Make-up storage is a somewhat contentious issue. There is YouTube video after YouTube video explaining the best way to keep your stuff clean and tidy. Since I made the move up north there’s only been one area of my flat that I haven’t been entirely happy with. I have so much make-up, skincare, hair products and jewellery that I haven’t had the time or inclination to unpack it all properly and sort it all out. I used to just have one drawer when I lived in London, but it became quite clear after the move that that wasn’t going to cut it anymore, and quite frankly, it started to scare me. But after watching Vivianna’s video I started pining for some once-loved beauty items from my collection so the time finally came to tackle it.

Annoyingly I didn’t think to take a “Before” picture, but basically the black shelving unit (£10 from IKEA – bargain) was jammed packed with bags and boxes of stuff, none of which I could get to, and the top of the chest of drawers was completely covered in my whole make-up collection. This area is just behind my desk, upstairs in my flat, and I share the area with Matt too – although obviously his beauty regime is a little less complicated than mine.

When it came to choosing storage crates I went for white because the area is quite dark naturally, despite the big window, so I didn’t want to darken the mood anymore with more dark items. White crates also make it much easier to see what you have. I also bought some smaller grey ones to go inside each crate. I bought both types from Clas Olsen and I also picked up some stick-on hooks to hang my jewellery on the wall from Wilkinson.

First I sorted all my nail products into one crate. As well as polishes, nail pens, stickers, jewels, glue and nail polish remover, I made sure to stick in a little pile of cotton pads and buds, some scissors and a tube of hand cream that I don’t use often. This was so if I ever want to paint my nails in front of the TV(this happens often) I can just grab the crate and take it downstairs and I have everything I need. My lip products also found a home here because there was some extra room. I organised all my glosses, liners, lipsticks and balms into one of the smaller crates and stuck them in ends up for easy colour selection.

The next crate (I’ve skipped my make-up one on the second shelf down – coming back to it later, promise!) houses all my skincare. It’s quite full at the moment thanks to several months of GlossyBoxes and Feel Unique Boxes which I’m now taking a break from – my supplies were overflowing! I’ve also got hand wipes which I like to carry in my handbag, hand creams, body lotions and perfumes in this box as well as all my day to day skincare supplies. My new moisturiser is right there at the front – Skin Drink from Lush. After the success of my Lush skincare reviews last year I’ll probably do a full review on this product which I’ve been recommended for a bout of very dry skin.

Lastly we have hair. This looks cluttered because it holds my hair dryer and diffuser (yay no more stepping on upturned plugs) plus the fact I have loads of haircare at the moment thanks to very welcome freebies from Aussie and John Frieda. I’m working my way through them as I type, a John Frieda Full Repair review will come once I feel like I’ve used it for long enough to give an honest review (probably within the next few weeks).  I’ve organised this crate from within too, so I have mousses at the front, sprays at the back etc. I really love having everything within reach and not having to pick up several bottles to find what I’m looking for.

Moving on to the top of chest of drawers I have a little crate holding my everyday most-used items which includes foundations, tinted moisturer and primer, a selection of mascaras, 3 lipsticks, 2 blushers and powder. In front is my Label.M Souffle which is the only hair styling product I feel I can’t live without. Despite the feminine appearance the stuff to the left of the crate is actually “Boy Stuff” so I  won’t waste any time on that. Buddhas hold my favourite rings and stud earrings, and hooks on the wall hold bracelets and necklaces plus a Marc Jacobs bag to hold brooches and anything else that won’t hang. I also have a jewellery tree you can see in the pictures but not all my jewellery is unpacked yet so that’s still bare for now. There’s also an angel wing pot I picked up from Tiger in Hammersmith during my student days which houses all my brushes.

Having done all this stuff last night, this morning I woke up still in full organisation mode. I took my make-up crate downstairs and cleaned everything. I often find myself ignoring loose eyeshadows or palettes because it takes me a while to find the one I’m looking for so I just stick with what’s on hand. Thing is, things get so grubby from product fall-out that I’ve never wanted to label anything before, knowing they’ll only get all stained and look horrid soon.

Then the other day I was in Paperchase getting some sticky labels to mark up all the meat and fish we picked up at the market to go into the freezer and I found some small labels that you write on and then cover with a layer of sticky plastic. Perfect! Durable and efficient – I set to work. Pretty soon everything was labeled so I can see exactly what I’m looking for. I cleaned up all my palettes and found some hidden gems I haven’t used in forever, including the Ludwig palette by Kat Von D. Very excited to start rediscovering my whole collection instead of sticking to the same products everyday the way I have been doing.

So there you have it. I feel pretty damn pleased with myself. Everything looks so uncluttered and easy to find compared to how it was before and it also makes me feel less stressed when I’m in my bedroom because everything is spacious and visible. If sorting out all your make-up and other products has been something you’ve been putting off, I highly suggest you get down to it. I had a lovely time finding some items I used to use all the time and it genuinely does give you a similar rush to buying something new. Give it a go! Now – clothes next!

How do you store your make-up, skincare and hair products? Is everything clearly placed and labeled or are you a more “organised chaos” kind of a gal? Let me know in the comments!