Hey Pretty Ladies,
Trust this first quarter of 2017 has brought
blessings to you so far.
Actually
I came across information and felt it necessary to share since it
includes answers to many asked questions by New or aspiring makeup artistes.
Clients always ask why the rates of makeup
artist vary from one artist to another; they need to understand though that
one major factor asides from years of experience and skill is the product they
have in their kit. Products really makes an amazing Makeup artiste stand out.
Building a professional makeup kit takes time
and it is an investment even though I am pretty certain many don’t see it that
way. However, there are a lot of factors to consider such as product knowledge,
the weather, skin type, ingredients, brand awareness etc.
Your kit should be streamlined along the
lines of the type of makeup artist you are i.e Bridal, Special Effects, Runway,
Fashion etc.
When putting together a professional makeup
kit, it is very important to note that the products you are expected to have in
your kit are for professional .It’s simple really, the same way you won’t
expect a doctor to treat you with a first aid kit is the same way is the
same way you wouldn’t want to attend to a client with what could be best
described as an emergency kit.
What you have or don’t have in your kit
separates an expert from an amateur, to stand out you need to let go of
favoritism and focus on selecting practical essentials and time tested products
with benefits .
Quality over Quantity should always be your
watch word but this doesn’t mean you should stock up on the expensive products,
note that because it is expensive does not mean it’s good quality. Permit
me to say that some expensive brands are worthless as they do not fit into
helping you achieve the best for your client. It is essential for you to always
do your research, ask questions at the beauty counter and read product review
from reputable blogs and professionals.
Some brands like Elf, NYX, Wet and
wild, L.A Girl, Maybelline, Coastal scent, BH cosmetic, Citi color, Plush,
cover girl, Mabrook are inexpensive but good.
Mid Range such as Revlon , L’Oreal, Crown
brush, Real technique, MAC, Sigma, Urban Decay, Stilla , Ben Nye, Sephora,
Zaron, Tara, BM PRO, BLOT cosmetics, Makeup Revolution,Maybelline, Mehron,
Prestige, Face Atelier, l.o.g cosmetics( Natural line) Sonia Kashuk,
Hegai&Esther, Morphe, Black Opal, Mary Kay , Kuddy, Sleek , Nos 7, Milani,
Color Pop, Anastasia Beverly Hills are also good.
Expensive brands like Make Up For Ever,
Illamasqua, YSL, Gucci, Armani, Guerlain, Nars, Channel , Lancôme, Christian
Dior, Black UP, Becca, Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier, are also options to be
considered.
Also make sure all the products in your
professional makeup kit are original because we deal with the skin, I can tell
you for free that you will end up with one angry client.Always remember, buying
FAKE product is NOT an option.I have made it a point of duty to preach on
health and safety after my nasty experience with a FAKE product.
Makeup Case:
The first thing you need is something to keep
all your products safe and also move around with. I prefer a case that is made
of fabric and has wheels, I dislike the hard metal cases because with time they
can get scratched and dismantled. It is easier to wheel around my case
especially when you have to travel.
Makeup Brushes:
Make sure you Invest in a good quality brush that
will last you for years. Makeup brushes are very important as they determine
your finishing and I recommend starting off with brushes that are affordable
and decent quality like MAC, Sigma, ELF , Morphe , Bdellium, Sonia Kashuk, Real
Technique, Crown brush, Coastal scent, Zaron , Tara , Hegai & Esther to
mention a few.
Makeup Mat (Beauty Essential by N’sure Makeup Mat):
Your Makeup workstation is more organized
with the use of these makeup mat, once you set up you can see what you have out
and this reduces the time spent rummaging into your box looking for a makeup
product. Theft reduction if any item is missing you immediately see. Prevents
stains or mess from surface area.
Makeup Remover / Wipes
I use baby wipes in my kit because nobody
reacts to it, I use them to wipe surface, stains and clean mistakes etc
Pampers, Johnson and Dr Brown are my favorites. I also use Mary Kay liquid
Makeup Remove, NYX Cosmetic, Inglot for change of makeup and wipe matte
lipsticks.
Brush Cleaner
I am in love with Parisian spirit, it is my
favorite brush cleaner( smells so fruity) Cinema secret does a good job of
disinfecting / sanitizing my brushes as well. You can try Inglot and MAC
cleaner too. For deep cleaning I use Johnson baby soap or Hegai & Esther
brush shampoo.
Alcohol
I use Alchol to disinfect makeup product and
tools, note that anything lesser than 70% to 99.99% wont kill bacteria. I
decant into a spray bottle which makes it easy for me to carry around, also use
this to disinfect and clean brushes quickly in between jobs( dries faster).
Makeup Cape
It is necessary to do makeup with a makeup
cape, it keeps dirt / stains / product off of your clients clothes.
Tweezers
It assists you in shaping the unruly hairs on
your clients face. I also love using tweezers to apply fake eyelashes.
Eyelash Curler
I use to pre-curl lashes and press together
fake lashes and real lashes to give a more natural effect.
Cuticle Scissors or Beard Trimming
Scissors
I use the small cuticle scissors to
trim unruly eyelashes, to trim false lashes and even bushy brows.
Hand Mirror
It is used to view the progress or finished
result of the makeup application.
Hand Sanitizer
Hand sanitizer is a must have for your kit,
make sure you use before touching the face of the client to prevent infections
/ spread of bacteria and keeps your hands smelling nice/fresh.
Tissues
Tissue is used as a blotting paper , dab on
sweat and oil or tears. I use the Big Bounty and Paloma tissue.
Cotton Bud
Cotton Bud is used to correct mistakes i.e
smudge liner, bleeding lips etc and take out stains from corners and also used
to blend out products. You can find in pharmacies or supermarket around.
Disposable Applicators( Palette, Spatulas,
disposable lip and Mascare wands Wedges)
It always use disposable applicators i.e
lipstick, mascara wand, wedges/sponges/puffs from Giftys daughter store or
Hegai and Esther .Disposable plastic mixing palette for mixing foundation, lip
colour, gel liner ,etc, Disposable spatula to scoop foundation and other cream
products. Disposal Applicators prevent the spread of infection.
Powder Puff
Powder puffs helps set my powder application,
I use it to apply powder under eye when highlighting. It come in different
sizes Small and Large . I got my last Alcone powder puff supply from Gifty
daughters store.
Visine/ Red Eye Drops
Most brides always end up with red eyes due
to lack of sleep on their wedding day , first ask if the client has any allergy
to visine, if not use the visine before you start the makeup application.
Foundations
It’s important to have different types /
forms/shade/ colors of foundations in your kit that will work any skin tone and
shade, it could be a palette or single shade although pallets works best when
working on more than one client.
Foundation Pallet helps to be better prepared
for any more client and I would recommend Ben Nye ,Cinema Secrets, Bobbi Brown
face pallete, Make Up Forever pallete, Tara ,Mehron Celebre pro HD Foundation.
For single affordable Foundation brands
you can get Mary Kay medium coverage, Mary Kay matte wear, L’Oreal, Black
Radiance, Milani, Revlon Color stay , Maybelline Newyork Fit Me Matte poreless
foundation ( although the darkest shade is Mocha which isn’t so dark)
Smashnbox. High end brands like MAC waterproof foundation, BlackUp Matifying
foundation, Lancôme, Estee Lauder, Kat Von D, Black Opal Even True, Nars,
Makeup Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisibible Cover foundation, MAC studio Fix
foundation, Bobbi Brown, Becca.
In other to build coverage you can apply
foundation with a beauty blender or stippling brush, spray a setting spray i.e
MAC Fix Plus to make the coverage lighter/sheer.
Powders
Powders are used to give a flawless and matte
finish, it could b e compact powder / loose powder / pallete / single powder.
Pallete powders such as Ben Nye, Sacha
pallet, Zaron , Tara, Graftobian Pro Poudre HD, Sleek, Morphe, Flori Roberts
etc
Affordable Single powders are
Maybelline, Black Opal loose powder , Milani , Kuddy , NYX, Flori Roberts,
MakeUp Forever HD Micro finish powder, MAC mineralize Skin finish, Bobbi Brown
,Fashion Fair, Laura mercier powder.
Setting powders are powders that you apply
directly on foundation that helps to set and mattify makeup. This could be
tinted or translucent Laura Mercier Loose setting powder, Sonia Kashuk
Undetectable loose powder, Becca blot powder, MAC Blot powder, Sacha butter
cup, Ben Nye (Banana) Make Up Forever HD powder.
Blushes
Blushes helps to give a refreshed , flushed
look, It adds a pop of colour to the cheek. I love La Femme blush palettes,
Nouba Blush Pallete, Ben nye,Makeup Revolution Blush pallete. Singles -Milani,
MAC, Zaron, Tara , Blackup,Black Opal,
Contour and Highlight kit
I love to put more definition to the face by
highlighting and contouring. I love Citi colour, Zaron, Anastasia Beverly hill
contour cream kit, Elf , Maybelline Cacao powder or use dark brow filler
for contouring and blend well.
Concealers and Correctors
Concealers are used for to highlight the
under eyes, cover scares, acne , hype pigmentation while correctors
are often used to hide more of tattoos, and dark spots .I use L.A
girl HD concealers , MAC select cover up concealers, Plush pallete, Makeup
forever Flash Pallete, Cinema secrets, Ben Nye, graftobian,Khuraira L,A girl
correctors – Green , orange works great.
Eyeshadow
This is where you also invest, Make sure its
quality over quantity, it should be pigmented , long lasting and crease proof.
I would recommend getting some shades from
MAC Cosmestic , Ben Nye eyeshadow pallete, , Morphe/Ease cosmetics, Color pop,
Coastal scent , Plush pallete, Urban Decay Naked Pallet, Revealed, Inglot ,
Sleek, MUA Makeup Academy Eyeshadow Pallete, Lorac Pro eyeshadow pallete,
Bobbi Brown Nude on nude, Glazzi ,
Eyeliner
Eye liner helps to open up the eyes and there
are a few products you can use. I love to work with smudge proof because of our
tropical weather. Mabrook eyeliner, zaron, Sleek, Make Up For Ever Eye, Stila
pencil, MAC smoldering, Black Up Le Smokey waterproof pencil, Maybelline
colossal kajal. Eyeko
You can also use gel eyeliner from Hegai
& Esther , Blot cosmetic, Zaron, Inglot, Mac paint pot, apply with angle
brush , just dip into the gel and create any look you want.
I love felt tip pen because they are from a
pointed thin tips , leaves no mess. Zaron , L.A girl. Milani, Black Up, NYX,
Make Up For Ever.
Eyepencils, Brow gels and Powders
I am love my eyebrows looking natural, My
favorites products are MAC eyebrow pencil, Maybelline, Benefit, Davis, Ever
sheen, Airwoman, Jordana, catch me.
I use eyebrow gels BLOT , Zaron, Hegai &
Esther, MAC Dip down, Anastasia Beverly hills, NYX
Brow filler like Zaron, Jordana, Inglot, Elf
.
Mascaras
I use love Maybelline Great lash , L’Oreal
Voluminous, Blot Fiber mascara, Revlon, MAC Zoom lash.
Fake Eyelashes and Adhesive
I love Ardell strip lashes , both there are
other brands like red cherry, bee lashes , Titolon , Voan, Glamtouch,
Hegai&Esther , BH cosmetics, Zaron. Monda, Arthimatic, Kiss.
I use Duo, Ardell , lockon lash glue, and you
can find them in any beauty supply store.
Lipstick and Lip Liners
I save money on lipsticks and lip pencils,
I mix and match from what I have and not buy every single color.
Lipsticks come in different forms and texture i.e shimmery , matte, semi
matte , moisturizing lipsticks. Brands like MAC , Estee lauder, NYX, Nouba, OCC
Lip tars, sephora, BlackUp, Kuddy , Zaron, Blot lipsticks, Ease cosmetic,
Labelle, Milani, Marykay. etc.
Lip liners are also lipsticks in pencil form
BlackOpal , Zaron, MAC, NYX, Milani, Jordana, Rimmel, Avon.
Other items you will need are Gum or Mints for you or the client for fresh breathe .
Body spray or perfume
A DSLR Camera (
digital ) either a Canon 60 D or Nikon D90 for starter, External Flash ,
reflector and Ringlight/ Makeup light.
Makeup chair ( optional )
Brush wallet / makeup brush holder / makeup
brush belt for keeping brushes and pencil.
Makeup setting spray- Skindinavia
, Mehron , Model n a bottle, L’Oreal Infallable, ELF, MAC fix plus, NYX,
Inglot.
Face primers/ moisturisers/shine control
i.e Nos 7 beautifully matte, Sonia Kashuk brighten primer, BM Pro shine
control, Becca Shine control, Smash box photo finish, Laura Mercier foundation
primer, ponds. Hourglass primer veil, MAC prep and prime,Mac Skin Base Visage,
Clarins Beauty Flash balm, Rimmel stay matte primer, Embryolisse lait cream etc
Eye Primer– NYX Milk Pencil,
Lindoirs eye primer, Elf, Milani, MaryKay, Urban Decay, MAC Paint pot, NYX
eyeshadow base etc
Glitters– Shop sisi
glitters, Milani glitters , Coast scent or you can buy from a book store /craft
shop
Glitter Glue– Nyx, Elf
seal
Small first aid kit–
Panadol, cotton wool, NCP , bandage, plaster.
Shadow shield for
eyeshadow and glitters fallout.
Brush egg for washing brushes / Sigma Spa
brush cleaning mat.
Safety pins and stapler for
Gele and emergencies.
Rubber bands , Head bands ,hair clips, booby
pins.
Sharpeners/ Blade.
Makeup Blot paper for
touch up.
Business Cards soft copy and printed.
POS and Invoice.
Credits: Misidreads