Becoming a Vegan Makeup Artist: Storage and Organisation

So now you have all the stuff you need to be a vegan makeup artist, you're gonna need somewhere to put it. That 'somewhere' will need to be easy to carry and travel with as you travel to and from jobs.

The Zuca Bag was my kit bag of choice for most of my career. It's sturdy, on wheels, and the fabric part is washable for when something inevitably spills. The Pro Artist Bag comes with clear plastic inserts to organise your kit. It's also suitable to take on a plane as carry-on luggage. 

The £229+ price tag is pretty steep, so if you aren't likely to be jetting off with it, you might want to consider the cheaper Zuca Sport.

This comes without the inserts, but you can buy your own clear plastic cases to separate products by type. Clear cases are vital - you need to be able to see what you have quickly without rummaging around! This'll set you back by around £130+. I highly recommend the model with flashing wheels!

For your hair kit, the Zuca Artist backpack is ideal. It's designed to sit on top of the Zuca Bag, it has removable pouches and a thermal pocket so you can put away hot curling irons safely. 

I know these cases are expensive, but I've done my research and carried other cases, and honestly, these are the sturdiest, most hardwearing, most user-friendly cases available. They aren't even paying me to say this! I've linked the cheapest UK shop I've found, as prices vary a lot between retailers. 

If you happen to find yourself in a state of monetary deficit, as I often do, then a second hand Zuca is ideal. As the fabric inserts are removable and washable, you'll have no problem getting your case clean and looking like new again. 

• Organisation

Your kit should be arranged by type. Each category should have its own place, normally a medium clear PVC bag. My kit categories were as follows;

1. Skincare, including wipes, tissues and cotton pads (kept in the door pockets of my Zuca)
2. Foundations, concealer palette, setting powder & single blush/highlight/contours
3. Airbrush foundation minis (came in their own small PVC bag)
4. Single eyeshadow pigments, gel liners and cream shadows
5. Eye pencils and mascara (kept in a small PVC pencil bag or wallet)
6. Lipsticks and lip palette
7. Lip Pencils (kept in a small PVC pencil bag or wallet)
8. Liquid lipsticks/glosses (kept in a small PVC pencil bag or wallet)
9. Large Palettes (kept at the bottom of my Zuca, under everything to stop them moving around and getting broken)
10. Disposable lip brushes, mascara wands, and cotton buds (in small Cozette vessels or wallets)
11. Powder/foundation brushes and eye brushes (in large Cozette vessels or tube holder)
12. Nail polishes, file and clippers (just those I'll need, not my full collection, kept in a small PVC case in my Zuca's side pocket)

• Pro Picks

Here are some bits that I think are pretty nifty.

Magnetic Palettes - 

My Kit Co Palette

Crowd Colour Palette

Pic via etsy.com

I no longer support Z-palette after the owner went on a bit of an Instagram rampage insulting customers, and these are some great alternatives.

Vueset Palettes

Pic via love-makeup.co.uk

These clear plastic palettes are perfect for melting cream products into or storing bobby pins or lashes.

Set Bag

On set or location, it's not possible to take your entire kit with you for touch-ups. This is where a set bag is useful to have the essentials on hand. This one has a tissue dispenser built in, and will keep things dry if it rains on location!

Pic via love-makeup.co.uk

Actor Bag

When working on a single job for extended periods, such as a film or TV series, it is often necessary to organise each actor's particular products and shades separately. 

So there you have it, you now know all you need to become a vegan makeup artist and hairstylist. The most important thing, when you're learning, is to practice constantly! Makeover all your friends, take pictures, track your progress, take notice of your timing. Get a couple of hairdressing practice heads to practice your techniques on. It's best to get the highest percentage of human hair as you can afford, because synthetic is too slippery and not realistic. (For anyone wondering about the vegan-ity of human hair - humans can give consent, animals cannot!)

I have now imparted my wisdom, bestowed it upon you. Use it wisely. For now, I must bid you farewell. If I ever manage to claw back some precious health, I fully intend to continue this blog! If you'd like more info on my illness and to perhaps donate towards research for a cure, click here.

Til Next Time,

Emma
xXx

Becoming A Vegan Makeup Artist: Kit Recommendations, Face Edition

Creating smooth, even, healthy-looking skin is the bread and butter of makeup artistry (or should that be the dairy-free spread of makeup artistry?) The following products are best for getting the job done, the vegan way.

• Concealer

Kat Von D Lock-It Concealer

RCMA Color Process Foundation (can be used as concealer or foundation. Comes in convenient palettes.Thinning fluid isn't vegan, but moisturiser can be used instead to sheer out product). Perfect for contouring and highlighting, too. Palettes, Singles. 

Pic via Guru Makeup Emporium

Kett Fixx Creme (can be used as concealer or foundation. Comes in convenient palettes.)
Palettes, Singles. 

Elf All Over Cover Stick

• Foundation

Kett Hydro Airbrush Foundation (Only for use with an airbrush.)

Wet n Wild Coverall (Poor shade range)

Illamasqua Skin Base

Pic via Illamasqua

Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation

• Colour Corrector

Barry M Colour Correcting Kit

Pic via Barry M

• Powder

RCMA No-Color Powder
Cult classic. Cuts through shine like no other. Colourless and invisible.

• Highlight

Kett Hydro Shimmers

Can be airbrushed or used with a sponge.

Barry M Liquid Chrome Highlighter Drops

Makeup Revolution Soph Highlighter Palette

Pic via Tam Beauty

• Contour

Kett Hydro Contour
Can be airbrushed or used with a brush or sponge.

BH Cosmetics Studio Pro Cream Contour Palette

Lunatick Cosmetic Labs Contour Book Palette VOL 1
Buildable and mixable - a tap of each colour on your brush creates a custom shade.

Pic via Lunatick Cosmetic Labs

Shiro Cosmetics Contouring Powder - Do Your Research (Cool matte tone)

• Blush

Freedom Makeup London Pro Blush Palettes in Peach & Pink

BH Cosmetics 10 Pan Blush Palettes in Professional, Glamorous and Nude

Pic via Beauty Bay

• Setting Spray

Skindinavia Bridal Finish. This stuff is legendary. Shake well and spray liberally to ensure the makeup lasts all day!

What are your favourite vegan face products? 
Check back next week to hear about some killer eye products!

Til Next Time,
Emma
xXx

Becoming a Vegan Makeup Artist: Kit Building & Skin Prep Recommendations

In this post, I'm going to talk about building your vegan professional makeup kit.

Buying your kit will be pricey, even if you only go for the cheapest products to start out with. I recommend signing up for an industry discount once you've enrolled onto your course. You will need to sign up with each individual retailer separately and show proof that you're enrolled, then you will receive a discount. Also, when buying online, try to go through a cashback site like Top Cashback. You'll get a small percentage of each sale back, and it adds up rather quickly if you're buying a lot. I've earned £267.45 so far! You can sign up at topcashback.co.uk, or go via my  referral link if you feel like helping me out! :)

To figure out if a brand is cruelty-free, just search for them on lists such as Cruelty-Free Kitty and Logical Harmony. You will need to decide whether you are okay with using products from a cruelty-free company with an animal testing parent company (such as Tarte, Urban Decay). I personally try to avoid brands with animal testing parent companies, except when there is no other option, or the company is extremely dedicated to making vegan products (such as Superdrug or Kat Von D). Here is a good post by Lovely Witches about parent companies.

• Brands that are 100% Cruelty-Free and Vegan

Kett

A post shared by Kett Cosmetics (@kettcosmetics) on Sep 11, 2017 at 9:08am PDT

I highly recommend their airbrush makeup - if you plan to airbrush, I would purchase the whole kit from them.

OCC 

A post shared by Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (@occmakeup) on Sep 20, 2017 at 9:00am PDT

A great way to get a lot of lip colours is to buy a set of Lip Tars and mix any colour you can imagine from them. They can be topped with gloss or blotted and powdered, and come in metallic, glitter and tinted gloss finishes. Their pencils for eyes and lips are also great quality.

E.L.F

A post shared by e.l.f. Cosmetics (@elfcosmetics) on Jul 26, 2017 at 7:03am PDT

Lots of quality products for cheap prices. Read reviews prior to purchasing as they have a couple of dud products among the many great ones.

Shiro Cosmetics

A post shared by Caitlin | Shiro Cosmetics (@shirocosmetics) on Apr 14, 2017 at 10:25am PDT

Great for unique powder eyeshadow shades, especially duochrome shadows.

Fyrinnae 

A post shared by Fyrinnae (@fyrinnae.cosmetics) on Jun 8, 2015 at 2:25pm PDT

Great for duochrome shadows, colour shifting shadows and Pixie Epoxy - a kind of 'primer' to bring out the shimmer in eyeshadows.

Skin Illustrator

A post shared by @skinillustratorofficial on Sep 17, 2016 at 1:27am PDT

Skin Illustrator makes alcohol based makeup for film, TV and SFX. The vast majority of films and TV shows you see use these products to produce realistic skin effects like freckles, tanning/sunburn, bruising, ageing, scars, tattoos, dirtying down, the list is endless. They also produce tooth lacquer, dirt for different dirt effects, blood under the name 'Fleet Street', and heavy-duty sealing sprays (Blue and Green Marble).

Brushes - Nanshy, Spectrum, Real Techniques and Cozzette make high-quality vegan brushes. Ideally, you will have multiples of oft-used brushes to save time sanitising them between clients, but it's okay to start out with less.


Great Brands With Vegan Lists -

Refer to these websites when shopping for the same brand on other websites. It's often cheaper to buy many different brands from the same retailer rather than make several purchases from the brand websites.

BH Cosmetics

Neve Cosmetics

Illamasqua

Barry M (Vegan products are labelled in the drop down ingredients tab of each product)

Wet 'n' Wild (Hard to find in the UK, but good quality and cheap if you can get it)

Sugarpill

Skin Prep Recommendations

It's essential to start with a clean, moisturised base when building a look. The right products will cleanse quickly without drying the skin, add moisture without grease, and help makeup adhere to the skin to last all day.

• Skincare

A small pot of homemade sugar and sunflower oil lip scrub to be used before cleansing if needed.

B. Pure Micellar Water (they sell two micellar waters, this one is a larger bottle)

Superdrug Simply Pure Hydrating Serum

A cult favourite with moisture-boosting ceramides, and only £2.99!

EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46 (if model/client will be in the sun)

Perfectly matte, high protection without flashback. Bieberino knows what's up.

Superdrug/Sainsbury's Petroleum Jelly or pure shea or cocoa butter for lips.

• Primer

Hylamide HA Blur*

Effectively blurs wrinkles and pores.

The Ordinary High Adherence Silicone Primer*

Niod Photography Fluid*

'Lit from within' in a bottle.

Elf Mineral Infused Face Primer

Gosh Velvet Touch Foundation Primer Apricot

(* - Deciem is part-owned by Estee Lauder, but the company itself remains cruelty-free)

I hope you're now suitably prepared for next week's post about foundation and concealer recs!

Til Next Time,

Emma
xXx

-All pics from the instagrams or websites of the brands in question-

Becoming A Vegan Makeup Artist: Hygiene

Hygiene is so vitally important to your work as a makeup artist, which is why I've decided to dedicate a whole post to it. Bacteria, fungi, viruses and even parasites can be transferred from a client's skin to your brushes. From here they can be transferred to your makeup kit via double-dipping, where they can grow, before being transferred to other clients the next time you use the brush or product. 

SERIOUS

BUSINESS!!

Hygiene Rules

• Wash hands with soap and water before and after each client.
• Once brushes have touched a client's skin, they are to be kept separate from the clean brushes. Do not put them back until they have been washed/sanitised, they will contaminate the others. A large zip-lock bag or a plastic bag can be used to store dirty brushes for later cleaning.
• Brushes used for powder can be quickly sanitised between clients by spraying with 70% alcohol and leaving to dry naturally. 
• Cream and liquid products are prone to bacterial/fungal growth, which thrive in a moist environment. These products should be decanted from the container using a clean spatula or the end of a brush and deposited onto a clean palette or back of the hand and used from there with a brush. Double dipping with powder products is acceptable, but everything should be spritzed with 70% alcohol every month or so. 
• Brushes used for cream products should be washed with soap.

Pic via realtechniques.com

• Mascara should be applied using a disposable mascara wand, which should be dipped once, used, then discarded or set aside for thorough washing and disinfection. To prevent accidentally double-dipping, I recommend cutting off the wand that comes in the cap of your kit mascara. 
• Lip gloss, eye primer, and other products with a wand/doe-foot applicator should be deposited onto a clean palette or back of hand using the applicator provided. This applicator should never touch the client's skin.
• Make note of when products are opened, and discard them when they have been opened for the amount of time it says on the packaging. This should be a number, followed by m (for months), inside a diagram of an open jar.

Period After Opening symbol. Pic via Wikipedia.

Recommended Products

Brush washing -
Isopropyl Alcohol/Rubbing Alcohol/Surgical Spirit for spot cleaning. Used in a spray bottle with kitchen towels or washcloths. Strength must be 70%, higher or lower will not kill bacteria effectively. 
Vegan bar soap (preferably palm oil free) for deep cleaning brushes. Vegan shampoo/washing up liquid for beauty sponges. After washing and rinsing, put beauty sponges in cup/bowl of warm water, then microwave for 30 seconds to kill bacteria.

Superdrug Fragrance-Free Baby Wipes

Cotton Pads (Organic, Fairtrade Cotton)

Cotton Buds (Organic cotton, paper stalk, not plastic)

Kitchen Roll (preferably recycled)

Large Ziplock bags to store dirty brushes/sponges apart from clean ones. Can be washed/dried and reused. Can also be used as a rubbish bin.

Clean small towel to lay on the table to protect from spillages and provide a clean working surface.

Disposable Mascara Wands. These should be washed thoroughly and reused. 

Disposable Lip Brushes. These should be washed and reused, but can also be given to brides along with a tiny pot of their lip colour to reapply throughout the day.

Stipple Sponge. To scrub eyeshadow brushes on before changing the shadow colour. If you're confused about the concept, it's a bargain version of the 'Colour Switch'.

Eyebrow/Facial razors. To remove excess facial hair. To shape brows when there's no time for plucking. Do not reuse. 

Superdrug Hand Sanitizer

Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette. Helps immensely with working the product out of brushes. If you have sensitive skin, like me, wear waterproof gloves when washing brushes.

The less glamorous side of make-up is just as important if you want to be a pro. Keep an eye out for my next post, all about my skin prep recommendations!

Til Next Time,

Emma
xXx

Becoming A Vegan Makeup Artist: Makeup School & Learning From YouTube

Hey! It's been a while since I've posted here, but I've decided to hop back on the blogging train for a bit to share some knowledge and experience. Every once in a while I'll get an email asking about how to become a vegan makeup artist. The answer isn't short, so I'll be spreading the info over a series of posts. Even if you're not planning to be a vegan makeup artist, I'll be recommending my some amazing makeup artist YouTubers and telling you all of my favourite products! 

Training

As far as I know, there are no specifically vegan/cruelty-free makeup courses. This means you will have to build your own kit before attending your course. If a kit is included in the price of the course, make sure you ask for a discount so you aren't paying for anything you won't use. 

First, you'll need to decide what side of the industry you want to go into - Fashion/Editorial or Film/TV. Bear in mind that working in film and TV is very demanding - long hours and potentially many days back to back without a day off. It's very rewarding, but perhaps not the best option for those with chronic illness, or any health condition that could be exacerbated by this kind of lifestyle.

Schools I highly recommend - 

• AOFM for fashion/editorial (London, Paris and New York).



A post shared by Academy Of Freelance Makeup (@aofmakeup) on Sep 17, 2017 at 6:50am PDT

• CBMA for Film/TV (London).



A post shared by CBMA Makeup Academy London (@cbma_academy) on Feb 13, 2017 at 4:04am PST

They are pricey but will give you the best possible leg up into the industry. Both schools organise work experience for their graduates, and the professional artists that teach there will choose graduates to assist them on big shoots. 

The most important thing about choosing a course is ensuring the teachers have enough real experience working in the industry, and their own work is of a high technical standard. Most of the time, if you get a BTEC or VTCT at your local college - it'll be taught by someone with little experience and sub-par skills. I initially went down this route due to lack of funds. I learned a lot by working with other makeup artists, and by watching tutorials by real working makeup artists. 

• Makeup artist YouTube Channels

Beauty gurus are great, but they often only have experience working on their own face, which limits them a lot. The following makeup artist YouTubers may not use vegan or cruelty-free products, but can teach you a lot about technique. Be sure to watch tutorials of how to apply makeup on every race, age, skin tone and eye shape (including monolid), as well as over acne, scars and birthmarks. A good search term to look for is 'client tutorial'. 

I DO NOT recommend you learn solely from YouTube, but instead use it to supplement your knowledge.

Angie Di Battista

Jordan Liberty

Claire Marshall

Mathias Alan

Stella's Addiction

Alex Faction

Rae Morris

Pixiwoo

Sonjdradeluxe

Jen Chae

Jackie Aina

Jordi

GoldieStarling (SFX)

KlaireDeLys (Character Makeup)

Sam Villa (Hair Styling)

Lilith Moon (Hair Styling)

Freedom Styles (Afro Hair Styling)

• Vegan Beauty YouTubers

These YouTubers may not all be professionals, but following them will keep you updated on the vegan beauty world and let you know which products perform best.

Cruelty-Free Becky

Vegan Beauty Review

Leticia Lua

Rhian HY

Logical Harmony

Danielle Schleese

Jess Beautician

Alien On Toast

Vegan Beauty Addict

Beauty Addict Next Door

By the time you've finished your colossal YouTube binge of the above channels, it'll be time for next week's post about a vital part of makeup artistry that is often overlooked!

Til Next Time,

Emma
xXx

Most Used Products in my Vegan Makeup Kit!

Ever feel like you have to compromise on quality when choosing vegan cosmetics? That lacklustre, 'crunchy' vegan makeup could never compare to what the pros whip out of their zucas to use on top models and celebs?  Well I'm here to show you that professional quality vegan makeup isn't as hard to find as you might think. Here are some of the products I reach for the most from my own pro makeup kit.

Eyes

A product I use time and time again is the Beauty Without Cruelty Sensuous Mineral Eyeshadow in Serenity, which is a beautiful shimmering beige with a hint of rose gold.

It's perfect for injecting a pop of light to the inner corner of the eye, or to highlight the centre of the lid for a 3D look. I've yet to see a skin tone this shade doesn't work beautifully for. 

While sometimes their products can be a little hit and miss, BWC have got it right with this pretty, reflective formula. It's £8.79 to £8.99, depending on where you shop.


The next product I love is OCC Pure Cosmetic Pigment in White. No fillers, no shimmer, just pure, matte white. 

It's great patted onto the eyelid over primer, or blended with other shadows to make the colour paler. As you can see, I've had mine for a while, and as I wipe over my products with alcohol periodically to disinfect them, the print on the label has disintegrated. Sorry it doesn't make for the most attractive product snaps!

 It's such a versatile product, it can be easily mixed into powder, cream or liquid products. OCC Pure Cosmetic Pigment is £9.00.


Gel eyeliners can be a tricky product to get right. Some melt and smudge too easily, some dry out and refuse to blend. I've enjoyed using B. Precise Gel Eyeliner in Black. 

It's blacker than a goth's wardrobe, and you do need to work quickly, because once it's dry it really won't budge!

I do recommend using your own fine or angled liner brush instead of the one that comes with it. B. Precise Gel Liner is £6.99 at Superdrug.


If gel liner is tricky to get right, mascara is almost impossible! Too clumpy, too flaky, too thin, too smudgey - it can get expensive trialling mascaras to find that ideal thickening and lengthening formula. The brand I always come back to is Barry M.

Lash Vegas mascara is amazing. I use the waterproof formula the most in my kit, to ensure it withstands the rigours of emotional brides and hot studio lights. The non waterproof version comes in a pink tube and contains fibres to really amp up the length and thickness. Unlike other fibre mascaras, they don't migrate into your eyes or onto your cheeks during the day.

It's supposed to have a 'spiral brush', but it doesn't look much different to a regular mascara wand, to me. It doesn't deposit too much product, and separates the lashes nicely. It usually retails at £6.49, but it's going for £4.49 in Superdrug at the moment.

These next three products are technically eyeshadow, but they are much more versatile than that. I use them for brows, for contouring the cheekbones and socket line, as a transition colour to blend out shadow in the crease or under eye. Yaby eyeshadows may be small in size, but do not underestimate their power.

The top shade, es048 or Bark, is the perfect brow colour for natural blondes, and a great contour shade for pale, warm skintones. My lighting makes it appear darker than it looks in real life. 

The bottom shade, es198 or Firewood is a stunning taupe that works for most blonde and mid-brunette brows. It's also my go-to natural crease colour on white skin. I could write pages about how much I love taupe shadows, and this is my favourite matte taupe. 

The right shade, es168 or Fresh Earth is good for dark brunette brows. It's a favourite of mine for deepening the crease and outer v, and using with mixing medium to make a dark brown liquid liner that doesn't pull too bronze or red. 

As these shadows are small, it's easy to fit a spectrum of shades into a magnetic palette, like Yaby's Freestyle Palette or the Z-Palette. This means you will never be stuck without a colour you need, plus it's easy to replace the shades you use most. To contour, I lift the pan out of the palette to ensure my brush doesn't pick up the adjacent shades. Yaby eyeshadow refills are £2.75 each.

Swatch time!

Top to Bottom, B. Precise Gel Liner - single line and thicker to show how black it is. BWC Mineral Eyeshadow in Serenity. OCC Pure Color Pigment in White. Yaby shadows in Bark, Firewood, Fresh Earth. Swatched over a stripe of E.L.F Mineral Eyeshadow Primer (left) to show how they look over primer and bare skin.

Face

I use airbrush makeup in my kit to give the most flawless, natural looking results. I've tried a few different products, but Kett Hydro Foundation gives great coverage and looks just like real skin! The shade I always finish up first is O3.

This is a water-based foundation. I prefer this over silicone based products as it dries down to a skin-like texture, while with silicone based makeup the finish looks more obviously like product. I use cream products (like cream blush or bronzer) before airbrushing. Always wait at least 5 minutes for airbrush makeup to dry without touching it before using powder products on top. I usually do the lips while I wait. 

I was going to swatch this for you, but it has literally just ran out, and I can't coax a drop more out of it! This is the smaller size, but I will be repurchasing the larger 35ml size for £23-£23.50 at love-makeup or Guru Makeup Emporium.

Lips

OCC Cosmetic Color Pencil in Trick is the definitely a contender for best neutral lip liner ever! It's a warm toned beige, and is just the right consistency to define without dragging the skin.

It produces the perfect nude lip, and works well with a number of different lip tars. I love this product so much I get a little excited about using it. Is that sad? Shh, that was rhetorical.

OCC Cosmetic Color Pencil in Trick is £10.95 - £11.

The final item I have to show you in this tour of my favourite products is OCC Lip Tar in Clockwork. A rich terracotta shade, this lippie is perfect for when you want something brighter than nude, but not a 'statement colour' like classic red, pink or orange.

It adds warmth and vibrancy to the face, but doesn't detract from a strong eye, or overpower the face. It is a warm colour, but it can be cooled to a taupe with the tiniest smidge of blue mixed in, like OCC's RX or Life's Entropy's Osmosis. It's a great colour, and a great base colour to add to, to start mixing your own lip tar concoctions! As with all lip tars, a little goes a long way, so if you only squeeze out what you need, it'll last much longer than a regular lipstick.

Swatch Time!

Top - OCC Cosmetic Color Pencil in Trick. Bottom - OCC Lip Tar in Clockwork

This concludes my most-used products list!

Have you tried any of these? I'd love to hear some of your most used vegan products!

Til Next Time,

Emma

xXx

All products in this post were bought by me, except the BWC Serenity Pigment, which was a gift. My reviews and opinions will always remain unbiased and impartial. Please see skimlinks disclosure in the sidebar.