Prepping your makeup kit for a job is a very important part of working as a professional makeup artist. Because most of the work we do is on-location we have to have all of our equipment with us. There is a fine line between carrying everything you might possibly need, and not being prepared. I think that being able to tailor your kit to a job is important if you can do it in an organized fashion.
Some makeup artists will have multiple kits for different mediums: print, runway, commercial,video… If this suits you and you have the space then it is a great way to operate. For me however I don’t have the room for multiple kits and also don’t want the added expense of having to duplicate some of my staples. What I do is put together small clear bags of “specialized” makeup. I can toss one into my kit as needed. I currently keep one for runway/editorial, men’s grooming on-set, and kids. Here are the details:
1. Runway/Editorial: This clear bag has all of my glitters and shimmer powders in it as well as gems, spirit gum, putty, lashes, and a mixing medium. I also collect random plastic lids and keep them for mixing.
2. Men’s Grooming for Set: The makeup in my kit can be used on men, however I keep a special bag for when I need to do most of my work on-set. I keep clippers, nose hair trimmer, chapstick, TIGI Bedhead, and some men-colored powders for touch up.
3. Kids: My kids bag has lots of colored hair accessories, lip gloss, and some light rosy cream shades for cheeks.
The other way that I prep my bag before jobs is to make sure it is well stocked and clean. For me the easiest way to keep my kit clean is to clean it at the end of each job. Then it is done! I like to stock my kit as I see something missing, however before a big job I’ll go through and make sure everything is filled and stocked. Then I know I’m prepared for the job, and that allows me to relax and focus on the work.
Here are some essentials that you can’t be without:
Brush Cleaner, tissue, those pointy cotton q-tips, mascara wands, bobbi pins, mascara, and brushes.
I think you can work around almost anything but these essentials. I once showed up to a bridal preview without my brushes! Fortunately the bride had some we used and was very understanding. I had taken my brushes out of my kit and put them in my set bag. Because I didn’t prep before the job, I showed up without an important tool. Lesson learned!
Here is a You Tube video of the things in my kit.