When Kim Kardashian showed off her banks of clear acrylic make-up storage on Keeping Up with the Kardashians, make-up addicts around the world felt deeply envious. Her display of high-quality cosmetics was an eye-catching focal point and also eminently practical. She needs good storage: she wears more make-up on a Saturday night than most of us might get through in a year.
Acrylic make-up storage is very attractive to those of us with lots of products, because not only is everything tidy, it is also easy to see at a glance where all your cosmetic treasures are stored. If you like this contemporary look but don’t want to pay the Kardashian price, Muji have lots of stackable, clear storage options
Muji, with its clean lines, has been a go-to brand for those who love contemporary storage. In Ireland its best sellers are the Acrylic 2 (€24.95) and five-drawer (€42.95) storage boxes, while Acrylic pen pots (€4), which hold brushes and other bits and bobs, are also very popular.
If you equate cosmetics with clutter and would prefer not to see your stash, there are lots of options. Stackable cardboard boxes in a variety of colours can become accent points to enhance your decor and will hide a multitude of sins. Try stacking them on open shelving and sticking Polaroids of the contents on the outside so you can instantly identify what's inside. You can pick up nice examples of this kind of box anywhere from Dunnes to Avoca.
Ikea is the king of storage and has many options for keeping clutter out of sight. The six-drawer Helmer unit (€30) is ostensibly a filing cabinet but has been hijacked by nail-varnish collectors to become something of a cult item. It holds about 500 bottles of polish, and, as it is slim, it can fit into awkward corners and under tables.
I’ve seen it customised in inventive ways with different handles or stencils, and used to create the legs of a make-up table. Two units, used as legs, with a sheet of glass-topped MDF and a pretty mirror on top mean that you have a stylish, practical make-up table for less than €100.
If you need to carry your supplies around with you, try investing in a sturdy make-up carry case that opens up in a toolbox fashion. You could do worse than flicking through the Argos catalogue if this is the type of portable storage you need.
The key is flexibility and choosing the right storage for you. I’ve got a mixture of styles, from drawers built into my wardrobes, to acrylic containers and everything in between. The centre of my make-up table lifts up so that I can access frequently used items, and it closes to instantly tidy the room. I’m constantly adding to my storage solutions; my most recent purchase was a free-standing, full-length mirror that opens to reveal more storage space.
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THE PRODUCTS
Kardashian acrylic lucite clear cube organiser , £119 at Amazon
Contemporary with clean lines and available in different unit types. If you really want to make an impression, use backlights.
Muji five-drawer €42.95
The best-selling five-drawer acrylic storage boxes will display your blushers and eye-shadow palettes to their full advantage.
Ikea Godmorgon boxes with lids, five-piece €15
Prefer to keep everything hidden away? Try slotting these acrylic cubes into your bedside or bathroom cabinet to keep everything tidy and organised.
Umbra Little Black Dress €42 at Debenhams
Really stuck for space? This door-hanging, two-sided storage solution with clear pockets provides a touch of girly quirkiness.
AISLING LOVES . . .
Homestore and More acrylic organisers From €1.99
Prices start at €1.99 for lipstick holders, and go up to €59.99 for a large three-drawer unit. All the pieces are stackable. Mix and match to create a customised storage solution.
