Building Your Makeup Artistry Kit on a Budget

Saving money doesn’t have to mean buying poor-quality products. Despite the tempting prices, avoid discount makeup brands that have a reputation for applying poorly and wearing off quickly. You will encounter extremely affordable brands that are good quality, but they’re the exception and not the rule.

At the same time, don’t fall for the illusion that higher prices guarantee better quality. Some expensive designer brands are cream of the crop, but there are also affordably priced brands that produce makeup of equal quality. As a beginner, these are the products that you should invest your money in.

Remember that professional makeup artists deal with clients who have all different skin types and tones. You’ll need products in a range of shades, so consider purchasing palettes rather than individual pieces. Eyeshadow, concealer, blush, and lip palettes, for example, can be much more cost-effective than buying 12 shades of every single product individually.

You won’t have the chance to sample every foundation under the sun before choosing which ones to buy. So take from your own experience and research makeup recommendations. Seek advice from more experienced makeup artists and read or watch product reviews on reputable blogs and vlogs. Find interactive makeup artistry forums or social networking groups and discuss products with other professionals before you purchase something you’re unsure of. You don’t have to base your decision on other peoples’ reviews. But they are helpful for beginners who haven’t been exposed to a wide range of products or makeup brands yet.

For safety and hygiene reasons, makeup artists use several kinds of disposable tools during each application. Even though these aren’t cosmetics, they’re a necessary part of your professional makeup kit. Re-stocking your disposable tools is a regular cost, so consider buying in bulk. You’ll need mascara wands or spoolies, cotton swabs or Q-Tips, cotton pads, and foam sponges. Purchasing your disposable tools in bulk is often more cost-effective than buying individual packages at full cost every time you need to replenish your supply. The less money you spend on disposable tools, the more you can save to invest in quality makeup products.

Saving money is important, but your makeup artistry kit must have the essentials you’ll need to complete professional makeup jobs. Check out this list of basic products that are of good quality despite being very affordable.

Concealer

Try: Ben Nye Conceal-All Wheel, available from Frends Beauty for $15

You need: Medium and light shades

Liquid foundation

You need: A range of at least 5 shades, as well as a lightener and a darkener

Try: Maybelline Fit Me Dewy and Smooth for $8

Setting powder

You need: Translucent and medium tinted fine powder to set the foundation

Try: RCMA Makeup No Color Powder for $12

Blush and bronzer

You need: A range of about 6 blush shades for different skin tones and at least one universal bronzer

Try: BH Cosmetics 10-Shade Nude Blush Palette (including a neutral bronzer!) for $12

Mascara

You need: Black and brown mascara for clients with different hair coloring

Try: L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara for $10

Eye shadows

You need: At least 12 powder eye shadows in a range of colors, shades, mattes, and shimmers

Try: Colourpop Double Entendre Shadow Palette for $16

Eyeliner

You need:A combination of pencils and liquid liners in black and brown

Try:NYX Cosmetics Epic Ink Liner for $9

Brow products

You need: Cream, powder, or pencils in a range of brown shades for filling and shaping eyebrows

Try: E.L.F. Cosmetics Eyebrow Kit $4

Lipsticks

You need: About 8 pigmented lipsticks in a range of shades, including pink, peach, brown, and red.

Try: NYX Pro Lip Cream Palette for $12

Pro tip: Liquid lipsticks are the latest trend. They’re more expensive than some regular lipsticks and they’re not available in palettes, but their velvet finish and extremely long last make them worth it. 

Lip glosses

You need: A range of lip gloss shades, including clear, pink, red, neutral, and spice glosses

Try:Revlon Super Lustrous The Gloss for $9

Lip liners

You need: A variety of lip liner pencils to match your lipsticks and glosses

Try: Rimmel London 1000 Lasting Finish Lip Liner for $4.50

Building a professional makeup kit calls for more than just makeup! You’ll also need: