Let's Get Organizing - The Cosmetic Drawer

This summer has been really awesome.  However, we've been so busy having fun that things have gotten to be a bit of a mess here and there around my home.  Does that happen to you too over the summer?  To be honest, some of the mess actually dates back to prior to the summer.  The next few weeks are going to be spent organizing my home room by room.  I hope you will join me as I conquer the clutter and put things back in order, all before the kids go back to school (which will be after Labor Day).

Project number one for me is my make-up area.  For instance, see all those bags on the vanity...those are still there from the last trip we came back from almost two weeks ago.  Granted I was sick with salmonella poisoning for a while...but I'm healthy now and it was time to clean things up.

After clearing off some of the items on the vanity, I started emptying the drawers.

Technically, you are supposed to go through your make-up at least every year, depending on the product.  Well I haven't gone through my make-up in years.  I switched over to Bare Minerals make-up when my daughter was a toddler (which BTW has a much longer shelf life since it is all natural and made without any chemicals to bind it together).  If my calculations are right, that would mean that all the other make-up brands in the drawers have to be 8+ years old.  Yikes...think that's a problem?

Yep...that's lipstick that is half stuck in the cap.  

 Now I have gone through my make-up many times over the years, but for some reason I didn't get rid of all the old stuff.  Not this time... in the garbage all the old products went.

So when should you get rid of make-up?  Here are some guidelines to follow:

-  Most powders, concealers and lip balms don't contain water, so they can last for a couple of years.

-   Cleansers and moisturizers often contain fatty acids, which can turn rancid quickly. Toss after six months.

-  Multiuse products such as 3-in-1 sticks and creams can spread germs from lips to eyes and cheeks. Wipe the surface before switching areas, and discard or replace after six months.

-  Pencils can last several years unless you wet the tip with saliva or water. To be safe, sharpen before each use.

-   Mascara should be tossed after three months without fail. The tube is a breeding ground for bacteria.

-   Foundations can last up to a year if you keep your fingers away from the bottle. Instead, use a sponge to apply.

-  My rule of thumb with lipstick is when it starts to smell funky...it's time for it to be thrown out.

Next it was time to take all of my brushes and wash them with soapy water.  Some of the brushes needed some extra scrubbing to get all of the make-up off.  It's a good idea to do this from time to time to avoid the build-up of make-up on the brushes.

While the brushes were soaking, I started re-organizing the drawers.

By getting rid of the oldest products, which by the way had not been used in years, it left plenty of space for the products I actually do use.

After I was done organizing all of the products, I took a look at the vanity seat and thought it was time for a new seat cushion.

There were only a few screws to remove in order to recover the seat.

Using fabric I had left over from another project, I simply stapled new fabric over the old fabric.

This fabric is perfect for the bathroom.  It has all the right colors (it's actually the fabric I used for the window treatments in my home office).

You can see that I moved my brushes to the top of the vanity in a container I had in the mudroom (which wasn't really being used there).  I love that my make-up area is all neat, clean and organized now.

Okay...now it's your turn.  I hope you will be inspired to go through your make-up drawers and throw out all expired products.  You'll be happy you did.  

-Judy