How to Organize Your Makeup, According to Marie Kondo

If You Don’t Love It, You Don’t Need It 

According to Kondo, your beauty products should “spark joy for you” and you should be clear about what exactly you’re working with. Don’t stress about the amount — this will be different for everyone. “Those who love makeup may have a larger quantity – but that’s okay!” she says. Focus on getting rid of the things you don’t love and watch your collection shrink (if only slightly).

Keep Track of the Things You Own 

The key to a well-curated stash is knowing what you have. This will cut down on the amount of expired makeup you have lying around and also make room for other products you love. To do this, both Kondo and Hord recommend taking out all of your makeup and laying everything out. Next, sort it into piles by category so you’re able to see how much of each product type you have. 

If you swear by the Marie Kondo method, the next part should feel familiar: “Hold each item one by one and keep only those that spark joy for you,” she says. “If you have multiple items within a product category (lipsticks, mascaras, etc), then you should decide which items within that category spark the most joy  and keep only those.” 

Streamline Your Routine 

“Being in tune with your makeup helps in understanding what looks good on you,” says Kondo “So when you’re searching for a new product, you already know what works and what doesn’t.” This is especially true for those who hit snooze repetitively and need a five-minute makeup look. 

According to Hord, streamlining your makeup will help combat “decision fatigue” and stop you from having to make too many decisions before the workday begins.  

Give Yourself One Drawer

Now that you know why you should edit your makeup stash down to the essentials (which varies for everyone), it’s time to organize. To do this, Kondo insists that all you need is a drawer.  

STEP 1: Stand items upright whenever possible. 

STEP 2: Try to make it look pleasing to the eye. If you don’t have enough makeup to fill a drawer, start with a tray. 

If you want to display your makeup, Hord recommends going with clear acrylic organizers. Not only are they pretty (and ready for the ‘gram), but it’s an easy way to see exactly what you’re working with.