Tips for sorting teen makeup mess

[Sunshineandgrapefruit]

So my young teen has got into haircare, skincare and makeup in a big way. She has far more products that is decent and/ or require for someone with wrinkle- free flawless skin and her dresser is covered with products that she 'needs'. I am picking my battles and her skin/ hair/ beauty regime is not a hill I am willing to die on. Having said that I would love to know if anyone has any hacks for helping to control or organise the mess. I have bought her a metal basket with holes in that stores her hairdryer/straighteners/ curlers) and she uses that. I have got her zip up soap bags for make up but it's forever spilling over. We have a basket for hair stuff but ditto. Always a tip..... I know it's a case of getting her to do a cull and checking she has put stuff away everyday but storage solution - wise has anyone found anything that helps?

Shutting their bedroom door and leaving them to it

Something like this - one drawer for each category e.g. lips, eyes, skincare, hair, etc? Whatever doesn’t fit in she has to cull? Easy to clean as plastic and looks cute next to her dressing table. https://www.ryman.co.uk/really-useful-box-11-x-7-litre-drawer?&utm_campaign=20526123551&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20526129509&gbraid=0AAAAADvShRz_tKI0kfiHcDAAKUVdN4KT1&gclid=CjwKCAiAt8bIBhBpEiwAzH1w6dI-6fYUXsCEmpMdytdlXFyXJy9FeTde58XH6EY2NDssKkpb3nlmcxoCRjMQAvD_BwE

I’m in the same position. DD seems to have a blind spot when it comes to putting lids back on which drives me mad, the carpet already has some marks on it. She has some plastic organiser trays and it all looks great when tidy but she has to be nagged to tidy it… meanwhile her desk is covered in bottles and can’t be used for homework.

Sorry no solutions, but sympathy!!

Perhaps remind her of the dangers of using stuff on her face that's been open too long so she does cull some?

I’ve seen some things on TikTok like a rotating shelf that goes on the dressing table for cosmetics. TK maxx have loads of great cosmetic storage containers too

Where does she get the money for all this?

My tip is leave her to the mess. Don't buy additional storage, it's just yet more stuff, absolutely ridiculous.

If you're happy with her using this stuff and the money spent on it and are mainly concerned about organisation, I'd go through everything with her and "triage":

(1) clean up any items leaking, leaked-on or otherwise dirty or messy. Make sure everything has its proper cap/lid on. Throw out anything expired or damaged/unrescue-able (e.g., shattered powder eyeshadows, liquids with missing lids unless they can go in a different container).

(2) identify anything she won't use and throw it away, donate it, or repurpose it so it's no longer part of her "stash".

(3) identify any unopened items (e.g., duplicates, backups) and if she expects to use them then make a list to keep handy so she knows what she has and doesn't buy more duplicates. Put them away out of sight until needed.

(4) Identify the items she actually uses at least daily and put them aside for a "priority" location e.g., on a countertop, desk, or dressing table. If she shares a bathroom, some may go in there and some in her room depending on when/how she uses them. The size of this stash and the space she has will determine how to hold/display this; there are lot of options available. You might also suggest/get her a suitably-sized pouch or little travel cosmetics/toiletries case for items she wants to carry with her, if she doesn't have one already.

(5) The remaining items are probably the hardest part! If there are seasonal items she won't use until spring, those can go away similar to step 3 (and then the cold weather stuff goes away when warm weather stuff comes out). Items like nail polish, perfumes, "festive" color cosmetics, etc. that she only uses occasionally can go in a drawer or closet/wardrobe if there's no room for them to be out, but make there she knows what she has and where it is - ideally clear storage where the items are visible.

(6) Limit the intake so she doesn't get overwhelmed again!! Assuming she's buying and paying for these things herself, introduce her to concepts like Project Pan or Use It Up! challenges so she gets some idea of moderate and responsible consumption of these kinds of items and the need to limit overconsumption and waste. If you're paying, institute a rule where something new gets bought only when its equivalent is used up and the packaging disposed of. Get anyone else (dad, older siblings, grandparents?) who might buy beauty items for her on board with this plan.

Thanks all. I will set aside time this weekend to make a start. Maybe once sorted and tidied it will be clearer what is needed to store. She spends packet money and birthday money and asks for things as gifts. Mostly home bargains etc.

Not sure op. My mother didn't respect my boundaries and was forever tidying, managing and rifling through my stuff. I left home at 18 and never went back.

It's your dd's room and it's her stuff. I'd leave her to it within hygiene/shit tip parameters. It's a phase and not a hill to die on.

DS is manically tidy at 31. Who'd have thought it. DD now 27 has outgrown the random cosmetics phase and now has: tinted moisturiser, lip gloss, mascara, etc. The special occasion stuff was culled years ago and lives in a separate makeup bag.

It is her room, and to an extent I see your point. She would be involved ( take the lead) in the tidying. We have a good relationship and she speaks her mind so if she wasn't comfortable with me doing this she would say. I am never going to shut the door and not venture into her room every though. She's 14 not 17 and her grandparents stay in her room on a regular basis so it needs to be in a state where getting it ready for them isn't a massive job.

With DD, I took her to the Range and we looked at the storage options and talked through what might help. We ended up with a storage trolley on wheels which is within grabbing distance of her when she’s sat at her dressing table (which was supposed to be her desk!) and that has the stuff on it that she doesn’t use daily. We tried a couple of sets of mini drawers but they were too much effort so we’ve gone for revolving tidy things instead and that is more successful as it’s almost as easy to put something down into that as it is to just put it straight down on the table. It is certainly easier than opening & closing a drawer! She also has a container which has kitchen roll in it. That way, if there is a spill, she can wipe or blot it up. She does now have a sort out of her room on a weekly basis and also knows how to use the carpet cleaner so, if she has spilt something and hasn’t dealt with it immediately, she can use that.
I’m not particularly tidy myself and so have learned over the years that whatever systems I put in place need to be something which doesn’t create too
many barriers, hence changing the mini drawers for a revolving open stand thing.