Get that vanity in check!

Get that Vanity in Check

If you’re anything like me you love the #shelfie trend.  Glowing bottles of products, lined up perfectly, a beam of warm sunlight dancing on their surfaces.  Maybe a freshly cut flower somewhere in the shot.  And obviously a YUBI.

If you’re really like me, your reality is…well, different.  There are piles of products – makeup, hair products, tools, skincare.  Old.  New.  And ohhh, the massive number of minis and samples collected from subscription boxes and trips to Sephora.  The entire scene looks like someone shouted “FIRE” at me during my beauty routine, causing me to stop, drop and roll immediately out of the bathroom without so much as a passing thought to organization.

I don’t have to tell you that a messy vanity is bad news.  It can cost you time in the morning and cause frustration – for you and any poor partner who shares the space with you. 

At YUBI we are all about simplifying your routine with tools and strategies to help you enjoy beauty.  So for this particular problem, I turned to my friend and home organization expert Lori Cela.  The founder of Time 4 Organizing, Lori has helped families declutter and enjoy their spaces for years.  In a fun Facebook Live discussion, she laid out her best advice for getting the vanity clutter in order:

It's all about the “P”s! 

• “Pull” everything out. The makeup, hairbands, bottles of moisturizer and those minis. Everything.  This is the step where you rub your nose in all the things you’ve collected.  Feel free to call me when you do this one if you need some reassurance.  It is not easy.

• “Purge” the items you aren’t using, haven’t used in a long time or know in your gut you are unlikely to ever use. But purging doesn’t have to mean just throwing them away.  I’ve found for products I’m on the fence about, committing to rehome them (friends, followers, etc.) makes it easier than if I were to just toss them. 

• "Put" like with like. Group your products by category – as detailed or as broad as you like.  Skincare stuff in one group, makeup in another might be all you need.  If you are a skincare junkie, you might want to put your serums together, your moisturizers together, and your masks in piles.  Grouping your products by category will help organize them better for the next step.   

• "Put" everything back. I said “back” but not “away” because where you put your stuff will vary based on one critical personal question:

Innies (like my poor husband) prefer to have clear countertops with products out of sight.  Outies (me!) like to have their products on display.  I personally need to have my products on display or I will forget to use them.  You may be a combination of innie and outie.  If so, it may be a good idea to keep things like vitamins, floss and sunscreen visible to make sure you don’t forget to use those critical items. 

As for the “put away,” in general innies should make sure to have plenty of drawers and cabinet space.  Lori advises innies keep one special drawer that has all of their daily items for ease of access, and a variety of other drawers for other products.  Drawer organizers are also a good idea to keep those drawers in order. 

For outies, Lori suggests using counter top organizers. These will help limit the creeping piles to a confined space.  Either way, transferring those organized groups of product to your drawers or counter top organizers can help save you the headache or an out of control beauty stash. 

But wait- what about those #%@ samples??

             The most adorable advice Lori had was to repurpose or purchase a jar to keep them in.  A cute glass or acrylic cookie jar on your vanity holding the variety samples you’ve accumulated could be both convenient and beautiful on your vanity.  Since they are not part of your routine it is probably a good idea to keep them visible.  Displayed enticingly, you may be encouraged to take a few minutes to try a new mask or lip gloss. And we all know those little minutes of self care really make a difference. 

            I’m most excited about this idea because it gives me an excuse to finish the rest of the Oreos in our kitchen cookie jar before cleaning it to refill with samples.

 What do you think?  I’m hoping these little tips can make it easier for you to enjoy beauty and get out the door faster in the morning.  Feel free to reach out to Lori on Facebook and Instagram (@Time4Organizing) if you have more detailed questions, and comment below if you have other tips to share.  Happy organizing!