This Is the Space-Saving Makeup Organizer You NEED in Your Dorm

Dorm life is a notoriously unspacious way of living. Finding ways to optimize storage and keep your essentials tidy can be challenging, to say the least! 

In particular, keeping my makeup organized proved a *constant struggle* for me when I lived in the dorms, especially because I frequently needed to pack up to visit home or friends at different schools. Of course, it remained a challenge even after I moved off-campus and started living in a tiny bedroom with little storage space.

Organizing your makeup is definitely not as simple as tossing all of it in a cosmetics bag — you want to choose a makeup organizer that will make it easy to sort your face products from your eye products, and so on. This simplifies both your GRWM routine and your packing routine when you do need to grab and go. You also want a makeup organizer that’s easy to clean and that looks cute in your room! 

I asked two organizing experts — Renee Green Tate, founder of Savvy Sloth Strategies, and Jane Stoller, founder of Organized Jane — to weigh in on the best space-saving makeup organizers to have in your dorm. 

Tate is a big believer in investing in a utility cart on wheels to store your makeup. (You’re probably already familiar with the infamous IKEA NISSAFORS utility cart for $29.99, but there are plenty of other options out there, too.) There are a few reasons she thinks they’re so great.

One, Tate says a tiered, rolling cart is compact and mobile. Dorms are tight on space, but they’re even tighter on surface areas. Carrying around a makeup bag is convenient — until you have to empty out every last item to find your mascara that’s hiding at the bottom. “The cart can easily be moved wherever it’s needed — next to the bed for an accessible nighttime routine, or you can even wheel it to your best friend’s dorm and get ready together,” Tate says. 

They’re also typically budget-friendly, especially compared to other furniture items. “A rolling cart is like a dorm room MVP — it provides structure and convenience without taking up valuable space,” Tate says. Often for less than $40, you can buy an organizer that will last your entire time in the dorms and can continue to work in apartments and shared homes later. 

Stoller is also conscious of considering both convenience and space optimization when it comes to organizing your makeup. To find that sweet spot, she recommends storing your makeup in an over-the-door hanging organizer like the ones typically used for shoes (genius!). This way, you can organize each type of product in different pockets — brushes in one, eyeliners in another, and so on. 

Stoller says you can get these on Amazon. I recommend this mesh option for $13.99.

When you do your makeup at your desk or vanity in your dorm room, you need an aesthetic way to stack it all there. Green suggests this countertop makeup organizer that you can find on Amazon for $35.99. She says she loves this product because it provides an  organizing structure right on your dresser — no need for a full vanity or additional drawer space. Green says you can display all brushes and lipsticks vertically on the top tier and then use the individual drawers for each type of makeup product. 

The clear design also allows you to see what you own and know where everything is.

If you get ready in your dorm room, the products above probably make the most sense for you. But if you travel to your dorm bathroom when it’s time for your makeup routine, keep reading. 

Stoller suggests using a makeup caddy that you can easily carry to the bathroom and back. You can find lots of bathroom storage caddies out there, but Stoller specifically recommends getting a see-through one so you can keep track of the dirt buildup and clean it accordingly. This clear makeup caddy on Amazon is $24.99 and comes with a handle to make it easy to tote around.