Organizing Makeup Vanity & Cleaning Makeup Brushes!

Hi Sunshine's,

Today, I wanted to write a small (it won't be small, laughs!) article about cleaning and organizing makeup as well as your makeup brushes. It may not be as important to keep the makeup organized as it is to keep the brushes clean. This will avoid any spread of bacteria's in your skin. I will first start by giving you organizing tips for makeup, organizing brushes and then lastly, cleaning your brushes!

I hope you learn something from this article and find it interesting! Happy Reading!

There are several ways to organize makeup. Depending on your budget you can spend as small as $50 all the way up to $500 to organize your makeup. Are you wondering about this figure? Let me explain where this comes from. There are many do it yourself projects you can do at home that are super friendly budget and then there is a wide variety of organizing storage space that you can purchase from many retail stores and as well as online. The second option can add up and be expensive.

A good way to start is by asking yourself how much space do you need to organize your makeup. You may have one drawer of space for makeup that you need or you may need several. Here are some places you can find some great makeup organizing spaces.

• Bedbathandbeyond
• Staples
• IKEA
• Etsy
• Amazon
• EBAY
• Container Store.com
• Aliexpress.com
• Walmart
• Target
• Wayfair.com
• shopbot.ca
• Dollarama

These are some of the many places to get lots of ideas to organize your makeup. If you live in Canada, then you are probably familiar of kijji.ca as well. This website provides both new and used items such as household, furniture and lots more. You need to be creative when it comes to organizing your makeup. There are lots of DIY projects that are also available. I have linked one of the videos for you to see.

This is not a simple question yet there is a simple answer to it! If you like wearing makeup, then you probably have enough that needs to be stored somewhere. In this case, you do need some sort of a vanity or chest drawer. Both are different in many ways. If you are only looking for storage space then a chest drawer is the answer. If you are looking for a space to get ready, then you need a vanity table. And, if you need both then both are important.

Vanity Tables

Vanity tables are awesome to have as they take small space in the room and are great to have your everyday makeup stored. I live in Canada and so I bought my vanity table from a store called, Surplus Furniture. It is made of angle iron and is in black. It does have a small mirror in the center with a bench. It cost me CAD $69.99+taxes. The only con is that it is not very durable. I may end up changing the vanity sometime down the road when I think I am ready for another one.

Chest Drawers

Chest drawers have been around for sometime, but they recently gained popularity. Mainly through You Tube for makeup organizing. I think they are a great space to store your makeup, tools, and anything related to beauty that you may use. They come in various sizes and colors to match your needs. I would highly recommend buying one from IKEA. They come in great quality and last long.

Another unique idea would be to combine chest drawers and Hollywood mirrors together to get a vanity space for your makeup. Heads up though, Hollywood mirrors can be expensive unless you build them yourself.

You can either purchase a 4 or 6 piece drawer set as the table for your makeup. Then add the Hollywood mirror by placing it either on the top of the drawer or add it to the wall behind the drawer. Refer to the video on the right. I think this video is an excellent guide on how you can make your own Hollywood Mirror with bulbs.

Once you have decided on your choice of either vanity or chest drawer, then you need to start organizing your "everyday makeup". This will be placed on the top of your vanity. Most individuals use acrylic storage boxes to store their makeup. If you prefer something much affordable then you can find some glass containers at Dollarama.

Select two of your absolute favorite foundations, 2 concealers, 1 setting powder, 1 highlighter, 1 contour palette, any primers or treatments that you may use before foundation, corrective makeup,your favorite eye shadow palette with any other eye products that you use, 2-3 lipsticks, 2-3 lip glosses, and any setting sprays. You have many options to organize this. Refer below for some ideas.

1. Rotating Cosmetic Caddy: This usually has 2-3 storage spaces for all of your essential makeup and rotates 360 degrees. This is great for quick access to your products.
2. Clear 3 Drawer Cosmetic Organizer: This is a clear space organizer with 3 drawers. The great feature is that you can easily find your favorite makeup products. The top of the organizer allows you to place any products that can be stood up including a cup holder for your makeup brushes.
3. Mirror Vanity Trays: These are awesome to use if you have few products that need to be used at your vanity. These usually come in a set of 3 with various sizes. They can be found both in glass or plastic.
4. 2 Tier Accessory Holders: These have been around for quite some time. I remember this were even available in the 90's to store beauty products, Today, they have become a lot more popular and come in a variety of designs.

Organizing your makeup brushes has one of the most cost effective solutions. There are multiple cup holders that you can purchase from Dollarama to place them in. Look for cup holders that go with the theme of your room/vanity table. Another idea would be to look for holders that interest you or show your personality. For example, if you love travelling, why not find one with a famous tourist attraction on it. You can also purchase plain cup holders and personalize them. A great place for personalized items are from Shutterfly. Lastly, another great idea is to find cup holders that have inspirational quotes on them. You can always add some bags of beads from the Dollar Store to place it in the cup holder. This will allow the brushes to stand and hold themselves in place. You now have storage for your brushes.

Makeup brushes will last a long time if you take care of them. Usually, we like to use them a couple of times before we are ready to clean them. Try to make a habit of cleaning the brush at least twice a week. There are in store products that can be used as well as home remedies. Go for whichever you feel comfortable with and is according to your budget. I currently use the QUO brush cleaner. It's not the best cleanser. It doesn't wash away all of the makeup, instead you need to pump the bottle for more and more. I wouldn't recommend this one. However, there are far better cleanser for your brushes. I have listed some below.

• Clinique Makeup Brush Cleanser
• Japonesque Makeup Brush Cleaner
• Bareminerals Quick Change Brush Cleaner
• Sehora Purifying Brush Shampoo
• Makeup Forever Instant Brush Cleaner

Due to my past experience, I highly recommend purchasing a high end brush cleaner brand instead of drug store. TIP: If you see a cleanser on sale at a drugstore, chances are it has awful quality. Make sure you read the reviews before buying it.

Here is a quick step by step guide to cleaning your brushes:

• Open lukewarm tap water. Soak your brush into the running water
• Grab your preferred method of cleanser
• Lather and massage the brush bristles into the cleanser
• Repeat with all brushes until no makeup substance is seen
• Then clean your brushes with the same lukewarm running water
• Hold the brush upside down and start to dry them with either a paper towel or towel (Make sure you dry the handle of the brush instead of squeezing the water out of the bristles)
• Make sure all the brush handles are completely dry and no water is felt otherwise you will break the handles
• Leave the brush on the towel facing downward to air dry them (TIP: If you are in a hurry then spray some alcohol on the bristles for quick drying & sensitization)

This sums up this hub! I hope you enjoyed reading and learning about organizing and cleaning makeup & brushes! I can't be thankful enough for all those who land on my profile and my articles. A big thank you to all of you! I am leaving the questions box below for you to comment on. Do let me know what your thoughts are on this hub! I am open to all comments and concerns!

More exciting hubs to be featured on my profile. Please stay tuned! Have a great week ahead and I will talk to you in my next hub!

Be safe!