Latest Obsession – Kit Organization

Are you a makeup artist? Enthusiast? Neat freak?

Lately, I have been obsessed with checking out Instagram profiles specializing in either makeup kit condensing, reorganizing, minimizing, or the companies who carry the products to help us get there. There are so many, and I fear I may have only scratched the surface at this point.

Why would anyone condense their kit? Well, for starters, kits can get super heavy. My kit grew pretty extensively several years ago. A cross-country flight necessitated me to condense it to carry it on the plane with me. I loved the portability, so I carried my kit in a backpack for a few years. A little extra this, a little extra that, and my kit is pretty large again. It’s organized fairly well, but it sure is heavy.

The nice thing about the case I am using now is that it holds everything. I can carry brushes, paper towels, mirrors, lashes, etc., in this bag. Currently, I have this Burton bag. I love that both sides zip closed, and there’s a compartment at the top that’s easy to grab things from. I keep mostly skincare, finishing sprays, micellar water – things like that in the top. The bag rolls smoothly and is a beast. Quite Rugged. My cat, unfortunately, thinks it’s a scratching post, but so far, it doesn’t show any signs of that.

I do have a smaller, more portable bag I can bring with me when I want to carry less, or perhaps the venue doesn’t allow me to bring everything along (climbing a flight of steps). I discovered Baboon to the Moon bags, and these are great as they can be carried a number of ways, are soft-sided, and the colors and patterns are so fun! I have a Small and Mini bag from them and will be carrying them on my upcoming Vegas trip!

Kit condensing can include things like depotting lipsticks into smaller, portable palettes, so you’re not lugging around 24 different lipsticks. Depotting will allow you to hold those 24 shades in the palm of your hand. The project I am most looking forward to is transferring liquid foundations from large RCMA pump bottles to small, portable, and lightweight containers I found from The Kit Pak. I also purchased several of their small, magnetic palettes and am rehoming some of my best bridal makeup eyeshadows from Viseart in these.

Kit condensing might also include removing older or unloved items – making sure your mascara is fresh, skin care isn’t expired, or lip glosses haven’t gone south. Or maybe there’s a blush or another product you just don’t find yourself loving anymore. That’s OK – just get it out of your kit. It will save you weight and sanity when you’re quickly scanning your items when working on a bride or other client.

Some of this is easier said than done. I sometimes think “what if” when I am packing up my kit, and I tend to overpack. At the end of the day, I need to remember which products work best for me and my brides. Which ones are multi-use like this palette from Danessa Myricks, and which things can’t be left behind, like brushes!

So what about you? Are you a kit minimalist or maximalist? I would love to hear about your kit!

(I do not and have not received any compensation for featuring the products in this post. These were all purchased by me; nothing was gifted.)

Here’s an older pic of my kit, all set up and ready to go! Photo by Me.