Building A Professional Kit Withing A Budget!

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Noemi R.

Jun 4, 2012

Noemi R.

Hi everyone,

Im a starting off as a MUA and i was wondering how can i get my kit to look professional without spending a lot of money !! im a college student and i cant afford buying 10 bottles of MUFE foundations but would it be best to but a pre made kit or individually like coastal scents or BH cosmetics palettes ? does that look too tacky to but from these companies?

Danielle C.

Jun 6, 2012

Danielle C.

There are soo many topics on this issue in this forum. but as a makeup artist you wouldnt buy 10 foundations... you would get a max of 6 and blend... i have 3 MAC and 3 Revlon foundations in my kit cause when i started out all i could afford is Revlon. please dnt skimp on skincare and foundations and concealers. for eyeshadows i had a wales palette and it is very chalky so i have to keep packin it o and blending (taking up my time). if you can get with a makeup artist that has pro discounts maybe they'll let u use it in exchange for assistance on jobs or something! i know a guy that works at jc penny and they have a sephora so he gets me a discount... its all abt networking anyway! every once in a while buy mac eyeshadows the cheapest i think is the one in the pan ($11.50) and make ur own palette of stuff your customers might want. i started off with weddings so i built on mostly neutrals and golds/bronze eyeshadows. good luck with your search! 

Mandy T.

Jun 7, 2012

Mandy T.

I started with Revlon for my foundation when I first started building my kit. Then from there I went onto MAC, Graftobian, Eve Pearl, Temptu, etc. I hardly own any of those premade palettes. Only a blush and a neutral coloured one as I also started off in the bridal/formal makeup services.
I own a load of Inglot eyeshadows as I find them more affordable than MAC (I still love MAC eyeshadows though). I find Inglot have great quality and won't have to put a big hole in my bank account each time i need to replace something.

Everyone will have their on favourites, however like Danielle mentioned don't skimp out on the skincare. I use a nice primer and concealers and powder. I find if you can't get the base to look nice makeup just won't look great.

I use a lot of revlon lipsticks in my kit too, and only recently ventured into the Inglot freedom system lipstick pans. Love them, but they don't have matte shades.

Rachel S.

Jun 10, 2012

Rachel S.

Check out ELF and Coastal Scents, both are really good and cheap, especially ELF.

Noemi R.

Jun 11, 2012

Noemi R.

Thanx ladies ! 

Livvy P.

Jun 16, 2012

Livvy P.

Hi,i dont know if you have heard of MUA? (a cosmetics brand in the UK) but thier make-up is really cheap,good quality And amazing pigmentation!

Noemi R.

Jun 17, 2012

Noemi R.

Thanx ill b checking that out !

Candace C.

Jun 20, 2012

Candace C.

My suggestion is to first look at your clients. If you are doing makeup for proms then don't get the most expensive skincare products because your client base doesn't require it. Adjust according to your need. I do makeup for a living but I still use all types of brands...even drug store brands.

For foundation try a makeup palette so you have a lot of color without having to buy tons of individual things. Ben Nye, Kryolan, Mehron and Graftobian are great options. They are cream foundations and you can get a waterbased moisturizer to make it a thin or as thick as you want. Other inexpensive options are Black Opal foundation stick. They run about 6.00 or 4.00 if you get it on sale. Makeup pros use that all the time.

For eyeshadows think about the colors you use the most. For me I use brown, black, taupe that are usually matte so I don't get tons of bright colors I'm not going to use. You need to do the same or else you will waste money on products that are never used. La Femme is a high pigmented brand but runs about 2.00 to 5.00. Another option is to look at the eyeshadows used for African American lines like Black Radiance. They contain a lot of pigment to show up on darker complexions but with a drugstore price.

For lips you can use Covergirl Lip Perfection. It is cheap but the colors are rich and they contain silk in them which is good for the lips. Wet N Wild glassy gloss acts like MAC lipglass but is about 2.00

Skin care you can try Olay and DDF products to start. If you buy department store items wait for gift with purchase day so you get more for your buck!

I hope that helps!

Livvy P.

Jun 21, 2012

Livvy P.

Coastal scents and Elf I suggest as it doesnt have to be exspensive to look good :)

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