Cosmetic Organization - Beauty Mess to a Beauty Bliss Project #1

I have always been messy! For as long as i remember I have been terrible at putting stuff back once i take them and even though most things have a designated spot, they rarely actually live there. My friends and family are fully aware of my "littering" habit and its very true that you can follow a path of randomness and at the end of that unfortunate route find me. My boyfriend teases me all the time that I routinely cover up or block the view of any clocks in his room with my girly belongings or multiple glass bottles (don't ask, its a thing!).

I do however want to emphasize that even though my room looks like the aftermath of a small-scale tornado I am not dirty, I just have a slight "organization problem". In fact my showering habits and daily 50 product beauty regiment have a lot to do with the ridiculousness my space has evolved in to.

As a beauty blogger products are consistently added to my collection so lately I too have been noticing the drawbacks of my "litter" process and it started to really bother me. I wanted to take advantage of this new "epiphany"and try to make a change for myself and my Beauty collection.

The majority of the clutter is concentrated around the beauty products, skincare, accessories and my beautiful new vanity. My personal space is small but definitively workable and now that my Daddy finally put up my new shelves the excuses and procrastination efforts really have no more merit and since beauty treasures are meant to be used not buried it just makes sense to finally do this.

Like every other project I knew I am going to need a solid game plan if I want to accomplish this without getting overwhelmed and giving up altogether. Its a legitimate concern and the pictures pretty much say it all!

After some serious consultation, contemplation and a slight urge to move to another room and start over, here are the points I decided to look at;

                                                               *DECLUTTER*
This might sound like a no-brainer but its probably one of the hardest steps to go through. It requires taking an inventory of your entire beauty stash and examining every single item you have (eeek!) so you can make the tough choices. The guidelines i tried to follow are; expiration dates, over-all look, usage condition and whether or not I actually use it.

*STASH or TRASH*
If its expired, in a very fragile condition, wrong shade or simply has been sitting unused for 6 months or more it needed to be tossed.
If it its new or like-new and unusable by me then it was set aside in the stash pile and designated for gifting or donation
If it new or like-new and I didnt use it but I was too attached (Chantecaille palettes) then I just had to keep it and hope that i felt differently by next inventory time.


*CATEGORIZE* 
If your beauty stash is somewhat categorized then you will have a clearer overview over what you already have, whats missing, what you need to add and it will definitively help you keep track over what is being used and what isn't.
I could never do color categorization but grouping eyeshadows or lipsticks together sounds somewhat doable. Some much more organized people will keep a spreadsheet of what they have but for me that's very unrealistic right now.

*WISH - SHOPPING LIST*
This one is dangerous because you are trying to de-clutter and not add more to the beautiful mess but organization will reveal "holes" in your collection so keeping a list of things you need or want can help with impulse purchases. I find a wish-list makes me think things through so if i consult it beforehand the chances of my purchase being smarter is huge.

*DESIGN FACTOR*
Chances are if you are a beauty connoisseur your appreciation for design is also quite high. If your space looks good then your beauty adventures will be a lot more inspired and your beauty collection display will definitively lift your spirit. I am a girly-girl so the main drive to complete this project is making my beauty rituals a bit more glamorous. I know its a cliche to say this but I find its very true for me - presentation is key and I am more likely to engage more in beauty adventures if my beauty surroundings are polished, organized and just plain pretty.

*EVERYDAY STATION*
Designate an easy-to reach basket or bag where your daily essentials or most-used products should live in an effort to keep clutter to a minimum even when you are in a hurry.
If this works out i think this will be the tip that will make the most impact on my "littering" since i wont have to dig for my must-                                                                         haves 5 minutes before leaving the house.

All of these tips seem obvious or common sense but they are surprisingly hard to follow through with. This is not going to be easy but I am hopeful that with the right tools & supplies my chances for success will only get higher.

*HELPFUL MATERIALS*
- Determination and resolve to stick with it
- Trash Bag and Donation Box
- Train-cases or Pretty Gift Boxes (hat boxes can be very appealing)
- Vanity or any table with drawers for storage
- Organizational Drawer Inserts (cutlery divider can work and look great)
- Cosmetic Organizers (think Muji  clear boxes or similar)
*Bonus Points - picking a theme look for your vanity (girly, modern, vintage, minimal etc.)

I am hoping that this organization project and me writing about it will help me get this done successfully.
Or at least improve the current state of my beauty mess.

Hopefully you guys me join me in my quest for improvement - beauty and otherwise.
Please note that if you have any advice or tips i would love to hear from you

I leave you with one of my inspirations

XOXO

ANJA

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