After these many years working as a Make-up Artist I thought I knew a fair bit about Makeup and Beauty Products. However,I’m continuously looking to learn, chasing the latest  products, techniques,  uses, dos and don’ts…. learning, learning … Speaking with many of my colleagues that have been in the business as long as I have, we came to a conclusion that  lots of “new” tips or techniques or finds are actually old. The only difference is that in the older days no one talked about, there were no bloggers or youtube, (yes I know I’m that old!!!), everyone just did it the way they were taught at makeup school, went on and developed their own techniques and styles, created a point of difference in their work, used their artistic ability to do work that stood out among others…. and no one spoke about how they did it or what products they used, at least not as much as we do these days.  I honestly can say that some people were very guarded with their techniques or products of choice and there was no sharing! Thank God that has changed and today:

with that in mind I’m sharing some of my notes from many years ago. These notes are random quotes from the various jobs that I worked on, what I learned and the mistakes I made;

I learned that:

When you start a make-up application you need to get in the ZONE… prepare yourself, focus. Define the face and eye shape before starting makeup.

Be constant in the presence of greatness!

Don’t change the skin tone of your model (unless you have to because you’re turning him or her into a “different ethnicity”). Take a look at the overall skin tone.

Get rid of your pink based color foundations.

Seabreeze can be used as an astringent helps the makeup to stay matte throughout the day.

Always clean the eye lids with a toner, dry and powder them, before applying primer or eyeshadow.

A liquid foundation after a cream foundation application gives the skin a beautiful dewy finish.

When applying shimmer on the cheeks bones, smile , from the apple of the cheeks work your way up to the top.

Bronzers, especially the ones with shimmer, are not an all over product.

The way you powder your foundation is most important for durability.

If lines start to develop around the eye area after awhile makeup application, just dip a sponge in water, touch the area lightly and blend. Use o pink (egg shape) the best.

Always better to use two colors for the eyebrows and two colors as foundations.

A can of olive oil gives you the best body glow EVER!!

Embryolisse Moisturizer is a must have product in your kit.

Egyptian Magic can’t live without it.

You can always trust M.A.C Face and Body Foundation to get you out of a tricky foundation situation.

Less is always best!

Color eyeshadow has no ability to change eye shape. What you do close to the eyelashes has the power to change the shape, lift the eyes and make anyone look younger and more awake.

Era Spray foundation….the best airbrush foundations in the market…very long lasting

Revlon “colorstay foundation”, best long lasting foundation I ever used.

Lucas Paw-paw cream is a staple in my kit.

Argan oil and coconut oil another must have in my kit, for all occasions, when “you never know, happens” They’re great foundation extenders.

Cello-tape, business cards, paper glue, double sided tape, thin elastics,  are great makeup helpers . (also it’s amazing what you can find at the craftservices-table that you can use in a sfx emergency)

Choose your mascara wisely, keep your favorite mascara wand. You can use it with all the other tubes… I prefer smaller and thinner brushes most of the times. Bourjois had the best ones for years.

Decanter is a make-up artist favorite word.

Curling your lashes is an eye opener!

Have your own chair and lights…when freelancing.

Synthetic brushes are a great find… great for Concealer, and creams applications etc..

You can find amazing tools of the trade in the “dollar” stores, art suppliers and hardware stores.

These is what some experts say, your makeup will expire in:

Mascara: up to 3 months
Liquid foundation: water-based up to 12 months; oil-based up to 18 months
Powder foundation: up to 2 years
Concealors: up to 12 months
Nail colours: up to 12 months
Lip pencils: up to 12 months
Lipsticks: up to 18 months
Powder blush: up to 2 years
Cream blush: up to 12 months
Eye shadows (powder): up to 2 years
Eye shadows (cream): up to 6 months
Eyeliner (pencil): up to 2 years
Eyeliner (liquid): up to 3 months

I say: do the smell test you’ll know is has expired or not. If your creams have little sweat bubbles it’s time to go… if your liquid foundations have separated it’s a sign that their days are over …

Please add any more tips, things you’ve learned over the years. Would love to hear from you and share our stories about makeup do’s and Don’t!

Carly Ryan Make-up Artist  from Los Angeles, added her 2 cents worth as she calls it, here it is:

I just wanted to say hi and reach out to you again:) your website is so awesome and the tips you just posted are amazing and helpful and I’m going to run to Nigel’s and get all 3 must have creams for my kit:)) I also love using a hit of Strobe cream as a highlight above the cheekbones:) and I also am obsessed with MAC essential oils (a few drops) mixed in with foundation to create a long lasting hydrated look (Face & Body is my jam, but Armani Foundation is becoming a fast favorite of mine!) For sure though,  MAC Fix + is my MUST have! I mist the skin after every step of everything on skin and tap it in to set with my 187 brush (MAC)