I Finally Tried This Fan-Favorite $12 Target Item, and I’m Mad I Waited So Long

My studio apartment is blessed with a lot of closet space, but that same generosity of storage does not apply to the bathroom. The building I live in was built in 1930, and while it has lots of Art Deco charm, the bathroom only has a medicine cabinet and a deep recess under the window for storage.

The recess’ depth can hold a lot of stuff, which is both a blessing and a curse. Blessing: Yay, stuff! Curse: Big, open area with no built-in way to keep it all organized and nice-looking. For years, I leaned into the “yay, stuff!” aspect and used a mishmash of old baskets and toiletry bags to contain all of it.

But I started to get embarrassed when people came over and could see the mess — and I also started buying duplicates of products without realizing I already had more that was buried underneath everything else. So I did one of my favorite activities: I searched for an organizer bin on Target’s website and sorted results by average ratings.

The 12″ x 12″ x 8″ Brightroom All Purpose Open Front Storage Bin popped right up, and as a bonus, was available for in-store pickup at my local store. I decided to get three because, you know, I have a lot of stuff — and for $12 each, the price was right.

Fast-forward to my now-organized shelf area, and the 1,638 positive reviews did not lie. These low-key transformed my bathroom, thanks to their generous size and ability to stack. I designated one bin for hair care items (curly hair is a full-time job), one for general skincare, and one for makeup, and popped one right on top of the other. The bins are clear and unobtrusive, and the large opening means I don’t need to lift them off of each other to access items stored near the back.

I threw out expired items and donated ones I won’t use as I organized, but as you can see, I was still left with … a lot. But now, they take up way less real estate, meaning my fiancé can actually see his dopp kit and deodorant. And turns out, actually having a system for where to place things makes them way easier to find.

Finding these fan-favorite bins gave me the kick in the pants I needed to finally get my bathroom in order, and I’m so glad I tried them out. Plus, I found my nail clipper! Wins all around!