Anyway now that I've given you a little update as to where Ive been this month lets get back to what this blog post is really about- building a professional freelance makeup kit. Now this is something that needs to be planned well, you can always add extra fancy products to your kit as you go on but making sure your fully stocked up on the most essential things at all times - this is key when freelancing!
1. I would always suggest investing in a good makeup vanity case ...
I ordered my gorgeous purple crocodile textured case off ebay for only £20 - what a bargain right? I love my case and it has the perfect structure to it that allows me to organise my products efficiently , making them very accessible and simple when on a job.
2. Your tools - brushes, beauty blenders, tweezers, eyelash curlers, small makeup scissors, cotton wool ...
It's really important that you have a variety of brushes and tools to take with you on any kind of makeup job ; you never know what your client is going to ask for so you need to be fully prepared. I would suggest looking into companies such as Crown and Real Techniques for your makeup brushes as they are so affordable yet amazing quality! The unbeatable prices really allows you to add and build to your brush collection- remember there's no point having the best makeup products if you don't have the best tools and equipment to apply them with!
You will also need a brush role or makeup belt to store all of your brushes in and keep them organised , I started out using a brush role which did the job, however I now use my brush belt which I wear whilst on the job. It makes things so much easier and quicker as you just need to reach down for your brushes , making it relatively easy to alternate between several blending brushes when doing eye makeup.
3. Brush cleanser - this is crucial!
You must have a brush cleanser spray on you at all times , especially if you are doing more than one person on one job. It's essential to make sure you sanitize everything after using your brushes on someone to keep good hygiene and not spread or pass on bacteria.
I must admit cleaning your brushes isn't the most fun thing about being a makeup artist, it takes time and can be boring, but it is so necassary !
This is the Pro Hygiene Collection Makeup Brush and Sponge Sanitizing Wash 100ml which you can order online for around £8 . Mac do one for a few pounds more but they both honestly do the same job so there's no need in spending extra cash when it's not needed!
5. Skincare products...
Your job as a makeup artist is to enhance your clients natural beauty and help them achieve any makeup look they are wanting through the use of makeup. To achieve the best results you need to ensure you prep the skin well using skincare products. Your products need to be suitable for all of your clients therefore you must take into consideration that everyone has different needs when it comes to their skin. The products you use must have no perfumes or artificial colours , as well as no harsh chemicals, that way even the most sensitive of skintypes will not react.
I absolutely love using the Simple Skincare range that can be purchased at most stores like boots, superdrug , tesco ... Pretty much anywhere! There are no harsh chemicals and are fabulous on the skin. I always make sure I'm stocked up with their face cleanser , eye makeup remover, facial toner, hydrating moisteriser and their face wipes.
Not only will your clients skin get a gorgeous pampering, but this will help ensure their makeup applies well and lasts longer.
6. Foundation / concealers...
When freelancing it's important you remember you will be working with many clients who all have different skintypes and undertones. It can be pricey when it comes to buying lots of different foundations to ensure you have all the shades you may possibly need , which is why I recommend investing into a great high quality foundation/ concealer palette. I use the RCMA foundation / concealer pallette. I couldn't recommended this amazing product enough, they have two palettes (one for warm undertones and one for cooler undertones) and both come with 18 different shades each . The foundation is a wax based formula and is 50% pigment - incredible ! Bare in mind your average liquid concealers you can buy in stores are only 10-20% pigmented so this palette really can cover anything from acne up to any darkness and scars. You are able to achieve medium to full coverage easily, and sheer to light coverage when mixed in with a moisteriser if needed. I believe I paid around £60 for one palette which has completly been worth my while as a freelancer , I always get compliments on my skin when I use it on myself and all my clients are impressed when I use this amazing foundation on them too!
I do carry around random bottles of Estée Lauder doublewear foundation and Maybelline Fit Me in my kit just Incase I feel they would be better but you can always add these extra backups to your kit gradually as you start to earn back your money.
7. Face powders - setting powders, bronzers, blush ...
When it comes to setting powders I use the Mac mineralize skinfinishes as I love the finish they give or Benefits POREfessional agent zero shine translucent powder which is so versatile. For your starter kit I would recommend buying one translucent powder so you an use it on all skintones and then gradually buy different shades when you have extra cash !
As for bronzers Im totally in love with Benefits Hoola Bronzer - who isn't? I would recommend this as it's suitable for all skintones and is matte , other great ones I love are Macs matte bronze and give me sun...
I tend to use all Mac Blushers in my freelance kit at the minute as im obssessed with them, if you can afford to buy a few singular blushers for your kit from Mac they will last you a very long time and be worthwhile! Crown, the brush company I recommend to you; also do makeup and have a blush palette which is very affordable and Ive heard great things about... That would be a great starting point if you didn't know where to go in terms of singular blushers from high end stores like Mac and Benefit .
8. Eyeshadows , mascara , eyeliner ...
Palettes are incredibly useful when it comes to eyeshadows. I would recommend looking into palettes such as the Urban Decay Naked Range - these palettes are amazing quality and provide you with a variety of different shades .
Another palette I love for eyeshadows is the Motives Maven Palette which many of my brides have been loving this year. I have blog reviews on both the urban decay and motives palette so be sure to check those out if interested!
As for mascara and eyeliner , all brands sell great mascaras and eyeliner pencils so take your pick , black of course is the most popular colour. I do like to have one brown and one black mascara on me when freelancing, it's just nice to have the option of brown. The only important thing you need to remember is that you must always use a new disposable mascara wand for each customer so that no germs or bacteria are crossed over!
9. Lipsticks - possibly my favourite beauty product! Did I really just say that?
I would say it's important to have a variety of colours in your kit as you never know what colour your client is going to fancy. Id recommend having at least two bold dark lipsticks , maybe a dark brown and a dark burgandy purple , one dark and one light pink, a nude and maybe a orange coral shade ... Don't forget you can always layer lipsticks to create new shades so have a play around with what you have and make use of mixing products !
Just incase your interested I will list below the names of the lipsticks I have in the above picture , from Left to right :
• Yves Saint Laurent No.2 from their Rouge Volupté Shine collection
• Mac Viva Glam III
• Mac Diva
• Mac Half 'N Half
• Mac Snob
• Mac Rebel
• Mac Mehr
• Mac Diva ( again , I have two )
• Mac Pink Nouveau
• Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick No. 730 Revlon Red
• Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick No. 006 Really Red
I always use lip pencils as I think they provide a clean sharp look to the lip but of course that is a personal preference, as a starter kit Id recommend having at least three lip pencils ( one dark purple, one medium pink and one nude brown )
10. A diary to keep record of all your makeup bookings ...
I know this isn't a product or something that's technically in your kit, but it is something very important that all makeup artists need , especially when freelancing and not working in a salon. You will need to keep record of any bookings you have; people tend to book in advance especially when it comes to weddings and proms , and it can be very hard to keep track of what your doing without a diary. It is also very useful to make note of payments and deposits so that you are clear on how much your charging, who has paid you and how much they have to pay left. This way you are going to look very professional and organised.
Those are my top tips on building a freelance makeup kit. Now that we've got the essentials out of the way , here are some extra things you may want to add to your kit once you start earning your money back...
Though your clients skin is sure to be prepped and primed well after using toner and moisteriser, you may want to go that extra mile and invest in a good face primer. This maybelline baby skin primer retails at £7.99 in Boots and works really well as a base for your makeup and is relatively inexpensive. It's good to have extra handy products in cases where your client may have extremely oily skin and have told you that they rely on face primers .
You could eventually splash out some money on some gorgeous Mac pigments , I totally love using these pigments on my clients for when they want that extra sparkle , they are incredibly easy to blend , and look so stunning since the fine particles really catch the light on the eyelid! Great for photography ! Mac sell them all separately and have a wide variety of shades for you to choose from. Glitters are an extra product that can add something different and unique to your everyday makeup.
It's important to have the essentials and then buy extra nice things to add to your kit. You will need to invest your own money into building a professional kit over time and it can be hard work as there are a lot of things needed , but once you start earning your money back through makeup jobs it all becomes a lot easier and you'll enjoy buying new additions to your makeup collection.
I hope you found this blog post useful and interesting, please let me know in the comments below what your thoughts are and if you have anything extra to add. Also let me know your thoughts on wether you'd like a blog post about how I got the job at Benefit Cosmetics!
Lots of love ️xxx
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