It’s one thing buying makeup to use at home on your own skin but when you are working in a professional capacity, you need to make sure that the products you put in your kit are the best of the best. While the internet is filled with articles on choosing a good foundation for your skin, there isn’t as much information on how to find the best foundations for a makeup artist kit.
Over time, as you get more clients, you will likely expand your kit with a range of different foundations to suit varying skin needs. But in the early days, finding a good all-round product will mean that you can apply it to all skin types; just be sure to buy more than one shade!
Here is our top pick from our featured products!
- NATURAL FINISH FOUNDATION: A water-based, oil-free foundation that delivers 12-hour coverage and a natural, second-skin finish along with powerful antioxidant protection.
- VEGAN & CRUELTY-FREE: The formula is enriched with emollients for 12-hour hydration and enriched with Vitamins C, E and F to moisturize the complexion and help protect against environmental stressors.
- HOW TO USE: Apply to face using a foundation brush, sponge or fingertips and blend until smooth. Layer to build coverage as desired.
- CLEAN INGREDIENTS: Our products are always free of talc, parabens, fragrance, mineral oil, gluten, sulfates and phthalates.
- COVER FX was founded on the belief that people can have both clean ingredients and high performance in one brand. We invite you to mix, experiment and play to create your formula for beauty.
How To Choose A Foundation For Your Makeup Artist Kit
According to AdoreBeauty, makeup artists should have between five and ten shades of foundation in their kit. While this doesn’t cover every skin tone, you can blend these to make a wide range of shades. But more importantly, there are some things that are essential to look for in a good professional foundation.
What Do You Expect The Foundation To Do?
While all foundations are designed for you to be able to create a base on which to apply other makeup products, each one will have a very specific purpose. For example, some are designed to give the skin a dewy glow whereas others have a very matte finish that is ideal for those with oily skin.
Related: Why does my Foundation look Patchy?
However, when you are working as a professional makeup artist, you are going to be working with clients that have varying skin types. This means that you need a foundation that will work well on anyone.
For this reason, you want to look at how well the foundation evens out the skin. We all have imperfections and slight color differences across the face which a good foundation will turn into a seamless canvas without making it look unnatural. If you can find a foundation that achieves this, the rest is academic.
Blendability
One of the biggest gripes when it comes to foundation is that some products are a nightmare to blend. This is bad enough when you’re at home trying to get your face fixed in the morning but when you’re working with a paying client, the last thing you want is to have to spend an unreasonable amount of time blending.
A good foundation will blend almost effortlessly and will leave the skin with a very natural appearance. The texture of the foundation will normally be a good indicator of how well it will blend but each product is different so it’s best to test it out before committing so you know you won’t have a blending challenge on your hands every time you use the product.
Further Reading: How to Sanitize Makeup
Longevity
If a client is paying you to create a flawless makeup look, they aren’t going to want to see their makeup melting away a couple of hours after you have applied it. While the best foundations might go on beautifully, they also need to stand the test of time and last throughout the day. Think about applying makeup to a bride who will be spending the day wearing this look, she isn’t going to want to return to her wedding suite that evening with patchy foundation!
For this reason, it is essential to invest in a foundation that won’t budge until the wearer wants to remove it. At the same time, you don’t want a foundation that is going to feel heavy on the skin, breathability is just as important.
There are foundations that are sweat and waterproof which is great for people who will be exposing themselves to demanding situations. While these products may cost a little more, they will produce the best results.
How Will The Foundation be Used?
One of the key determining factors in choosing the best foundations for makeup artist kits is to think about where the makeup will be used. The type of foundation that you apply to the face of someone wanting an everyday makeup look will be vastly different to that which would be used in the movies.
Most makeup artists specialise in a certain area of expertise and you should use this to find the best products to add to your kit. For example, if you are going to be working with people who want general makeup perhaps for an evening out or a day at the races, then using regular brands will be sufficient.
For MUAs that are specialising in certain areas like bridal makeup or for covering up pigmentation issues, something a little longer wearing with better coverage may be needed.
At the other end of things, makeup artists working in the film and TV industry or with models that will be photographed, may need a wider range of products. What you choose will depend on the situation in which the make up will be used; perhaps the actor or model will be getting wet or experiencing extreme temperatures. In any case, you need to make sure that the makeup can stand up to these challenges.
Be Mindful When Testing Shades
While we would recommend purchasing a number of shades in your chosen foundation, it is important to test these on your clients skin in just the right conditions. If you are looking to source a foundation for a specific client, you might wish to bring them in and work with them to find the right shade.
Testing foundations in natural daylight is by far the best option, although we’re sure you don’t need us to tell you that. Moreover, you should always look at how the foundation blends along the jawline as this will give the best representation of how the finished result will look.
Price
When you buy a foundation for use at home, you might be able to get away with choosing something a little more affordable. But when your career is on the line, it is essential to invest in top quality products that deliver in every aspect.
It may come at a higher initial cost but this will pay dividends in your work. Clients will be more inclined to return to you or recommend your services to others if the results are of the highest standards. Expensive makeup doesn’t always deliver an excellent result but for the most part, you get what you pay for. Check out our best foundations for makeup artist kits below.
Top 5 Best Foundations For Makeup Artist Kit
Taking into consideration all of the points we have discussed so far in this guide, we picked out five incredible foundation products that we believe would be perfect in the makeup kit of any professional MUA. Which of these best foundations for makeup artist kits would you choose?
TEMPTU S/B Silicone-Based Airbrush Foundation
One thing that has stood out in the makeup industry in recent years is having dewy skin. There’s something about this trend that doesn’t seem to be going away so if you are looking to give your clients that fresh glow then the TEMPTU foundation is a great choice. It comes in 12 shades and you can buy these as a complete set which comes in a handy carry bag.
What we really loved about the TEMPTU range is that these foundations leave the skin looking natural but provide a soft finish that looks incredible in a range of situations. If you need a foundation that is versatile, we’d recommend this. What’s more, while it is beautifully lightweight, TEMPTU foundation offers flawless and long lasting coverage that will stand up to a variety of challenges as well as being waterproof.
With more than 40 years experience in creating professional-standard makeup, TEMPTU airbrush foundation is suitable for all skin types and is buildable. This is excellent for makeup artists as you can create a variety of finishes with a single foundation. You’ll also notice how hydrating this foundation is. Appling drying foundation can leave the skin looking lacklustre but this moisture infused silicone blend ensures the skin stays looking hydrated and fresh.
Dermablend Power-Setter 2 in 1
While a good foundation should last as long as you need it to, without a high-quality setting spray, the makeup is free to move around on the skin. Unfortunately, there are a lot of cheaper setting sprays out there that we sometimes wonder whether they are simply water in a spray bottle. But this Dermablend Power-Setter is truly a cut above the rest.
We appreciate that you don’t just want to put anything on your clients’ skin so knowing that Dermablend has been tested by dermatologists gives you the confidence that this is a gentle yet effective product. Since you never know how sensitive a client’s skin might be, this type of testing is a must.
Furthermore, the Dermablend Power-Setter is free from nasty ingredients like phthalates and triclosan. It’ll set the makeup and will hold it throughout the day but can also be used to refresh the look so if you’re working on a set, this is a great product to pop in your back pocket.
TEMPTU SilkSphere Airbrush Foundation Airpod
Looking at the container, you could be forgiven for thinking that this foundation pod was an alien egg but the futuristic design of the bottle is nothing compared to what’s inside. The SilkSphere foundation comes in a choice of 18 shades and is designed to work with the TEMPTU Airpod system. This airbrushing tool provides MUAs with a viable way to create flawless coverage.
What’s most outstanding about this foundation is that it is perfect for sensitive skin, including those that suffer with acne. It’ll give a soft focus and is ideal for more demanding situations and long wear. Much like the last TEMPTU product we looked at, this airbrush foundation is extremely hydrating so will leave the skin with a healthy glow
If you’re travelling with your makeup kit, you’ll need to streamline the number of products inside and that’s where SilkSphere really comes into its own. Rather than just being a foundation, this works as a 4 in 1 product by acting as a primer, foundation base, concealer, and corrector.
Cover FX Natural Finish Foundation
Wearing heavy makeup every day can cause the skin to suffer and while some clients will not be able to avoid wearing daily makeup, it’s your job to find products that will counteract any damage caused by this. One of the best foundations for makeup artist kits is the Cover FX foundation which is packed with vitamins that give an antioxidant effect for the skin. Most notably vitamins A, E, and F fight free radicals and leave the skin looking impeccable.
The Cover FX foundation comes in a choice of 38 shades; one of the most versatile options on our list and offers up to 12 hours coverage without shifting. Of course, we would still recommend using a setting spray for that extra longevity boost.
This is a water-based foundation which is great news for clients that suffer with oily skin as oil-based makeup will likely exacerbate this problem. Moreover, the Cover FX foundation provides buildable full coverage which is excellent if you’re looking to create an intense look and erase imperfections.
Cargo Cosmetics Liquid Foundation
This completely oil-free foundation is another example of an excellent foundation for people with oily skin. If you’re worried that this might mean the product could be drying; don’t fear, the Cargo liquid foundation is beautifully hydrating and will give sheer coverage that can be built up. What’s really good about this product is that once you have built up your desired coverage, you’ll get amazingly long wear without the need to apply powder which can weigh the look down. It’s also incredibly blendable and is bursting with vitamins to promote excellent skin health. While this isn’t the main feature like it is with the last foundation we looked at, it is a welcome addition.
If you’re in a snip for time and your client is in a hurry then we love the easy to use design of the packaging. Where a lot of foundations come in a bottle, jar, or pot, the Cargo liquid foundation comes in a squeezable pouch making getting the product out so much quicker.
Conclusion
Finding a foundation for yourself is challenging but when it comes to choosing a product that you can use for demanding clients, getting it right has never been more important. Some of the best foundations for makeup artist kits offer long wearing cover, a variety of shades, and excellent blendability, among other features.
Last update on 2023-04-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API