As a Beauty Editor With Hundreds of Products, This Is How I Declutter for the New Year

Post Christmas, my bathroom passed the point of no return. Having worked in fashion and beauty for the past decade, I’ve accumulated a lot of stuff—but at some point, I stopped bothering to curate it. Capsule wardrobe, who? Really, I could barely see my bathroom counter for skincare samples and tubes of lipstick. So when January hit, I made it one of my New Year's resolutions to declutter, starting with my beauty stash.

To get a handle on where to begin, I consulted the experts. "It isn't really about having fewer products, it’s about making your daily routine easier and more enjoyable," says CPD-certified, professional decluttering and organisation expert, Rebecca Coombs. "When drawers are overflowing, you end up buying duplicates, forgetting what you already own, and feeling overwhelmed every time you get ready. Beauty products expire, formulas change, and old items can irritate your skin. But mentally, a cluttered stash creates decision fatigue. A streamlined beauty stash means you can actually see and use what you love, rather than wasting time digging around looking for something and getting stressed when you can’t find it."

Ahead: tips for auditing your beauty collection, and actually keeping it streamlined moving forward.

Step one: Take an audit of your beauty stash

Coombs recommends taking everything out first—yes, everything. "Drawer-by-drawer audits don’t give you the full picture. Lay it all out on a towel on a clear surface so you can see exactly how much you own," she says. "Most people are shocked at this stage, and that’s not a bad thing; awareness is key and makes it so much easier to make editing decisions."

Whilst emptying, she recommends grouping products into categories. For example, skincare, base makeup, eyes, lips, hair, tools, samples... "This immediately highlights duplicates and overbuying habits (three identical mascaras are very common!) Once it’s grouped, check expiry dates and condition. If it smells off, looks separated, or you genuinely can’t remember the last time you used it, that’s useful information. The audit is all about understanding what you actually like and use versus what you aspirationally keep."

Step two: Decide what to keep and what to throw

Here, the expert recommends thinking about your everyday habits and asking yourself: "Do I use this regularly? Does it suit my skin now? Would I buy it again today?" If the answer is no, it's probably not earning its place.

"Expired products should go immediately, and anything that irritates your skin or doesn’t perform the way you hoped, should also be let go... Even if it was expensive. Holding onto something out of guilt doesn’t suddenly make it useful. Duplicates are another big one. You don’t need five foundations 'just in case'. Keep the one or two you genuinely reach for. For unopened backups, be realistic about whether you’ll get to them before they expire. If it makes it easier to part with, there are plenty of charities that will take unused products for women and men in need."

Step three: Invest in meaningful organisation systems

After the decluttering comes the fun part: organisation. After much trial and error, I discovered Stackers—the OG organisation brand, which sells a wealth of functional make-up and skincare organisers.

"Using a beauty organiser can help to ensure products are kept upright, which is essential to make certain products like foundations and mascaras last longer," Chloe Pestell, company director of Stackers, tells Marie Claire UK. "Plus, if everything has its place, you can easily keep track of your products to stop you accidentally re-buying before you need to. The best beauty organisers will have compartments to help you segment products, as well as a wipeable lining to make it easier to clean and reset every so often."

I was able to finally clear my countertops with their Rotating Cosmetic Caddy, Deep Make-Up Drawers and Supersize Make-Up Organisers. They make it so easy to see everything at a glance, and the spacing is intuitive, meaning you can order your products from most to least used.

But it's also important to display your most cherished items. For me, that's my prized skincare and fragrance. For this, I found the most effective (and visually appealing) setup was a couple of Addison Ross' gorgeous lacquered trays. I'm particularly partial to their Faux Tortoiseshell one, and use their smaller, scalloped versions for my current skincare lineup, as they're easy to wipe clean.

Step four: Categorise correctly

So, you've got your organisation system, but now you need to categorise it effectively. Coombs recommends storing products close to where you use them. Everyday make-up should be easy to grab, ideally in one drawer or container. Skincare works best grouped together and arranged by step (cleanse, treat, moisturise), which makes routines faster and more intuitive. She adds: "Avoid placing products on top of each other; if you can’t see it, you won’t use it, so I suggest filing items if you have lots and the drawer depth."

Smaller containers within drawers can be helpful to keep categories separate, and backups and occasional items should be slightly out of the prime zone, so they don't crowd daily essentials. Finally, she notes, keep a little breathing room. "An overfilled drawer will never stay organised. The goal is a setup that’s easy to maintain, not picture-perfect—something that works even on busy mornings when you’re rushing out the door."