How to Organize Makeup in a Dorm Room
I love make up and it’s a rare issue of Vogue or Glamour that doesn’t send me to Sephora or Saks in search of the latest “must have” product. Unfortunately dorm room desks must serve a multitude of needs and they just aren’t big enough. Still I couldn’t imagine heading to college without at most of my collection so here’s how to make it work.
- Select items you need for your everyday face. – Even us makeup junkies have our everyday go tos when getting ready. Pull those items, including brushes, primers etc., anything you use everyday, and put them in a small bin, or in your desk drawer.
- Throw away the old stuff. – Make up doesn’t have a built in expiration date but Web MD says:
- Mascara & liquid eyeliner - Replace every 3 to 4 months.
- Liquid foundation – If stored away from heat, can remain stable for up to a year.
- Lip gloss & lipstick - at least 6 months and the lipstick for a year.
- Powders: Unless you notice a funny smell or the color has turned, you can safely use powder-based products for 18 months to 2 years.
I’d be lying if I said I adhered strictly to these guidelines, after all I will never throw away my Hard Candy Sweet Spot lip gloss that I was wearing when I got my first kiss, but we all have non-sentimental make-up we will never wear again. Toss them or at least don’t take them to school with you.
- Store whatever is left. – I like the five-drawer desktop organizer from The Container Store. It comes in four colors and you can label the drawers into categories so you can easily locate that MAC black Hautecore Friday lipstick for the Goth party. The categories that work for me are:
- Lips
- Eye Shadows
- Foundations, Bronzers & Powders
- Mascara & Eyeliner
- Everything Else
Then you can store this little stack of five boxes on the top shelf of your desk cubby www.dorm-décor.com leaving your desktop open for important things.
- The brushes I don’t use everyday I still put in a pretty cup on my desk, along with my tweezers because I just like the way they look and I’m always checking for errant brow hairs!
Would love to hear your ideas and strategies on storing make-up in the dorm.