How To Organize Makeup On A Budget

Floating glass shelves are used to create a DIY vanity

After you start to build up your makeup collection, knowing makeup organization tips are a must. Some of them are insanely expensive, but that doesn’t mean that you’re out of luck. Learning how to organize makeup on a budget can give you an organized vanity that looks great for less than half the price of expensive makeup organizers. 

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Organize Makeup Samples

how to organize makeup

If you used to be an Ipsy glam bag subscriber, or still are, you know how quickly samples can start to accumulate. You have to test them out before deciding if they’ve earned a spot on your vanity, too. However, there are quite a few ways that you can organize makeup samples to clear the clutter off of your vanity. 

Large Vase

Pick up a vase, but not the style of vase that has a narrow opening. Instead, you want a vase that looks like a large cup. Then, put your beauty samples that you’re not using inside. 

Old Ipsy Bags

If you’re trying to figure out what to do with your old Ipsy bags, this is a great way to use them! Put the samples that you haven’t tried yet in Ipsy bags and try them as you get to them. Makeup keeps for quite a while when stored properly, so you shouldn’t have to worry about it expiring. 

An Accent Bowl

You can keep the mini makeup samples that you use within easy reach by storing them in open site in an accent bowl. You can pick up an accent bowl at a local thrift store, or forget the fancy bowl. Instead, you can grab a glass bowl out of your cabinet. Most dollar stores also sell dishes. 

Any Container Will Work

Any container with an opening that you can reach into will work to store small makeup samples. Grab an old planter and paint it. If you only have a few sample sized makeup products, put them in your favorite coffee mug. Head to the Dollar Tree and pick up a glass bowl, or literally any container. You can even use gift bags for this!

How To Organize Makeup Brushes

organize makeup brushes

Organizing makeup brushes on a budget requires a tiny bit more though. You can’t exactly toss them in a cereal bowl and call it a day. However, there are a few things around the house that you can use or some cheap things you can pick up. 

Organize Makeup Brushes In Glasses

Grab a few glasses out of your kitchen cabinet. They don’t have to be glass, or anything fancy. Use them to put your makeup brushes in. They’re the perfect height! 

Desk Organizers

The desk organizers that are designed for pens are also the perfect height for makeup brushes. You can pick these up at any office supply store and most dollar stores. They are ideal for keeping makeup brushes upright so that you can see them to easily grab what you need. 

Organize Makeup Brushes On A Budget With Small Fabric Or Plastic Baskets

After you use an eyeshadow brush for cream eyeshadow, you can use it on powder eyeshadow. It’s also recommended that you clean your beauty blender after every use. Pick up some thin, long fabric or plastic baskets to toss your dirty brushes in until you wash them. 

Stackable Drawers

Organizing makeup brushes in stackable drawers is an ideal way to make your vanity look neat and organized. You can pick up some plastic Sterilite drawers or upgrade to acrylic drawers. Shopping at the dollar store or mass department stores, like Target, will help you find great deals on stackable drawers to organize makeup brushes. 

How To Organize Makeup Palettes

organize eyeshadow palettes

Makeup palettes take a big chunk of space on your vanity. There are a few ways that you can organize your makeup or store them to keep everything neat and organized. 

Stack Them Like Books

You can organize makeup palettes without purchasing a single thing. Until it’s in the budget to buy organizers, consider simply stacking them like you would if you were to lay books on their side. 

Small Baskets

You can use wire or plastic baskets to keep your large makeup palettes in. Simply store your pallets so that they are all standing on end to fit in the basket. This can save space, and make your vanity look more organized. 

Use A Dishdrainer

If you’re in a pinch, pick up a wire dish drainer. The wire ones will look more modern than plastic, but you can use a plastic one as well. Dishdrainers are the perfect size to organize large makeup palettes. 

If you have the extra cash to spend, an acrylic organizer can be pretty affordable. If not, these ideas will work just as well.

Eyeliner Storage

When you have more than one eyeliner, which most of us do, you need to store it properly. Makeup organization can guarantee that you can find all of your favorite products when you need them instead of having to sort through a drawer for half an hour. These eyeliner storage tips will guarantee that you can do just that. 

If you have liquid eyeliner pens, it’s important that you always store them upside down. Keep the products that you own in mind when deciding on a storage method. 

Gel Pen Organizer

If you have a lot of eyeliners, consider picking up a gel pen organizer book. These books come with little strips of elastic that will keep your eyeliners in place. You can use them to store any type of eyeliner except for pots of liquid eyeliner. 

Tinted Mason Jars

Tinted mason jars have a beautiful aesthetic that a lot of people love. You can usually find them in green or blue. This idea works perfectly with farmhouse decor, or any color scheme that has blue or green as an accent color. 

Pick Up A Pencil Case

Pencil cases are the perfect size for storing eyeliner. If you’re wondering how to organize eyeliner, just keep this size in mind and head to Target. You can use a pencil case, basket, or anything else in this size to lay your eyeliner pencils in. 

How To Organize Lipstick

If you’re wondering how to organize lipstick, you’re not alone. Lipstick is a bit more challenging to organize. You can simply stand up the tubes in a glass like you can eyeliner and lip gloss. These awesome organization tips will help you keep your tubes organized perfectly though. 

Rotating Lipstick Organizer

These are a bit more expensive than other methods, but they are well worth it if you love tubes of lipstick. Most of them can fit quite a few tubes, so you won’t have to buy multiple organizers, and you’ll be able to see every lipstick perfectly. 

Pick Up A Plastic Basket

Plastic baskets of various sizes can be used to organize anything small, including tubes of lipstick. If you have enough to fill the entire basket, they will all stay perfectly in place. If not, consider picking up some hair curlers to put the tubes in so that they don’t fall over. 

Candle Holders

If you only have a few tubes of lipstick, it’s going to be hard to justify picking up a rotating lipstick organizer. However, you can still find a way to keep your tubes within easy reach. If you happen to have a candle holder around the house, use it to put your few tubes of lipstick in. 

Other Cool Ways To Organize Makeup On A Budget

organize makeup in cups

There are quite a few things around the house that you can use to organize your makeup collection. I’m a big fan of not wasting things, so I always think it’s great when you can find things around the house to repurpose. 

Empty Glass Jars Or Cups

A lot of the food that we buy, such as pasta sauce and jellies, comes in glass jars. Once those jars are empty, don’t toss them out just yet. You can use them to organize your makeup. Store eyeshadow singles, makeup samples, or other small products in. 

You can use empty glass jars to store groups of cosmetics, such as lip glosses, eyeliners, brow pencils, or makeup brushes too. These are great for cotton balls too!

Ice Stick Trays To Store Small Palettes

Ice stick trays are the same size as ice cube trays, but they do not have the line down the middle to make ice cubes. The larger space is perfect for storing small palettes, such as single blushes or small eyeshadow palettes. You can pick up more than one of them to store trial size lip gloss in. They’re stackable!

Silverware Trays Can Organize Multiple Things

Longer sections that are typically used for butter knives are perfect for makeup brushes. Smaller sections can be used for small brushes, brow gels, sample size lip glosses, or eyeshadow singles. You can use these for eyeliner too!

Door Hanging Shoe Organizer

If you happen to have one of these that has clear pockets, it will be a great way to organize your makeup. You can store sample size makeup products, eyeliners, lip gloss, brow makeup products, and more in these. They won’t work well for large palettes, though. 

Clear Out Some Drawer Space

Having a makeup drawer is a great idea. Pick up some drawer organizers, or make your own with cut-up cardboard. Old shoe boxes are made with thick cardboard that makes them great for drawer dividers. You can use the organizers to sort your makeup and keep certain items, such as lip liners, all together. 

Shower Caddys

If you happen to have an old shower category that you aren’t using anymore, don’t let it go to waste. Instead, use it to store large bottles of skincare products. You can also use these for larger products like primer and foundation. 

Put An Old Cookie Jar To Use

Instead of letting an old cookie jar collect dust in the cabinet, use it on your vanity. You can use this store sample size products. Nail polish and cotton balls are also great ideas for a cookie jar. Anything small can fit inside of the cookie jar, from eyeshadow singles to blush singles. 

Store Makeup On A Lazy Susan

Lazy susans are great for organizing anything, and I’m not just talking about the spices in your cabinet. You can use them to put large bottles of makeup on. Or, take all of the glasses you have makeup stored in and put them on the lazy susan to save space. 

In Conclusion

Once you start to work on your makeup collection, it never seems to stop growing. You find out that you need silicone based makeup in the summer and water-based makeup in the winter, for example. Your skincare needs change with each season. It all adds up to you having a lot of products over time, so organizing makeup and skincare is a must so that you can always find what you need.

Shopping on a budget? Check out the Deals of the Week section to find awesome deals on your favorite makeup products and brands! 

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