Nail Kit and 10 Step Manicure for Makeup Artists

As makeup artists our job doesn’t end once the face is done, the appearance of the body as a whole is our responsibility. When it comes to the hands and feet you should at the very least be making sure the nails are clean and tidy but a quick manicure or pedicure could be in order particularly when shooting beauty or if the models nails are in poor condition.

Here are some products you should carry in your nail kit:
Soft Toothbrush
Small Bowl
Nail Clippers
Emery Boards
Buffer
Cuticle Oil
Cuticle Pusher/Orange Sticks
Cuticle Clippers
Nail Polish Remover – Must be oil free and suitable for both natural and fake nails.
Lint Free Nail Wipes
Pumice Stone
White Nail Pencil
Sanitiser (available at beauty supply stores)
Hand Cream
Top Coat
Nude Polish
Red Polish
2 or 3 Trend Colours

Check out this fab Tweezerman nail kit as a starter set.

10 Steps to achieve the perfect manicure.
1. Remove any old polish. By using lint free nail wipes you won’t get little bits of cotton wool flying around which can get stuck in your polish when painting the nails later!

2. Apply cuticle oil and soak in warm soapy water if required.

3. Gently push back the cuticle using either a cuticle pusher or an orange stick and remove any excess cuticle with the clippers. It is probably a good idea to practice this on yourself so you don’t hurt the model or cause any damage to the nail bed when working on others.

4. Shape the nails with an emery board. Nail shapes change over the years so pay attention to what is in fashion.

5. Lightly buff the nails to prep the nail, remove ridges and bring out shine.

6. Clean off the nails paying attention to under the finger nails with your soft toothbrush and bowl of water.

7. For a natural manicure dip the tip of your white pencil in water and use to whiten the underside of the nails. You can follow with a dry cotton bud to soften the look or even transfer the white from the pencil to the cotton bud and use the bud instead of the pencil to whiten under the nail for a softer look.

8. Clean the nails to prep for the polish by wiping with an oil free polish. Use your lint free wipes to help you achieve a flawless finish when painting.

9. Paint the nails paying close attention to the sides so there are no gaps and follow with a top coat for added shine and finish.

10. Finish up by using hand cream to bring life to the hands and improve the general appearance.

As you know time is always of the essence when working so practice on as many people you can to get your speed up and remember to sanitiser your tools after each use as you would with your brushes!

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.