Hailed by Davina McCall as "the Marie Kondo of Britain", Lucy Mansey has worked with a number of celebrities and clients to restore calm to their spaces.
"Beauty products should be just that, a thing of beauty, not items that clutter up your surfaces," Lucy told us.
As one of the UK’s leading home organisational experts, Lucy (@organisedbylucy on instagram) gives her 10 top tips on products to help keep items categorised and contained. Even if you haven't got a glam room like the A-listers, here's how to store your makeup, skincare, hair tools and so much more.
Lucy Mansey photographed by Wishes & Wellies
Lucy told us: "For me, it's about simplicity - ask yourself 'what systems can I put in place to make my life easier?' The storage market is mind boggling, but I live and breathe all things organisation, so here are my go to products that will help, categorise, contain and ultimately simplify that all important beauty area."
1. The Makeup Carousel
"My number one rule is if you see something you will use it, and this beautiful carousel from Idesign does just that. It is compartmentalised, so you can store multiple items of make up from eyeliners, to mascara to foundation, and it all fits neatly on a dressing table or bathroom surface. I’ve used these with elite makeup artist Hannah Martin, and also in the lovely Emily Blackwell’s house where all products were easily accessible."
2. Hiding The Ugly
"Sometimes beauty products can cause eye clutter, so it is important to ‘hide the ugly’. This clever rattan basket is stylish, yet large enough to hold multiple products. I have used these with clients before to store hair products, brushes and hair accessories. You can even mount them on the wall to utilise that oh so precious vertical space!"
3. Wooden Turntable For Storing Products
"I would recommend only having products you use daily out on a surface. Others can be stored in cupboards, or under the sink. This allows for less clutter and ultimately makes it easier to clean. These turntables look so beautiful on any surface, and are surprisingly spacious if you do have a lot of hair, beauty and skin products. I used this for Sophie Habboo on her main dressing table, so it was easy for her to find her daily essentials."
4. Hairbands Holder
"Another one of my favourites for storing hairbands and accessories is this clever multifunctional product from Amazon - not only can the hairbands wrap around the outside, the centre can be used to house brushes and clips. Its compact nature means it fits on most surfaces and looks smart too."
5. Baskets
"I use these stylish Dunelm baskets in a multitude of areas throughout the home, from kitchens to playrooms, but more recently they have come in handy when storing ‘back stock’ beauty products. So your extra shampoo, conditioner and creams can all be tucked away neatly into cupboards or under the sink!"
6. Cleansing Station
"Creating a cleansing station never looked so good, and at such a great price! I have used these cute tealight holders from Ikea to store reusable face wipes, cotton buds and even flannels. They can be placed in a bathroom cabinet or even next to the tap for easy access."
7. Stack And Slide Organisers
"These stack and slide drawer organisers are amazing at compartmentalising lipsticks, eyebrow pencils, tools like eyelash curlers, tweezers etc. They not only fit beautifully into most drawer spaces, they can also stack, allowing for doubling the storage space. I used these in Angela Scanlon’s bathroom as she has lots of drawers and we wanted to ensure items were kept off the surfaces."
8. Beauty In The Bathroom
"Often, bathrooms can get quite cluttered with the amount of products you have, so I always like to contain them. In the bath or shower I often use these waterproof, yet stylish containers to house all the shampoo, conditioner, body wash etc. Its compact nature also means it can live on the side of the bath."
9. Travel Time
"I find that when it comes to storing beauty products whilst travelling, these clear bags are invaluable! You can even categorise all your items (sun creams and aftersun/makeup/daily moisturiser) by using the three bags available. Another handy element is if you’ve just got hand luggage, you can see everything that’s inside!"
10. Brush Holders
"Organisational products should bring you as much joy as the end result, which is why I always try and choose elegant pieces that also serve a purpose. This beautiful brush holder can categorise brushes into face, eye and cheek whilst still looking stylish."
Follow Lucy on Instagram @organisedbylucy.
NOW SHOP
10 stylish home storage boxes that you’ll actually want on display
