My Freelance Makeup Brushes

I love brushes. I can't help but buy them. I managed to purchase a lot of mine through IMATS www.IMATS.net in the last 2 years. IMATS is fantastic. International makeup artist trade show. It's held in London for all those MUA's in the UK. You do not have to be a makeup artist to attend! All makeup lovers are welcome. The stalls sell makeup, beauty and equipment at trade prices. There are celebrity makeup artists that hold seminars that you can sit in whilst they carry out demonstrations etc. It's great! I always spend too much money there :( especially on brushes. Addicted!

My favourite brush belt

So, I have 2 brush belts. Both MAC. One is my backup which has my least favourite brushes in. The other is my go-to belt (above). 

My brushes include brands from MAC, Crown, Royal and Langnickel and Real Techniques. All of these brands have websites that you can purchase their stock online.

Personally, MAC is my favourite brush line. However, Crown are very affordable and still have fantastic quality bristles and handles to them. They have a wide range of brushes, styles of handles and different types of hair that you wish to use.

www.maccosmetics.co.uk

www.crownbrush.co.uk

www.royalbrush.com

www.realtechniques.com

I normally take as many brushes as I think I'll need for my freelance jobs. 
I put all my best brushes in the photo to show you guys my different branded brushes and how I store them in the belt. 
I do not normally carry this many otherwise they tend to dent the brush hair if too many are crammed in and it would be heavy to wear. 
I suggest a brush roll for any spares or extra's. EMJ sell great brush rolls! Check them out: www.theemjcompany.com

Face brushes LEFT

Eye and Lip brushes RIGHT

I tend to keep all my 'face' brushes (such as foundation, blending, contour and powder brushes) on the left hand side and all my eye/lip brushes on the right hand side (blending, laydown, precision, eyeliner and mascara wands).

I always make sure I have sponges, small scissors and lip moisturiser in the bottom half in case I need to grab it quick.

Here are a few of my all-time-favourite brushes.

Real techniques:

I bought the eye and face set from IMATS this year from the Real Techniques stand in London for my kit. When I got home that day, I heard that they were going to be stocked in Boots www.boots.com so I purchased another 2 sets for myself when they were released. 
These two brushes are my favourite from the collection, especially the one on the left. It blends out makeup flawlessly and gets into all the contours of the face. Easy to use and clean!

MAC:

• MAC 130 - £29   

I always use this brush - for me, this brush is amazing for applying foundation, powder and cream product. It gives a flawless finish and buffs the product into the skin, making the products last longer. It makes the skin appear smooth and even. I have a few of these in my kit as I know I will always use them. 
However, they are quite pricey but well worth the money as they are a great applicator and clean very well. I hardly loose any hairs from this brush which is great and have lasted me for quite some time!

• MAC 217 - £17. 

I think that everyone has heard of this brush. Its amazing. I have 5 or 6 of these in just one belt! Great buffing tool, great laydown brush, blends amazingly and can be used for all types of makeup - not just for the eyes. I like using this brush for detailed blending in areas of the face when applying foundation to make the skin look airbrushed and perfect.

• MAC 239 - £19 

Another fab brush. I use this to laydown eyeshadow, glitter or pigments and to apply dark shadow along the lashline or in the outer corners of the eye. 

• MAC 168 - £26.00 

This brush is great for contouring or sculpting the face as the angle of the brush sits perfectly into the bones of the face. I use this with powders or bronzers. The bristles of this brush are so soft and always spring back into the correct shape after washing.

ROYAL AND LANGNICKEL:

• SILK PRO range.

What I love about these two brushes - they are both domed. They are both perfect for blending and applying powder makeup. The bristles are so soft and of such good quality. The handles are lovely too - with the brand scripted into the handle - reminding you of the brushes names if you wanted to re-purchase. If looked after, these brushes will last a lifetime! They fall back into shape after cleaning and I have not had a hair drop out on me yet. They arrive in plastic packets so they are well protected in the post. Amazing brushes. They are my 'luxury' brushes as they are slightly more expensive but I can see why. I recommend attending IMATS for these or keeping an eye out for the sale on Royal and Langnickels website or from www.love-makeup.co.uk

I always clean my brushes regularly for hygiene reasons. This also keeps them intact and last longer if you take care of them over the years. MAC brush cleaner is £9.50 online or in store. I either use that or a mild gentle shampoo if I have run out of MAC.

Thanks for reading guys :)

Please leave any comments or questions below.

MAC Eyeshadow palette (MAC makeup kit)

Hi guys! 

I said I would review all my palettes that I have, so here is another! I have a neutrals palette that I will blog about next, but I need to re-purchase the refills as they are nearly gone! Want to swatch fresh/full shadows for you, so you get a true viewing.

Excuse the tape on the palette guys - I dropped it and the lid snapped off :(

I haven't gone and bought another yet, so I stuck the lid back on as best I could to protect the shadows.

One of my MAC eyeshadow palettes with pro palette eyeshadow refills.

I gave information about the palette and the eyeshadow refills in my last blog post, which was the Grey MAC Palette Review (can be found in my blog archive > ) but here it is again incase you missed it!

The eye palettes that I use are from MAC or www.maccosmetics.com.

They are £11.50 each and they hold 15 eyeshadows. 

The pro palette eyeshadow refill pans that you place into the container can also be found at MAC. 

They are £10 each for 1.5g and can be bought from www.maccosmetics.com or at a MAC counter. 

MAC do sell other palettes that can hold less eyeshadows. 

One costs £6.50 and holds 2 eyeshadow refills. The other costs £6.50 and holds 4 pro palette eyeshadow refills.

Close up of my mac eyeshadow palette

Here are the shades:

(going down each column in the palette)

• Blanc type
• Orb
• Vapour
• Yoghurt
• Phloof!
• Jest
• Era
• Kid
• Soba
• Texture
• Folie
• Brun
• Blackberry
• Sketch
• Shadowy lady

Swatches of the eyeshadow palette

Like my other palettes; these eyeshadows are amazing. Brilliant quality, highly pigmented and range in all different shades and finishes. Well worth the money as they last for ages! 

I always like to have a range of different finishes and tones through the palette.

Making sure I have a highlight, a mid tone and a dark colour. Also, making sure I have a lustre, frost, matte and satin finish to create different looks - adding dimension.

The great factor about these eyeshadows are: 

• that they do not fall out (from personal use)
• can be enhanced by using a cream base (such as MAC's paint pot - £14.50 from www.maccosmetics.com) or by using a good long lasting primer 
• and that I have never had a MAC eyeshadow that has broke or shattered on me. That includes individuals and pro pan refills. 

I always keep my palettes clean for hygiene reasons and to stop the colours from mixing together. I really trust this brand to deliver well!

I hope you found this review helpful or useful guys.
Let me know what you think!
Leave any questions or comments below:)
Thanks for reading.

My favourite grey toned MAC eyeshadow palette

My favourite Grey toned MAC palette

I love MAC. I really do! I wouldn't use any other powder eyeshadow in my kit.

When I first went into MAC, I bought the indiviual eyeshadows which are £12 each from www.maccosmetics.com.

When I realized that I wanted to be a makeup artist, I started building my kit with MAC. I was fortunate enough to have MAC makeup artists teach me at college www.norfolkbeautytraining.co.uk and they gave me the chance to have MAC PRO student discount for a year. I recieved 15% off - which is great! Was extremely lucky!

I found out that MAC sold customizable palettes (for blush and eyeshadows).

You can buy the blush palette from MAC or www.maccosmetics.com for £11.50. 

The pro palette blush refills are £14.50 each for 6g and the palette holds 6 blushers. 

The eye palettes that I use are from MAC or www.maccosmetics.com.

They are £11.50 each and they hold 15 eyeshadows. 

The pro palette eyeshadow refill pans that you place into the container can also be found at MAC. 

They are £10 each for 1.5g and can be bought from www.maccosmetics.com or at a MAC counter. 

MAC do sell other palettes that can hold less eyeshadows. 

One costs £6.50 and holds 2 eyeshadow refills. The other costs £6.50 and holds 4 pro palette eyeshadow refills.

Close up of my MAC eyeshadows

Swatches of palette going from left to right on each ROW

Here are my shades for my grey toned palette:

(going down each column the palette)

• White Frost

• Forgery

• Brule

• Shroom

• Coquette

• Copperplate

• Concrete

• Shale

• Scene

• Electra

• Silver Ring

• Knight Divine

• Print

• Typographic

• Carbon

These eyeshadows are amazing. Brilliant quality, highly pigmented and range in all different shades and finishes. Well worth the money as they last for ages! 

Top ROW of palette:
white frost, shroom, concrete, electra, print

Second ROW of palette:
forgery, coquette, shale, sliver ring, typographic

Third ROW of palette:
brule, copperplate, scene, knight divine, carbon

My freelance makeup kit (MAC Zuca traincase)

Here's a look inside my freelance kit. It mainly contains MAC cosmetics but there are a few other different cosmetic brands inside (Bobbi Brown, BECCA, Makeup Forever, Makeup International, Estee Lauder, Dior, YSL, Bare minerals and Laura Mercier).


I wont tell you what shades I have, as I think every person is different and the product will be adapted to you and your needs.
Also, I wont list all my lipsticks as I have so many! I have a Japonesque palette which I have filled with my favourite go-to's, so I will do a blog post on that soon instead!


I will start with my foundation pouch (below). I have a mixture of colours and coverages in here as you never know who you will be working on. I have the following:

MAC Face and Body - £26.50 120ml www.maccosmetics.co.uk
A water-based, water-resistant foundation. Light coverage but buildable coverage in layers. Good for using on the body and comes in a wide range of shades.
MAC Studio Sculpt SPF 15 - £24 40ml www.maccosmetics.co.uk
A gel-based foundation that provides medium to high coverage with a natural satin finish.
Long lasting, thick texture and in a variety of shades. Water resistant too.
MAC Pro Longwear SPF10 - £24 30 ml www.maccosmetics.co.uk
Long lasting 15 hour wear foundation. Light to medium coverage (buildable). Stays in place and provides a flawless natural finish. I use the MAC 130 duo fibre brush with this foundation as it buffs it into the skin really well.
MAC Mineralize Satinfinish SPF 15 - £24 30ml www.maccosmetics.co.uk
This foundation is great on the skin. It has light reflective particles which gives a dewy glow to the skin and can be set with the MAC mineralize skin finish naturals for an even flawless look. It is a light to medium buildable coverage with a satin finish. Contains vitamins A, C and E to condition the skin.
MAC Select SPF 15 - £20.50 30ml www.maccosmetics.co.uk
A water-based liquid foundation. Medium coverage. Provides a matte finish (great for oily skin). In a variety of shades!
MAC Full Coverage - Only available at MAC Pro stores.

Bobbi Brown BBU palette - £185 www.bobbibrown.co.uk
A mixture of foundation sticks, creamy concealers and correctors. Great for makeup artists! I couldnt live without mine now - will be doing a post on it soon!

CHANEL PERFECTION LUMIÈRE Long-Wear Flawless Fluid Makeup SPF 10 - £36.00
www.debenhams.com

Powders and Concealers:

Powders:

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural - £21 www.maccosmetics.co.uk
MAC Studio Fix powder plus foundation - £20.50 www.maccosmetics.co.uk
Mac Prep+Prime Transparent finishing powder - £19.50 www.maccosmetics.co.uk
Mac truth and light powder 
Laura Mercier brightening powder
Bare Escentuals Id Minerals Face Radiance Clear - £19 www.selfridges.com

Concealers:
MAC studio finish -  £14.50 www.maccosmetics.co.uk
Mac select moisturecover  - £14.50 www.maccosmetics.co.uk
Bobbi brown creamy concealer - £18 www.bobbibrown.co.uk

Blushers and Bronzers:

MAC Mineralize skinfinishes - £21.50 www.maccosmetics.co.uk

MAC Blush: 1 palette of pinks and 1 palette of browns/peaches. Palettes cost £11.50 each and pan refills are £14.50 each. 5 Individual blushes including creme blushes) www.maccosmetics.co.uk
MAC Lustre Drops - £17.50 www.maccosmetics.co.uk
Makeup forever HD blush - £22.50 www.gurumakeupemporium.co.uk
Bare minerals blush - £19 www.debenhams.com
Becca shimmering skin perfecter - £33 www.beccacosmetics.com
Becca beach tint blush - £20 www.beccacosmetics.com
Dior bronzer £29.50 www.boots.com

Lip liner/Lip gloss/Lip balm:

Lip liner:

MAC lip pencils - £11.50 www.maccosmetics.co.uk

NO.7 lip liner  - £7.50 www.boots.com

Lip gloss:

MAC cremesheen lipglass - £17  www.maccosmetics.co.uk

MAC dazzleglass - £17  www.maccosmetics.co.uk

MAC plushglass - £17  www.maccosmetics.co.uk

MAC lustreglass - £13.50  www.maccosmetics.co.uk

Lip balm:

MAC lip treatment conditioner - £11  www.maccosmetics.co.uk
MAC Prep+Prime lip primer - £12  www.maccosmetics.co.uk

MAC Zuca

I absolutely LOVE MAC cosmetics. When I was a student, I was lucky enough to have MAC pro membership for a year (which I built majority of my kit up with) and now... I have it again. It's fantastic for being able to get discount on MAC or MAC pro products and master classes throughout the year. 

To be able to buy the MAC Zuca, you must be a MAC pro member. I paid £25 for my membership, which lasts a year. You can apply for this by going to the MAC pro website however you must be a makeup artist or in a profession of something similar.

I rung the MAC pro enquires line (0800 054 2676) and paid £205 plus £2.95 postage for the Zuca. It was delivered within 3 working days by Yodal courier service.

When I first opened it, it was smaller than what I thought it would be. However, that has not side tracked me and I would definitely still use it.

It is very sturdy, lightweight and easy to use/pull along. It has really good quality material and zip linings. Even the handle is great - you have to click down the red button on top of the handle to pull up/push down. It has a good level of security (the zip to the main compartment has a hole for a keypad lock and a clip to secure the flap which covers the main compartment zip).

The seat is comfortable too (for you or your model). I think you can buy padded cushion covers for them - which I may do for extra comfort.

There are several compartments and straps throughout the bag which you could use to store clips/grips onto. Good for all those who organise their kit thoroughly! 

There is meshing on the inside of the bag (on the top - which would be great to store a brush belt etc) and at both sides. 

There are 4 pouches inside the Zuca. Each pouch has the MAC branding on the top (which I love). They have small handles on the sides of each of them and have white tags to label each pouch if desired. It has plenty of storage space! Even with 4 pouches inside it, it still has lots of room on top to store extra kit (or store at least an extra 2 pouches!)

It comes with a protective quilted liner which slots over the top of the Zuca when travelling or when its not in use. On the covering, it has a zip in a semi circle shape which can be undone to pull the handle through when pulling along.

It is SO much easier to use the MAC Zuca than to cart around large bags. I was never a fan of beauty trolleys or makeup boxes however, this looks professional and was worth every penny!

I even received a small sample of MAC prep+prime skin base visage! All helps! :)

I will be doing another post on how I pack my Zuca for makeups very soon, so watch this space guys!