L E F T - S I D E .

Currently I am rotating between Benefit’s They’re Real and Maybelline Lash Discovery Waterproof.

I like Benefit but it can get clumpy and weigh down your lashes if you get wand-happy. Lash Discovery has a really small brush which is great for bottom lashes and really focusing on defining/separating. The formula isn’t super wet or overly drying either, which I love.

Some options depending on the product you want to use:

Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Ash
MAC Eyeshadow in Charcoal Brown or Espresso
Milani Brow Fix Brow Kit in Medium

It’s hard to do much about a breakout once it’s occurred so prevention is your best friend. At times it’s hard to avoid it because a lot of the time they’re triggered by hormones. I am not a dermatologist but here are two things that work for me.

1. Cleanse and exfoliate regularly.
I have a Clarisonic that I use a few times a week to provide a deeper clean. I am one of those people who will tell you, “TAKE YOUR MAKEUP OFF EVERY NIGHT!” because a lot the time when you cleanse once using your hands, you’re not removing all of the build up you have on your skin. Discovering a skincare routine that works for you, and provides you with results is important (I’ll give you two examples in a second).

For darker pigmentation you may want to invest in a PMD, an at-home microdermabrasion device, that will help speed the lightening process and improve the appearance of scars.

2. Skincare/Treatments
Lately I’ve really been loving the following two La Roche Posay products for acne treatment/pigmentation: Mela D Pigment Control (Serum) and EffacLar Duo. I use both at night after I’ve cleansed, the serum first followed by the EffacLar Duo. The EffacLar Duo combats blemishes with 5.5% Benzol Peroxide (which personally gives me better results than Salicylic Acid) as well as promotes cell renewal with LHA.

Hope this helps you, Anon.

Lancome has a beautiful deluxe brush set available at Nordstrom for about $60 (here). It’s a great value and it’s the same that you would pay for a Sigma travel set. That said, Sigma (http://www.sigmabeauty.com) has nice quality sets and they come in a variety of fun colors.

MAC always has a variety of brush sets around the holidays and they can be eye focused brushes or a mixture of essentials for about $50 (here). Lastly, Crown has a few and although cheaper (for about $30), they’re not as varied and the quality is ok. If you’re purchasing for someone who has few to no brushes then they could be a good beginner set.

Overall if you’re going to buy a set for someone, unless they already have a ton of face brushes or something, I would get them nice set that has a mixture of face and eye brushes. That way they can get a great complete look without feeling like they’re missing something :)

Hope this helps!

This is a great question because I’ve talked about this with some of my MUA friends in the past and we all pretty much agree…

In cases such as these, whether it’s a wedding, private lesson or what have you - this is an artist (hopefully a professional) providing you a service.  I compare it to when you go to a hair or nail salon, the expectation (in those cases) is that you leave some sort of tip. 

I personally never go into those situations really expecting a tip, but when you do get one you definitely feel like you’ve done your job and your client has enjoyed the experience. That said, if you hated it/them - don’t tip them! :)

Hi and thank you!
I usually use two different concealers - one for under eyes and one for problem areas. For under eyes I like Clinique Airbrush Concealer or Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer.

For concealing your dark spots you want to try for something that’s about your shade but with a bit more pink in it. For example for me, if we’re going by MAC colors, I’d probably wear about an NC 25-30 shade foundation. To conceal dark spots I like to use something around an NW25. For fuller coverage I like concealers like MAC Studio Finish or Pro Longwear Concealer. I like that the Pro Longwear has about as much coverage as the Studio Finish but doesn’t have that heavy feeling (note: I feel the colors run slightly on the darker side in the Pro Longwear so definitely test them first and adjust if necessary). I also like Illamasqua’s concealer but it sometimes feels a bit sticky on the skin even after powdering.

As far as powder goes, it depends if you want something with coloring or not. I often use Laura Mercier’s translucent powder (like more than MUFE HD) but you could also go with MAC Mineralize Skin Finishes. Drugstore, lately I like Revlon Colorstay’s pressed powder.

Hope this helps! xx

Honestly, I kind of fell into makeup artistry. I never really wore makeup until I was in High School (except for ballet recitals etc) and suddenly discovered how much I liked it. I enjoyed playing with products and looks but but never really gave it much thought until I started working for MAC. I am not one of those people who believes you need to go to a makeup school to make it. Frankly I think it’s a waste of money. When I started working for MAC I didn’t have any formal training; I just had an eye for color, basic technique and a desire to learn (oh and like any other cosmetic company you work for, they’re going to want to make sure you know how to sell product).

Working for MAC gave me the opportunity to do makeup on all types of people everyday and basically problem solve on the fly. They also provide all of their artists with a form of basic training and continue to update you every month with new products etc. - in a way, they pay you to learn. So unless you are going into a specialized field such as special fx where you need to know how to make molds and prosthetics, don’t worry about going to school to learn how to do beauty makeup. But even so, if you apprentice or assist artists that are in that field, you don’t really need to shell out several $$grand$$ for makeup school.

As far as being an artist outside of retail, it’s a hard road…educate yourself first. Become as comfortable as possible with your technique and the work you’re producing. Pick an area you want to work in and go for it. There are different fields you can work in such as editorial, commercial, film/tv, weddings, fx etc. As a freelancer, prepare yourself for cup-o-noodle for months and doing work for free until you build yourself a good portfolio and clientele. But trust me, if it’s something you love doing, you’re not going to mind the extra work. After all, everyone has to pay their dues at some point!

Here’s a post I made not too long ago about becoming a freelance makeup artist. I hope this helps - and good luck on your journey! xx

I also have a thing about symmetry so I know where you’re coming from! Here are a few tips. These may especially be helpful to those with “monolids” (I hate that word!).

1. Take your time & start thin. Don’t think that you’ve got to get it right in one stroke. Begin as close to the lash line as possible then build up. If you tight-line do that first as well because this will give you the illusion of a thicker lash base. (Also note - do this to both eyes then continue. Don’t complete one eye to your liking then do the other. If you do, then it’s more likely that you’re going to go back and make adjustments!)
2. Always take a step back and look in your mirror to assess where you’re going to build from. Your eyes are not identical in shape so you may need to go higher on one side than the other to give the illusion that they’re the same. For me, I know that I have to start higher on the inner part of my right eye to mimic the shape on my left…that kind of thing. Going back to #1, take your time. If you have to pause after every stroke to take a peek then do it.
3. If you make a mistake or need to clean up the shape a bit, take a qtip and soak it in eye makeup remover. Run it along the edge and you should be good.

Also as an alternative to stressing about your liquid application - you can start with a pencil liner with an angled brush (like a MAC 263 or 266) to get the shape you like. Then go over it with your liquid.

Hope this helps you Anonymous!

It’s totally normal to get nervous speaking to someone you don’t know! I was the same way when I first started. You’ve got to kind of force yourself to keep going and face that nervousness head-on. As you continue working and becoming more familiar with your job and how to work with people in such an intimate setting (hello! you’re all up in someone’s face!) the nerves will subside.
Say “hello” to everyone with a smile and educate yourself on your products. The more you know, the more you can speak and teach your customer! Ask them questions, and have a conversation. If you’ve got something to talk about it will take the focus away from “I’ve got to make this line super precise!” and the shaky hand should calm down :)
Good luck! I know you can do it! 
xx