Travel Kit Essentials
When I travel out for weddings, I like to make sure that my kit is fully stocked, compact and easy to carry. As a professional, your kit is a reflection of you as a makeup artist and should always look clean and tidy. The night before each wedding, I wipe down and sanitise all items and check the list of products used in the bridal trial to ensure I have everything I will need on the day. I take everything out of my kit and repack the products in order of application to ensure I don't leave anything behind. When your kit is tidy, it means that products will be easier to find and you wont waste time looking for things in an unorganised bag.
I have invested in a few items which make traveling with my kit much easier. I have tried and tested so many different styles of cases, bags and chairs and I have finally found my perfect travel kit set up. When travelling I carry my suitcase, a makeup case, a full size chair and a light. I only take what I need with me, as makeup can be very heavy. I often have to walk through wedding venues which have lots of stairs and long corridors, so it is really important I don't overpack. Over the years I have perfected my packing so that I can reduce the amount of products I take with me. I try to downsize products wherever possible and have decanted some into travel size bottles, which really helps to reduce the weight of my makeup case. I will list a few of my favourite products below that are ideal for travel and will make your life as a traveling makeup artist much easier.
This case from Made By Mitchell is a new addition to my collection and I am so glad I purchased it. This is the largest size available and it fits so much inside. The case itself is very high quality and is a much better investment than the cheaper Amazon versions in my opinion. I can fit all of my makeup inside without needing to worry if it will be damaged whilst traveling, as there are customisable compartments and zips to keep everything in place. There are pockets for brushes in the top section which are covered by a protective flap, a strap on the back so I can slide it over the handle of my suitcase, and the material wipes down easily. The best part about this case is the interior height, which allows me to fit my tallest foundations standing up. Most cases sold online aren't very tall inside, which means you can run out of packing room quickly. I sit the case on a table whilst I'm working and can easily pop the products back inside which reduces the amount of time it takes me to repack my kit. I used this case when I traveled abroad for a wedding and everything was safe inside my suitcase with nothing damaged.
Everything that doesn't fit inside my makeup case I will pack into this suitcase. I was previously using this suitcase for travel which worked okay, but I found it was difficult to repack my kit quickly as there are so many bags inside. I ended up bringing way more with me than I actually needed. By downsizing to my smaller case, I can now pack on what I need and don't end up bringing extras just to fill the space. This suitcase comes with multiple zip bags which hold a lot of products. In these bags I pack my hygiene products, lashes, and any other bits which won't fit in the smaller case. The suitcase itself is sturdy and easy to wipe down, and has so many pockets on the sides and front. I also pack my light and light stand inside this suitcase so I have my hands free to carry my makeup chair.
This is the perfect chair for traveling makeup artists. Its director's height, which means you won't be bending over when working on clients and straining your back and neck. It has a fold out table which is ideal when you are lacking table space and is very sturdy. The seat of the chair is wide enough for clients of all sizes and is comfortable to sit on. I have gone through so many different styles of makeup chairs and this is by far the best one I have come across. It is fairly heavy, but folds up flat and can be easily carried over your shoulder. It also comes with pockets on the side which I keep my mirror in whilst working. This is such a good investment if you travel and I would highly recommend it to all makeup artists.
I always pack a light with me when I travel as you can never guarantee you will have suitable lighting. Most wedding venues and hotels have mood lighting which is very warm and dim, which is not ideal for makeup artists. This light is the perfect travel size and is so incredibly bright. I have tried so many different types of lighting over the years and I find LED panel lights to be the best for applying and photographing makeup. This light will make your photos look so high quality and professional, but make sure you use it correctly or it can be too harsh and wash out colours. I like to turn off all other lights in the room and stand it about 2-3 feet away from the client. If you are using an iPhone, tap on the screen over the face of your client to focus and turn the phones flash off. The light is dimmable so you can play around with the settings to get your perfect lighting for pictures. This light is about the size of a small book and weighs next to nothing so is super convenient to pack in your kit. It doesn't come with a stand, but you can buy one separately here.
This case is the perfect way to organise all your lip and eye pencils. I used to keep my pencils in a small bag, but they would always get mixed up and it was difficult to find the colour I needed. This case allows you to neatly store all of your pencils in once place and it makes it easy to find the exact one you need. The panels are removable so you can add as many pencils as you like. I have taken out some of the panels and store my lipsticks and glosses in the bottom of the case.
I like to use these bottles for alcohol and brush cleaner. They hold just the right amount of product and come with little caps for the spray nozzles so they don't leak in your bag. You could also use these for setting sprays, but I find the bottles listed below are a better size and spray more evenly onto the face.
I use these mini spray bottles for all of my setting sprays. When doing makeup I like to use multiple sprays and carrying around the full size bottles was too heavy for my kit. These come with little funnels so you can easily decant your sprays into the bottles. The mist of these bottles is really even and sprays nicely onto the face without leaving drops of product. They close very tightly and I have yet to have one leak in my bag.
I use these bottles to store all of my creams, lotions and primers. Skincare bottles are normally made of glass and can be really heavy when you have to carry multiple products. These save so much space in my kit and are really easy to fill up. I can now carry multiple moisturisers and primers in my kit for different skin types without having to
These bags are perfect for storing makeup sponges. When sponges are wet, it's very important to let them air dry or they will start to get little black spots on them which is where mould has started to grow. Once the mould has started to appear on the sponge, they need to be thrown out as you cant get rid of it even after bleaching and soaking in alcohol. I have ruined far too many sponges by forgetting them in my kit and these bags prevent that from happening as they allow air to flow through so the sponges can properly dry. This set comes with 3 sizes and I use the largest one for sponges.
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