Struggling to keep on top of your beauty stash? We asked the experts how they tidy up …
Speaking as an inveterate hoarder, I find that keeping beauty and skincare organised can be a challenge. Regular clear-outs are essential, but lipsticks and mini perfumes still find their way into most pockets and areas of the house. I have a weakness for style over function, and favour glass candle jars (much prettier than Perspex) for things like brushes and eyeliners; maybe it’s a throwback to the rainbow Crayola crayons we loved as kids, but I find I use them more if they’re on display. So I have a preference for candles that don’t just smell great, but also with a view to their afterlife – I always rave about Cloon Keen’s silver glass pots as they make unbeatable brush holders, chunky and solid, with an antique-ish reflective quality.
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These Jo Malone London charity candles are an annual favourite (since 2012), too: they’re €60, with 75 per cent (less VAT) of the RRP going to support charities, including mental health charities. This year’s scent is Hemlock & Bergamot; I haven’t smelled it but the pot, with its bright butterfly design, is lovely, though my favourite is the lush purple and green Iris & Lady Moore.
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I re-use all kinds of boxes to keep samples in, such as a beauty advent calendar with little drawers to keep lipsticks in. My main storage is a haberdasher’s grass-fronted cabinet, so that palettes and bottles are on view, like an old-fashioned sweetshop but for beauty. I have an ancient wooden storage unit from an old school – bought slightly accidently at a fire sale many years ago – which has pull-down doors, so is ideal for skincare, protecting bottles from the light. Perfumes are also in a glass-fronted cabinet – crucially away from light.
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I now put a sticker on a new mascara noting the date I open it, so that I’m not tempted to keep hold of it too long; I’m trying to do this with skincare too, to keep track. I confess to having an “archive” box of old and past-using make-up just for research/interest/historical interest (mainly my own), and felt slightly better when make-up artist extraordinaire, Christine Lucignano told me she does the same, keeping prized items such as an original brush given to her by Mr Shu Uemura himself back in the 1990s.
I make regular visits to Fusion in Dun Laoghaire, one of the many drop-off points nationwide for the Hygiene Bank (@hehygienebankire; www.thehygeinebank.ie) – the ideal home for new and unused shampoo, shower gel and similar items (perhaps unwanted gifts) – go online to find a drop-off point near you.
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Ask the experts
Since I seem to be the polar opposite of a “cleanfluencer”, I consulted an expert. How does a pro make-up artist keep control of all their creams, brushes and samples? Christine Lucignano (@cloochy) has both her pro kit, for clients such as Angela Scanlon, and her own products to keep track of. She keeps the two entirely separate. “Organisation is key. I have a trolley for my beauty products, with clear inserts for brushes. I arrange everything by section; I travel so much that I have to be super-organised. I’m generous with samples – I always try out new things, but will then pass on rather than not finish a product; I hate waste and do anything I can to avoid it.”
Her key tip is arming yourself with BeautySoClean sanitising mist (available online) – “it’s the perfect way to keep samples really clean, particularly cream products, as it doesn’t mess with the formulas of cosmetics and has no horrible scent; I’m addicted to it and use it all the time.”
She also advises: “Get familiar with the scent of your favourite products so you can tell when they are past their best. And don’t use your fingers to apply – I keep cotton buds handy at all times, and it’s a good habit to get into. The most important use-by dates to observe are of course mascaras.” You shouldn’t keep a mascara for more than six months, and keep an eye on the smell and texture of it.
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We asked journalist and podcaster Aisling Keenan how she sorts her beauty buys and samples.
“When it comes to storing and organising the (frankly insane) beauty collection I have, I have to keep on top of it or it’ll spiral out of control. I have a “new in” container from IKEA (called Drona) that houses everything recent, so from the preceding fortnight usually, which I then either trial and test, take pictures of for social, or decide doesn’t fit with anything I’m writing. When I’ve made the decision on each product, I then sort them into larger containers (Kuggis from IKEA). I have one for skincare, one for haircare, one for cosmetics, and then a miscellaneous one that houses tan, devices and accessories. I also store things I love and will definitely use in my “backstock” box.
For my personal beauty use, I organise using those little Skubb boxes from IKEA (again!) that fit neatly into my drawer unit, so everything is kept tidy. I display my fragrances, mostly because they’re so pretty but also because if they were locked away I’d forget to use them 90 per cent of the time. I’m a big believer in not saving the good stuff for special occasions, just use it, that’s why you have it. Anything to make a dull day feel a bit brighter!
In terms of organisation in general, my number one rule is: find a place for absolutely everything. Make a room map, writing down where everything is and where everything goes (I use Google Sheets for this) and then when it comes to tidying, your job is easy and – dare I say it – enjoyable. If something new comes into the space, as often happens, find a space to store it straight away, and if no space is available, donate something, recycle something or find something a new home so that the new item has a place. It takes being ruthless to be meticulously tidy, and it also takes patience to get the initial system in place, but once it’s in, you’re winning.”