My Ever Growing Kit! - This is what I use to paint like a pro!

As you probably know I have been doing this for over 10 years. So my kit has grown and grown. Grown so much that I have had to give some bits away over the years.

I did a huge M.A.C order the other day and I finally received it this morning, Which meant even thought they were vital items. My kit is expanding by the second and I had to rearrange my kit!

I know this seems like a lot but I will go through it very quickly. I'm always on set, or on shoot, or on location. I have to plan ahead and always have to bring everything with me just in case I have to think quickly.

I am now going to give you an in depth look into my kit. There is a lot of products. I don't stick to one brand. So my lit includes M.A.C, Chanel, Estee Lauder, Clinique, YSL, Dior, Rimmel, L'Oreal, YSerras, Lancome, and many more but I'll explain as I go along.

This is my suitcase, yes a suitcase. it is full of clear zip bags which are great to visually see the products but also so that they can stay organised.

This pouch is just full of one brand of foundation, lol. These are my Estee Lauder Pro size foundation bottles. They vary in colour and finishes.

These are just eye and lip liners. There must be at least 100.....I know, imagine what it's like to sharpen them all the time. I have some expensive ones and some cheaper ones but a wide variety of colours.

I don't know if you can see this clearly because they are all in my clear cases. These are just some eyeshadows, yes....some. Mostly single bright colours and some pigments. And I have 4 of these full of eyeshadows.

This is my expanding lipstick bag.. I tend to mix and match lipsticks a lot to get the colour I want and they all vary from sheer to matte to intense. This doesn't include my lipstick palettes.

This is my liquid eyeliner pouch. I have every metallic, glittery and bold colour you can think of as well as all the stand colours. There are also some lash primers in there, gel liners and cream pens.

I have doubles of a lot of things that are essential to me. So I have another DUO glue, more loose powders, another brush cleaner and some YSL Leg Makeup Mousse.

This pouch is just full of mascaras. I just realised I have a lot of mascaras. Curling ones, lengthening ones, volumising ones, designer ones and more afordable ones. Too many....

These are my lip glosses. I love a lip gloss. They were in a smaller pouch but I had to expand due to having to many!!

And to finish of my suit case I have my individual lashes. Self explanatory, they are all labelled. And are very popular.

But I haven't finished........................

This is my box. The reason I now have the box is because I can't fit anymore into my suitcase. Typical!!!
I will now give you a break down of the different sections of my box!

This box has quite a bit of MAC in it. Only because its easy to store and find everything. These are my MAC studio techs in a variety of colours.

This had my MAC studio fix's, Prep + Primes and Sheer Pressed Powders

In the section I have bronzers and blushers. A mixture of  MAC and other brands.

Here I some more foundation. These are just my MAC ones as they are smaller and fit perfectly in the box. This includes face and body, studio fix and mineralize satin finish. All a variety of colours as I use the back of my hand as a palette to mix the perfect colour.

This section is purely for lashes. I love Red Cherry Lashes. They are now my signature lash and you can see I have a large collection.

This is just one of many. I have different thicknesses, lengths and shapes....all black. I use so many of them and there are many websites that sell them.

This is my mini essentials draw. It has scissors, tweezers, a mini mirror and a few clips. In the pink pouch I have hair grips in blonde, black and brown. As a hairdresser I do have a separate hair box but these are just a few to have to hand. Plus it means I can carry it around easily without having to carry a box.

Embarrassing to say this is my highlighter section. Powders, gels and liquids. I have a mixture of MAC, Chanel, Estee Lauder and some other brands. I cant believe I have so many highlighters. My new purchase which is in this section is the MAC Mineralise Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle.

This my liquid concealer draw. MAC Moisture Cover, Select Coverup, Bodyography Skin Perfection and my key concealer... Estee Lauder Disappear Concealer ( a must have).

This draw has a few extra concealers, some studio finish concealers, fluid eyeliners and DUO glue. An important part of my kit for all my eyelashes.

And finally my hygiene box. As a makeup artist hygiene is key. Key items...
Wipes
Tissues
Brush Cleaner
Cotton Buds
Disposable Mascara Wands
Disposable Lip Brushes
Sterile Wipes

I also have doubles in my suitcase just so I'm well stocked up!!

As I am always on the move and not always in a studio I also have a gown just in case the model/client is already dressed to prevent any makeup falling on the clothes. A large mirror, a can of hairspray for a few little tricks that don't include hairstyling and a carrier bags for rubbish.

I know I'm a little organised but I have to be.

Its Not All Black & White!

A lot of people ask me for hints, tips and techniques about my job! It's great that a lot of people are interested in such a glamourous field.
The black and white era is definitely making a come back. The vintage look is back aswell as a classic. One of the most popular trends that has never gone out of fashion is Black and White imagery. It makes such a strong statement and still can capture some of the best features.

The Key to Black and White Makeup

When you apply makeup for a shoot. It's up to you what the overall image is going to be like. I have sometimes done a shoot where the images will be seen in full colour or black and white. That doesn't mean that I do one look in black and white then one in colour. I can use the same image and turn it into a greyscale image. 

The importance of this kind of photography is not the colour that is used but the shade of the colour that you use.

A greyscale image consists of light, medium and dark shades so what you need to do is break your colours up into light, medium and dark colours. This will allow you to have the same effect in full colour and black and white.

If you are only doing a black and white shoot then there is no need to add any colour to the face. This is firstly a waste of time but won't allow you to get the full potential of the image. All professional makeup artists will know that multi-images take time and effort to get the maximum impact  in black and white and greyscale.

I know a lot of photographers that still love to work with a film roll. They will decide if the film will be black and white or colour in this case images cannot be changed. With a digital camera, anything is possible.

Here are a few examples of how colour can be adapted into Black and White images.....

 If you are contracted for a shoot you must remember that it has to look amazing in black and white aswell as colour, otherwise its pointless. The whole point of this skill is that you will achieve two fabulous shots. You never know, if they like both images they might use both.

If you feel uncomfortable with the knowledge of what shades or colours look good, my best advice is practise. You will quickly realise that you will automatically know what colours and shades look good for both images. DO NOT leave it till last minute. Sometimes on set you will need to work quick or change something to get a different shot/angle. It is not always according to brief. Create the 'look', step back, imagine it in black and white. Use your third eye and makesure you have a mixture of lights and darks.

These images are true reflections of how much it doesn't matter what colours you use it's the shade that matters. I chose extreme colour blocking shots for impact and hopefully to open your imagination and creativity on achieving strong images without doing 2 shoots.


I hope this has been helpful. If you have any questions feel free to ask. I'd be happy to help!