How To: Makeup Inventory

This year I finally put in the work to actually create an inventory for all my makeup and body/skin care. Today I will be sharing my tips and screenshots of my inventory so you can use it as a guide. I am hoping to create a downloadable pdf template but I'm not good with excel and conversions so it isn't included in today's post. Hopefully one day!!

Tip #1
Store it all in one excel document but use labels. For my inventory I split it into various categories - eyes, face, lips. I also personally included a tally and products i've used up. I will attach a screenshot to better explain my layout a bit later on.

Tip #2
Use similar headings for each category so it is easier to track and familiar to you. The headings I chose were:
Brand
Category
Colour
Price
Size
Notes - e.g. if it is a sample size or to make note of how much i've used
Uses - this is just for a personal experiment as I wanted to see how many uses it would take to hit pan
Total for category - if you're interested in tracking an overall price as well as the individual price

Tip #3
If using up makeup is something you're interested in tracking, I suggest you list all the eyeshadow shades in palettes individually. This way you will feel more encouraged when you notice you hit pan on a shade or use it up. It also gives you greater insight to how many shadows you actually own as one palette could have 12, 9 or so on.

Here is a look at how I've laid my inventory out. I decided to colour code because I am a visual person.

Tip #4
Highlight products you have either
a) hit pan on
b) plan to use up
This helps to make them stand out amongst all the other products and makes it a lot easier to track.

Tip #5
Categorise items by brand. Especially if you have multiple lip products but they're all 'NYX'. I just find that it simplifies things by having it listed in the same area. It is personal preference though, as having it randomly could work just as well.

Tip #6
Have a tally with an overall count of how many products you own per category. It is one thing to list everything all out and see what you actually own, but a tally simplifies that and helps you see what you may own too many of or, where your collection is lacking. So for me, my tally tells me I own majority of eyeshadows and lip products. This information will help me put off buying those items or it could work in reverse and draw your attention to areas where you have room to purchase more products to try.

Tip #7
Do regular tally check ins. This is just really insightful to show you what products you use up the fastest or if you happen to be doing a project pan etc. it is encouraging to see the numbers for each category drop.

I have decided to go with 3 month check ins for my tally. But you could really do monthly or even three a year, its up to you!

Tip #8
Track the overall price of your entire makeup collection. This could be daunting, especially if your collection is on the large side. However, as you use products up you will physically be able to see that you are using your moneys worth.

Tip #9
Have a tab for used up/decluttered products. This is another personal preference but I find it interesting to track almost all aspects of my makeup collection. I enjoy taking note of what I'm using up and whether I've enjoyed the product. Including a decluttered section is also eye opening as it shows what products aren't your type and it can help guide future purchasing decisions.

By including the date of when you declutter items can help tell you when you last went through your collection. Doing this regularly, as well as the tally check in will encourage you to "shop your stash" or even be aware of what you own.