Professional makeup is high-quality cosmetic products that a makeup artist could use on clients for a wide variety of occasions. Choosing the best products for your makeup kit involves finding travel-friendly palettes and packages from a brand that you trust. They should include products for the face, eyes, and lips that suit a broad range of skin tones. When possible, it is always a good idea to test products before purchasing them to determine if the quality is what you expect.
You will often need to custom blend foundation to perfectly match a client’s skin, so selecting a foundation palette with warm, neutral, and cool tones is essential. The formula should apply creamy, but dry matte, as this suits most skin types and can double as a buildable concealer. A separate palette should be purchased for facial powders that include a range of blushes, bronzers, and highlighters.
Two types of professional makeup eye shadow bases should also be selected in order to amplify eye shadow color. Dry and normal skin tones can use a matte white cream shadow, but a specialty primer should be used for clients with oily skin. For the eye shadow, you can either get a huge palette from a discount brand that offers over 100 shades, or custom build palettes with magnetic pans and containers. Eye shadow palettes should include both a range of neutral shades and darker tones for smoky eye looks. Avoid selecting loose pigment shadows unless they are absolutely necessary for a specific job, as they can make a mess if they pop open in transit.
The professional makeup kit should also include products to frame the eyes, such as eyeliners and mascaras. Cream eyeliners are available in palettes with small pans featuring traditional and fashion-forward colors, but you should also look for pencil style liners that you can bundle with a rubber band for clients with oily skin. Two black mascaras and two brown mascaras with a waterproof and regular formula in each color will help you to accommodate clients with sensitive eyes.
A professional makeup lipstick palette with an airtight lid should include shades of pink, nude, and red in creamy, easy-to-apply formulas. Lip liners can be included in shades to match the lipstick palette. Glosses are optional, but the formulas aren’t as long-lasting and can create a mess if the package comes open in the kit.
If you’re not already loyal to one or two professional makeup brands, visit a department store to test out products at the cosmetics counters. Check on the return policies on any in store or online purchase in case the product doesn’t meet your expectations when it comes time to use it on a client. Don’t ignore discount brands, as many have improved in quality so much that they can be evenly matched with the pricier brands.