What is the TikTok drawstring makeup bag—and is it actually efficient?

If you’ve been anywhere near the beauty corners of the internet lately, chances are you’ve stumbled upon a suspiciously shapeless nylon sack being hailed as the holy grail of cosmetic storage. It’s called the drawstring makeup bag, and yes, it’s having a bit of a moment. But before you toss your Glossier pouch into oblivion, let’s unpack (literally and figuratively) what this circular carryall really brings to the table.

At first glance, the TikTok-famous drawstring makeup bag looks like a makeup pouch masquerading as a flying saucer. Circular in shape, it opens completely flat when uncinched, giving you full view—and access—to every beauty product you haphazardly threw in five minutes before rushing out the door. When it’s time to go, a quick tug of the drawstring transforms it into a portable burrito of bronzers, blush, and chaos. It’s marketed as “lazy-girl friendly,” but really, it’s a Trojan horse for Type A fantasies. No zippers. No compartments. Just dump, spread, grab, and go!
 

It’s an instant sell—finally, a way to avoid digging through a bottomless pouch for a single tube of mascara. With a quick flick, the beauty spread goes from full backstage sprawl—palettes, serums, the works—to a cinched pouch that tucks neatly into a shoulder bag.

Better still, it arrives in camera-ready shades—matte black, powder pink, millennial lilac—all engineered for maximum shelf appeal. Select versions include zippered compartments and stitched-in elastic loops, adding just enough structure to wrangle your more temperamental products.
 

The pros

Efficiency-wise, the bag plays a psychological trick—it flattens your routine. You’re less likely to waste time because everything is in plain sight. There’s no more contorting your wrist to fish out that one lipliner hiding at the bottom. If you're travelling wit it, it slips easily into a suitcase and doubles as an on-the-fly vanity tray in cramped hotel bathrooms.

And let’s not ignore the emotional satisfaction of cinching it closed—a deeply underrated micro-joy. It’s the beauty equivalent of slamming your laptop shut at 5 pm.

The cons 

But let’s not get too swept away. The very thing that makes the bag fast and accessible—its no-structure design—can also be its downfall. If you’re carrying liquids, fragile compacts, or anything that remotely requires order, the bag’s haphazard layout becomes a liability. Lipsticks roll, powders crack, and caps go rogue. The drawstring closure isn’t airtight either, so if your SPF decides to open mid-transit? Godspeed.

There’s also the issue of visual sameness wearing thin. Once the novelty wears off, the bag’s dump-and-go method may feel a little juvenile. Sure, it’s cute on TikTok, but in the real world, are we trying to be the girl spilling loose setting powder onto the brunch table?

Our final verdict

If you're a closet maximalist or someone who treats tote bags like permanent housing, the drawstring makeup pouch might just be your chaos-compatible match. It's quick, forgiving, and internet-approved. But for those who favour symmetry over sprawl—or pack anything remotely fragile—this one leans more into gimmick than game-changer. So would you buy it? 

Lead image: Getty Images

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