Chances are you amassed a treasure chest of coveted cosmetics over the holidays. Sam Wylie-Harris looks at stylish storage ideas
Oh how we loved counting down to the big day with those beauty advent calendars. But with every window or box, finding a place for those cult favourites, fragrances and body balms can be a messy business.
To help declutter your beauty haul, three interior experts share their top tips on how to curate your collection of goodies, while making sure everything is still neatly organised and accessible...
Start with a clean palette
Marc Epstein, co-founder of CARME Home, said: “It’s important to start with a fresh palette, so remove all your hair and beauty products from drawers, cupboards and countertops.
“Then it’s time to have a big clear-out – there’s no point organising your new products if they’re mixed in with products you no longer use, or ones that are out of date, as it just makes everything difficult to find.
“Sort out what you want to keep, what can go to charity and what can go in the bin; from there, you can work out how to store your new favourites.”
Storage is essential
For beauty products, whether they’re new or old, think about furniture that can store all of your items in a practical way.
“Dressing tables with additional draws are ideal but if you’re tight for space [and depending on budget], a set of drawers can work perfectly fine too,” said Marc.
“Organise each draw so that one is for make- up, one for hair products and the other is for the body – simple and stress-free.”
And don’t shy away from bringing bathroom furniture into the bedroom. After all, items such as slimline tall storage cabinets and caddies are created for small spaces.
Along with MADE’s trendy black Huldra caddy, Habitat has an attractive storage tower with four wicker-style drawers, ideal for hair accessories and skincare products, priced at £20, available from Argos.
However, if you’re a real beauty addict with too many products to count and happy to blow the budget for a New Year treat, try a make-up trolley instead.
Marc said: “This is perfect for keeping everything super organised and saves a lot of space as it can fold away and be stored under the bed or in a wardrobe.”
Getting creative and thinking vertically can open up unused spaces in your room too.
“Stackable storage is ideal for storing everything in your routine, layer by layer, to keep everything in place,” said Simon Glanville, managing director of A Place for Everything.
“Put things you use every day on the top layer so they’re close to hand, making your getting ready ritual as simple and stress-free as possible.”
Invest in multifunctional furniture for storing items
Marc said: “Full-length mirrors that double up as a jewellery cabinet are just one example of a clever storage solution. This way, everything is organised and displayed beautifully, making the getting ready process super easy – and your jewellery tangle free.”
Plus they’ll be no fumbling around for your favourite lippy if you line them up like soldiers on the shelves, with pale colours to the left and deeper tones to the right.
Again, if a dedicated jewellery/ make-up cabinet sounds a bit too spendy, don’t be afraid to think outside the beauty box. Sliding bathroom cabinet mirrors can be grouped on a wall (as you would a couple of framed pictures) with shelving inside for bits and bobs, and pretty perfume bottles placed on top. Mirror: tick. Shelving: tick. Space-saving: tick. Think function with flair “Storage is important but so is aesthetic; having both leads to a beautiful and functional space to feel inspired in,” said Emmie Brookman, creative director of
Silver Mushroom. Bottles and hair clips are prime examples of items that can be a nuisance to find if you don’t store them properly.
Emmie added: “The best way to store them is in little jars, grouped by colour or product type.
“A set of miniature Kilner jars looks stylish on an open shelf, windowsill or even straight on your dressing table or chest of drawers.” “Drawer dividers are the gateway to organisation,” said Emmie. “Separate your items by category or size, and pop them in clear/glass storage boxes in your drawers, that way you can easily see what you need, when you need it. Organise it so what you need the most is positioned at the front of a drawer.” Place hair products in a storage basket which you can hang on a hook “And there’s nothing more frustrating than your hairdryer and hair straighteners tangling up amongst the rest of your items, and they take up so much room in a drawer,” added Emmie. “Wherever you choose to do your hair, pop a storage basket down next to the mirror to combine functionality with style.”