Makeup Kit Essentials.

Hey folks...

I'm finally (kinda sorta) starting a career as a makeup artist. I figured this thread would help for those of you that need some ideas on what would be good to have in your kit.

I want to start this thread off with what a lot of people tend to forget about: disposables.

Sites to order disposables from:

http://www.alconeco.com/
http://www.qosmedix.com/
http://www.kosmetech.com/

Disposables needed:
sponges
spatulas
tissues
paper towels
q-tips
mascara wands
lip wands
powder puffs

I am the weirdo that hates foundation brushes. When working on a lot of people at one time...sponges are my best friend. I use one sponge to apply almost everything: moisturizer, primer, foundation, concealer, and creme blush. If I DO use a foundation brush, its only to apply moisturizer and primer, and usually only if I'm working with one person.

The most popular sponges among MUAs are Alcone sponges and beauty blenders. I'm not too particular about triangular sponges - I'm going to throw them out anyway! If you aren't interested in using a triangular sponge and don't want to splurge on beauty blenders, try these faux beauty blenders. Dirt cheap, reusable and available in black, pink and red.

The sites listed above have options for buying in bulk, and I suggest that you do so. You can never have enough mascara wands. And if you don't want plastic spatulas, consider getting a metal one that you can sanitize and reuse.

Next post focuses on foundations and powders.

SITES TO ORDER FROM:

http://camerareadycosmetics.com/
http://www.containerstore.com/
http://www.zpalette.com/

FOUNDATIONS:

I keep things VERY simple when it comes to foundations....I believe in keeping my kit as streamlined as humanly possible. I refuse to use anything in glass or bulky packaging. My two favourite liquid foundations that I plan to keep in my kit are Clinique Perfectly Real and CARGO Liquid Foundation. Reasons why:

- plastic packaging
- affordable prices
- can use every drop of product
- work well for all skin types

Of the two, CARGO is probably my favourite because of how FLAT the packaging can get. It saves a ton of space in the kit!

You should also consider trying creme foundations and concealers. I'm slightly biased - I love working with cremes and mixing custom shades - but they're just so versatile. With just a few creme foundations and a concealer wheel, the possibilities are endless. Need proof?

This is all Kevin James Bennett keeps in his kit for the complexion.

Quote :

Two custom Mehron Celebre and Cinema Secrets palettes. A Kryolan Dermacolor Wheel, Makeup Blend and Micro Silk Powder, CoverFX Blotting Powder and Tatcha Blotting Papers. I have a few other extras like Diamond Perfect Finish Powder and a Graftobian Powder Foundation Palette (not pictured), but this is what I carry all the time. (PUFF EDIT: The container he used for his foundations are from The Container Store.)

After doing some research, all of my creme products (foundations, concealer wheels) will be Mehron. Also, if you aren't following KJB's IN MY KIT page, you are missing out: https://www.facebook.com/groups/inmykit/

Silicone based cremes are best because they look the most like skin. And don't forget your silicone based primer. Whip Hand Cosmetics SET THE STAGE primer is getting wicked reviews right now.

CONCEALERS:

I have already gone over cream concealers above. Other great options:

- CoverFX Cream Concealer
- MUFE Full Coverage
- Sephora Perfecting Colour (a dupe for the 2 above)
- KAT VON D Lock It Concealer
- MAC Select Cover Up

Although MAC Pro Longwear is probably my favourite MAC concealer, the glass packaging keeps me from listing it as a must have. I've dropped and broken these before, and its hard to control the amount of product you get. With the choices I've listed above, its easier to get every last drop of product.

Cargo One Base would be a great choice as well, but I find that they don't have enough darker shades available.

POWDERS:

I've used Ben Nye loose powders and loved them. My absolute favourite loose powder is MAC Prep and Prime Transparent Loose:

- no white cast, works on all skin tones
- blurs imperfections
- cheap: only $21
- impossible to contaminate: just pour out what you need
- small: takes up little space
- basic, no frills packaging

For pressed powders: DEPENDING ON THE BRAND YOU BUY, it can be cheaper to buy palette with a variety of shades instead of making a powder palette yourself. BEN NYE would be a great choice, as well as Graftobian.

HOWEVER....you can just GET REFILLS OF THE PARTICULAR SHADES YOU NEED and save money that way, too.

Next post will be on blush.

SITES TO ORDER FROM:

http://camerareadycosmetics.com/
http://www.zpalette.com/

BLUSH:

There's so many options when choosing blush for your kit. As I said in the foundations/concealers/powders post, I am partial to custom mixing different shades, so I like cremes. MAQ PRO, BEN NYE, and Graftobian all have great creme options. However, cremes don't work for everyone. So, for powder blush...

LA FEMME is where its at.

$3 per pan. Let's do a bit of math:
La Femme has a 12 pan blush palette for $50. BUT....you can get 17 singles for $51.
7 La Femme blushers = one MAC blush.
9 La Femme blushers = one NARS blush.

High quality without breaking the bank. Another thing to note: CORAL SPICE IS A "DUPE" FOR NARS ORGASM.

If you MUST have MAC blushers, I recommend Harmony, Blushbaby, Dollymix, Pinch O Peach, Ambering Rose, and Sweet As Cocoa. BEN NYE also has great quality blushers at $7 a pan.

To house your brand new blushers, I suggest Z PALETTES...specifically, the PRO SIZE one, which is $25. Every palette comes with magnets in case your product is in a pan that cannot magnetize (EX MAC EYESHADOW PANS).

Next post will be on EYE MAKEUP...primer, shadow, liners, mascara and brows...

SITES TO BUY FROM:

http://camerareadycosmetics.com/
http://www.yabycosmetics.com/
http://www.stagemakeuponline.com/
http://www.zpalette.com/

SHADOW PRIMERS/CREAM EYE SHADOWS:

Use whatever you prefer. There's no excuse to not have a shadow primer in your kit these days, because everyone makes one now. TFSI is a popular one. UDPP Original is my favourite. I also love MAC Paint Pots as primers, and plan on keeping Painterly, Soft Ochre and Quite Natural (brown girl friendly!) on heavy rotation. Laura Mercier and Benefit also make great cream shadows.

POWDER EYE SHADOWS:

There are 2 very important words to remember when building your shadow collection:


No matter what your demographic or what work you are trying to get...you must have basic matte shades in your kit. The best palette for this?

The BEN NYE Essential Eye Palette. Its THE perfect palette for every situation. Bridal work, TV/film, proms, and so on. There is also the Glam Shadow Palette, which basically has the same colours as the Essential with a few extra shades. I find that it isn't terribly unnecessary, though.

If you need more basic colours, you can go for singles to pop into a palette. In comparison to most brands, BEN NYE is the best when comparing price per gram. However, YABY, INGLOT, and Kryolan make great colours as well.

Ready to add some brights? Try the YABY Something Bright Palette, or the YABY World of Pearl Paints Palette. I personally prefer the former. If you want to spend a bit more $$$, you could try Sugarpill, MUFE, MAC, or INGLOT.

My favourite "splurge" for eyeshadow is CARGO. Singles are $16 and their Essential quads are $32.

EYELINER:

It isn't necessary to have every single liner shade or type under the sun. All you should really need is...

- a black and/or brown gel liner (optional)
- black, brown, white, and nude liner pencils
- cake liner (optional)
- eyeliner sealer

I marked optional for the gel and cake liners because some prefer one or the other. I actually adore cake liners. They save valuable space and are easier to work with than gel liners are, IMO. I will have a palette of cake liners (black, brown, navy, grey), along with the pencils. I feel that the liner sealer is a must - you can use it with brights in case you need a coloured liner.

MASCARA:

If there's one thing I don't suggest splurging on, its mascara. It will HAVE to be tossed in 3 months anyway...so why bother? My favourite drugstore mascaras are L'oreal Voluminous and Maybelline Full N Soft. Get whatever your favourite mascara is in the original and waterproof formulas.

BROWS:

This is where your neutral shadows will come in handy - use them for brows! I find that with the shadows available, pencils are kind of pointless. If you prefer pencils, try the thin ones from MAC or Clinique (they are sister companies and are basically the same product). My absolute favourite brow product is MUFE Aqua Brow. They changed the name and packaging, but the product is still the same.

Next post will be on tools.

SITES TO BUY FROM:

http://www.crownbrush.com/
http://www.sigmabeauty.com/
http://www.japonesque.com/consumerhome.cfm
http://www.qosmedix.com/
http://zpalette.com/
http://www.zuca.com/

HELPFUL BLOG POST:
http://kjbennett.com/cleaning-makeup-brushes-correctly/

What you will need:
- brushes
- brush cleaner
- alcohol 70%
- empty spray bottles/containers
- labels for said containers
- tweezers, lash curler, small scissors (to trim lashes)
- empty palettes
- mirror
- petri dish/metal mixing palette (optional)
- metal spatula (optional)
- traincase
- clear bags
- clear tote bag

BRUSHES:

One of the most important parts of your kits! Now, a lot of people will say that one brand of brushes are better than the other, but its all subjective. When going over brush types, I'll use the MAC system because its easiest.

Two brush brands worth considering:

Crown Brushes - Best bang for your buck. Key words here are AFFORDABLE and GOOD QUALITY. You won't go poor buying these! Best ones to get are the Italian Badger, Luna Badger, Studio, Studio Pro, and Syntho lines. I'm not fond of most brush sets, but the HI DEF brush set is amazing.

Sigma - Really popular with the YT crowd, but the quality speaks for itself. Pricing is reasonable and they have great sets for the novice and the professional. I suggest any of their synthetic brushes (like the ones in this set).

Specific Brush Types:
- Classic Foundation (190, 191)
- Concealer (195)
- Powder (129, 150, 134)
- Blush (168, 116, 109)
- Contour (168, 109)
- Shadow
- Blending (224, 217, 275, 227)
- Lid (239, 213, 227)
- Crease (224, 217, 228)
- Smudge (214, 231, 219)
- Liner (266 and 263 - angled) (209 and 210 - pointed)
- Brows (208, 266, 263)
- Lip (316)

I prefer small powder/blush brushes so I have more control of the product. Think MAC 129, 116, and 109. The 168 (angled) and 109 are great for contouring.

I'm not a fan of classic foundation brushes (190) unless I'm using them for moisturizer and primer. When I do have to use them for foundation, I prefer the 191. Its thinner and much easier to clean!

I like to have large and small concealer brushes depending on the client I'm working with. If I'm not using them for concealer, I'm using them to apply a creamy shadow base (like Paint Pots) or to mix emollient products together.

I find that I rarely reach for duo fibre brushes like the 187 and 188. They just aren't dense enough, and the hairs are too long for me to control what I'm doing. Of any duo fibre brush, my favourite is the 130. The hairs are short, so there's no streaking and I have more control of the product!

For eyes, as long as I have a blending brush, lid brush and a smudger, I'm good to go. You may not reach for large shader brushes like the 227 often, something smaller (in size and density) may be preferred. My favourites for blending are brushes similar to the 217. Brushes for smudging I prefer to be synthetic.

Lip brushes are lip brushes...as long as they're synthetic. I end up using disposables most of the time anyway, but they're still good to have.

A General Guide: One set of brushes for a client amounts to 8. I suggest starting off with 2-4 sets of 8. Adjust that for the kind of work and the amount of work that you do.

CLEANING SUPPLIES:

You're gonna need a cleanser for those brushes! Parian Spirit, Kryolan, Ben Nye, and Cinema Secrets are all popular choices. When cleaning brushes at home, I like using DAWN dish soap because it breaks down stubborn makeup really well. I notice a lot of artists like to use shampoo. One surprising preference I found was Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo!

Note: Japonesque brush cleanser is just Parian Spirit. Don't waste money on MAC brush cleanser...you'll go through it too quickly.

You'll also need 70% alcohol to sanitize tools like your lash curlers, tweezers and mixing palettes.

ASSORTED TOOLS:

Palettes: I still highly suggest Z Palettes for all artists...they're the easiest to customize, have several sizes available, and every order comes with magnets for products that won't magnetize in their palettes (ie MAC shadows).

Mixing Palette/Petri Dish/Spatulas: When working with multiple clients, its easier to work from a mixing palette than your hand. There's a smaller chance of contamination when using one. A lot of hand palettes these days come with metal spatulas, but you can buy them separately. If you're lazy, you can just get disposable palettes and spatulas - less cleaning, yay!

Lash Curler: A lot of people suggest one classic lash curler and one heated.

Scissors: I have a very small pair to trim lashes.

Mirror: Please carry one.

Tweezers: In case you have to tweeze a stray hair or two.

Next post will focus on carrying cases and traincases.