15 Ways to organize your vanity area
For those who love to get glammed up, having a vanity space in your home is important to achieving the perfect look. However, between makeup items, skincare, and other beauty essentials, it might be hard to keep everything organized.
Redfin reached out to makeup experts from Chicago, IL to Tampa, FL, such as myself, and had them share their best tips on setting and maintaining an organized vanity space. Read on to see recommendations on everything from storage to paint color:
Hint - My favorite tip is #14
15 Ways to Set Up Your Vanity Area, Straight From the Experts
For those who love to get glammed up, having a vanity area in your home is essential to achieving the perfect look. However, between makeup items, skincare, and other beauty essentials, it might be hard to keep everything organized.
That’s why we reached out to makeup experts from Chicago, IL to Tampa, FL, and had them share their best tips on setting and maintaining an organized vanity space. Read on to see their recommendations on everything from storage to paint color.
1. Think darker paint colors
I would recommend against going with white colors for your vanity area – all that fallout from your eyeshadow or fingerprints from foundation gets everywhere and is a hassle to keep clean. I would opt for so black or even a light grey for your area. – LHN Beauty
2. Try a natural light source for your vanity area
Eliminate shadows and achieve a more flawless makeup application by choosing a light source that shines toward you from a horizontal direction, at eye-level height. This could be a window that lets in natural light, a vanity mirror with built-in lighting, a tabletop mirrored light, or an adjustable-height light on a stand. Milian Bonillo Beauty
3. Avoid amber-colored lights
Good lighting is essential when designing your vanity area. The fixtures you choose should be even, not overhead, and bright. Amber-toned lighting is also a no-no because it changes the look and color of your makeup when putting it on. – Tara Cooper Makeup Artist
4. Purchase a makeup light
The Makeup Light can be attached to a mirror that you would apply your products to. It provides the perfect white light so you see what you are doing, along with seeing the true colors of your makeup. – Nikolina Gubernat, Moya Makeup
Without a doubt, the most important part of a makeup setup is the lighting. Not only is it impossible to do pretty makeup without being able to see, but you also want balanced lighting that mimics daylight so you can accurately see how the color looks on your face. As a pro, I use The Makeup Light which is not only balanced for daylight and gives clean flat even light, but it has a variety of mounting options so I can use it in a variety of locations. – Tania D. Russell, Owner and Lead Artist, Makeuptogo.com
5. Or try 500k dimmable LED
When organizing a vanity area, lighting is everything. If your space doesn’t allow for sufficient natural light, consider incorporating a professional lighting panel such as a daylight-balanced 5000K dimmable LED, used by pro artists that can be mounted to any mirror. Whatever you do, don’t skimp on good lighting, because no matter how great your space may be, if you can’t see what you’re doing, it pretty much defeats your purpose. – Yosemite Makeup
6. Try clear containers
Make sure you use clear containers and drawers to keep your makeup easily visible and organized – especially items you use every single day. The easier something is to reach, use, and replace, the more likely you are to stay organized. I love putting my mascaras, eyeliners, lip liners, and glosses in standing clear cups while my eyeshadow palettes and blush go in clear drawers. – Your Beauty Ball
7. Install shelving on both sides of your vanity area
I love a makeup vanity area that looks good, but is also functional. So to get the most out of your vanity area, consider going vertical by installing open shelves on either side of your mirror for items you want to access quickly. – Cumber’s Corner
8. Organize your shelves by creating sections
Whether you’re organizing your makeup in a drawer, shelf, or another storage unit, I recommend creating sections for each product type. For example, you can stack your eyeshadow palettes in one section and face powders in another. – Makeup by Lark
9. Use different types of jars
Separate your brushes and allow them a clean area all to themselves. You can use mason jars, reuse beautiful candle jars, or put them in clear boxes you can purchase at stores like Marshalls or The Container Store. Have one section for clean brushes and one section for dirty brushes. Wash your brushes once a week like you would your laundry. You’ll notice your brushes work so much better, and your skin is less irritated. – Carla Pressley
10. Built-in drawers are the way to go
We recommend having a built-in drawer/organizer with your vanity area with the ability to store small products. Having organizers in your vanity area is a great way to keep things neat and orderly as well as to keep specific products with each other for added organization. For example, keep lipsticks with lipsticks and eyeshadow palettes in drawers with each other. – Gloss Beauty Bar
11. Keep your vanity area away from the bathroom
Don’t have your vanity area in your bathroom. While many people think of their bathroom as the ideal place to do their makeup, the humidity and moisture of a bathroom can cause damage to your brushes and products. Instead, set up your vanity area in your bedroom. – Tida Svy, Makeup by Tida
12. Dedicate drawers to different beauty products
Keep a drawer separate for your makeup brushes and tools to keep dust and debris off of them. Have enough space to lay the clean and dirty ones out so you can see and access them easier—I love impressions vanity for this because they have a glass top that you can see all of them clearly. – Cassandra Mcclure
13. Label your cabinets
The Container Store is the best for finding all sizes of makeup and skincare organizers. I store my most used products in the back of my cabinets and label them, so it is easy to find what I need. – Danica Severance
14. Use a letter sorter
You can use a letter sorter to house your makeup pallets. It’s a great space saver and provides easier access. I prefer the acrylic ones over the porcelain. – Cheeks Makeup Artistry
15. Try acrylic containers
I organize all my makeup with clear acrylic containers. That way everything is easy to see and clean. The clear acrylic gives a modern touch to everyday makeup storage. – Tampa Makeup Artist
Originally published on redfin.com