5 MAC Makeup Kit Essentials.

MAC is a brand that I, and most new makeup artists, will turn to to build their makeup kits. Back in my day (I’m pretty old) it was THE makeup brand that professional artists could turn to to get formulas that weren’t anywhere else, colours that suited all skin tones and bright shades that just weren’t available everywhere like they are now. The struggles were REAL.

Fast forward 10 years and I do still have quite a fair bit of MAC makeup in my kit and some essentials that I can never be without. You will see these adroned in most makeup artists’s kits and they are the staples that are used backstage at fashion shows all over the world.

(1) P I G M E N T S

Who doesn’t own one of these beauties?! Well I have around 40 of the buggers. A pain in the butt to transport around without any spillage…the amount of times I’ve had a loose pigment lid and then opened my kit to be welcomed with a purple/green/whatever the offending pigment is coloured ALL over my bag and other pigments is insane. But I do love them so the occasional pain of this happening is worth it. The reflects pigments (glitter) are also great for added dimension and zazz to any makeup look.

(2) E Y E  B R O W S

I have quite a huge arsenal of brow pencils in my kit, but the MAC brow pencils were the first ones to hit my kit and I still rely on them now. They are twist-up very thin pencils, that don’t need sharpening which is part of the appeal of them. I find them really quick & easy to use and the colours are what really makes these great for artists ;  they do a great selection of shades that just seem to work across all brow shades. Key shades for me are Fling, Lingering & Stud.

(3) L I P M I X

A super pigmented opaque cream that can be used to customise lipsticks, balms and mixed together to create your own shades. Comes in bold shades such as red, yellow, blue, black , orange so you can literally  get any colour you wish. These have amazing staying power and are literally the most highly-pigmented lip product you will ever try. I usually will dot a few of them onto a mixing palette and work with them from here.

(4) F A C E  &  B O D Y

No makeup kit is complete without a decent set of MAC FAB. I have around 10 bottles of this in my kit, but more recently have been whittling it down to 5 as you can custom blend them if you pack clever. Favourite shades are C1, C3 , N5, C6 and White. This super light fluid foundation can be built to gain a light-medium coverage and leaves the skin with a wonderful natural skin-like finish. Not only are they the BEST thing for applying on the legs/body (sheered down with a body cream is a winner) but they are also water-resistant so it stays put. Absolute fashion week essential.

(5) L I P  L I N E R S

I have an unhealthy obsession with MAC lipliners and have so many in my kit now. They come in many shades, and as I mentioned before, MAC was the brand that kind of pioneered these unusual shades you couldn’t get anywhere else – they had a neon pink and a purple/black whilst all other brands were doing just nudes, pinks and reds. They have a nice creamy texture that make them easy to work with and I find that they really last for years. Favourites include Pinkie, Currant, Stone, Spice, Cherry & In Synch.

What are your favourite MAC products? Have you used any of the above?