11 Best Makeup Organizers 2024 | The Strategist

Where we ask stylish individuals with particular, exacting, or simply exceptional taste to tell us about the things they’re actually buying. Read more here.

Where we ask stylish individuals with particular, exacting, or simply exceptional taste to tell us about the things they’re actually buying. Read more here.

Beauty junkies know the feeling well: A new bronzer here or a fresh lipstick there may seem like small potatoes until the day your vanity is suddenly out of control. A good makeup organizer will help you manage your stash and prevent you from rebuying products you already have — or forgetting to use that barely touched mascara, cream blush, or brow gel until long after it’s expired. And if you travel a lot, a portable makeup organizer is a must for protecting your products from breakage and guarding your luggage against leaks or spills, according to Priyanka Ganjoo, founder and CEO of Kulfi Beauty: “I’ve learned this the hard way,” she warns.

Before you buy a makeup organizer, Jamie Hord, founder and CEO of Horderly, a home-organization service, suggests doing a bit of editing. “Corral all your makeup and get rid of anything old or that you no longer use,” she suggests. Then, decide where you’d like to store your makeup and take measurements of this space to make sure the organizer you choose will fit. Whether you’re looking for a makeup organizer meant for permanent display at home or one that’s easy to pack up and take on the road, the following list of standout picks from makeup artists, beauty enthusiasts, industry insiders, and decluttering experts will help steer you in the right direction.

Multiple sources we spoke to recommended Relavel’s makeup cases; Ganjoo discovered this roomy case five years ago and says everyone around her now has one. “It’s a Kulfi team favorite. Our whole staff feels the most organized while using this case because of the numerous slots it offers,” she explains. It works equally well at home or for travel — in addition to the moveable compartments, the water-resistant case boasts a trio of zippered pockets, a large mesh bag, and 12 slots for a variety of brushes, plus a protective plastic cover to keep it all safe. Makeup artist Lindsay Kastuk says she’s carried hers halfway around the world, and because it’s so well padded, “nothing’s ever broken.”

“We’ve been using this system for clients since we started Horderly in 2015,” says Hord of this durable acrylic organizer. The modular design adapts to the size and scope of any makeup collection. Ranging in price from $10 to $37 per piece, there are stackable trays for lipsticks and glosses, a palette divider, a brush and tool holder, and drawers with various dimensions. Though it’ll take a bit more planning to match each component to your space and the products you want to store in it, the result will be a fairly custom setup. Hord also points out that the system is easy on the eyes: “It has a beautiful aesthetic and the acrylic allows you to see what’s in it right away.”

For those who like storage containers that blend seamlessly into home décor, this stylish bamboo option fits the bill. Astrologer Adama Sesay purchased it when she moved into a new apartment and realized what a disorganized mess her “massive” makeup collection had become. “I picked this because I love the natural material of the bamboo, and it matches the wooden chest that it sits on top of,” she says. With multiple shelves and mini drawers, the organizer has space to house a healthy collection of tools and products in one place. “It allows me to see everything I have in order to easily create my beauty looks for videos and the content that I produce each day,” says Sesay.

According to shopping expert and former makeup artist Trae Bodge, the best makeup organizers “are flexible enough to suit my specific needs” and easy to clean “in case a product spills or if pencil shavings accumulate inside.” Not only does this one feature eight adjustable partitions that you can move around however you want (horizontally, diagonally, vertically) but you can also toss it in the dishwasher. The versatile size and shape are also appealing. “It’s low profile enough to sit inside most drawers, but it also comes with a lid so I can put it on a vanity or take it with me when I’m headed off to an in-studio TV segment,” Bodge says.

This simple yet chic zippered case helps to ease packing angst, which is why it’s a favorite makeup bag among professional makeup artists. “The small size is perfect for carry-on luggage — it holds plenty without taking up too much space,” says makeup artist Leah Elliston, adding that the organizer has a section with room for a few travel-size brushes and pencils, and the body of the case fits eye-shadow quads, compacts, “and basically anything that’s not a liquid or gel.”

Kastuk recommends these stackable clear bins with drawers for holding makeup or skin-care products that you aren’t using on a daily basis, meaning they can be tucked away under a bathroom sink or atop a high shelf. The clear acrylic material is easy to clean and allows you to see what’s inside at a glance. She uses hers to store sheet masks, cotton pads, and other products that she bulk-purchases to stock up on. “They’re not too big and they look fairly nice. They’re easy to pick up and move around too,” Kastuk reports.

To keep makeup organized when storing it in drawers, Strategist writer Ambar Pardilla is a fan of STORi containers. “They’re easy to clean and make it easy to quickly find what you need,” Pardilla writes in our guide to the best drawer organizers. This set of six includes different sizes to hold makeup brushes, cotton swabs, blending sponges, and more. The set has also earned a stamp of approval from Lisa Ruff, chief brand officer at Neat Method, who likes that the trays are stackable and ​​“the transparent material visually falls away to help tone down the business of the drawers,” she says.

In a tiny bathroom with no below-the-sink cabinets, this hanging bag (from the same brand that makes our top-pick jewelry organizer) is great for keeping things neat and out of the way. Hord loves that it’s also easy to travel with. Stuff the mesh inner pockets with slimmer items like glosses, liners, and mascaras. Use the larger sections for bulkier items like liquid bronzers, loose powders, and setting sprays. The organizer also comes with a clear inner bag that is conveniently removable if you want to take a subset of products with you for the day or need to separate liquids for inspection by the TSA.

At $100, this vanity case is a splurge, but Strategist writer Brenley Goertzen vouches that it’s worth the high price tag. Goertzen says she can fit roughly 42 products, including her perfumes and medication, within its sturdy, seven-compartment divider insert with room to spare. It’s decreased her get-ready time “by at least ten minutes” and has allowed her to take her entire beauty regime “from my bathroom at home to gym locker rooms, on road trips, and even across international borders,” she says. She also appreciates the bag’s smooth vegan leather and gold hardware that look quite attractive when left out on the counter.

“I like to be able to reduce the weight and size of my makeup inventory as much as possible and this empty palette case allows me to do exactly that,” says Sebastien Tardif, celebrity makeup artist and co-founder of Veil Cosmetics. If you too are a less-is-more type, you’ll appreciate the freedom the lightweight, streamlined case provides. It features ten slots for your most-used lip colors and cream cosmetics, so it’s ideal for tightly curated makeup stashes, small spaces, or traveling with a capsule makeup collection. Tardif gives it bonus points for efficiency. As he explains: “It’s much faster to spot the product and color needed as opposed to opening up a bunch of lipstick tubes or blush sticks — everything is in the tiny palette.”

If you need an organizer with room for multiple makeup hauls, StyleSeat expert Manuel Espinoza recommends this rolling chest of drawers that he says is “a staple in almost every makeup guru’s home.” It’s available in black or white, and comes with casters that make it easy to move to different rooms or closer to natural light. Espinoza keeps his exactly where you’d expect: “In my glam room.”

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