How to Feng Shui Your Vanity
Feng Shui Content Creator and Consultant Edith Wu has quickly become one of our favorite experts to turn to for finding balance and changing the chi (energy) within our everyday lives. With the new year just around the corner, we were eager to enlist her help in resetting one of our most used—if not most sacred—spaces.
After all: our vanities, wherever they may be in our homes, are more than just a place of purpose. Optimizing its functionality is a plus, of course, but energetically, it represents how we feel when we start, reset, or unwind in our day. Edith helps us find our center in this space; ahead are her best tips, insights, and words of wisdom on how to incorporate Feng Shui into this part of your everyday routine.
What is Feng Shui? How can it be impactful when incorporated into our everyday rituals?
Feng Shui in literal translation is "Wind and Water" in Mandarin. It started as an ancient Chinese study about how the direction of the sun, wind, water, and landscape would be most habitable for humans to settle in to build towns and villages (with no technology). Through thousands of years of observing human tendencies/behavioral patterns with "things" around us, Feng Shui has evolved to provide guidance on how to orient ourselves to best capture success/prosperity in life through our surroundings.
Think: when people say "dress for the job you want," it’s “live in the kind of prosperity you want to attract subconsciously" in this case.
Most people tend to get ready in their bathrooms, but is there another area that would be ideal for starting their day?
Self-care and taking care of your appearance is the first step to attracting good "relationship" Feng Shui (not just in romantic relationships, but platonic and business ones, too. Bathrooms are certainly a great area to get ready; however, from a Feng Shui perspective, try not to keep too many half-used or new products in the bathroom because the moisture in the air can make the products go bad quickly.
A vanity space in your bedroom or closet (if you have the space) would be great. Be sure the mirror on the vanity doesn't aim directly at the door (drawing straight dotted lines from the sides of the mirror), or directly at the bed, or else it can cause poor sleep or relationship conflicts long-term. Mirrors are acceptable on the sides of the bed as long as it is not directly aimed at it. If there is no way to solve this due to space constraints, covering the mirror while you sleep is a workaround.
Our vanity tabletops are often a reflection of what we reach for every day and what we’re most inspired by, aesthetically. In terms of Feng Shui, what should we keep out, and what should we put away?
Feng Shui cares greatly about keeping the "chi/energy" alive around every corner of your home. Clutter, broken, unused things can all bring stale energy to a person's life cumulatively. The more stale things you have out, the worse it gets, and clutter equals decision fatigue.
That said, streamline the things you use often and neatly display/keep on your vanity table. For things you use for special occasions neatly organizing and storing them away will do. Be sure to periodically de-clutter and do inventory checks so you are not hoarding secretly and collecting dust!
Tip from the Orcé team:
To promote your products’ longevity, store makeup, tools, and fragrance in cool, dry places away from the sun and moisture wherever possible. You also want to do as Edith says and toss out anything old (i.e.: expired).
How would you recommend strategically organizing your vanity or beauty items according to Feng Shui?
While sitting down facing your vanity, sort the following items starting from the left-hand side to the center: perfume, makeup brushes/tools, lotions and potions. On your right-hand side should be your makeup items neatly displayed.
Not everything needs to be out; the above just applies to whatever items you have on display.
Pro tip: to attract good relationship Feng Shui, you can add a pink crystal for "popularity,” amethyst for wisdom, white/clear crystal for overall prosperity—whatever you prefer for that Feng Shui boost!
What is the significance of the placement?
When sitting down and facing your vanity…
Left Dragon refers to your left-hand side, which represents “male energy” (i.e.: hunting/the external. The dragon prefers movement, sound, water, and cleanliness.
Right Tiger is your right-hand side, which represents “female energy” (i.e.: collect/observe/internal). The tiger prefers not much movement or sound, and can tolerate a little bit of clutter. (Trash cans usually should go on the right side.)
For more Feng Shui tips, follow Edith on TikTok and Instagram.