I don’t think they’re as unusual for storing makeup now, but the Container Store’s Linus’ drawer organizers have been a staple in my household for all organizational needs starting with makeup for years. I’m also a huge fan of using glass tumblers to store things like eyeliner and brushes!
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12 gauge shot gun shell holders to hold most brands of lipstick/ lipgloss upside down, so I can read the names … definitely non-traditional
HAHAHAHA. Did not inherit any of those, but prob would have had the same idea. I cannot believe that more than one answer had to do with guns!
OMG that’s awesome!
Fantastic idea!!
I love this!
Thanks for the suggestion. I’ve been trying to come up with a solution to better organize my lipsticks, but wanted to store them upside down. This sounds perfect. Thanks again for sharing.
I love this question!
For my brushes, I use $2 Skurar candle holders from Ikea. I use Oui Yogurt glass jars (with label removed) for eye and lip liners.
This next one qualifies as short-term storage: I use a small decorative china plate for my RCMA powder because it’s impossible to use the powder straight from the container. If there’s any leftover powder (and there usually is), I cover the plate to use the next day.
I have several acrylic storage pieces made specifically for makeup, but I’m always looking for new and more creative solutions, so I’m looking forward to reading everyone else’s replies.
Cover the plate with another in the same size
I inherited a large Craftsman tool chest. Flip top, 2 sets of smaller pull drawers, three full size drawers beneath. Probably 36″ across. It’s far more useful than the large gun collection he also left. The guns paid for his burial, and the chest is just great for a ton of m/u. How you reframe everything.
My jewelry box is an antique tool chest, and I have another that I use for craft and sewing items.
Never thought about storing my makeup in them before, but that’s a great idea should I come across a deal on a third one!
This is going to sound silly, but for eye shadow singles like the UD compacts I like to use wine glasses. I don’t drink and I was given wine glasses for Christmas one year, so I just filled them with the sequins you get in Pat McGrath bags and drop eye shadow single compacts in. It looks cool on my vanity.
Love your idea! Imightjust copy you. I have a few singles I hardly use since I stored them in an Apple iPhone box but challenging to reach so I’ll do just that. I already have my eyeliners on top of my makeup shelves in pretty candle containers. :I do drink but very seldom. 🙂
I remember seeing someone having a wall trellis with small pots for tiny house plans, like succulents and so on. They used it for brush storage and I thought it was the neatest thing ever.
I use an ArtBin magnetic case for depotted colors. Craft stores sell them for needles and x-acto blades, but they also hold metal pans securely and regularly go on sale for $6.
I keep my makeup brushes closed up in a drawer rather than standing up in a cup on top of my table because I don’t want them to collect dust. Especially ones I don’t use very often.
Emily!
I love using letter holders for palettes, I’ve found 3 of these black, gothic wrought iron looking letter holders at Winners (Canada’s TJ Maxx), and I put all my blushes and highlighters in the tray boxes that came with my Nume hair wands. Works perfectly!
Great idea!!!! I might have to try it.
The only one I have is a baby chicken waterer base. I only raise babies every few years so I have used this base for storing my face sunscreen. It holds the small tubes upright and keeps them visible. After watching hours of Dr. Dray on Youtube, sunscreen is my number one skin care item.
I use glasses or coffee mugs I’ve picked up on travel as well as carnival glass tumblers (love the marigold color) for anything shaped like a pencil — eyeliners, eyebrow pencils, brushes, mascara, etc. Small glass votive candle holders for q-tips, cotton pads (cotton balls go in a glass), and hair do-dads like pins and elastics.
Everything else is more conventional (bins that hold eyeshadows singles and palettes, etc).
Because I do not have a traditional vanity to sit at (no space for one here), I sit on an old rolling office chair in front of my dresser. What may be considered non-traditional storage, I suppose, would be that my sock drawer slowly became my “eyeshadow palette drawer”? Now my socks have no home for this winter, ?!
Other than that, the only thing I use that I would perhaps call non-traditional is doing the glass tumbler thing for my liquid lipsticks, and then “borrowing” my son’s huge coffee mug that he left here, for more liquid lip products and such? Annnd, I am so TOAST if he reads this! ?
(I store most of my nail polishes in a large shoe box, but again, not so sure I’d call it non-traditional?)
I collect the tall shot glasses from places I’ve travelled, like Disneyland, Reno hotel, San Francisco – all cutely decorated – for holding brushes. Love how they keep memories alive each time I reach for one.
I have an empty box from Godiva chocolates (it’s several years old but it was rose gold, even then – ahead of the trend!). I use it to stand my eye pencils – liners and shadow sticks – and mascaras. It works well.
I like this idea. I use pretty chocolates boxes for storing jewelry. The dividers keep chains from tangling and earring pairs together.
I don’t think I have any “nontraditional” storage solutions. I put my brushes in coffee cups — does that count?
I had an ice cube tray (which made curved cubes) that perfectly fit MAC lipsticks upright so the labels are displayed. I also use a Poppin softie grip (desk accessory at a stationery store) for holding odd shaped lipsticks, brushes, and pencils. I bought that just for the color and wanted to make it work. I found that I could remove a support here and there to accommodate larger items, keeping them upright.
I love to reuse and repurpose stuff. For instance, I use the cleaned glass candle jars from B&B to put some small brushes, eye pencils, lip liners, the Nudestix pencils etc. I’ve been using these candle jars for storing cotton pads, cotton balls, cleaned beauty blenders, the q-tips for the eyeshadows (those with pointed tip). Also, they make great storage for my nail polishes that I classify by colour (best to use the opaque ones for storing nail polishes).
I’ve been also reusing some ornament tins from the Crabtree & Evelyn Holiday Edition; I keep in them the regular brushes. These tins are tall but not large so I keep in them no more than fixe-six eye brushes or two big, fluffy face brushes/tin.
I loved the design of the two Drunk Elephant Holiday boxes from last year so I decided to take out the plastic dividers and reuse them. I use one of them to put inside at the beginning of a new week the makeup products I intend to use during that week (i.e. blushes, highlighters, ES palettes, lippies) and in this way I try to rotate the products. In the other one I keep the samples or new purchases I need to try.
I store eyeliners, lip pencils, mascara and cosmetic brushes in vintage glass tumblers I pick up at flea markets and thrift stores. Specifically tumblers with cartoons/movies from my youth (The Muppets, E.T., The Flintstones). I’m also less likely accidentally break a glass using them in this manner.
I have a roll-top desk for a vanity. The cubbies are great for storing small palettes, plus there is a lot of drawer space.
I use Muji stackable PP drawer boxes meant for stationary and CDs. I liked the idea of plastic storage, because it can easily be washed and is often scalable. I worried the acrylic boxes would show scratches and, being transparent, would not help with the visual clutter. The CD drawers are a great depth for lippies and polishes and included dividers handy for separating by color.
I’ve been using vintage cigar boxes to store makeup. Different sizes work for different things. I also use an old Yankee Candle jar for brushes. And little baskets. It’s fun being creative with things I find and repurposing them for makeup storage.
I just use varying makeup bags…. one for my staples, one for lipsticks and 3 for eyeshadows.
Husky 6 drawer locking mechanics tool chest, helps lock 5yr old little hands out of my make up collection
The shelves I need to store stuff on aren’t very high so I’ve found things all over the place…Bed Bath and Beyond kitchen aisle- silverware trays, ice cube trays, small three drawer bakery storage for small Creme shadows, lipsticks, mascara, fancy glasses from Anthropology for brushes and pencils. The really good cosmetic holders are too big for my shelving.