Organized Jewelry and Cosmetics | 30 Days to Less of a Hot Mess

Let’s do an easy challenge today, okay?

No decluttering whole rooms or cleaning out the fridge. Whew! I don’t know about you, but this challenge has been great, though I’m starting to look longingly toward February 1.

(And if you’re doing this challenge in real time with me, bravo!! And if not, good for you, because these tasks should probably take more like 6 months than 1 month. Ha!)

Welcome to the 30 Days to Less of a Hot Mess Challenge! We’re clearing clutter, getting organized and letting some fresh air into a home we love. New here? You may want to begin at the start. Affiliate links are included for your convenience.

Today we’re tackling the jewelry and makeup. It’s all pretty straightforward and simple, so let’s dive right in!

The same “rules” apply to this challenge as to every other one.

Remove everything from the drawer, organizer or storage space.
As you hold each item, ask yourself: “Do I love this?” and “Do I use this?”
For cosmetics, ask yourself another question: “Is this expired?” Here’s an article on how to check cosmetics expiration dates.
Put back everything you want to keep! Organize it in a way that makes sense for your space and your life.

How to Organize Your Jewelry and Cosmetics | 30 Days to Less of a Hot Mess

Declutter & Organize Your Jewelry

I personally don’t wear much jewelry. I keep a few necklaces and earrings on display in my closet. I bought this vertical wall display years ago on Etsy. It’s basically a piece of sturdy foam core in a frame, with push pins. Simple! It could easily be a DIY project. Or you can browse Etsy, because they have a ton of similar, cute jewelry organizers.

I love, love, love having my jewelry hanging on the wall so I can see it all! If you have the space, I highly recommend it. Nothing gets tangled, and it’s easy to see what you have.

This is the before shot…

Sorry about the terrible lighting. I much prefer natural light photos to closet photos.

I went into this little challenge thinking I wasn’t going to change much. I figured I might just hang my necklaces in a more organized order. So I took everything off and was amazed by how many lonely earrings I had that had lost their partners. I had several necklaces I had never worn or hadn’t worn in years!

It’s so nice now to have only the necklaces and earrings I DO wear hanging on my wall. Yay!

My assistant, Emily, went through her jewelry drawer and got rid of a ton of stuff. She picked up some organizers at TJ Maxx, but you can find these everywhere, like Target (white bins), The Container Store (clear bins) and Amazon (gray bins).

The before situation…

She had everything in there, plus her jewelry!

And now it’s all organized, easy to find and full of things she wears all the time.

This is a great time to use pretty bowls or containers you already have. Grab a few bowls and fill them with jewelry in your drawer. You’ll smile every time you open it!

ALSO READ: Distressed Industrial DIY Jewelry Organizer

And she made these hooks in about 5 minutes to hang on her closet wall for her necklaces. They’re tucked right next to the door because a mirror is going beside it.

Declutter & Organize Your Cosmetics

My own cosmetics were already in good shape. I overhauled all my makeup last summer when I switched to BeautyCounter. (Watch this video if you’re interested in why I switched.) So I got rid of everything from other brands, which meant anything expired was gone, too.

Everything I use fits in my little canvas bag, which I keep in my bathroom drawer. There’s nothing in there I don’t use. I don’t keep my makeup organized in a drawer, because half the time I’m grabbing it while running out the door. I’m often found applying makeup in the preschool parking lot. Or in the passenger seat of my car while my husband drives. So it has to be mobile at all times.

My friend Emily, on the other hand, keeps hers in her drawer, and she decluttered and organized it for us! I love that she used the same bins she uses in her jewelry drawer mentioned above.

This is the before situation.