How to give your vanity a makeover

One of my favorite things to watch on YouTube are makeup collection videos. While it’s fascinating to know what beauty gurus have in their collection (and get ideas for products I might want to check out next), these days I’m more interested in the way they organize their stash! My personal favorite is a video that shows how drag queen Kimberly Clark arranges her collection. It’s so satisfying how everything has its own place and how it makes it easier to navigate through a big collection. I also love how she shares that tips she got from the KonMari method, and even DIY-ed some shelves for extra storage!

While my own beauty collection is small compared to that of beauty gurus, I find that sprucing up my vanity makes my routine more fun and relaxing. It may not look like a perfect Instagram #shelfie but when my things are neat, everything is easier to find and I don't end up with products that are "out of sight, out of mind". Here are some ways to give your vanity a makeover and breathe new life to your routine! 

Get some organizers

Instead of having your products spread out, clustering them together can help make your vanity look neater. They don't have to be expensive - there are cute organizers in Landmark, Japan Home, and Shopee. If you want a more minimalist look, Muji has lots of storage options. You can also get creative and repurpose items! I got myself dark acrylic office organizers from National Bookstore for only P100, so keep your eyes (and mind) open.

If you have a ton of lipsticks, consider looking into acrylic lipstick holders so you can display them! It's a great way to show off your collection, and also help you keep track of what you already have. You can also get organizers specifically for brushes, palettes, and even cotton pads. 

If you want to minimize costs and also reduce waste, reuse old shoe and delivery boxes to corral your beauty products. You can paint them, cover in cute wrapping paper, or apply decoupage to make them look nicer. 

Keep things where you can see them

One of the Marie Kondo tips that Kimberly strongly recommends is storing your items where you can see them easily. Put your collection within easy reach rather than in a deep shelf or at the back of a cabinet so that they're accessible. Keep them in an area next to the mirror you use, or create a dedicated space where you can do your routine regularly. 

It's also important not to overcrowd your container with too many products. If the stack is such that you need to pull out other items before getting what you want, then the container is filled beyond ideal capacity. Don’t let your products get buried in other products, or you’ll be more likely to forget about them or not want to exert the extra effort needed to get to them.

Sort and store by type

“A place for everything, and everything it its place” is what my mom likes to say. Figure out a system that works for you and stick to it! I like to keep similar products together, then arrange according to the order I use them. For example, if you like doing your eye makeup before applying foundation, all eye and brow products can be placed in the top drawer together, followed by your face bases in the drawer below. Keep your sheet masks in its basket, and put non-daily items like nail tools in their own organizer. This helps you find things quickly and do your routine more easily.

And if you’re extra anal? You can sort out color cosmetics like lipsticks and eyeshadows by color family or formula type! If you’re satisfied with the level of organization, you’ll be more encouraged to maintain it.

Go for pretty packaging

Love a product but hate its packaging? Why not decant it? I did this for a foundation whose formula I loved, but the bottle’s lack of a pump made it inconvenient to use. So I sterilized my empty eye cream container and transferred my foundation into it, and it worked perfectly! Now I don’t feel hesitant about using the foundation, and the new container makes it easier to travel with as well. Got a bunch of eyeshadow singles or can’t find a palette that has everything you want? You can depot eyeshadows into a magnetic palette to create a customized one for cheap! 

Decanting products is easier with tools like spatulas and funnels; Liz gets hers from Muji, and I’ve seen some at Beabi and Landmark as well. If you wanna make sure you get every last drop, consider investing in a makeup spatula like Tellie did for her pro kit. If you’ve thrown out your empties or have none that you can repurpose, check out Beabi, Muji, Watsons, and Shopee for cosmetic containers.

Light it up

What’s a vanity without a mirror and good lighting? You can pretty much use any mirror, but having proper lighting can affect how you put on your makeup. Sunlight is great when it’s available, but what if your room doesn’t have a window or if night time? If your light source is too dim or too yellow, you might end up applying more makeup than you need. Since we’re sprucing up our vanities, this might be a good time to consider investing in some lighting. 

You can splurge for a Riki Loves Riki mirror or even the Zhia Smart Vanity Mirror, but don’t lose heart if those are out of your budget. Katsy was able to DIY her own lighted mirror for just P500!

Ready to update your vanity? Which of these tips will you be trying first? And if you do give your dresser a revamp, tag us on Instagram at @projectvanitycom. We’d love to see your before and after pics, and your own vanity makeover tips!