Fab Sab: Operation Organization: Makeup & Vanity

OK. So, I have a confession to make.

My name is Sabrina and ....I. AM. A. MAKEUP. JUNKIE.

Ah, it felt nice to get that one off of my chest.

But really.... I have caboodles, bags, and boxes of makeup. And of course I tend to use the same thing everyday which is just a fat waste of product and space! So in honor of utilizing what I have and getting organized in 2014 I decided to figure out a way that I can display everything I have with a lot more order and visual appeal. This is how it looks after a few hours of organizing. :)

Instagram Pic @fabsabagram

Thanks to my best friend's awesome bargaining skills I got this vanity a couple years ago at a thrift store for just 15 bucks! Its a little scratched, is missing a drawer and probably once belonged to a nine year old but I love it! She also made the sweet chair.

Here are some quick tips I used to keep it all together and accessible:

1) Clean & Dust! Make sure everything is so fresh and so clean, clean before you go ahead covering your space with containers and products you put on your face everyday!

2) Make your brushes, eyeliners and lip liners accessible. Get some containers. I got some at Target and I had some glass ones left over from a previous project that I wasn't using. I organized them by category; glosses, liners, brushes and foundations. I also found an old soap tray that I used for bigger awkward items like lotion, deodorant, creams etc. YAY for utilizing more stuff that I already own! I happened to have these white rocks laying around so I went ahead and filled the containers with them. It helped raise up my smaller makeup brushes so they are easier to see and it looks nice!

I also saw a great version using sand, if you have the space and don't have a cat that can potentially knock it over. Why do they always have to jump on stuff?

Pink sand! YES please.

If you don't want to spend any money, or very little which I am all for, there are some easy things you can find around the house or save after using. Save those jelly or mason jars, get some cute cups on sale at Target or even at the dollar store, re-use aluminum soup cans (peel the labels off and make em' pretty). There are plenty of things you can use that you already own if you just think about them in a new way!

These glittered-up mason jars are adorable. I might have to make some in the future...

3) Place all your lipsticks in color groups. Reds, Nudes, Pinks. That way you can see what you own (always buying the same shade of pink perhaps?) and its easier to grab. I used a three-section plastic container from Target. I also added a section for chap-stick and balms because I use those every day.

4) Create your own makeup "tray". I use mineral makeup and lets face it, it gets all over. I needed something that I could place it on that would be easy to clean, instead of it dropping onto the wood surface of my vanity. I thought I could get an old vanity mirror but I wanted instant gratification so instead I went searching through my cupboards for something to use. I ended up finding some old picture frames that were not being used. I figured I could do some type of collage inside but instead I found a scrap of old fabric that made it look pretty! It was pretty simple I just wrapped the cardboard that came in the frame with the fabric I had and glued it down. Then I slid the cardboard back into the frame and voila! Instant, printed, makeup tray. :)

5) Get your hair tools all in one place. If you don't put your tools in your bathroom you can consider storing them in a pretty box, or those plastic rolling containers. I got this handy rolling cart from the Container Store. It holds all of my irons, hair brushes, and blow dryer and I also added my makeup pallets on top. It fits in small spaces easily too!