Top 10 Pro Discount Schemes

As you can probably tell from the Building Your Makeup Kit posts, putting together a pro kit is a huge investment so its good to know that there are some really great companies out there supporting makeup artists by offering Pro Discount schemes.

Pro Discount
Here are 10 pro discount schemes that UK makeup artists can apply for.
(many are open to international readers too!)

1. Make Up For Ever Backstage Card - 35% Discount (contact PAM to apply)
2. Yaby Cosmetics Industry Discount Scheme - 20% Discount.
3. Bobbi Brown - Discount available via Selfridges London, Trafford Park and Exchange Square.
4. Aveda Creative Connections Programme - 35% Discount.
5. Louise Young Cosmetics - 25% Discount.
6. Dermalogica Insider Programme - 30% Discount.
7. Face Atelier Preferred Pro Programme - £40% Discount.
8. Camera Ready Cosmetics - Include your website when opening a new account to be approved as a pro and receive selected products at a discount.
9. Temptu Pro Artist Programme - Up to 30% Discount.
10. OCC Cosmetics - 20% Discount on cosmetics.

Many of these companies also run editorial credit programmes so if you're getting published don't forget to enquire about editorial schemes too!

Pro ID
When applying for discount you should expect to be asked to prove you are a working artist. In fact whenever I email a brand asking if they offer discount to pros I attach a call sheet and my union card before being asked to show I have a legit enquiry.

I know getting together proof your an artist can be tricky when your starting out (even though you probably feel you are most in need of a discount!) however it is possible to prove you are a makeup artist even if you're new to the industry.

Here are some items you can use to prove your credentials including tips of where to get proof as a new artist. You would usually need to provide 2 types of ID.

Business Cards/Comp Card - If you don't already have business cards you can get simple inexpensive cards online.

Tear Sheet - Supply a copy of an editorial page that has your name printed in the credits.

Call Sheet - A call sheet provides information such as your call time and location, listing everyone involved in the shoot, their contact details and department they are working with. Call sheets are also used in film and TV so working on a low budget short film can be a good way to get your hands on this item of industry proof when your a newbie.

Union Card - You can join BECTU (Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematography and Theater Union) for as little as £10 a month which gives you entitlement to a whole range of benefits and your union card can be used to prove you are a pro artist. This is great if you are a new artist with no tear/call sheets under your belt.

Website - Several brands now accept a website as proof you are a pro as it shows you are more that just a hobbyist and are serious about your career. I have said before that a website is a must in this day and age for any artist especially now there are so many inexpensive ways to set up and maintain your own site. Now you have another excellent reason to set up a web page even if its still early in your career.

Programme/Press Material - If you don't have your name in print yet try volunteering at your local amateur dramatics society and get your name printed in the shows programme crediting you for makeup.

Letter of Reference stating employment on business or agency headed paper - In some cases you can get someone to write you a letter of reference. This might apply if you work in a makeover studio for example.

If you would like to share other pro schemes or your tips for getting pro id together please post in the comments section. If your posting from outside the UK please state which country you are getting the discount in so there is no confusion. Thanks

This information was correct to my knowledge at the time this was posted but is subject to change at any time!

Building a Makeup Kit: Part 5

The Building a Makeup Kit mini series looks at brushes today. Please take a look at Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4 for more on what items to stock your kit with.

Brushes
Brushes are a personal purchase depending on the products and techniques you use in your work. Every artist will have their favorite go to brushes that they use on every job. You want brushes that feel soft to the touch so they don't irritate or hurt the skin when blending, you don't want brushes that shred lots of hair and you should get quality brushes that will last for a long time with a little TLC.

My kit has a variety of brushes from brands such as Kryolan, Ben Nye, MAC, Crown, MAP and Charles Fox. I haven't given any specific brush recommendations in this post but here is a picture of the staples in my kit to give you an idea of the shapes you should be looking for.

1. Foundation - I like a flat foundation brush for applying the foundation and a dual fibre brush for blending and buffing it into the skin for a flawless finish. I also have a small flat brush that looks like a giant eyeshadow brush for blending around the eyes and nose when needed.

2. Concealer - Small, flat, dense synthetic brushes for concealing under the eyes and a tiny thin brush for blemishes and more detailed concealing work.

3. Powder/Blush/Contour - Large tapered brush which is slightly flat for pressing powder into the skin, large rounded brush for blush and large angled brushes are perfect for contouring or blush.

4. Eyeshadow - You need a selection of eye shadow brushes, flat for pressing colour on to the lid, small and fluffy for blending and rounded brushes for contouring in the crease.

5. Liner/Mascara/Brows - You need to find the technique and brush that works for you when lining. I use either a small dense angle brush or thin liner brushes either straight or bent at an angle. You can use the tiny fan brush for painting the bottom lashes so if you haven't tried this trick for mascara give it a go. A grooming tool for coming the brows into shape is a must and a dense angle brush for filling in.

6. Lips - Find yourself the size you find easiest to work with which gives a nice clean line when working close to the lip line.

Don't feel restricted to use brushes only for the purpose printed on the handle. I have a shadow brush for lipstick, a lip brush for concealer....you get the picture.

If your building a brush kit from scratch a good place to start would be with a starter set from a pro store or good makeup brand that sells brushes. You can then build on your collection over time by adding different shapes, sizes and brands to your brush kit.

It is a good idea to have duplicates of your favourite brushes so you don't have to worry about cleaning between models but if you only have 1 set to start with make sure you have a good brush cleaner that sanitises your brushes and drys fast.

If you have anything to add on brushes for your kit share it with us and leave a comment!

Building a Makeup Kit: Part 4

Part 4 of the Building a Makeup Kit mini-series talks through the extra little essentials you should carry in your new kit as well as all the disposables you will need.

Click to see Parts 1, 2, or 3

Tools
Good tools are a great investment as they should last a really long time. If you have to start out with the budget option look into investing in an upgrade when you have the money and you will see the difference in quality and performace.

Makeup Sharpener
Eye Lash Curler - I like the traditonal metal curlers. Try Japonesque or Boots/Sephora for a cheeper alternative
Tweezers - I think Tweezerman's wide grip tweezers are the best on the market and worth every penny. Get them in a bright colour so you can always find them in your kit.
Brow Grooming Tool - I like the C162 from Crown which has 3 tools in 1.
Spatula - for scooping out product. Available at any pro makeup or beauty supply store.
Scissors

Disposables
You will find you get through tons of disposibles so its great buying in bulk and restocking your kit from a supply at home as and when you need to. It can also be more cost effective this way.

Mascara Wands
Cotton Pads
Tissues/Kitchen Towel
Q-Tips

Extras
Small Hand Towel - I set my kit up on a small hand towel so I know I always have a clean surface to work from. It also protects the surface im working from and saves time cleaning my station at the end of the day.
Palette - The Yaby compacts have a palette to work from build in which I love! If your on a budget a white tile gives you a nice surface to work from and most places selling tiles have samples that would be perfect.
Hand Sanitiser

Nail Kit
A small nail kit is a great addition to your kit. I have a set I picked up in Sephora that rolls up which is perfect for travel. You dont need to do a full manicure before a shoot but you should be aware of the hands and make them look presentable.

A good remover is essential for your kit as often models will arrive with polish on from the previous days shoot so you need to be able to clean the nails at the very least. I always use a hand cream which makes the hands look more alive and if the hands will be in shot, particually for beauty work a file and lick of polish will add finish to your work.

File
Clippers
Cuticle Sticks
Polish - Clear, Natural, Red (I love Boots No.7 Nail Brightner which is a natural colour polish which also brightens to make the nails look really healthy)
Hand Cream
Polish Remover

If you have an essential tool or piece of kit you can't live with out share it with us in the comments section.

Building a Makeup Kit: Part 3

Here is part 3 in the Building a Makeup Kit mini-series which this time focuses on lips and cheeks.

This post should give you an idea about which products will get you off to a good start when building a makeup kit and I have included suggestions for products I would get if I was building my kit from scratch.

Again, as in part 1, and part 2 I have selected these products because I feel they offer value for money, quality and performance.

Lip Colour
If you carry a good selection of lip colours from the palest nude to a deep cherry it should give you a good base to build upon. It is important that you learn to mix your products when starting out with a small kit so you are always confident that if you don't have the exact colour you want you can mix it.

I think the Yaby lip colours are excellent as they are very pigmented and the texture is nice to work with as they glide on and are very silky. As with the eye shadows, you can carry many colours without taking up lots of space and working from a palette all the colour options are to hand which saves you rummaging round in a bag full of tubes.

Yaby Palette $15.50 - 20 well
Lip Colours $3.75 each - LC013/020/060/181/198/231/237/246/255/277/319/414/025/066/129/165/184/208/233/267

If you want to create unusual lip colours Make Up For Ever Flash Colours are a favourite amongst makeup artists for this purpose. You can also mix the flash colours with gloss or lip stick to adjust the colour when you don't have the exact shade you need.

Lip Liner
A clear lip pencil that prevents bleeding and feathering when working with dark colours is all you need at first. If you like working with lip liners you can then build a collection from there.

Urban Decay Glide-On Lip Pencil £8.32 - Ozone

Lip Gloss
Start your lip kit with a good clear gloss. If you want coloured glossy lips either lay down a lip colour first and apply gloss over the top or mix your clear gloss with some lip colour to get a tint.

This is one area where you can probably save some money and find a drug store brand gloss that works for you so shop around but my gloss of choice is Bobbi Brown as it is doesn't wear off too quickly and has a really high shine formula.

Bobbi Brown Crystal Lip Gloss £11.74

Blush
La Femme blushes blend well, are highly pigmented and inexpensive so the palette Mary, at Camera Ready Cosmetics has put together is the perfect blush kit with a colour range to suit anyone that sits in your chair.

La Femme 12 Colour Blush Palette $39.00

All prices were correct at the time this was posted and do not include any pro discount that may be available to you.

If any other artists reading this have lip or cheek product suggestions feel free to share them with us and leave a comment.

Building a Makeup Kit: Part 2

Here is part 2 in the Building a Makeup Kit mini-series which this time focuses on products for the eyes.

This post should give you an idea about what is needed for your kit when starting out and I have included products suggestions which are all items I would pick if I was building my kit from scratch. Again, as in part 1, I have selected these products because I feel they offer value for money, quality and performance.

To see Part 1 click here...

Eye Shadow
If there was one thing I wish I had know about when investing in those first few pieces for my kit it would be Yaby. I wont rave on too much about the brand here because I guess that's a whole other post but everything about the brand to me is ingenious.

Eye shadows are one product you could pretty much go on collecting for ever with all the different colours and finishes out there but if I was starting over I would firstly put my money in to Yaby shadows. The Yaby palettes which are 14.4cm x 10.8cm include 40 colours which are about the size of a 5 pence piece (or a dime i think?). I get the impression that some people are put off by the size at first but that's the best thing about these palettes. A little also goes along way as the shadows are very pigmented so there is no need for larger pans and you can carry a wide selection of colours without taking up space in your kit.

At the current exchange rate 1 of these palettes of 40 colours is aprox £60. That is the equivalent of 6 MAC shadows. Not bad huh?

Yaby $110 - Dramatically Neutral
Yaby $120 - Best of Both Worlds

Ideally you could get both palettes but I know that's not always the case so if I had to chose between the two I would get the Best of Both Worlds and add these 3 quads from Revlon for a good selection of neutrals.

These 3 quads from Revlon are a great for bridal, natural makeup looks and smokey brown eyes. I cant give these up as they are really useful flattering colours on just about everyone, plus the price is excellent value (usually on 3 for 2 at Boots) so I would definitely recommend you add these to your kit especially if you are building a kit on a tight budget.

Revlon Colour Stay 12 Hour Eye shadow Quads £7.82 each - 03 Natural Khakis, 06 In The Buff, 12 Price Less Metals

If you are using cheap shadows that are not very pigmented and you want to keep them in your kit try using a Primer such as Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion £9.30 to get good intensity of colour and make sure it stays put.

Brows
Brows are such an important feature and should not be overlooked. Neat groomed brows will add polish to your work and complete the look by framing the face.

I have these neutral eye shadows in a separate quad palette which I use for brows. They are great for filling in brows whilst still looking natural and the colours can easily be layered to get a good match for your client.

MAC Eye Shadows £9.79 each - Brule, Symmetry, Charcoal Brown, Carbon

Hairspray or Gel on a clean mascara wand can be used instead of a brow gel to groom brows on a budget.

Eye Liner
You will probably find black the most useful liner to have in your kit when starting out. You can use eyeshadow with an angled brush if you need another colour such as brown or grey for a soft liner or mix in a sealer (ScreenFace £4.40) or transforming gel with any colour shadow to create a liquid eyeliner.

MAC Fluid Line £10.77 - Blacktrack (long lasting, smudge proof precise lines)
MAC Kohl Pencil £10.77 - Smoulder (soft, smudgy, smokey lines)

Lashes
I think that many of the more expensive mascaras on the market perform well because of the wand used to apply it. When starting out find an inexpensive mascara that works well when using disposables. I also think its good to have a couple of pairs of strip lashes in your kit, one natural pair to add length and one more glamorous fuller pair should be a good start.

Maybelline Volume Express £4.88 - Black, Black Waterproof
Eylure Naturalite False Lashes - 101, 070
Duo £9.74 - Surgical Adhesive

Your Duo Surgical Adhesive can also be used to stick pretty much anything to the face and body.

All prices were correct at the time this was posted and do not include any pro discount that may be available to you.

If any other artists reading this have product suggestions for the eye area please feel free to share them with us and leave a comment.

Related Posts:
Top 5 Tips for Keeping Your Makeup Kit Clean and Sanitary
Go Green With Refillable Makeup Palettes
Top 3 Products Seen Backstage at Fashion Week

Building a Makeup Kit: Part 1

What exactly do you need if you are just starting to build a professional makeup kit? This week I am going to post a mini-series of posts that cover all the products needed to get you started.

Building a makeup kit is a huge investment and with the amount of products on the market it can be hard to know where to start. I know I made mistakes, which looking back was money down the drain due to impulse buys and bad choices.

All the suggestions I have made here are products I would invest in if I was starting over, taking into consideration value for money, quality and performance.

Skin Care and Prep Products
You want products that are going to work on a variety of clients that are unlikely to irritate the skin. Moisturisers should be easily and quickly absorbed.

Moisturiser – Embryolise £14.68
Toner – Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner £6.35
Tissue Off Cleanser/Eye Makeup Remover - Dermalogica UltraCalming Cleanser £17.30
Makeup Wipes – Sainsbury's Cosmetic Wipes £1.45
Vaseline – For prepping lips £1.15 at Boots
Moisturising Body Lotion - Vaseline Intensive Care Aloe Fresh £2.45

If you are doing bridal or any job that requires the makeup to last add a good primer such as Smashbox Photo Finish £26.75 to your kit.

Foundation
This is one area of your kit you do not what to skimp on and I would definitely advise you go for a pro brand over a drug store product so you can be sure that the base you chose will read well on camera.

It is also important to know that you don’t need to carry all the colours under the sun. A competent makeup artist should be able to mix the right shade for any client from a small selection of bases.

The foundation you use in your kit is quite a personal choice so you need to play around with as many brands as you can get your hands on to find out what is right for you.

I prefer working with liquids and find that MUFE performs really well for me. Here is a list of shades that would build an excellent starter kit for covering a wide range of skin tones.

Make Up For Ever HD £27.03 each – 110, 120, 140, 155, 170, 180
Make Up For Ever Face & Body £22 each – 02, 12, 26, 48

If you prefer cream bases the RCMA Sampler Palettes in Shinto $60 and KO $60 should cover everyone that sits in your chair and is a favourite of many artists.

Graftobian, Cinema Secrets, Face Atelier and Yaby are also popular brands amongst pros.

Concealer
You need a concealer of a consistency that you find easy to work with which blends nicely and gives good coverage for dark circles and blemishes. As with the foundation try out as many as you can to see what works for you.

The following shades should give you a good range of colours that can be mixed to get the shade you need.

MAC Select Cover-Up £10.77 - NW15, NC20, NW20, NW30, NW40, NW50

Setting Powder
Powder is essential for setting your makeup and counteracting shine. There is a whole array of powders on the market but a good translucent loose powder is all you need to get started.

Ben Nye's Neutral Set £4.99 is perfect for this.

All prices were correct at the time this was posted and do not include any pro discount that may be available to you.

If any other artists reading this have product suggestions please feel free to share them with us and leave a comment.

Related Posts:
Top 5 Tips for Keeping Your Makeup Kit Clean and Sanitary
Go Green With Refillable Makeup Palettes
Top 3 Products Seen Backstage at Fashion Week

Top 5 Tips for Keeping Your Makeup Kit Clean and Sanitary

So this weekend I had yet another model marvel at my cleaning and sanitation practices which is something that always bothers me as cleaning brushes and keeping a sanitary kit should be the norm.

The steps you can take to keep your products and tools clean and sanitized are so quick and simple that there are no excuses for not doing it.

Here are the basic steps you should be following at the very least to insure a clean and safe working environment for you and your models.

1. Wash your hands!

I carry an anti-bacterial hand gel which eliminates the need for soap and water so I can sanitize my hands on the spot. I find it also puts the client or model at ease when they see me being hygienic from the start.

2. Scoop, scrape or squirt products onto a clean palette

By working from a clean palette you cant double dip which can contaminate the product. You can use a spatula to transfer cream or loose powder products to your palette.

3. Never use the wand that comes with the mascara to prevent transferring bacteria which can cause eye infections.

Use a fresh disposable wand every time you need to get more product from the mascara tube.

To minimise the use of disposable wands I like to put some mascara on my palette and use a tiny fan brush which can be cleaned and reused to coat the bottom lashes.

If you like using the wand that comes with a particular brand of mascara you can remove them from the tube, clean thoroughly and keep in your kit like a reusable wand but make sure you have several as you must never put the wand back in the tube after use if you need more product.

This also applies to lip gloss. Always transfer the gloss to a palette or use a disposable applicator replacing it every time you need more gloss from the tube.

4. Sanitise all brushes and tool before use.

I use a 99% Isopropyl Alcohol solution to sanitize and quickly remove makeup from my brushes. As the alcohol content is high it evaporates very quickly leaving your brushes dry and ready to use in no time at all so if you have to work on multiple models with the same brushes there is no excuse not to clean between each model. As it evaporates it is also important to keep the lid on at all times or the product will become useless.

To clean immerse the tip of the brush into the IPA and work it in back and forth on a paper towel repeating until there is not trace of product left.

You can spray tools, pallets and work surfaces with alcohol and wipe down with a paper towel to sanitise. Anti-bacterial wipes are also handy for wiping down surfaces and the inside of your kit.

5. Always sharpen lip, brow and eye pencils using a clean sanitary sharpener.

Clean out the sharpener and use a q-tip soaked in alcohol to sanitise inside and out. Once pencils have been sharpened you can wipe the tip with alcohol as an extra precaution against bacteria and other germs.

If you have any more tips to make sanitising your kit easy let us know and post a comment.

Picture Source: japonesque.com