We all have to move sometimes. It is one of those horribly inconvenient parts of life that we wish we could avoid. But especially in the earlier part of our lives, it becomes an issue every few years. The older we get, the bigger the move, and the more stuff we have to pack to go along with us, and the same pain holds true for when vacationing.
This leads to the inevitable job of sorting items before they go in the boxes, or into luggage, whichever case applies. How frustrating is that part? Especially is you want to optimize your beauty collection by reducing your supplies. A task so daunting for some of us that it goes undone, only to lead to just as much clutter at our new home. Whether you are getting rid of makeup, moving cross country, or just trying to find a way to organize hair care products for a well earned getaway, these tips will help you.
Start Minimizing
So many of us have huge piles of beauty products, whether our addiction is makeup, lotions, perfumes or hair care supplies. And it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking it is good to keep them around. After all, you will use them eventually, right? This might have been a decent way to look at it if we didn’t then add to our piles by buying more instead of using what we have. Sound like a familiar problem? The first step is to start getting rid of stuff. Yes, it sounds like a painful task.
But chances are, there are at least a few (i.e a lot) of things in your beauty collection that you aren’t like to use. Some tips from lifecell-anti-aging.com: Lipsticks in unflattering shades, foundations too light or dark for your current complexion, hairbands you won’t use since cutting your hair short, an extra curling iron or hair dryer, that lotion you bought on sale that you never opened… something. Opened items that you haven’t used in a few months can probably get the bin. Anything unopened can go into a donation or sale box. Ebay is great for selling unopened makeup in lots. As for hair care electronics, see if a friend needs a new one and try to pass it on if it still works well.
Get an Organizer
Once you know how much you are going to be keeping, it is good to have somewhere for it all to go the moment the move is complete. That way, you can pack it all up before in its containers, and then the job is already done. It even saves space in boxes that you would have otherwise thrown it all into (hat tip to genf20plus.com).
But I like larger organizers that allow you to put it all into a single place, and store in the bathroom or a closet. My personal preference is a Sterilite 7-Drawer Storage Cart.
It has enough room for my makeup, my skin care products, my hair care and styling products, hygiene items and various electronics like curling irons, hair dryers, curlers and more. All in a single place where I don’t have to worry about trying to keep it kept on surfaces or in bathroom drawers where it will all be cluttered. Plus, it has wheels so it is easy to slide onto a truck and take anywhere you move. Just be sure to tape the drawers shut at the sides.
Label Your Products
I try not to keep anything for more than a year once I have opened it now. Mainly because it is after this point that products begin to get kind of gunky. Especially lotions, facial products and certain cosmetics such as liquid eyeliner and mascara. But in the beginning, it wasn’t easy to tell what I had for longer than that period versus what was still somewhat new.
That is why I now label everything when I open it. I keep a small roll of masking tape and a marker in with my makeup. Then, when I open something up I will quickly right down the date on a strip of the tape and apply it as a label on whatever I have used. Some things don’t really matter, like eyeshadow or lipstick. But I have found it a useful way to keep track of anything that I wouldn’t want to have the surprise of a gunky mess on my hands or face.
Have a To Go Bag
One of my favorite ways to make sure everything stays organized is by having only a single, small to-go bag of things I use most often that I would want on hand. My own contains a couple of brushes in a carrier swatch, an eyeliner pencil with a turn crank, a dual-color eyeshadow with applicator, a single tube of lipstick and tube of clear gloss, a travel size moisturizer with SPF protection, a folded hairbrush and a compact with powder foundation and a mirror.
It all goes into one bag, which fits easily in my purse and I can take with me on the go for touchups or use after the gym without worrying about being bogged down with a bunch of stuff. Everything else remains in my bathroom at all times, which also keeps me from using too much makeup. You know that stifling feeling of reapplying something like concealor or cream foundation in the middle of the day. I happily avoid that now. Plus, it means you will be able to move all of your beauty supplies while still having what you need to look fabulous. No matter how long it takes you to pull it out of the boxes.
What are your tips for optimizing your beauty product collection before you embark on any kind of move? Let us know in the comments!