Kit Building part one! Foundations

When I first started building my kit, I was running from cosmetic store to cosmetic store breaking my bank to get barely enough products to last me a year on myself.  And then I learnt about pro discounts, pro products and website that offered a better deal than any cosmetic floor could give me in any country I had been to.  And so, I will share with you, my favourite products and the most affordable places to get them.

Foundations are a great starting point for a kit. My favourites are:

1. Cinema Secrets Ultimate Foundations (recommended pallets are 1, 3, 7, 10 ,11)                          

These are cream foundations that read brilliantly on film and in photography leaving the skin looking flawless, but natural.  With a small amount of silicone, they sit beautifully on the skin, have a slight dewy finish and can be cut of mixed with lotions, thinners and other foundations.  These are a staple in my kit.

2. Graftobian HD Glamour Creme Foundation (recommended pallets are neutral 1&3, warm 1&2 and the corrector pallet.

Also a cream foundation, Graftobian is easy to use, but has a creamier and dewier finish than Cinema Secrets and will need to be layered to achieve a full coverage.  I do not personally use the foundations, however, I very regularly use my Graftobian corrector pallet as it is sheer enough to correct and has the perfect range of correcting colours.

3. Face Atelier Ultra Foundation (recommended colours 0-, 1, 4, 6, 0+) 

Face Atelier is a silicone based liquid foundation that is long lasting and has a dewy, natural finish.  Pros and celebrities swear by it and when you have a play, you will see why.  Another exciting part of this foundation is that the colour range is huge and even has a global colour extender that includes various 'undertones' that can be mixed in to assure that you can match anyone that sits in your chair, no matter where they are from. Very exciting!

4. Temptu S/B Airbrush Foundations (recommended 12 colour minis pack)

Obviously this is an airbrush foundation, and truth be told, I don't airbrush, however I do have this in my kit and I do use it often.  It gives a very light, natural finish and mixes amazingly with my Cinema Secrets to give a more wearable daytime look that still reads well on film and has great coverage.

And so, these are my foundation recommendations for when your kit is young and fresh and must be versatile and easy to learn with.  Many pro artists use all of these brands long into their career as their pay off it brilliant, however, as a new artist, they are both affordable and easy to use.

You certainly do not need all 4.  

If you can only get one, go for the Cinema Secrets (or Graftobian USD$23) as they are super versatile and cost USD$21 on www.camerareadycosmetics.com.  That is a total of $105 for every colour you will need! Camera Ready ships world wide and carries a lot of other great brands worth checking out.  International shipping varies from $12 to $35 depending on the option you pick.  I usually opt for the $29 option and have my makeup in my hand within a week, often less!

If you can afford two, I would add the Temptu S/B mini pack which can also be purchased on Camera Ready for USD$75 or, in Australia at www.hubmakeup.com for USD$90.  The Cinema Secrets and Temptu S/B, like I mentioned previously, work great both alone and together to achieve a number of finishes and if you are on a budget, these 2 make a great kit starter!

As for the Face Atelier, it is a great foundation to add to your kit for beauty and bridal work and is best bought from www.faceatelier.com as although it is priced at $32 no matter where you are and what currency you are paying it, Face Ateliers website offers a pro discount of 40% making each foundation cost a whopping $19.20.  That's a pretty smokin' deal!  Shipping prices are determined at the time of order and although it is not stated on the website just yet, they do ship internationally.

I hope, for those of you starting out and at a loss for foundations, that this has been a bit of a help.  Next time I touch on foundations, I will go into the more expensive pro brand and the consumer brands that do a great job!  But for now, dish out $200 on new foundations and don't feel so bad about it!

Any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Everything is Illuminated

I received a package in the mail last week in a beautiful black box filled with shredded black tissue paper  some booklets advertising Illamasquas most recent capsule collection 'Throb,' and a whole lot of new makeup for the kit.  The packaging is truly to die for and makes the adventure of new makeup, even more exciting, if it is at all possible!

I have been on the hunt for the perfect Illuminators and have met my match with Illamasqua.  They come in 5 colors, which I purchased 4 of and they are truly amazing.  

First color up - FONDLE.  It is a hot pink with gold shimmer and makes for a great Illuminating blush, an eyeshadow base, or anything else you can come up with! This is Illamasqua after all, get creative!

Next one down is GLIMMER, which has a warm golden tan with a bronze and gold shimmer finish.  This color is to die for on tanned and darker skin tones and, again, looks amazing as a stand alone shadow on the right skin tone! *swoon*

Third from the top, and a personal favourite, is HALCYON, an ivory pearl with a champagne shimmer. It looks amazing on almost everyone and creates a very natural and realistic glow.  I have mixed it in with my foundation and it looked supreme!  Although you do have to work VERY fast if you are going to do this!

And, last but not least, ODESSY, a white pearl shimmer illuminator that looks fabulous on the pale skinned beauties but also on other skin tones when you are really looking for a pop!  

And now, for the overall brilliance of these amazing Illuminators, let me share with you some of their many uses and features.  For starters, they are all easy to work with, can be used anywhere on the face and body (although I would make sure lips are well and truly exfoliated before applying there) and dry to a shimmering, water proof finish.  Did you hear that? WATER PROOF!  This means that you must work quickly with them, although I have never had a problem getting the desired effect before it self sets. 

The Illuminators can be used under your foundation for a subtle highlight or on top for a more intense glow.  They can be pressed on the the eye lid as an eyeshadow base or as a stand alone color to compliment a gorgeous and glowing dewy makeup.  A tap could even be put in the centre of the lips to create a long lasting 3 dimensional look under a natural lip gloss.

These Illuminators are exquisite and allow you the utmost creativity.  I personally use my fingers to apply them 90% of the time, but there is no reason you cannot pick up a synthetic brush and paint your little heart out.   Pro Artists world wide are picking up on these brilliant little tubes of shine, shimmer and glimmer and they are even featured on Kevin James Bennett's blog *In My Kit*

If you are looking to buy in Australia, head over to your local MYER counter, providing you live near Sydney, Bondi, Melbourne, Chadstone, Brisbane or Robina.  If you are out in a city that has yet to be blessed with Illamasqua, you can always order via phone or online with Myer.


For my North American friends, Illamasqua is available at Sephora in the USA and can be ordered at Sephora.com if you need it north of the border.  And, trust me, you need it!