The Strategies

Take inventory. You can’t get rid of what you don’t need until you know it’s there. Francine was entirely unaware that she had acquired enough lotions and unopened makeup samples to gussy up every contestant in the Miss America pageant.

Edit the selection. Over-the-counter medicines and cosmetics past their expiration dates hogged precious drawer space. Francine tossed all expired items, along with everything she hadn’t used in the past year. (Go to www.realsimple.com/beautydates to find out the life spans of beauty products. A lipstick, for example, will last two to three years, while mascara should be thrown out after three to four months.)

Prioritize everyday items. The counter is now reserved for daily essentials, such as makeup basics and brushes, which are sorted on a small tray and easy to reach. Daily-use skin and hair products are accessible on a glass shelf below the mirror.

Hide and organize the rest. An under-the-sink organizer adjusts to fit around pipes and provides two shelves that hold metal CD-storage bins arranged by product type—hair care, first aid, and skin care. The deepest drawer houses additional hair supplies, like curlers, a hair dryer, and at-home highlighting kits. And thanks to a shallow acrylic tray with five compartments, the space-starved middle drawer stows and sorts special-occasion eye shadows, lipsticks, and nail polishes.

Beautify the space. Making the area pretty encourages Francine to keep it organized. Glass apothecary jars store bath salts, cotton balls, and cotton swabs. A lamp provides both a decorative and a functional touch, while a large oval mirror softens the space. Finally, photographs taken by her daughter personalize the room, and an orchid enlivens it.

The Ideas

Shelving: A simple glass shelf helps clear some counter space while keeping everyday essentials within easy reach. Under-the-sink shelving fits around pipes, maximizing storage possibilities in an awkward area.

Organizers: Bins, trays, and drawer dividers help sort all of Francine’s products so she can quickly locate everything from makeup brushes to medications.

Mirrors: Three mirrors create the illusion of more space. The magnifying mirror, which attaches easily to the wall with two screws, makes putting on makeup a breeze.

Lighting: A small lamp adds light where it’s needed without taking up too much valuable real estate.

Seating: A white terry-cloth boudoir chair gives the bath-room a spa-like feel. Another option: Slipcover an old chair.

The Gear

For details on the products used to organize Francine's bathroom vanity, see Six Products for Organizing the Bathroom Vanity.