Becoming a Makup Artist

Hey everyone,

I am soon to be enrolling in a certificate program to become a makeup artist. I have no plans to be a high fashion makeup artist or TV/Movie...my ambitions are simple...I live in a small town in Canada and I would like to do bridal/prom/makeovers etc. Now I have loved makeup all my preteen/adulthood life and I am picky when it comes to makeup BUT I'm cheap too! I have no idea what the best makeup brands are for makeup artists and tools etc...also what should I hve in my makeup bag? any help/ advice would be great! thanks!!

Hello!  Congrats on working to become a makeup artist! 

I'm not a makeup artist myself, but I do have quite an obsession!  If you're looking for great makeup brands that are also inexpensive, I highly recommend NYX.  Their eye shadows are super pigmented.  Also, I'm a big fan of their lipsticks.  I've tried a pair of their false eye lashes as well, and they've been worth the price for sure!

Also, you might want to check out Milani products.  I've never tried their products yet, but I've heard that quite a few of their eye shadows are comparable to MAC eye shadows.

/emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />  Hope this helps!

Originally Posted by scrapali /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Hey everyone,

I am soon to be enrolling in a certificate program to become a makeup artist. I have no plans to be a high fashion makeup artist or TV/Movie...my ambitions are simple...I live in a small town in Canada and I would like to do bridal/prom/makeovers etc. Now I have loved makeup all my preteen/adulthood life and I am picky when it comes to makeup BUT I'm cheap too! I have no idea what the best makeup brands are for makeup artists and tools etc...also what should I hve in my makeup bag? any help/ advice would be great! thanks!!

Click to expand...

you can look on youtube.com and there are a ton of guru's who tell you what they have in their kits, and what they recommend that you start out with. a great guru to look up is kandee johnson. she's AMAZING! but she likes the high end products. she will give you alternatives though, too. but there are more than just her that give the advice. hope that helps. that's how i started my makeup kit. God bless!

I would think that as long as it works (good pigmentation and staying power) then your clients will have no complaints. I'd grab a few Wet n Wild ColorIcon palettes for eyeshadows. They are only $4.99 each for the 6 or 8 pans but WOW do they have pigmentation and staying power as well as being easy to blend. If you have discovered brands that work well for you, then grab some of that for your kit too.

I've always thought that the hardest thing to get for a makeup kit is foundations and concealers, having many types and shades for all skin types, I'm not sure what a makeup artist is expected to do about that.

You've definitely come to the right place for your questions, there are makeup artists here who will give you lots of better advice than I can give. Also do a search for some of your questions since I've already read many great posts/articles from makeup artists here, like how to keep things sanitary.

Thanks so much ladies, very informative!! I'm learning as I go here! I'm so glad I found this forum!! /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Congrats ! Enkore on youtube also did a video on a makeup kit for makeup artists (it's made of MAC products because that's what he uses, but despite that fact it's good advice).

Hello,

Congrats on wanting to be an artist! I can tell you from experience, building your kit is expensive; there's just no way around it. Even if you work with "lower" end products (I'm not a fan of the word lower), it adds up. Here's a couple tips that will help:

-Buy the Book "Don't go to the Cosmetics Counter without Me" (I believe the latest edition is the 8th edition). It's a professionally sourced guide to makeup and skin products, and covers a HUGE range of brands--from cover girl to dior, etc. The author goes into detail about how she rates products. We are so used to hearing cosmetic ads say "scientifically proven to...." and this book really blew my mind when it discussed how the "scientific testing" that is done by many companies is pretty much laughable.

Sooo......this book can help you determine what products are worth spending your money on, and which you may want to ask a few people their opinions before dropping the money.

-SAVE YOUR RECEIPTS. save ALL of your cosmetic receipts AND gas receipts. These can all be used for tax purposes.

-Work on your marketing and professional image. Many people want to hear a name brand when asking for a product. They like to hear "I use only the finest quality products." You need to be able to convince your clients that although you don't have "high end" products, they will receive the same quality look and professional service.

-Find the best makeup artist in your area and ask to be his or her assistant. 

-Network with photographers and models. Ask them about their experiences with mua's. Ask what they have liked/haven't liked with artists.

-Find out about pro discounts on more expensive brands. Search this site and youtube for "pro makeup discounts." You can save a to of money.

-You can start with less expensive products that work: I've heard a lot of good things about the costal scents 88 palette. Nordstroms also makes a palette with TONS of colors for around 30 dollars. I've also heard good things from other MUA's about Revlon lipsticks.

-Go to camerareadycosmetics . com website. Apply for a pro account there as well.

-Determine what foundations you like to work with. (Liquid? Cream to powder? Aibrush)

-Google/shop online for disposables as you will need a TON of them (mascara wants, remover wipes, etc.)

-Get a SALLY's pro card. Ask your local sally's about it. You can get a ton of beauty supplies and makeup there.

-Buy 91 or 99 percent alcohol in bulk online. Google it. You will go through a LOT of that, and it's much cheaper to buy a big gallon or whatever rather than spending 2-3 bucks all the time at CVS.

Finally, practice , practice, practice your professional communication skills as well. Make sure your marketing materials are as professional as your makeup application /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

PM me if you need more info. My wrists are sore from typing LOL. I guess the bottom line is educate yourself as much as possible before buying any brand of cosmetics. Hope this helps!!

I can recommend coastal scents and urban decay eyeshadows, as well as real techniques brushes and bdellium, eco tools brushes. 

My Manly 120 palette is THE BEST $30 I've ever spent on makeup. The pigments are amazing, especially for that price. You can find new ones all over ebay.

For eye shadows definitely go with Coastal Scents and Bh Cosmetics. Once  you figure out what you like and don't like then you can upgrade to the good stuff. Practice practice and practice! Good luck!

Good luck to you! I'm a working, professional hair stylist and makeup artist and LOVEEEE what I do. It's a fast-paced, busy job but it's so rewarding. As far as tools and makeup, a professional should have the best items but that doesn't have to aways be the case. For example, I have a lot of name-brand skin care products, foundation & eyeshadows simply because I don't want anyone to break out or have an allergic reaction. As far as mascara, liners and lip colors, I'm a little bit cheaper on simply because I've found some cheap ones out there that work just as good as high-end brands.
Contact me if you have any more questions! I'd love to answer them!

hello there, i would say to invest in a good primer and a setting spray. Foundations, im still experimenting, currently looking into which foundation palette i want to buy. i already have eyeshadow, blush, and concealer palettes. lipstick/gloss i wouldnt spend too much on, naturally it will come off anyways.. i have a lot of nyx for lip colors, even wet 'n wild. for brides waterproof mascara of course lol. Lots of disposables, alcohol, sponges/wedges. Sweet techniques have lovely brush sets. crown brushes always go on sale on hautelook. it is good to have some name brand stuff, some ppl feel a sense of security when u mention u have it lol but in reality its ur talent in applying the makeup not the makeup itself.. Hope this helped a little bit /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Everything greeneyedlady said!

Definitely check out In My Kit; Kevin James Bennett put together a site stuffed full of information about products to keep in your kit. I would also recommend stocking up on books about makeup. Makeup Your Mind by Francois Nars is a popular one. I'm currently reading The Makeup Artist Handbook which applies more to film and theater, but it has a lot need to know information about application techniques, how lighting can affect the way your makeup looks, etc. Making Faces by Kevyn Aucoin is also great!

I'd definitely recommend stocking out with brushes from Crown brush (they can be a bit hit or miss quality wise but they're incredibly inexpensive, I like the Infinity line) or Real Techniques are fantastic brushes as well. You need to keep disposable mascara wands, a few different kinds of swabs, cotton pads, cotton balls, etc. in your kit (Qosmedix.com is a wonderful resource with good pricing for those kinds of things); you'll also need a palette knife/spatula for scraping out color so you're not contaminating products, a palette to put them on to, 91-99% alcohol to disinfect, and a few other things to keep your kit sanitary (this is VERY important).

A lot of things are up to you to decide what you like and what you don't, do a lot of research and remember that your kit is going to cost you. When I first put mine together I spent a TON, but I had saved up to make sure I would be able to cover the costs of it all. Being thrifty is smart, but buying cheap products that won't photograph well isn't; keep in mind that your clients are going to see your products as you pull them out so if you *have* to use inexpensive (but still good quality) products I recommend investing in some small plastic pots (you can get them on Ebay for a steal) to put product into so people don't see the packaging. If they ask what it is, be honest but be prepared to fully explain why you use that particular product ("I've had nothing but good results", "I've fully tested it to make sure it was up to my standards", etc).

Lastly, because this got a bit long, research is KEY. Know your products, know why you like them, test them before including them in your kit because clients will ask; particularly if you're doing makeovers as they'll likely want to attempt to replicate the look on their own. Make sure you have alternatives for things like moisturisers and primers in case someone has a skin sensitivity, ask about allergies up front so you know what you're getting into. If you ever have any specific questions, or just want to chat feel free to message me /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />