Keep it clean!

As a working makeup artist, sanitation and hygiene are essential. Proper sanitation and care of your kit will prevent cross contamination, infection and disease as well as ensure the longevity of your cosmetics and the health of your clients.

 

91% alcohol is a must as well as plenty of disposable sponges and puffs

A few things to remember when you set up.

1. Always, disinfect the work surface before unpacking your kit.
2. Always, work from a clean sanitized steel palette with disinfected brushes, tools, and cosmetics.
3. Always, be mindful of sanitation practice while working.
4. Keep hand sanitizer, alcohol, cosmetic sanitizer and brush cleaner on hand at all times.

My basic set up. Staying clean and organized is what will be noticed (sometimes more than the makeup)

 Proper ways to dispense makeup while keeping it clean and safe when working are below.

Moisturizers/Primers: Dispense product onto steel palette, wipe nozzle/tip clean with tissue, place cap on product. Use a brush to apply product to client.

Liquid Foundations/Concealers: Dispense product onto steel palette (by pumping, pouring, or dipping cotton swab into product; do not double dip), wipe nozzle/opening clean with tissue, place cap on product. Use a brush to apply product to client.

Cream Foundations/Concealers/Blushes/Gels: Scrape out product onto steel palette with a plastic or stainless steel spatula. Use a brush to apply product to client.

Powder Foundations/Blushes/Eye shadows: Use a brush to apply product to client. Spray the product with 91% alcohol .  Allow to dry. Optional step: Wipe surface clean with a tissue.

Loose Powders: Tap product onto steel palette. Use a brush or sponge to apply product to client.

Eye & Lip Pencils: Apply product to client. Wipe surface and wipe or dip in 91% isopropyl or higher alcohol; allow to dry. Sharpen pencil. D

 

Liquid/Gel/Glitter Liners: Apply product to onto steel palette. Use a liner brush to apply product to client or dip a disposable liner brush into product, apply to client. Do not double dip; use another disposable applicator  if more product is needed.

Mascara: Use disposable mascara wands! Dip into mascara tube, bend the brush to a 90* angle, apply product to client. Do not double dip; use another disposable applicator, if more product is needed.

Lipstick: As a make-up artist, my advice to aspiring make-up artists is to de tube your lipsticks and organize them into palettes. It’s easiest and quickest to work with when they’re in this fashion. All you’ll have to do is scrape out what you need, apply onto a steel palette and work from there. Discard after 1 year.

Lip gloss: Use disposable doe foot or lip brush applicators. Dip into lip gloss tube, apply product to client. Do not double dip: use another disposable applicator, if more product is needed. Discard after 1 year.

Have a designated zip-lock bag for disposables and dirty brushes as well as your own trash bag.  I use a small brown bag that I fold over to dispense tissues and such.

Once your work is done, disinfect the outside of all products, bags, and pouches as you place them back into your kit.

Please if you are using alcohol on your cosmetics, be sure to use the highest isopropyl alcohol percentage available to you. This will ensure quicker drying time thus less damage to your cosmetics. For example, if you want to disinfect eye shadows, simply spray alcohol onto a tissue and wipe clean the surface of the eye shadow.