The products I’ve listed below are what I would pick from on a daily basis for creating a full make-up application. 

Face Primer: I always use a primer and my favourites are Yves Saint Laurent Matt Touch which is ideal for oily skin, GOSH Velvet Touch which suits every skin type and especially de-hydrated skin, Clinique Redness Solutions and Jemma Kidd I-Rescue Bio-Complex Cover in Medium which seems to suit all skin types.

Eyeshadow Primer: I love Urban Decay Eye Primer and Clinique Touch Base.  I also use Jemma Kidd’s I-Perfector Prep & Brighten Duo which is an Anti-aging, flesh coloured, lightweight crème.  It is great for reducing redness, evening out skin tone and acting as a primer and base for shadow.

To tighten and reduce puffiness under the eyes and to minimise fine lines and wrinkles I always apply Eyesential Under Eye Enhancer.  The effect is amazing and it lasts for up to 8 hours. 

Concealer: I use a variety of concealers mainly from my Bobbi Brown Universal Palette as well as MAC Select Moisture Cover and Jemma Kidd Skin Rescue Bio-Complex Veil.

Foundation: I use a selection of foundations including FACE Atelier, DiorSkin Forever, DiorSkin Airflash, Chanel, Bobbi Brown Oil Free, MAC Studio Fix Fluid and MAC Select.  I carry a vast array of shades including up to 5 pale shades of every brand and then a few darker shades which I will mix with the lighter ones to get the correct shade.

Powder: I tend to always use loose powder and in particular reach for MAC in Medium or Shu Uemura in Medium Light.  I also use Chanel Universal Natural Loose powder in Peche which adds a lovely sheen to more mature skins.  I use MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium/Dark for dark skin tones.  If a client has very red skin then I will use Benefit’s You’re Bluffing which is a fine-milled yellow loose powder.

Lashes: I love Eyelure and Naturalash strip lashes which I will always use with DUO Latex glue.  I love my Shu Uemura Lash curlers and also have a couple of heated pairs by MadLash and Curl.

Eyeshadows: I use an assortment of MAC singles in sheer, matte, lustre, frost, pearlescent and satin finishes in various shades of brown, grey, gold, green, pink and purple.  I love MAC for its longeativity and array of gorgeous colours.  I also tend to use Bobbi Brown singles in Bone, Mahogany and Taupe as well as MAC Paints in various shades of brown and pink.

Eyeshadow Palettes: I have a variety including Bobbi Brown Shimmer Nude Palette and Bobbi Brown Bobbi Brights Eye Palette which consists of 35 gorgeous shimmer wash eye shadows.  I also love Urban Decay eyeshadows and have a few of their palettes including the Deluxe Palette.  I have just recently purchased the Volume II palette which is gorgeous! It’s full of beautiful sheer and pearlescent colours. 

Eyeshadow Duos: Clinique.

Eyeshadow Quads: Chanel Les 4 Ombres in Influences and Nymphea.

Pigment Colour Powder: I love MAC Pigment in Naked and Vanilla and for the Christmas party season I’ll be adding a sweep of MAC Reflects Gold to the lids!

Mascara: Diorshow waterproof, Diorshow Blackout, Diorshow Iconic, Max Factor False Lash Effect and Maybelline Great Lash.  All fantastic waterproof mascaras.

Eye Liners – I tend to always use Bobbi Brown Long Wearing Gel Eyeliner in Chocolate Shimmer Ink, Graphite Shimmer Ink and Hunter Ink.  I also love the

Smashbox Cream Eye liner palettes in Proof and Icon and MAC Fluidline in Rich Ground and Dipdown.  If I do happen to use pencils then I will opt for Jemma Kidd Define Stay-Put Eyeliner in Zodiac and Peacock, MAC Powerpoint Eye pencils and Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on eye pencils.

Liquid Liners: I very rarely use liquid liners but if I do then I will use Screen Face or Jemma Kidd.  At the moment for the party season I particularly love Jemma Kidd’s Crushed Jewel Gel Liner in Topaz which is a mixture of gorgeous glittery colours.

Cheeks: I use mostly powder blushers including MAC Blushbaby, MAC Desert Rose, NARS Orgasm, Estee Lauder Tender Blush in Peach Nuance, Petal, Nectar, Pink Kiss and Bobbi Brown in Pale Pink.  If I need a bronzer I always opt for MAC Sincere and Honour.

For perfect brows I use Jemma Kidd Brow and Eye Kit in Auburn, Cheshnut and Honey and Chanel Le Sourcil De Chanel in Brun.

For highlighting I use Benefit High Beam, MAC Loose Iridescent powder in Silver Dusk and MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Light Flush.

For banishing dark circles I use Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder over my Bobbi Brown creamy concealer.

Lip Liners: I use a variety of lip liners including MAC, Bobbi Brown, Chanel and Estee Lauder.  I have a variety of colours, but tend to use a more natural lip colour the majority of the time.

Lipsitcks: I love MAC Lipsticks especially Viva Glam IV, Honeylove, Hug Me and Fast Play.  I also use Clinique Colour Surge Butter Shine lipsticks in Pink-A-Boo, Adore U, Baby Baby, Shhh and Delovely.  I have over 100 lipsticks in my kit consisting of reds, pinks, plums, peach and brown colours.

Lip Glosses: Yves Saint Laurent, MAC, Lancome, Chanel, Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown and Clinique.  Use a clear gloss over the top of lipsticks to give longer lasting colour and staying power.

Fixing Spray: Make-Up For Ever Mist & Fix or Ben Nye Final Seal will keep your make-up locked into place as well as being water and smudgeproof.

Brushes: I have a vast collection of brushes including MAC, Bobbi Brown, Jemma Kidd and Ruby & Millie.  I always use disposable mascara wands which I purchase from MAC or The Pro Makeup Shop.

 Kelly Hollands

http://www.kellyhollands.co.uk/

September 09, from the forum –

“As you may or may not know I am slowly building my stock for my box(es) and I would be interested to hear what people like and have in their boxes that they swear by, a staple product that they love. Powder, loose or compact and in what shades. Foundations, again type and colour..Any line any range not just NARS..Lip colours and glosses, tinted or otherwise and oooh oooh primers..

Mascara seems to be a bone of contention some go high end some say no point..sponges and staples for the MUA..where and what

In fact if you have a product you love…share it here and help me build my box..( and if that last line doesnt end up in the outrageous quotes thread I will be astounded)

Hugs and Maquillage to all..

Bal ”

I think the only way to write this is for me to think up what I’d do on a ‘classic’ face and what I’d reach for first!

Foundation – mix of Chanel, Dior, Lancome and MAC all in the 4 or 5 palest shades, then I have 2 different tones for very dark skin and I mix where needed.

Concealer – Laura Mercier and Ariane Poole (her off Telly!) in all shades

Eye base – Clinique touch base – nothing comes near it!

Powder – Benefit Bluff Dust and Clinique Blended Face Powder, though I’ve just recently fallen in love with clinique Superbalanced powder makeup. I always use loose, the benefit is a suit-all colour, the clinique is in shade 08 for the blended and 02 for the superbalanced

eyeshadow singles – Estee lauder first time, every time, all the creams, caramels and browns, with a smattering of pinks! MAC singles for colour variation, pure blacks, icey whites

eyeshadow duos – clinique and smashbox,

eyeshadow quads/quints/palettes – lancome quads – the best in the business!, Dior, Clinique, estee (I’ve got their new Christmas one – it’s to die for, all plums and golds and rich warm colours!!!) mix and match bright colours and soft colours with all of these!

cream liners – MAC fluidline in black, clinique brush on cream liner in black, smashbox creamliner for eyes, every conceivable colour!

pencil liners – I used to love Clarins WP in brun, but they’ve stopped making it and the Bronze one is too bronzy. My next loves are Dior WP and Lancome WP, but I’ve recently been using Estee doublewear pencil, which is up there too! all in blacks and browns. I do have some Urban Decay bright colours, but don’t use them all that often.

liquid liners – Barry M liquid liner in black, it’s like a pen nib, but the product is in the barrel so you get a fresh application each time, not like the other penstyles where the product is behind the brush IYKWIM! Also love MAC liquidlast, but it’s a bit sticky and gluey, so you have to make your model/client keep their eyes very still! loads of colours with these

brows – elizabeth arden brow powder, benefit brow powder, both in midtoned brown.

Mascara – lancome WP every time. doesn’t matter which one it is, it delivers. black every time

Cheeks – Benefit Dandelion, Smashbox fusion in Intermix, NARS orgasm, NARS laguna and Estee bronzing palette

Lip liners – clinique and dior, pinks, reds and neutrals

lipsticks – MAC the entire Viva Glam collection, you won’t regret it! Clinique, Estee Lauder. again, pinks, reds and neutrals. I rarely get asked for browns, though it’s worth having an almost nude colour

lipglosses – Clinique, Benefit (they’re bringing out new VIP glosses soon!), smashbox, dior (for colour though, not longevity!), elizabeth arden. go for bright and vibrant colours aswell as soft sheer ones.

fixing spray – MAC fix + but the current bottle is rubbish, it sprays a jet rather than a mist, so you’d need to decant into something better.

brushes – MAC, bobbi brown, smashbox, chanel, ruby and millie
disposable mascara wands etc – thepromakeupshop.com

On the forum, we quite frequently get asked what is in our kit, or what are our desert island must haves.  So, we’ll be running a series of ‘what’s in a pro’s kit?’ features in the coming months.

All professional makeup artists have their favoured products, we are all different, adn love different things for different reasons.

What one loves, another isn’t so keen on, what one can’t stand is another makeup artist’s must have.

How we use our products can vary from artist to artist, but we are all the same in that we have to have a good quality kit, with products that are going to support our work, and never let us down.