ESSENTIAL MAKEUP TOOLS

Although brushes are essential to a makeup kit, there are other tools that are equally as important as brushes. There have been some cases where makeup artists have forgotten their brush roll at home, but have managed to get by and still achieve beautiful looks using their fingers. This doesn’t always work if you don’t have some of your essential tools in your kit.

First essential tool that I always have to keep with me are scissors. I carry a few different pairs - one tiny one for trimming eyebrow hairs and false lash strips/individuals. Some come in a straight point and others with a curve. They have to be smooth to use otherwise it’ll be really uncomfortable to snip. You don’t want to have too much resistance when you need precise trimming.

Other scissors I carry are just craft scissors with a sheath in case I need to cut paper, string, tags (yes, clients have asked me to help them cut tags and loose threads off of their clothing for them). This way I don’t have to use and dull my fancier facial scissors.

Another essential tool is my beloved spatula or spatulas (it's useful to have multiples of these). The ones with the flexible tips are my favorite for mixing. I made the mistake of using a rigid one, didn’t realize my own strength and snapped the tip right off. Spatulas are necessary for scooping out products as well as mixing products, such as skincare creams, foundations, lipsticks. I don’t dare to double dip or use my fingers to scoop out products. It spreads bacteria and nobody wants that.

The perfect pairing to the spatula is a palette. They come in so many shapes, sizes, and forms now from metal, to silicone, to paper, and acrylic. When I'm working with multiple clients, knowing I'll have to do touch ups throughout the day, I prefer using palette paper, because I can save it and reuse the products on that same client throughout the day as their personal palette. It gives me quick access to their customized foundation, concealer, and lip colors. Artists have even used Opsite, which is a medical tape on the back of their hands as a palette. There are artists who still use the back of their hands, but there’s been quite the debate about how sanitary that is to blend the product in with your own skin cells and personal bacteria, then spreading it onto your clients’ face. Washing hands and using sanitizer does kill off up to 99.9% of germs, but there will still be some microorganisms left behind. Plus if you’re working with a client who has sensitive skin, cold sores, acne, or is sick, playing it safe may be your best bet to reduce the risks of cross contaminating your kit as well as spreading infection. As a professional makeup artist, your brush should not be directly going into an eyeliner pot, concealer/foundation palette, or lipstick.,

Tweezers are another essential tool that not only allows me to tweeze stray hairs and shape brows, but they are also helpful for applying false lashes, especially the individual lashes. It’s more sanitary than using fingers to apply and you get more precision. I don’t recommend using the sharp pointed scissors near the eyes - slanted tweezers work best.

There are special curved tweezers designed specifically for applying lashes without a sharp end for safety. The curve in these tweezers also allows you to press the natural lashes into the false lashes for a better, more seamless blend and are also more ergonomical to hold.

Stainless steel cups are also very handy when it comes to cleaning my tools and brushes and also when I need to use water or alcohol as a mixing medium for character makeup. Because they nest easily, they save space, easy to use and clean, and very durable.

Many makeup artists prefer laying down a towel over their work surface before they lay down their kit and setup. I like using silicone baking mats because they save space and are easier to clean and sanitize. Plus if I spill any adhesives from my character/special fx kit, I can easily wipe it away, without having to worry about any sticky residue.

In addition to these metal, reusable tools listed above, a makeup artist also needs to carry disposables such as mascara wands/spoolies, plastic spatulas, lip brushes/doe foot applicators, cotton swabs, cotton rounds, lash combs, etc. I’ll discuss more about these in another post.

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