Products & Techniques

You can switch to a cream shadow and eliminate the problem. You can also dampen your synthetic brush (NOT A REAL HAIR BRUSH) and make a paint out of your powder shadow.

As far as dark circles: the best thing to use is neutralizer, NOT CONCEALER. I suggest — unless you have dark skin — Cinema Secrets Palette 1 or 2, blue neutralizer / orange highlight. Good Luck.

Hi Fiona — I can't believe you are asking me, your work is incredible!

I use a bit of liquid foundation mixed with just a tad of tan pigment, or I coat the top of the face (highlights) with face gloss. I have done both. Many major brands have face gloss and pigments. Good luck!

I recommend the tall aluminum makeup chair with the pouch under the seat. It is lightweight, comes with a carry strap and costs under $100.00. You can call Naimies and they will ship it to you.

A set bag is a small makeup case (or it can be a bag). I use a mini case. My set kit has the following (these are not taken from my regular kit, these are always in the set kit — duplicate products):

• 1 lip palette (small, palette of about 5-8 colors)
• Foundation palette (RCMA 16 shade palette is best)
• 3 brushes: synthetic, powder, blush
• 2 lip liners
• One blush palette
• One shadow palette
• Scissors (fingernail)
• Brush for hair
• Comb, teasing
• Blotting powder (no color)
• 2 sponges
• Tissue
• Small (very small) hair spray
• Eyelash glue

This all fits in a tiny kit — that's all you need for touch ups on location.

I am asked this question so much that I have sat down and gone through my kit and here is every item in there. Hope it helps.

• Tweezers
• Sponges, cut (good quality)
• Disposable razors and shaving cream (small can)
• Cotton swabs
• Moisturizer (small bottle)
• Foundation: Cinema Secrets in palettes (number 3, 5, 7, 9, 11)
• RCMA Foundation (Shinto Palette and KO Palette)
• Lipstick (20 colors Cinema Secrets, in palettes)
• Palette of high pigment blush
• Palette of shadow
• Gel eyeliner, black and brown
• Fake lashes, individuals and #53
• Brush cleaner (small bottle)
• Fingernail scissors
• Lash glue (duo only)
• 6 loose powder colors from white to black (in stackable containers, small)
• Mascara, brown and black waterproof
• Disposable mascara wands
• Bruise wheel, Ben Nye
• Visine
• Lip pencils, 5 to 10
• Stipple sponge
• Black cream and white cream makeup (clown)
• Hair clips
• Brushes (a couple of full sets), Italian badger hair
• Nail polish remover pads
• Comb
• Eyeliner pencils (about 5)
• Eyelash curler
• Lip glosses, 5 to 10
• Water, small bottle
• 3 to 5 liquid foundations (small bottles) light, medium and dark for mixing
• Pencil sharpener
• Oil control blot powder (colorless)
• Facial cleanser (small bottle) or pads
• Toner (small bottle)
• Eye makeup remover (small bottle)
• Vaseline for lips
• Cotton rounds
• Cotton swabs
• Kleenex
• Altoids
• Round powder puffs (velour)
• Wet Ones (unscented)
• Palette of neutralizers by Cinema Secrets, number 2
• Men's cheek color cream and women's cheek color cream
• Clothing clips (found at office supply stores)
• Oil blotting papers
• Eye shadow palette

These are the foundations I have in my kit: Cinema Secrets Palettes 1 through 10 — this covers every possible skin color in easy to use palettes.

I only use cream. I do use moisture with cream if cream seems too heavy for the person, but I stick with cream. It's easier to tote around and I like working with cream better than liquid as well, because I can turn a cream into a liquid but can't really turn a liquid into a cream.

Try Max Factor Facefinity — you can get it at drug stores as well as a few grocery stores. You will love it. It stays on well, is a liquid but still covers well, and won't melt off even in humid weather. Great for everyday makeup.

I however would still use Cinema Secrets myself; it is not oil based and is one of the drier creams. I have never seen it melt.

Make sure your subject is facing the light head on. Make sure one side of the face is not in shadow. Make sure also that you stand at the side of the eye you are doing. Do not try to reach over from one side of your subject to do an eye on the other side.

It helps some artists to have their subject face a mirror and then look into the mirror to see if the eyes are even. This does not help me — I never use mirrors for anything, not even hair.

I hope this helps some. A lot of artists share this problem and I wish I could pinpoint it. Try the approaches I gave you and see if you can figure it out.

I have found this problem with people using any product on their skin that makes the skin peel. Alpha Hydroxy and Retin-A users usually have skin that is peeling in places but you can not see it with the naked eye. The foundation will adhere unevenly to the skin — be sure and moisturize the skin well before application of your foundation on these people.

Now with dark skin I do not recommend moisture because normally you will find it to be oily skin to begin with, so try an oil control gel or cream so that you have an all-over even skin texture to start with.

One more tip with dark skin: if I have an African American client with pretty good looking skin I try to just even it out with coverage only in the needed areas. I try to avoid foundation all over the face if I can.

Very good question! Makeup has a different light reflective quality than does natural skin.

When doing makeup for the purpose of photography always match the face to the chest and not the neck or chin area unless it is just a head shot — this gives the model an even all-over one color. A lot of times this will make the face a few shades darker; that is ok as long as you do not ignore the neck and ears and make sure your coverage is complete. When you powder, go all the way to the chest as powder has its own light reflection qualities.

One last thing: make sure your foundation is a high pigment foundation so you are not using too much and covering the natural skin too heavily. Try Cinema Secrets or RCMA cream foundation for photography — these are my favorite, though any high pigment, professional cream foundation should work. Make sure your powder is translucent and does not change the color of your makeup.

You will have to have reliable transportation in this business so I would suggest you have that before trying to secure work. I do not know a lot about the Canadian film industry and I really stay out of the film industry here because it doesn't pay well. The film industry is great if you have a lot of stamina and energy for the long hours. I don't. I enjoy the short photo shoots and 1-day commercials myself.

You asked what products I recommend. Well, I use a lot of different products. I use Cinema Secrets and RCMA mostly for foundation. I use Cinema Secrets lipstick and Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara. Those are my favorites but I am not real loyal to any product; if it works I use it and the less expensive the better.

You also asked for general advice on the business. It is important to surround yourself with people you can trust and that you admire, and try not to look at other artists as your competition. Picture them as your friends and colleagues — they can be of great help to you and you can help them. Artists that stick together and help each other out do better individually as well. Good Luck to you.

That flawless look you see in magazines is usually a model with great skin to start with, and if she does have discoloration or blemishes it's a combination of heavy cream makeup or airbrush makeup and computer touch up.

For everyday wear I recommend a good light cream makeup like Cinema Secrets or RCMA. You probably still won't have flawless skin unless you are close to it already. Photoshop cleans up the imperfections real quickly and easily but that won't help in your day-to-day life.

Probably the artist applied a foundation or powder that was too light or had too much pink in it. If you think the client looks ashy, take a Polaroid and check it out; ask the artist if he or she thinks it looks ashy.

This problem can be fixed with a powder that matches the skin, usually. That is why you need to have dark powders on hand. Not every artist has a variety of powder. If the artist does not do makeup on a lot of African American clients they may not have real dark powder, so be prepared to have a few supplies on hand!

We all have these issues and generally the darker the skin the more you will get shine. My suggestion is using a loose powder in a dark color and then patting with dark anti-shine over the powder — just a little anti-shine and not all over, just on hot spots. You will have to continue to powder throughout your shoot.

Butternut suits most people of color unless they are VERY dark.

Mary

Hi,

Yes, it is worth learning but all classes are not worth taking. Make sure you are taking a good one and not one that's overpriced.

Knowing airbrush is valuable because a lot of people are requesting airbrush; you need to be ready in case you get that request. High Definition and brides are both instances you may be asked to airbrush. Good Luck.

Mary

I blot with a towel, then I powder if he isn't too sweaty. You can also get the paper toilet seat covers to blot — they work just like blotting paper but will save money in this case.

Mary

Hi, thank you for the compliment. I do a lot of men's grooming and I carry the following:

• Moisturizer
• 12 color wet/dry foundation palettes (I just use it dry for men to even out the skin tone without looking like I'm applying makeup — it's very fast. This can also be used as a bronzer; they are all matte colors.)
• RCMA Shinto and KO palettes for cover-up if needed over brown spots, pimples, scars and tattoos
• Blue neutralizer by Joe Blasco or Keromask depending on coloring and age. This is for the dark under-eye area as well as tattoo coverage.
• Oil blotting powder (just to blot face — it will not change any colors you applied)
• Something like a Carmex on the lips just to moisten without looking glossy
• A hair cutting kit (with the shaver) just in case I need to clean up the neck a little
• Disposable razors and a travel size shaving cream just in case someone shows up unshaven and the client wants them clean
• This will sound gross and not something you need for young men, but you may need a nose trimmer (the kind that look like tweezers, not battery operated) for older non-model men
• A comb, hair spray, a few different hair products for hair
• Powder puffs and brushes of course

I hope this helps and good luck on the job. It sounds like you will only be able to powder and comb the hair if you have to do this in a short amount of time.

Mary

Ben Nye does not allow their products to be sold on Amazon and eBay. If you find it there, it's not coming from Ben Nye. This means it's probably not Ben Nye, it's most likely a knock off.

Ben Nye does not allow their products to be sold under retail price. If it's not being sold at the full retail price on any site, it's not coming from Ben Nye.

Does this mean the product is a fake product made in China? I would assume so. The other option might be old product that someone is trying to get rid of because they lost their distributorship. I can't say for sure, but I can say that if you find Ben Nye on Amazon or eBay it's not being sold by an authorized dealer.

What's really odd is that the knock off Ben Nye products are often higher on Amazon and eBay than the real thing. I have no idea why people would pay more for an item to get it on an auction site. I'm still trying to figure that one out.

Mary

Hi Sean,

Products that are knocked off in China are a little scary because you have no idea what's in them. It's also not going to look like the authentic product — and why would you risk your reputation for a $20.00 savings?

Joe Blasco is not cheap to make. It has a lot of pigment. When you buy knock-offs you aren't getting this quality product, you're getting more of a dollar store quality product. It's of course not going to perform or look anything like the authentic product. It could also be someone selling old stock, and you don't want to put that on your talent or yourself.

If you find Joe Blasco for less than 10% off of retail then it's being sold by a non-authorized dealer. Joe Blasco will not allow his retailers to sell for less than 10% off retail, so anything found for less is fake or old. If you call the Joe Blasco Company they will tell you that anything found for more than 10% off retail does not come from Joe Blasco.

Be very careful when buying on eBay and Amazon; this is where most people go to sell knock offs. Good luck!

Mary