Makeup Storage

I've continued editing down my makeup collection in the weeks since I first read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. This probably means that I didn't perfectly internalize Marie Kondo's lessons on being decisive and confident about what to keep or discard, but I feel like decluttering is a long-term process. I still agree with Kondo that one only needs to read her book and go through the process once to fully learn its lessons. It's just that it can be difficult to actually part with all the items in one fell swoop.

At this point, I've edited my makeup collection down to basically just the items that I use almost every time I do makeup for work, with the exception of my lipstick collection, two extra blushes, and the eyeshadows from my Naked Palette. (I could even get rid of all the eyeshadow without really affecting my day-to-day life. I've worn it only three times so far this calendar year.) My skincare collection is still large, but comprised entirely of products I actually use. My nail polish collection is maybe still overlarge when I haven't worn any for weeks, but I'll work on that. 

Although there are a lot of other plastic drawer options for storing makeup, I like the clear acrylic cases from Muji best. They're expensive compared to other options, but I like the way they look. The three-drawer and two-drawer cases I bought don't stack perfectly, but are close enough in size. I took Kondo's advice on repurposing boxes to use as trays. I also bought a wooden tray at the Container Store.

I have also gotten into the habit of taking apart what few palettes I have and consolidating into one magnetic palette. I tried a Z-Palette and it was functional, but this one is a much better value, provided that you are not looking for a travel-sized one. I bought it after seeing a recommendation on one of the beauty subreddits. Shipping takes forever because it is shipped from China. The black separator between the little metal pans is foam and is easy to take out. (The redditor also mentioned putting the palette in the freezer to make the glue less sticky so the separator is easier to remove, but I found that step unnecessary.) The little metal pans are magnetic and also easily removed. Unfortunately, I haven't identified a good source for little magnets to use with the palettes. The Z-Palette brand ones are a bit expensive.