Starting Out In Make up : Building Your Freelance Makeup Kit

We all know make up can be expensive but when your a make up artist its part of your job to have make up. When starting out it can be hard & expensive to build up a kit . Yes you can get cheaper make up products but generally if people are paying you to do there make up they want you to be using good quality products , because its a luxury for them to get there make up done so they want to feel pampered.



I went to college & studied make up artistry for a year & we got a kit with the course . The kit was the most expensive thing we had to pay for . It included lots of palettes , airbrush gun , special effects make up and a train case .

I do believe that you should do some sort of make up course before charging people because even though make up is like art and a lot of its to do with natural talent its good to know hygiene, pick up tips from others as well as practicing yourself . 

I hope this blogpost helps some beginner make up artist out there , keep in mind I am still a beginner I have only been doing make up for three years now but this is how I have built up my kit to the stage its at , I still have a lot more things to add to mine but this is a good start . 

  • Palettes are the best thing since sliced bread . Palettes usually are great value for money and are very compact . If you were to buy single eyeshadows it would work out more expensive then buying a pre-made palette with them in . 
          Some palettes I love : 

Foundation 


Eyeshadow 

Eyebrow Palette


Highlight & Contour Palette 




Lip Palette 

          

  • Cheap mascara . You will go through mascara that much that you can't afford to be buying the latest YSL or Lancome one every single time. Essence are usually a good brand for affordable mascara . People usually get fake eyelashes too if its a special occasion so you don't really see there own lashes anyway . 
  • Lipsticks . You don't need as many lipsticks as you think , I mean I know it looks cool when you own all the mac lipsticks but its really not nescassary . If you have a spatula & palette (which you should for hygiene reasons) you can just mix your shades on the palette to create the colour your looking for . 
  • Foundations . You can get some really good creme foundation palettes(I have listed the ones I like above) which are extremely handy to have in your kit , you can make them have more of a liquid texture by mixing them with a water based primer. Foundation is something you do need to spend your money on though . If theres a foundation you like buy it in three shades is usually a good start . Buy a light , medium & dark shade and you can mix them to match the persons skin tone . Most Irish girls wear fake tan. 
  • Translucent powder . Something you don't have to spend a crazy amount on either . Buy translucent instead of a coloured powder cause it will go with every complexion . 
  • Eyeshadows . There are so many eyeshadow palettes out there , most people go for golds , browns , burgundies & oranges and after that you will get the very odd person looking for colourful looks (unless your working in fashion of course) . I love Make up Geek & Inglot eyeshadows also & you can customise your own palette . 
  • A bigger kit doesn't necessarily look good . I have heard a few well known make up artists say this . When I first started doing make up I thought it would look better if I had a really big make up kit . But honestly its just makes products hard to find & confusing . If your going to a bridal trial there is no need to take your 20 loose glitters & face diamonds . It just makes the client doubt your ability too while your rooting around your case looking for a foundation  . 
  • You can buy eyelashes in bulk online . Make sure they are good quality . I probably spend too much money on my eyelashes to be honest because I like the brand & styles I get . I get them off false eyelashes.co.uk and they usually have good coupons for percentage off or throw in an extra pack free. With Fake eyelashes you need to remember to have tweezers , scissors & glue (my favourite is Duo Glue) . Keep in mind that some people are allergic to latex and you can get Duo glue thats latex free. 
  • Make-up removers & skincare . Obviously people don't always come to you with there skin make up free & perfectly mositurised so its important to have cotton pads cleanser , toner and moisturiser in you kit . We used a french brand called Matis in college which was very good but expensive , the Simple range would do the job for starting out. 
  • The base is a tricky one , you really just have to try different products and see what you like to use yourself .Everyone seems to have different opinions when it comes to primers . I like the Smashbox Photo Finish primer , Kiko Glowing Potion , Loreal Infallible Mattifying Primer . 
  • Hygiene : You need to make sure you depot everything & don't directly apply something to someones face . 99% achocol is great to have in your kit to keep everything clean . Hand sanitiser (Boots) because your hands will be near or on the clients face . Spatula & palette(Amazon) to depot & mix products. Brush cleaner(Mac) & tissue to spot clean your brushes between clients . Mascara spoolies (Sallys Salon Services) make sure not to double dip though . Once you but the mascara spoolie into the tub of mascara apply it on the client and take it out you shouldn't put it in the tub again .  
  • Brushes are worth spending money on because brushes can last you a lifetime . You also want the brushes to be gentle on peoples skin you don't want some harsh brush giving them a red skin or a rash. Brush sets are the way to go , buying them individually can get expensive . Zooeva , Blank Canvas Cosmetics are both very affordable good brush brands . 
  • Lipgloss & lip pencils you really don't need to many either . A nude , pink , red & purple lip pencil will usually do the job . All you need is a clear lipgloss because you will see the lipstick shade through it . 
  • Gel eyeliner is best hygiene wise . Gel eyeliner tends to dry out so Inglot duraline is always good to have to make the consistency more fluid like again . 
  • We got a make up case in college , it was a very bulky one that kept everything organised but it wasn't the most compact . There was just a handle & strap on it but I bought wheels for mine and put them on it to make it easier to wheel about . To be completely honest I don't think you really need an expensive train case  . If you had a nice sized bag your can just organise your make up in lots of different make up bags inside . It will be a lot lighter & cheaper .Mines looks pretty similar to the case on the right hand side below .

  • Clear make up bags . It is very hard to get make up off make up bags once they spill so having a clear make up bag makes it easier to clean up the mess . You can get clear make up bags in Penneys, Dunne Stores, eBay or Boots. 

  • Brush belt or brush holder ? Well really whatever you find easiest to see your brushes . I like using my brush belt but don't have it around my waist instead I lay it down on the table so I can see them clearly . 
                                                                  















  • I really like the LA girl pro conceal you can order it on Ebay or amazon , I got mine on holidays . You can get colour wheels also like the Graftobian & Wet n Wild ones with concealer & colour correctors in them . You can also use concealer as an eyeshadow base if you set it with a light coloured eyeshadow before applying the rest of your eyeshadows . 

If I forgotten anything let me know . I am thinking of doing more 'Starting Out In Make up' blogpost in the further. There is some really good videos on Youtube too on how to build your freelance make up kit so I would check those out too . 

Thanks For Reading !

Alannah x 



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