Back-to-school season is almost here, and that means lots of students are preparing for their first year of college or moving to new room just like me. This September will be the first time I’ll be going to college and living in a dorm, but one question has been really nagging at me: How am I supposed to store all my beauty products?
Pinterest and Instagram have been my go-to places to generate some dormspiration. I’ve found quite a few fun ideas for how to add little accents in my room, but there’s less content out there on how to sort all the excess beauty products in such a small space. What I’ve come to learn is that organizing your room for the first time can feel tough, but with a positive mindset, the right products, and a Marie Kondo attitude, I can easily fit everything I need in this 130 square foot box. Read on to see how I’m making it happen, and how you can too.
Go minimal with your beauty stash
The first step to fitting all your beauty faves in a small space is to take everything out and inventory what you have you have. By seeing what you own, you can determine what products should be trashed, donated, gifted, recycled, or kept. For example, if you have doubles of a certain serum, you might be able to pour them into one larger bottle and save some space.
Then once that is taken care of, you can guesstimate how much storage you might need to fit everything in your room – whether that’s with a vanity tray on your desk or tucked away under you bed. But don’t think you’ll just be stuck with getting boring plastic drawers; your organization can still be Insta-worthy!
TL; DR on vanity trays
One piece of decor that can help contain your products but still make a gorgeous flatlay is a gorgeous tray. Trays come in a variety of styles and sizes, some for vanities and some for serving, but simply putting one on your desk to display your products will make it easy for you to see everything you own and give easy access as well.
Home Depot has quite the selection, such and I’m swooning for this Rose Gold Decorative Tray by Kate and Laurel ($54). It’s a decent size that would fit larger bottles for hair products or lotion. and has just enough width to add smaller products like perfume of nail polish.
Dorm room drawers
Another decor piece that I personally can’t live without are little drawers. I love giving all of my different product categories a specific home to make it easy for me to grab and go. I’m planning to have both a solid drawer set with cute little handles that I can set on a bedside table, plus a much larger set that can sit on the floor. Right now, I’m shopping this Transparent Cosmetic Storage Rack from Home Depot ($35) in case you need any inspo.
Chances are that once you’re in a dorm, whether you’re sharing a room or not, keeping your beauty belongings minimal and easily accessible will be a priority for your everyday routine. When all your products have a home (in a way that’s aesthetically pleasing at the same time), you can prevent the struggle of losing track of your products while also having super cute displays in your dorm room!