When I was a kid in the 80s and 90s, Caboodles were all the rage. The colorful plastic boxes with carrying handles helped girls to organize, store, and tote their favorite hair-styling supplies, makeup, jewelry, or whatever else they wanted to put in there. Caboodles are still sold today, and a classic Caboodle on the company’s website retails for about $19.99. Our favorite discount grocery store, Aldi, offers its own take on a Caboodle with the Easy Home Retro Cosmetic Case, which sold for $7.99 at the time of publication.
So, at less than half the cost of the name-brand product, is the Aldi version any good?
The Easy Home Retro Cosmetic Case comes in a two-toned aqua and light purple version or a purple sparkle version, and features include:
- a flip lid with built-in mirror
- removable accessory tray
- 4 individual compartments
- an auto open tray
- the ability to be stacked
Its recommended maximum load is 6.6 pounds. It measures 12.8 inches by 8.46 inches by 5.91 inches.
I bought the two-toned retro cosmetic case for my middle school-aged daughter, and she was excited to start filling it with her stuff. The case has a larger compartment on the bottom that’s good for bigger items like hair bows or brushes. An upper compartment is divided into two sections — one smaller and one larger — and topped with a small removable tray. These smaller compartments are all useful for holding lip balm, nail polish, earrings, and other little items.
The case’s flip-up mirror has a small latching mechanism that holds it shut when not in use. A quick glance at several cases in the store indicated that the mirrors do not stay in place very well; many of them were loose or not stuck on straight. We were able to pull the mirror off, revealing some sticky adhesive pads underneath, and we re-positioned the mirror straight and pressed it firmly into the slot where it’s supposed to go. That seemed to do the trick and it’s stayed in place okay for now. If it falls out later, I can probably find a way to glue it in place. For $7.99, it’s a minor hassle I can live with.
The case’s opening mechanisms operate smoothly. The front latch that snaps shut to hold the case closed seems like it could be easily bumped and accidentally opened, so we’ll be careful if we do any traveling with the case, and we’ll see how that part performs over time.
Overall, though, for the low price, it’s a solid case my daughter can keep in her room to organize her belongings.
The Verdict:
Aldi’s Easy Home Retro Cosmetic Case is just like the Caboodle you may have had in the 1980s or 1990s. This case is good for storing and organizing items like makeup, nail polish, and hair supplies, and at less than half the cost of a name-brand Caboodle, it’s worth a look.
