Make-Up Kits Everything you need to know

Hi again,

As you know i'm a qualified make-up artist. So this post is about make-up kits.
Everything you need, how to clean it, how to organise it and how to pack it.

Firstly: Must Haves

We will start with cleaning products and disposables before i get to make-up.

You need a make-up steriliser! MAKE THIS YOUR BEST FRIEND.
I use beauty so clean. You can spray it onto creams, powders, lipsticks, pencils and pigments.
It does not change the colour, texture or damage the product in anyway it just cleans it.
It's a little pricey but so worth it, because the last thing you want is to get something nasty in your kit and have to throw everything out.

Setting Spray. I use this on brides more than shoots as you can touch up on shoots and you can't do that at weddings unless you invited. I use one by Ben Nye, it's meant to be complete waterproof but i haven't tested in under water but i'm happy with it. When brides cry there make-up it still there so it does the job.

Cleanser, Toner, Moisturiser. Skin is a major thing, probably the most important part. If you don't prep it and make it look the best it can then why bother doing the rest! I use products aimed at sensitive skin as you never know who you'll get in your chair. And for this reason I also recommend buying exfoliating pads and blotting sheets. It doesn't really matter what kind just get cheap ones that work for you, also get baby wipes as some clients/model show up caked in make-up and with cleanser you'll be there all day! So use the baby wipes then cleanse, tone and moisturise. You also want an intense moisturiser for people with dry skin. I use Weleda Skin Food. This is like a face mask that you don't take off, you can see results instantly and it's cheap. It's natural and great for sensitive skins and it's great for men and calming down irritable skin. LOOOOVVVVEEEE WELEDA!!!!

Now lets talk about disposables.
You need mascara wands, disposable lip brushes and lip gloss wands.
NEVER DOUBLE DIP!!!!!!
That's the most major rule you must abide by. Say your client had conjunctivitis, you use a mascara wand on the client then put it back in the tube. You just spread it to your mascara which goes in you kit therefore there is now conjunctivitis in your kit. NOW YOU HAVE A PROBLEM. Lips brushes and lip gloss wands i rarely use i prefer an actual brush but they are for emergency's for example some one had a cold soar. Also you need sponges just in case i again rarely use but you never know.

Next nails. Always bring a nail file, nail polish remover and a basic french manicure set. You never know when you'll need it, also hand cream. You don't want to do your shoot, get home and look through the photos and find chipped nail polish.

Also you need power puffs, sharpeners, tissues, cotton pads, cotton buds for obvious reason.

Products:
Primers: You want a matte one and a dewy one. I use the matte and satin primer from Illamasqua but Laura Mercier make greats primers too. I also use Illamasqua Hydra Veil. You will love it. I also use prep and prime eye by Mac, keeps your shadow in place allllllll day! Also prep and prim lip by mac love this. I also use lip scrubs by Lush in case they have crackled lips and Vaseline. Vaseline has a million uses always keep this stocked.

Eyeshadows: I make my own palettes. I use Z palettes, i pry all my eyeshadows out of there boxes and place them in this. Much easier. You don't need every colour in the world. Limit yourself to 3 palettes, one for brights, one for shimmers and one for naturals. Then mix!

Lipsticks: I melt all my lipsticks. I know this sounds mad but there is a valid reason. I have at least 40 lipsticks. Unless i remember the name of every single lipstick and remember which shade it is i have to manually check until i find the right shade. This is time consuming as i have to open all the tubes until i get to the one i want. So i melt all my lipsticks down and put them in clear round pots that stack on top of each other. I can see through them therefore time saving and this makes them so much easier to pack as they take up less space. I use a knife (sterilized) to cut the lipsticks out the tubes and then put them in a metal spoon and melt them over a candle. I also do this with cream foundations.

Pencils: I put these in a brush roll, again saves time and space. Make sure your pencils are always sharpened before and after each use.

Foundation: I use Illamasqua Skin Base. I love this, my clients love this and i've never had any complaints. I now have every shade but I started off with 6 shades as you can mix them. Always get a variation of shades ranging from lightest to darkest as you can mix them yourself. This is great for a beginner as you don't always have the funds at the start to buy every shade.

Concealers: I use a Kryolan palette it's easy and small so takes up no space in my kit.

Extras: I have an aquacolour and supracolour palette from screenface. You never know when they will come in handy and great for mixing colours. I have a loose setting powder and a pressed setting podwer both in white and a yellowish shade. These are must haves.

This is just a starter, i have a million other bits and bobs in my kits for specialized shoots and i'll explain that in another post in the future.

Ask me anything,

Charlotte
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