How to Minimize and Organize Cosmetics and Jewelry

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Follow my EASY 3-step process to minimize and organize cosmetics and jewelry. These are the questions you NEED to ask yourself if you want an organized bathroom!

I recently organized my bathroom shelves… maybe a little too well. I pulled everything out, painted the shelves, added new wicker baskets (with felt sliders to protect my new paint), and purged anything I didn’t use and absolutely love.

Small bathrooms are just a fact of life in our house, so we really have to stay on top of clutter control.

How to Minimize your Beauty Routine

Here’s an easy 3-step process to follow with your beauty products (and even your jewelry):

STEP 1 – Remove Everything

Pull everything out of your drawers, organizing container, cabinet. Wherever you keep your stuff, pull everything out so that you can see what you’re working with.

STEP 2 – Ask Yourself a Few Questions

Ask yourself “Do I use this item regularly?” and “If I were to move tomorrow, would I pack this to come with?” or even “If I were going on vacation for 2 weeks, would I bring this with?” If you answered “no” or even “maybe” to any of these questions, you can probably get rid of that item.

Another question to ask is “Has this item expired?”. Here’s a handy guide from Real Simple Magazine to help you know how long to keep beauty products.

STEP 3 – Put it All Back

Place everything back that made the cut. Sort by size, type, and how often used. Do what makes sense for your lifestyle.

Personally, I keep my “everyday” items in one basket and my “1-2 times a week or less” items in another basket. Hair products have their own basket. So do my nail items.

My Minimal Cosmetics and Beauty Products

I’m not going to lie. My makeup routine may not be for everyone. It’s pretty minimal.

This is ALL of the makeup that I own:

I also minimize the other products that I use: minimal nail polish, two types of body lotion, a couple regular hair products (dry shampoo is a must!!).

It’s a little hard to see, but there is a teal dollar store caddy in the front of that basket. This contains my daily essentials: toner, moisturizer (with sunscreen!), deodorant, night cream, face exfoliator, white strips, aquaphor (the only lip balm I will ever need!), etc.

I keep cotton balls and q-tips in glass jars on the top shelf (1) for easy access, and (2) because I think they look pretty that way.

My baskets contain:

• 1 large basket – hair items (blow dryer, sprays, combs)
• 1 large basket – “everyday” toiletries (deodorant, lotion, etc.)
• 1 medium basket – “once a week” toiletries (nail stuff, my tub of face mask powder)
• 1 small basket – hair ties and clips
• 1 small basket – my “homemade” toiletries (dry shampoo, coconut oil)
• 1 small jewelry box
• 1 small wooden tray for makeup

I also use a few DIY beauty products:

• arrowroot powder – great for setting makeup and keeping shine down
• coconut oil – use on lips, cuticles, feet (with socks) before bed. It’s a total lifesaver in cold, dry Minnesota winters
• DIY dry shampoo – equal parts arrowroot powder and cocoa powder (like for baking brownies) and a few drops of lavender essential oil. I use an old makeup brush to apply to the roots of my hair. It’s super inexpensive and it works. Bonus: no nasty chemicals from aerosol dry shampoo!

Minimalist Jewelry Organization

I honestly wear VERY little jewelry. I wear pretty much the exact same necklace and one ring daily. Then I swap out earrings and sometimes a longer necklace.

I do have a tiny jewelry box for nicer jewelry (earrings from my grandma, my sorority pin) that I don’t want to part with, but I don’t really use.

Little things like earrings stay handy in a small wooden salad bowl that I painted with chalk paint.

Longer necklaces are attached to my bathroom mirror with suction cups from the dollar store.

And that’s it!

An note on the laundry supplies:

Yes, that is a big jar of laundry detergent on the bottom shelf. Yes, I actually do have a small washer in our upstairs bathroom. It connects to the sink and drains into the shower.

Why do I have laundry in my bathroom?

My retired dad lives with us. Our main laundry is down in the basement, right next to his living room. I hate disturbing him every time I need to do laundry (which is often).

So…. All of my clothes and some of the kids clothes actually get washed upstairs and then hing to dry. This way I only need to disturb my dad when I wash bigger items like sheets and towels.

It may not totally be the norm, but it’s what works for us!

More Organizing Inspiration:

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