4.2 Makeup products
In your supplied kit, you have all the products you need to start creating beautiful looks straight away. When selecting products, always ensure you have a wide range of colours to suit all skin tones. Many brands have gotten a lot better with offering a more comprehensive colour range, and this is really important to ensure that every client, regardless of skin tone, can look their best. Let’s take a look at the common makeup products you will be using in your career.
Foundation
As the name suggests, a foundation is a product that is the foundation of your look. It is applied all over the face, on the neck, toward the ears and skips the eye area. In terms of formulations, foundations will usually come in sheer coverage (light), medium coverage and full coverage. Foundation has evolved from the original grease paints and Pan-Cake in the early 20th century, and these days, you can get mousses, liquids, sticks, loose powders and pressed foundation.
The type of foundation you choose will depend on your client’s skin type, the look you are trying to achieve, and the other products you are using. Put simply, liquid foundation will work for every skin type, and you will need to pay close attention to the type of coverage of the product in terms of which formulation will be most suitable. For fair clients with freckles, for example, sheer coverage might be a better option unless they want to completely erase their freckles. Powder foundations can be just as beautiful as a liquid; however, they are not recommended for people with dry skin or mature clients. This is because the powder can settle into lines and may emphasise roughness on the skin.
If you plan on using cream contours and highlighters, then a liquid or stick foundation would be suitable. If you are planning on using powder contours and highlighters, then a loose or pressed powder foundation will be best. As you work with different types of skin types and products, you will soon learn what works the best, and you will soon have your favourites!
Concealer
The skin on and around the eye is thinner than the skin on the rest of the face, so rather than using foundation, we use concealer. Concealer will usually have a thinner formulation in comparison to foundation, and it can be excellent to use on spots, blemishes and other problem areas where you want to remove imperfections. Concealers come in a range of colours and formulations, and we recommend you use colours that are 1 to 2 shades lighter than the foundation you apply.
Many brands sell concealer palettes that offer a wide range of colour options. In addition to skin-toned colours, concealers also come in green, red, yellow, purple and peach. These concealers are used specifically for colour correcting, which you will learn about in more detail later in this course.
Setting (spray or powder) versus finishing (spray or powder)
Many people use these products interchangeably, but setting products are supposed to set your products and finishing products to finish off in terms of adding extra hydration (sprays) or smoothing imperfections (powders). Some product formulations claim they do both setting and finishing, so be sure to test out a few products and see what you prefer. Some foundations also self-set, so be sure to double-check the product claims! Setting sprays and powders set makeup in place. If you choose to use wet products like liquid foundation and creams, then a setting spray will be best. In contrast, if you use powder products, then a setting powder will be most appropriate.
Eye shadow
Eyeshadow comes in many formulations, such as powder, creams and dusts. When using eyeshadows, you want to not only make sure you are selecting the correct colours, but you will also want to ensure you are selecting either matte shadows or shimmer shadows. Matte shadows are excellent when you are blending colours into the crease, and shimmer shadows are fantastic for highlighting certain parts of the eye, such as the inner corner and brow bone. You will learn more about eyeshadow application and colour choices later in this course.
Eyeliner
Gone are the days of kohl and burnt charcoal liner! These days, eyeliners can be:
- Liquid eyeliners (brush applicator)
- Felt-tip eyeliner (also called art liner)
- Gel or cream eyeliner
- Mechanical twist-up eyeliner
- Eyeshadow (used as eyeliner)
Every MUA should have a range of black eyeliners in their kit, and you may also want to branch out and get yourself some colour and/or shimmer eyeliners.
Mascara
Mascara is absolutely critical for gorgeous eye looks. If you are running late, popping on a couple of coats of mascara can make your eyes pop without the need for eyeshadow. Just like eyeliner, black mascara is absolutely essential for your kit, and there are loads of formulations on the market. Some brands promise their mascaras to be long-wearing, waterproof, volumizing and clump-free. As you begin working with different brands, you will soon see which products really live up to their product descriptions! In terms of application, the mascara wand head can be just as important as the formulation. The image below provides examples of common mascara wand heads:
False lashes and lash glue
If your client wants lashes for the gods, then you will likely need to apply some falsies! Lashes come in a range of fibres, styles and colours. In terms of application, you will either be applying strip lashes or individual lashes. Strip lashes are excellent for a dramatic look, and individual lashes can be great for a more subtle look. Brides, in particular, opt for individual lashes because they add emphasis without looking too dramatic. In terms of lash glue, you can get clear lash glue and black lash glue. You will learn more about applying lashes later in this course:
Brow products
There are lots of brow products you can use from pencils, powders, pomades and gels. When selecting your brow product colour, you will want to choose a shade that is close to the client’s natural hair colour, unless, of course, you are doing a bold or creative makeup. Brow colours will usually be called by hair colours such as blonde, auburn or ebony or in terms of shade (light, medium, dark). It is useful to have a range of brow products in your kit to ensure you have something suitable for all clients.
Contour, highlighter and blush
Depending on the sort of look you are creating, you will usually apply a contour, highlighter, bronzer or blush (or all of them!). When using one or more of these products, you will be blending them with other products, so it is important that you stick to wet products (creams) or dry products (powders) depending on the foundation and concealer you chose to use.
Many makeup brands sell contour, highlighter, bronzer and blush in palettes so you can have all of your flawless base colours at your fingertips. You can also buy these products separately. You will learn more about how to apply these products later.
Lip products
There are lots of lip products on the market, including but not limited to balms, glosses, lip liners, lip plumping products, lip stick, lip scrubs and lip exfoliators. As you learned earlier, our lips have a layer of skin, so it is essential to keep them hydrated. When selecting lip products, you want to find a balance between long-wearing, colour payoff and hydration. The image below provides examples of lip products that are great for keeping lips:
