So you may or may not know that while I’m a total geek when it comes to interiors, I’m a bit of a makeup junkie as well. I can talk about getting the perfect flick on your eyeliner or my favourite foundations until the cows come home. That new palette from Anastasia Beverly Hills or that gorgeous new highlighter from Tarte? I probably have it. Or I’m planning on getting it. I subscribe to more YouTube makeup gurus and makeup artists than probably anything else on the channel and will happily spend hours watching someone put makeup on their face. And yes, I recognise that as a 40-something interior blogger, this makes me something of a weirdo. I’m totally okay with that.

Confession time: I'm a bit of a makeup addict! Find out how I organise my makeup collection and the products I use to organise it all!

I mean, it shouldn’t be surprising, I suppose, that I have other interests outside of interior design. Last I checked, I was 100% human being, with an interest in a lot of different things, just like anyone else. I suppose that’s why you have so many ‘lifestyle’ bloggers out there – ones who choose to share lots of different aspects of their own passions – because it gives them more scope to chat about them on their respective blogs. And I totally get that. I often wonder if I’ve done myself a disservice by concentrating Swoon Worthy on interiors alone but well, it was a choice I made a long time ago and I’m still okay with that. Maybe in time I’ll expand it but for now, don’t worry – you won’t see a video on getting the perfect smokey eye from me anytime soon.

Swoon Worthy dressing room featuring my makeup collection

If I looked at my bank statement, most of my disposable income goes on the house but the second most popular ‘frivolous’ expense is on makeup. While I won’t be going into all my favourites or why I’m buying the latest xyz product, what I do want to talk about today is how I actually store all that stuff I buy. I realised as my passion for makeup grew, I was going to need some serious storage options if I was going to keep indulging myself.

Find out how to organise your makeup collection and the products I use to organise it all!

While a cute tray or a little mug may be great for those who don’t have a more serious addiction, I’ve found that I’ve had to invest in some products that were tailored made for great storage. I have purchased most of my pieces on either Amazon or Muji but I’ve also got a couple easy budget options you may be surprised about.

My top tips on how to organise your makeup collection

This post contains a few affiliate links which are indicated by an asterisk (*). You won’t pay any more if you click on those links but I may earn a few pennies towards buying more makeup. Win-win!

I like clear storage first of all because I want to be able to see what I have. Everything that I use on a daily or weekly basis is stored on top of my vanity (you can see the DIY on that one here) so I don’t want anything too heavy or anything too precious. Acrylic storage is the easiest – both in terms of its low-cost and in terms of its practicality. My collection grows all of the time but this is what I’ve got going on at the moment.

My Favourite Makeup Organisers

So let’s start with brushes, pencils and little things like tweezers and nail care. I have a whole bunch of brushes and the more bleedin’ videos I watch, the more I realise I need want.

How I organise my makeup collection including makeup brushes and nail care

The large brushes are actually just a cleaned out candle holder that I received from Soak & Sleep. I just wiped away the wax and cleaned it thoroughly and as I didn’t want to throw out the nice clear glass container so it’s now the home for my biggest brushes.

I also purchased this clear acrylic desk organiser (yes, you can use these things for makeup) and it’s perfect for storing smaller brushes as well as things like lip pencils, eye liners, tweezers, nail clippers and my contact lens case. I also put my setting spray in there because I didn’t have a place for it otherwise and it fits perfectly so I don’t forget to use it after my ‘face’ is on.

Next is my stackable storage which holds the bulk of my foundations and powder products as well as mascara and miscellaneous items.

Find out how to store your makeup collection even if you're a hoarder

Need top get your makeup collection in order? Check out my top organisation tips!

Check out the products I use for organising my makeup collection

This is a combination of different products that worked well enough stacked up on top of each other even though they were purchased from different places. I adore the acrylic desk organiser which keeps all my most used products like my foundation, blending sponge and makeup wipes within quick and easy reach. With most of it loosely organised by type, it takes me a lot less time to find what I’m looking for in each little drawer.

Next, my lipsticks and compact powders (mostly bronzers and highlighters) are all held in these really cute little trays. The one for compacts are sized fairly small so I fit what I can in them and the slightly larger ones just go into the drawers as above.

Are you a makeup collection hoarder too? Find out how I organise my stash!

I have more lipsticks than just these ones but these are my favourites so they all get pride of place on top of the vanity. In fact, all of these products you see are more or less my favourites – I’ll share where I store the rest in a minute!

My makeup collection includes a lot of lip products, take a look at how I organise them all.

Both of these little units I got on Amazon.

And then finally, it’s my palettes. I’m a total sucker for a nice palette and despite having a bunch of them, I still find myself reaching for a couple of favourites every single time. The thing that will probably make you laugh is that I actually don’t have proper storage for these at all.

How to organise and store your makeup collection neatly

Find out how to organise and store your makeup collection even if you're a hoarder like me!

Ya know the boxes that Ferrero Rocher come in? Those big clear flat plastic boxes? Yep, that’s what these are – there are two stacked on top of one another. The bottom holds a few I’m not using at the moment and the top one just acts as a tray to keep my regulars in place.

how to organise and store your makeup collection

Everything else!

So that’s my whole set up! Oh, what about the stuff I am not using or have gotten sick of or are old and now I have to throw them out but haven’t gotten around to it yet? Those are stored in this storage unit I got from IKEA long ago which hides behind my door in my dressing room. It’s not pretty – as you can see it’s where all my hair products are organised on top – but it does the job!

makeup and hair product storage

So that’s how I organise my makeup collection. I know, of course, that it’s not as big as some of the ‘beauty bloggers’ you see but this is just my own personal collection of products that I’ve built up over the last couple of years. It’s not an everyday occurrence by a long shot but spending a little ‘me-time’ putting on my makeup feels like a lovely bit of ritual when I fancy doing it. I tend to listen to podcasts while I indulge myself and it’s just a bit of fun, really.

My top tips for ways to store your makeup collection

Now, it’s your turn. Tell me – am I the only 40 something out there that still enjoys makeup?? Are you a bit of a YouTube watcher yourself? Do you have any secrets for the perfect winged liner? Go on, let me know in the comments.


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