Hoarder Special: Makeup And Toiletries Bags

Makeup and Toiletries Bag Collection

Okay, by now, if you’ve followed BA long enough, you’d know that I’m a collector of things. I envy those who lead the minimalism lifestyle but I know me. I’m the sort of person who just needs STUFF around her. I always have, and I most likely always will need to have lots of stuff around me.

On top of the collection of makeup, skincare, stationery, notebooks, bags and more, I have another confession to make. There’s another category of items that I hoard like nobody’s business, and that’s makeup and toiletries bags.

The funny thing is, I don’t actually use a makeup bag to put makeup in there. My makeup bag in my everyday bag contains only one item of makeup, and that’s lipstick. Everything else is generic-but-essential-in-case-I-need-them items like a foldable hairbrush, lipbalm, hand sanitiser, tiny vial of perfume, facial blotters, etc. So it begs the question, why the heck do I need that many makeup bags when I don’t even bring makeup out with me?

Beats the hell out of me, I tell ya. 😛

Makeup and Toiletries Bag Collection

Like a moth to a flame or a magpie to shiny objects, I’m drawn to makeup bags. Or cosmetic pouches, however you like to put it. I see a cute one, I buy it. I see a pretty one, I buy it. It’s a ridiculous and expensive habit that I can’t seem to shake off. I know, #firstworldproblems. Tsk tsk. 😛 Toiletries bag is another weakness of mine, especially the ones with plenty of compartments.

It was a lot of fun taking all of my makeup bags, cosmetic pouches and toiletries bags to photograph for this blog post. But it’s scary too because it made me realise just how many of these I have collected over the years. I actually have more than these but I’ve Mari-Kondo-ed about half of my collection. Even though I’ve given away half of my makeup bags, I still have that many left so you can imagine just how many of these I actually had. To be fair, some of them were gifts and I don’t like giving away gifts that were given to me. As for the rest, they were gifts with purchase and boy, do they stack up after a while!

Makeup and Toiletries Bag Collection

My favourite makeup bag at the moment is the one I’m using in my bag, which is from Monpurse. It’s also by far the fanciest makeup bag I’ve ever had as this is the first time I’m using a proper leather makeup bag when before it was always polyester makeup bags. Another one I like and use a lot is a Longchamp cosmetics pouch that was a gift from a dear friend. I also like the one I got from Tintamar many years ago, which I used so much till it’s grotty (the stains wouldn’t fade even after washing it several times). As for my favourite toiletries bag, it will have to be the one orange and brown floral one I got from Priceline. It’s very Orla Kiely but without the Orla Kiely price tag.

Makeup and Toiletries Bag Collection

There were some that I thought I’d really like but ended up not using. The Mecca Cosmetica Jet Set bag was gorgeous and good to use at first but for some reason, the zip became really tight and it became a chore just opening the bag. The blue Kathmandu toiletries bag with the pretty damask design looked good on the outside and even has a good number of compartments but after using it on one of my travels, I realised that it cannot hold anything too heavy or else it’ll wear the bag down quickly.

Sigh … what can I say? I guess I really like my makeup bags. Even when I don’t actually keep makeup in them. 😛

Tell me I’m not the only one who has a problem hoarding makeup and toiletries bags. Do you collect them too?

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8 comments… add one
  1. Amy

    Have you tried running a graphite pencil on the zipper teeth of the Mecca Jet Set Bag? I tested it before on my clothes whose zipper doesn’t close well.

    I have too lots of makeup bags including the small make up bags you receive as gift with purchase. Once I was obsessed with Sportsgirl 2 zippers beauty bag.
    I tried to find other uses for my makeup bags like:
    1. packing sanitary pads or panties during travel (I don’t like the idea of custom officer opening my luggage and finding my private things hanging around…)
    2. pack my mobile powerbank charger and cords when on the go
    3. my emergency necessities (like band aids, panadol, mini sewing kit/safety pins, vaseline, blisters band-aids, small nail filer)
    4. pack my spare travel containers or recycled sample beauty travel bottles in 1 place
    5. big make up bag to store any favourite skincare of mine as back up.
    6. store my nail polishes and nail accessories (away from sunlight and high temperatures) – as if I leave nail polishes in the open in my bedroom, they will stink my bedroom and I have a sensitive nose. The additional pockets inside can store my nail stickers for french manucure or fancy 3D nail stickers.
    7. store all the small hotel soaps, mouthwash, shower caps, shampoo, conditioners, body wash and toothpastes I may have stolen from hotels or dentist as well as all the beauty samples I get from visiting Asian beauty stores especially South korean ones which give me lots of samples with my purchases..Hum Hum

    1. Tine

      Oh yeah I forgot about using a graphite pencil on the zip! Thanks for the reminder, Amy!

      Haha those are great uses for spare makeup bags. I pretty much do the same as you. My makeup bags are stored like Russian nesting dolls; small bag goes into medium bag that goes into big bag and so on. I use on to store all of the small items I take from hotels too. 😛

  2. Catherine

    You know, I am in late 30s and still using my toiletry bag my mother gave me when I was 12! A bit torn in the lining, but still fits my travel essentials

    1. Tine

      Aww that’s so cool! I don’t think I have any of the makeup bags my mum gave me anymore, at least, not here in Australia. I still have some back in my parents’ home in Malaysia. I guess I got the habit of hoarding makeup bags from her. Man, my mum had so many when I was growing up, all GWPs. 😛

  3. Shamim de Varax

    bounce me that mecca bag if you aren’t using it =D please xx

    1. Tine

      Hahaha I’ll give the graphite pencil on the zip trick a go first. If I’m still not using it, it’s yours. 😛

  4. Jane

    I feel your pain with the Mecca one – same happened to me. I keep overlooking it and using others – I know I should love it (transparent!! Rose Gold Zips!!) but somehow it just doesn’t hit the spot. I have pouches of every conceivable size and shape and I really use them when I travel as NOTHING but ABSOLUTELY NOTHING can go in the suitcase unless it is in a pouch. Thus, I can lay my hands on whatever I want in an instant as there’s a pouch for make-up, a pouch for skincare, a pouch for a hair stuff (hair ties etc), a pouch for nail stuff (files, clippers etc), a pouch for EVERYTHING!! The size of pouch I use is determined by the amount of stuff I want to fit into it. This system works really well for me!

    1. Tine

      I know right? I really thought I would love the Mecca bag too but damn, the zips are hard to work.
      OMG me too! Everything I have must go into pouches when I travel. Clothes into packing cells, other items into specific pouches. Nothing is left on its own in the luggage. It’s a very good system. 😀

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