Our Top 3 Tips for Restocking Your Kit

If you're considering making a few changes while restocking your kit this year, you're not alone. Most artists have their staple products memorized and rarely deviate from that list, but every so often, a new or innovative product comes around that elevates your artistry. It's like baking chocolate chip cookies and swapping out your regular milk chocolate morsels with milk chocolate chunks. All of the ingredients remained essentially the same, but the small tweak made a delicious difference. Variety is the spice of life, after all.  

Hungry to learn more? We thought you'd be! We spoke to our beauty advisors to get their top tips for refreshing your kit for the season ahead.

Let's start with the topic that's on all of our minds, sanitation. Disinfecting and cleaning the products in your kit aren't new practices, but they're more important than ever. The extra steps you take to disinfect your products and tools will help you stay healthy and show your clients you are taking their safety into consideration, too. If you haven't updated your website or marketing materials to talk about the extra precautions you're taking, do that now!

For Your Makeup

BeautySoClean Cosmetics Sanitizer Mist is a must-have! This mist disinfects eye shadows, lipsticks, cream products, and more without drying them up nor changing the texture. An added perk? It's available in spritz bottles ranging from a purse-friendly size to an 8.5oz bottle you can keep on top of your station. If you prefer wipes, they have those, too!

For Your Makeup Kit, Bags, and Brushes

To make sure your makeup kit and bags are safely disinfected, be sure to grab a bottle of Rejuvenate. It's an eco-friendly, hospital-grade disinfectant that is commonly used at spas, salons, and clinics. Rejuvenate can be used on almost anything; it can be used to disinfect cloth, plastic, and glass but not brushes.

For your brushes, our best seller is Cinema Secrets Brush Cleaner. It's an industry essential because it's fast-drying and leaves your brushes smelling fresh and clean. Just remember, this quick disinfecting option should not replace your regular deep cleaning with a brush soap because relying solely on a quick sanitizing dip or spray can break down the glue in the ferrule of your brush.  Click here to view all of our brush cleaner options.

Want to take your disinfecting and cleaning routine to the next level? The Sterilelight ILLUMICIDE Case allows you to disinfect the surface of anything you place inside and even has a setting to dry your brushes if you deep cleanse with a brush soap in between clients. It uses short-wavelength ultraviolet light to kill or inactivate bacteria, viruses, molds, and other pathogenic microorganisms. In addition to disinfecting brushes, you can safely clean items like your mixing palettes, car keys, and phone in it.

For Your Hands

Now that your kit is nice and sanitized, let's get to those busy hands. Our newest addition Jao Refresher smells fantastic, comes in a variety of sizes to fit your kit, and can double as a body refreshing spray for those long days on the job. It dries quickly and doesn't leave your hands tacky, so you can get back to work without worrying about leaving residue on your clients.

It's time to lighten the load! Let's free up some space in your kit and show you how you can minimize the amount of products you have to pack for each job.

Downsizing

Many artists are opting for compact bags and cases, so if you're ready to drop some extra weight, check out the Zuca Artist Backpack. It has plenty of pockets and slots to hold your tools including a thermal pocket to handle the heat of flat irons and curling wands. It even comes with two small clear vinyl pouches to take the guessing game out of what you're reaching for next.

Want to downsize even further? The Vueset Mini Palettes allow you to create pocket-sized versions of your favorite custom Vueset palettes and can be hung on the strap or handle of your bag or case and free up space inside your kit.

Customizing

There's just something about grabbing a palette knowing every shade it contains is a product and color you picked for that job.

The Z-Potter is a must-have for creating a custom palette. This flameless cooktop uses induction technology to separate blushes, eye shadow, and bronzers from their packaging. Want to create a lipstick or cream blush palette? The Z-potter has you covered there, too, and can melt down your products with ease. The days of carrying twenty lipsticks and six eyeshadow palettes that you only use two colors from each are over!

For complexion and cream products, the pro favorite Danessa Myricks Flexi Palette lets you customize liquids, creams and gels into interchangeable air-tight containers housed in a durable case.  

Organizing

Nothing is worse than fumbling around in your kit to find a product. LippieBook cases will keep your favorite products in place and boast an impressive amount of slots to fit your kit essentials. For a larger jobs, the LippieBook Pro 3.0 has 32 small slots for pencils, 112 large slots to fit most tube-shaped products like lipsticks and depotted foundations, two large pencil sharpener slots, and two medium pouches for palettes and tools. The Baby Pro measures in at 13 inches x 8.5 inches x 4 inches but still offers 92 slots for lipstick, 27 slots for pencils, and one sharpener slot.  

If you're like many other artists and are carrying more disposable applicators than ever, the Cozzette Mini Vessel is a great option to keep them separate from the rest of your supplies.

We know tossing products can be a painful task. However, you always want your client to look their best, and expired or old makeup may not perform as well as it's supposed to.

Most products have a shelf life guideline on the box or packaging itself, but if you can't find the recommended timeline, we recommend reading the expiration guide below.

Mascara

Shelf Life: 3-6 months

Why Replace? Mascara needs to be replaced more frequently than any other beauty product. Every time you pump a mascara wand back into its tube, the product traps bacteria which can cause harmful eye infections.

When to Replace? If the product becomes dry and clumpy or the bristles have excessive buildup, it's time to re-order. Another tell-tale sign is the scent. If it changes at all, go ahead and toss it.

Shop Mascaras

Foundation

Shelf Life:  6 to 12 months

Why Replace? Unlike powder formulas, liquid foundations contain oils or other ingredients that break down over time. Pump containers provide more protection than ones with an open top. For open-top foundations, it’s best to put the product on to a palette before applying with a clean brush or sponge.

When to Replace? When a foundation is nearing expiration, you may notice dryness or changes in consistency.

Shop Foundations

Powder

Shelf Life: 2-3 years

Because they don’t require large amounts of water to manufacture, powders have a longer shelf life than most other cosmetic products. To prolong the life of your powder, store in cool locations with the lid firmly closed.

When to Replace? If you notice powder becoming more difficult to blend or chalky, a replacement is due.

Shop Powders

Gel Eyeliner

Shelf Life: 3-6 months

Like mascara, gel eyeliner should be at the top of your frequent replacements list. To lengthen the life of your gel liner, take a clean spatula and scoop out the amount you need onto a palette.  

When to Replace? It's normal for gel liners to get dry over time. A product like Inglot Duraline or Cozzette Matrix Mixing Liquid can help revive a drying gel liner, but since you're opening and closing it frequently, replace it every three to six months, depending on how often you use it.

Shop Eyeliner

Eye and Lip Pencils

Shelf Life:  1-2 years

Pencils tend to last longer because they are constantly being sharpened, which provides a clean, fresh layer before each application. However, it's important to disinfect and sharpen them after every use since they're being used on the eyes and lips where bacteria levels are higher than other areas of the face.

When to Replace? It’s difficult to tell when an eye or lip pencil has gone bad, but a good rule to follow is to replace pencils that no longer sharpen easily. For example, pencils that frequently break-off after sharpening are best to toss. If you notice they're changing color, it's time to throw them away. Discoloration is often a sign of mold growing within the product.

Shop Eye Pencils

Shop Lip Pencils

Skincare

Shelf Life: Varies, but typically 12 months

The shelf life for skincare can vary based on the ingredients, packaging style, and frequency of use. However, a good rule of thumb is to replace it if it's been more than a year.

When to Replace? After a year, moisturizers and toners have lost most of their beneficial properties. The efficacy of the active ingredients decreases over time, and some deteriorate each time they're exposed to air. Others include ingredients that break down with exposure to light or extreme temperatures, so be sure to read the label and store them properly. Always apply these products with clean hands. Never add water to prolong the life of these products, as it dilutes the formula.

Shop Skincare

Brushes

Shelf Life: n/a

Makeup brushes can last for decades if you properly care for them. Purchase an all-natural, deep-cleaning brush cleaner to rid your bristles of pesky bacteria and buildup. We offer a variety of brush soaps and cleaners to clean and prolong the life of your tools.

When to Replace? If your brush sheds with every use or no longer applies product evenly, it may be time for replacements.

Shop Brush Cleaners

Shop Brushes

Other Guidelines

As a general rule of thumb, here are a few expert tips to help keep any makeup products you purchase from causing an infection:

1) Write the date of purchase on the outside of each product.

2) Federal law requires all makeup products to feature a PAO (Period After Opening) or BBE (Best Before End Date) symbol. A PAO symbol applies only if the shelf life is 30 months or more. Any less and the product will feature a BBE symbol.

3) Products made from natural ingredients will include an expiration date that applies even if unopened.

3) If you can’t find an expiration date, PAO or BBE label, check for the manufacture date. This will help you to know if the product is nearing expiration, as many unused cosmetics lose their quality over time.

Ready to refresh? Go ahead and click the links below to browse the most popular products. Have a question or need a little extra help curating your kit? Our Beauty Advisors are here to help, so drop them a line at [email protected].  

Camera Ready Cosmetics was founded in 2003 by Makeup Artist Mary Erickson. She dreamed of having a pro makeup showroom where artists could play with professional products without the typical makeup store attitude.

Today, our team of beauty industry veterans work together to curate the best quality products on the market. We partner with brands who respect the industry and formulate products for true working artists. You won’t find CRC in high-end malls, and we don't wear matching brush belts.

If you want to play with products for a few hours and buy nothing, that's okay ... come in and play! Our store is your playground.