My bathroom counter. The bottom of my purse. My car. The pocket of my jean jacket. The clutch I used once, on New Year's Eve. What do all of these things have in common? They're all accidental graveyards for my beauty products. After investing in what seemed like my 1,000th lip gloss, I had a thought: Wouldn't it be nice to have one place to corral all of my products, so I can organize my makeup and actually see everything?

Related: How to Organize Your Makeup Like a Pro

Enter: The Vanity, the ultimate girly indulgence. Vanities are both classic and over-the-top, and I've wanted one since I saw "Gone With the Wind" in third grade. Although Scarlett's private dressing boudoir is no longer the standard, the concept of an area all your own devoted to beauty appeals to my inner Hollywood starlet. Where else can I elegantly don my rouge and pearls in a cloud of perfume and powder? A vanity may seem excessive, but I can rationalize its necessity because I work at a beauty company. "It's basically my version of a Rolodex," I tell my boyfriend, as I justify taking up more space in our two-bedroom apartment. And, because he's tired of knocking over my face powder every time he reaches for the toothpaste, he agrees.

So I turned to Pinterest, the supreme spot for all things inspirational and aspirational, to plan out my perfect vanity. In the process of this "research" I discovered a few essential details that go into creating a makeup station worthy of Jean Harlow. Click through to see the most important elements of a DIY makeup vanity.

Image via KatarzynaBialasiewicz/Getty

As every makeup maven knows, the key to a good face is a quality base. The same applies to your vanity. When looking for a foundation for your vanity, remember: Storage is vital. Look for a desk with space to store those practical products you want to keep out of sight and out of the light, like creams with anti-aging properties that break down in sunlight.

A glass top makes cleaning up counter spills a breeze.

If you love your makeup, but you're not so into the super girly femininity of a traditional vanity, go bold with your color scheme.

Your surroundings should inspire you. For a vanity, that means keeping things organized, not shoving everything in your vanity willy-nilly. If your makeup isn't organized, chances are you'll totally forget you have that $38 eye shimmer, and it will go unused. The horror! Desktop or drawer organizers are easy to find and cheap, and will make your life much easier.