What's in my Makeup Kit?

I get asked my potential clients all the time - "What Makeup do you use?"

I know people are curious, especially since going cruelty-free, what makeup I actually do have in my Makeup Kit. Contrary to popular belief you actually can look flawless and stunning on your wedding day without touching a single MAC product! I actually use plenty of very well known, high end makeup brands who produce quality products but don't feel the need to rub them all over a bunny and wait for an allergic reaction. Two Faced, NARS, Hour Glass, Urban Decay and Morphe are all quality makeup brands that appear in kit, just to name a few. 

Most of my products are by luxury brands, yes... but not so exclusive that you can't go out and purchase them if you loved how it looked on your skin. You adored that glowy foundation and blinding highlighter? Great! You can easily grab them for your own personal collection next time you're at Sephora. I will happily give you the product name and the colour I used on you. 

So these are my current favs for each category of Makeup.. If you book with me this is most likely what will end up on your pretty face:

Primer - Two Faced hang over primer (hydrating, smoothing and smells AMAZING)

Foundation - NARS sheer glow (makes your skin look naturally flawless) or Two Faced born this way (med-full coverage, matte, flawless finish)

Concealer - ELF maximum coverage concealer (the highest of coverage, my secret weapon) or LA Girl pro conceal (Every MUA has used this as some point, an oldie but a goodie)

Setting Powder - Ben Nye translucent powder (sets your face makeup in place like magic)

Bronzer - Two Faced chocolate solet (suits every skin tone, and dead set smells like choc)

Contour - NYX contour palette (there is literally a colour for everyone, amazing product)

Blush - Ben Nye (almost always a pink and peach combo, works a treat for a natural glow)

Highlighter - Usually a combo of The Balm mary loumanizer and Hour Glass ambient light (a match made in heaven for a glowing bride)

Eye shadows - Morphe (so many pigmented colours, I don't know if I will ever get over them)

Eyeliner - Tarte tartist liner (jet back and life proof)

Mascara - NYX waterproof black (can't go wrong with waterproof black)

Lashes - Model Rock Lashes or Red Cherry Lashes (best and most natural, also you can reuse them after!)

Setting Spray - Urban Decay (the only setting spray, like hairspray for your face)

So these are my makeup kit basics, obviously every makeup is different and I gravitate between different products. Iv'e tried and tested all of these products and I know that they will last ALL DAY & NIGHT! Hope you enjoyed the sneak peek into my kit :)

Why I've stopped wearing makeup?

When I was younger (early highschool) I feel like I was a bit of a late bloomer when it came to wearing makeup. I dabbled in a bit of mascara and lip gloss and maybe the occasional tinted moisturiser in yr7-8 but that was about it. When years 9 and 10 rolled around my hormones had well and truly kicked in. I was oily, pimply, splotchy and I had no idea how to care for my skin or apply makeup. Actually the part where I was meant to take my makeup off at the end of the night was the hardest bit for me to wrap my head around. So my skin got worse. Not violent acne (thankfully) but it was for sure mild acne and serious hormonal pimples! They dominated my chin and my forehead and what made matters worse? I swept my oily side fringe right over the top to cover it up. I was forever touching my face, picking at pimples and transferring bacteria from school desks, pens and every other surface I touched directly to my skin. 

There was a time when I literally remember saying "I wouldn't leave the house without makeup" and that was totally true. Not that I was particularly good at makeup... It was a self confidence thing. I seriously thought that people would comment if I went out without a layer of muck on my face to cover my pimples and redness. To make matters worse I slept in my makeup, almost EVERY night. My mum used to tell me my eyelashes would fall out if I didn't make my mascara off, but I didn't listen. One day in yr10 Math Class the boy sitting next to my turned to me and said "you really shouldn't wear your hair pulled back like that because you've got breakouts". I died. He may as well have punched me in the gut. Any scrap of confidence I had was crushed right before my eyes. 

Although I used decent makeup when I did start wearing it. Mum insisted that if i was going to wear foundation it would be a mineral one (NUDE by nature), and I still use products from that brand to this day. I would slather some concealer under my eyes and on my blemishes, coat my face in a good layer of mineral powder, mascara, sometimes bronzer and a fat line of shitty eye pencil. That was my go to look, from 15-21years of age. 

Finally I went to Makeup College and learnt how to do makeup properly, I look back at photos and cringe. I can't believe how low my self esteem was as a result of my skin. I also cant believe how uneducated I was about how to properly car for it. Obviously I knew I was meant to 'cleanse, tone and moisturise' but I was using all the wrong products. I literally thought that "Clearasil" would make my skin look like the girls in the ads. Instead it stripped my skin of all of its natural oils and dried my face out to an inch of its life. And moisturiser? No way! I was scared to use moisturiser because I thought it would make my skin more oily. 

When I was living in the UK I felt the need to wear makeup to work, although some days it was BB cream and mascara and others it was a full face. However that was about it, outside of work I rarely wore makeup. My skin was SO beyond dry that any makeup I applied such to the dry spots. My skin did not agree with the English weather! Once I returned home and began working for myself I embraced the fact that I didn't need to wear makeup for work anymore. I don't feel the need to do a full face of makeup on myself when I'm doing other peoples makeup. I don't want them judging what is on my face as a indication on my skill, so I'd rather go bare faced. A proper skin routine has saved my skin (and probably the fact that puberty has well and truly ended is a plus too!). I feel confident enough in myself now to leave the house without makeup, work without makeup and go about my everyday life without worrying about makeup. Don't get me wrong, if I'm going out for a nice dinner or a special occasion I will happily go full glam. Every now and then I do feel the need! But generally these days I'm bare faced 99% of the time. 

Obviously a good skin care routine helps, although mine is minimal! I primarily use two products from Lush - Angles on Bare Skin (cleanser) and Skin Drink (moisturiser), and occasionally I will use one of their Masks.  That is literally it! Their products are natural, made of real ingredients, cruelty free and I love their anti-packaging theory!

Not wearing makeup has, weirdly enough, boosted my self confidence. I'm no longer hiding the things I don't like when I apply makeup, I'm enhancing the things I do like and being creative! I urge you to give it a go, not only will you feel better but your skin will thank you for the rest from makeup as well!

How to clean your makeup brushes (and why it's so important).

When I first stared wearing makeup in High School I NEVER cleaned my one, single makeup brush. I used the same weathered, old kabuki brush for everything! Foundation, powder, blush and bronzer. Although I only had one makeup brush I had no idea of the importance of washing it regularly... and I wondered why I had a constant flow of new pimples! 

Now, I'm no scientist, but I know for a fact that makeup brushes can hold a lot of bacteria. Which is then brushed directly onto your skin. Every day. When you really think about it, it's disgusting, leaving your makeup brushes to fester and collect makeup, dead skin, dust, oil and dirt month after month... or for some, year after year. Its not until you wash a foundation brush for the first time that you realise HOW MUCH product and gunk is actually collected in your brush!

Anyway, I'm going to give you a quick rundown on how I clean my brushes.

Step 1 - Collect all of your dirty brushes, a hand towel and a brush cleaner of your choice. You can pick up brush cleaners from your local Sephora, Mecca or online beauty supplier. Or if you're like me and don't believe in spending $40 on fancy soap here are a couple of other products - Stain remover laundry soap or baby shampoo. They do the same thing and work just as well as the expensive stuff but will cost you a quarter of the price!

Step 2 - Wet your first brush. Add some cleaner. Swirl around in the palm of your hand (watch all the built up makeup wash down the sink). If the brush is still dirty, repeat this step again. Extra dirty brushes or ones that haven't been cleaned in months may need a few goes! 

Step 3 - Repeat for all of your brushes. Make sure you're careful with your brushes, swirl them gently. Once you've rinsed the soap out, swirl on the hand towel to remove excess water, reshape your brush and lay flat on the towel to dry. DO NOT stand them upright! This can let the water soak into the glue of the brush and can ruin your brushes!

Step 4 - Once all of the brushes are washed and laying flat on the towel, leave them overnight to completely dry (bigger face brushes will take longer).

Step 5 - Once all of your brushes are dry they are ready to use! 

If you wear makeup every day I recommend cleaning your brushes every 1-2 weeks. You can pick up alcohol based brush sanitizing spray from makeup stores to keep them clean between washes. At the moment I am using the Mecca Brush Sanitizing spray to clean my brushes in between clients.

Do the right thing for your brushes and your skin by washing them regularly. Not only will you be keeping them clean and hygienic but your brushes will be born again once all of that clumped up makeup and oil is removed. They come out looking and feeling like a new makeup brush every time!