One of the most expensive aspects of your career as a makeup artist – aside from your training – is building up your professional makeup kit. From a range of foundations to different shades of lipsticks, it’s important to have a range of products in your kit in order to be able to meet your client’s briefs. Most makeup artists will build their kit up over a number of years, however, there are a number of staple products which every makeup artist should have in their kit. From skincare products to tools and brushes, these are the must-have products for any professional makeup kit.
Skincare
If you’re looking to create a gorgeous, glowing base, then good skincare products are essential. Any good makeup artist will tell you how important it is to prepare your model’s skin before applying makeup, so it’s crucial to have a range of skincare products in your kit to help you achieve a flawless canvas.
The following skincare products are staples in any professional makeup kit:
- Moisturiser (have a couple for different skin types)
- Chemical exfoliator
- Cleanser
- Facial oil or serum
- Lip balm
- Lip scrub
It’s important to establish what skin concerns your client has before using any products of them to avoid any adverse reactions, especially when using a chemical exfoliator. For clients with non-reactive skin, starting with a chemical exfoliator will have you well on your way to achieving a gorgeous glow. Chemical exfoliators contain AHAs and BHAs to help remove dead skin and product build-up from the skin’s surface, revealing a radiant complexion. Next, opt for a facial oil, serum or moisturiser depending on the condition of your client’s skin.
But that’s not all, prepping your client’s lips is another vital step to help you create a flawless makeup look. Before applying any makeup, you should ask your client to gently scrub their lips using a natural lip scrub to remove any dead skin and increase the longevity of their lipstick. After removing excess product with a damp cotton pad, add a little bit of moisturising lip balm to plump and hydrate the lips, ready for makeup.
Makeup
As tempting as it might be to fill your kit with all of the latest palettes, brow products and contour kits, it’s important to make sure you’ve got all of the essentials before you spend all of your money on non-essential items. The following products are must-haves for any professional makeup kit:
- Foundations in a number of shades & finishes
- Primers (always have a mattifying one in your kit)
- Setting spray
- Concealers in different shades and colours
- Glow drops
- Translucent powder
- Highlighter (powder & liquid)
- Blusher & bronzer in a number of shades
- Clear brow gel
- Brow pencils in a number of shades
- Eyeshadow palettes ( one neutral, one for creative looks)
- Eyeliner (pencils & gel)
- Mascara
- Eyeshadow primer
- False lashes (have a small selection)
- Lash glue (always keep a latex-free one handy for those with allergies)
- Lip liners
- Matte lipsticks (nudes, pinks and reds)
- Satin lipsticks (nudes, pinks and reds)
- Lip gloss (a couple of colours will be fine)
Tools
A good workman never blames his tools, but good tools can certainly help to make your job that little bit easier. Every makeup artist should have the following tools in their kit:
- A selection of face, eye and lip brushes
- Eyelash curlers
- Disposable spoolies & sponges
- Metal spatula
- Recyclable cotton buds
- Cotton pads
- A mini manicure set & tweezers
As for storing and transporting all of your new kit, there are a number of options available. Many makeup artists opt for a hard case suitcases to make it easy to transport your kit between jobs. For more compact kits, hard case makeup boxes are another great option. Not only do they provide you with a safe way to transport your kit, but they also give you easy access to all of your products whilst you’re out on a job.
