A Newbie’s Guide To The Make Up Counter

I received emails asking for advice on which make up products to buy as a make up student or as a budding new artist. For your reference, please check out my old post on the basic make up kit to serve as your checklist on things to purchase.

While you see most make-up artists tugging trolleys around, you don’t need that as a beginner. When I bring my traincase, it’s usually during shoots when I don’t know what the photographer has in mind so I have the colors and tools that may be useful for the shoot ready.  When I go to wedding gigs, I choose a smaller bag because I leave the avant garde materials at home. Frankly, even with the small bag, I don’t need all the makeup I bring. There are only a few essentials while the rest are security blankets. Even from the separate kit I prepare for my assistants, only a few make ups are used. The tendency for newbies is to haul on every single makeup despite the ridiculously steep price, (which if  combined together, could probably amount to something worth a Newport Beach Real Estate)  even they don’t need really need it in the end. Thing is, you need only the essentials to start a make up career!

If you’re specifically hunting for brands that are affordable yet effective, here’s my list:(Sorry if some of the prices are not accurate, I forgot them already but I know they were cheap when I bought them)

1. Foundation
Liquid- Revlon Color Stay (Php 800 something)
Cream to powder- VOV cover foundation (Php 383)
Mousse- Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse (Php 300 to 400)
Cake- Fanny Serrano Two Way Cake Foundation (Php 200 or 300?)
Base- Face Shop Professional Makeup Base (Php 300 something)

2. Concealer
Fanny Serrano- (Php 200 to 300?)
Fashion 21 Perfect Stick (Php 150- 200)
Body Shop pencil concealer (sorry, totally forgot)
Note: I have yet to find a cheaper concealer with the consistency of Laura Mercier or YSL Touche Eclat that you can use under the eyes without creasing. If you know a good brand, please help me out. Thanks!

3. Powder
Mineral Makeups- check out Ellana or Luminare ( some makeup artists find mineral makeups chalky and form a white cast on flash photography due to the titanium dioxide. They can also settle in fine lines if not blended correctly)

Fasio Fit and Stay Foundation – (Php 645)

Face Shop Phytogenic Pressed Powder (Php 600?)

In2it- (P500 to 600)

4. Eye brow/ Eyeliner -
Pencil- Nichido (less than Php 100)

• Angelique (Php 10)

Powder- In2it Brow kit (Php 300 something)

• Tip: use your eyeshadow colors!

Gel liner- Fanny Serrano (Php 200 something) or Maybelline (Php 400)

5. Mascara-

Cover Girl lash Blast- (Phpp 500 to 600)

6. Eyeshadows-
PAC- sounds like MAC but is just as FAB (around Php 200 per color)
Elianto- Php 90 to 300 per color, the pricier ones are of the baked variety
Baxi- (Php 40) usually found in places like Divisoria or Baclaran
Generic Palettes- those coastal scents palettes ranging from P600 to Php 1k plus, get them locally from multipy sellers.

7. Blush or Bronzers
Ever Bilena- (Php 150)
Mineral Makeup blush- My fave blushes are from mineral makeup lines (Price depends on size, from less than Php 100 to Php 500)
Generic Palette/ Coastal Scents type (Php 850)

8. Lipstick

NYX- got them for $.99 each online from the U.S. but are available locally in multiply stores
Generic Palette- Check out Doll Face (Php 650)

9. Brushes
Suesh- (Php 1500 to Php 4500 per set)

10. Sponge
Assorted- from P88 store
Sea Sponge- P60 each

Ok these are just some of my recommendations. Will update this post every once in a while to correct the prices and add make up brands worth checking out.

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Basic Make-up Kit

A checklist for the makeup artist’s basic stash:

1. Foundation

This is your base or the first layer in a makeup look. It conceals flaws, evens out skin tone and gives your skin a healthy glow. This could be your most important makeup investment. Your stash should include a light and a dark shade. It may be tricky to find an exact match to your client’s skin but you can mix foundation colors to get the perfect match. Foundation should be blended down below the jawline until the neck with no harsh lines of demarcation. They come in liquid, cream, mousse, or powder forms.

2. Concealer

It may be applied before or after foundation. I prefer putting it after so as not to ruin the properly stippled concealer on areas where it is needed. Blemishes, dark undereyes, acne breakouts will disappear like magic if you know the proper application of concealers, otherwise, you may end up emphasizing the problem more. Several forms are available in varying coverage, depending on the areas to be concealed. When using it for undereye circles, it should be moist and creamy, while covering blemishes may call for a drier texture to adhere and last longer.

3. Powder

This provides the staying power for your makeup and control the shine by helping absorb the skin’s natural oils. The finer it is, the better, with less tendency to cake. Between loose and pressed, the latter absorbs more oil but for retouch, a pressed one is more convenient to carry around, unless you brought a pump brush with the loose powder.

4. Eyebrow Kit

You can use pencil, powder, creme or brow gel to shape the brows and frame the face. Some beauty pundits discourage the use of pencils because it draws a cartoonish effect on the brows. I personally prefer a powder form applied with a brush. I use a dark, usually brown eyeshadow shade to pull this off. But then, choose whatever you’re comfortable with. You can top the brows with powder over the pencilled area to make it last longer and look more natural. A brow gel helps tame unruly eyebrows.

5. Mascara

A dramatic way to open up the eyes. Waterproof is the most commonly used especially for events that may involve crying (like wedding). However, this formulation may be irritating for women with sensitive eyes. A disposable wand may be used for more sanitary practices and avoid spreading of eye infection. It is better to apply two layers of thin coating than a single clumpy coat.

6. Eyeliner

It is an important element which can accentuate the eye and make the lashes appear thicker. A liquid type is harder to apply than a pencil but it would depend on the eye shape and desired look. You can even use eyeshadows for lining.

7. Eye Shadows

You could get intimidated by the various color choices but a neutral palette is a staple item for makeup artists. If avant garde is your forte, your choices must be wider. The textures come in powder, creme, liquid and pencil. For a more intense color, you can put powder over a creme form. A creme is more difficult to blend and it creases more. You can use an eye primer to lessen the creasing and for colors to stay. Eye shadow finishes have matte, shimmer, frost and satin types.

8. Blush/ Bronzer

These impart a healthy glow and give a well sculpted appearance to the face. The rules of contouring should be remembered when applying blush. Blend well and avoid a clownish finish. Matte forms usually last longer than shimmer ones. Be careful not to apply a shimmer blush to the apples of the cheeks when it is already very prominent. This could make the cheeks plumper.

9. Lipstick

Shaping the lips may be extra difficult due to the many planes and curvatures of the structure. Lipsticks come in a variety of formulas, including matte, creme, frost. sheer, gloss and pencil. They are among the products that are quicker to expire so don’t haul too many at one time. Be careful for signs of deterioration.

10. Makeup Brushes

They have various forms and functions but a good makeup brush should be soft enough not to irritate the skin but effective in delivery of pigments to the face. Using your hands may be ok to blend makeup but some clients aren’t comfortable with your hands laying on their faces. I will be orienting you on the different brushes in later posts. Make sure they are washed at least once a week. After a gig, I wash them afterwards to avoid harboring bacteria and passing it on to the next client.

11. Sponges/ Powder Puffs

Although I prefer brushes over sponges in application of makeup products, these are indispensable tools for absorbing too much product, especially under the eyes, for blending and erasing smears. It should glide smoothly against the skin.

12. Eyelash Curler

For people with straight and short lashes like I do, it does wonders in opening up the peepers. It may also be a most dreaded tool because it can traumatize if you accidentally include the lids in crimping. Ouch! You have an alternative in heated lash curlers like Blinc’s. Metallic crimpers should be used before application of mascara and heated ones are used after mascara. Some would heat the metallic crimpers with a hair dryer to curl the most stubborn lashes but be careful that you don’t burn the lids of your client when the metal gets in touch with her skin.

13. Tweezer/ Razor

For clients with brows that bring you back to the caveman era, you need to shape it using tweezers or razor. I prefer razor over tweezer since pulling the hair off on the same day you’d be applying makeup could leave the pores open and prone to infection. The tweezer would also be helpful in applying false eyelashes if needed.

14. Makeup Remover, Cotton Buds, Square cotton, Baby Wipes, Tissues, Alcohol

Avoid tugging the skin in an effort to erase accidental smears. Use a good makeup remover. Wipe off colors from your brushes using baby wipes, let dry before dipping it in another color. Wash your hands and sanitize them with alcohol even if you will be using brushes.

15. Makeup Traincase

When I was just starting, I used toolboxes sold at hardware stores to organize my kit. It was easier to clean and lighter to carry around. However, to avoid scaring the client by the household repair tools associated with the box, which she might think are needed to drastically alter her looks, I decided to get an aluminum traincase used by makeup artists. I still use the toolboxes at home to keep my makeups. Sometimes, I use a small suitcase which is lighter to carry and pack the makeups in pouches according to the area of use.

The details and recommendations for each product will be discussed in future posts. Til the next update.