IN MY KIT #2: Hygiene

I know there are so many wonderful and colourful posts that could have come after the Base Post, but I thought that this one is so important that it had to go next. Working as a MUA, you use a lot of makeup on numerous amounts of people and it isn't at all economical to purchase a new concealer, liner or what ever every single time... Which is why hygiene and the way you work is so important, especially as a pro. The worst thing that could happen is a client having an adverse effect because of unsanitary work methods! Yuck.

I'm huge on hygiene and it makes me cringe every time I see a 'professional' double dip or have dirty brushes. Working in retail for a while, I saw everything (fingers in jars, lipsticks straight on the lips, lip glosses put on from the wand, mascara too) and it just made me tighten up my own hygiene so much more, you really don't realise how unsanitary some testers can be. Which is why I carry all sorts of disposable tools and scrape everything in a pot out.

Below are my most basic rules when it comes to Professional Make Up Artits Hygiene.

TOOLS//
1. Spatula, Plastic & Metal: I mainly use the metal spatula when I work, but I always carry plastic ones in my kit incase i've left the metal one at home or if a fellow mua needs one. It is so important that all creams and products in jars are properly taken out of the container because one double dip is all it takes for a product to be contaminated.
2.  Plastic Palette: This is the one I got during Tafe and i've just kept it. I don't know if there is a huge difference between this one and a stainless steel one but it's been fine so far. I always wipe it down with alcohol before and after use. This is also really handy for when i'm mixing lip colours or customising foundation colours.
3. Sharpener: Whilst some mua's ive seen have just wiped the tip of a pencil off on a tissue, I don't think it hurts at all to just give the pencil a quick sharpen before you use it again. This way you completely shave away the used layer. Remember to regularly clean out the blades of the sharpener, you can harbor bacteria in there too.
4. Disposable Mascara & Gloss Wands: Never put gloss or mascara straight from the tube onto a clients lips or lashes. Always take some out using one of these to ensure the contents of the products are left unsoiled. You really don't want a client to get herpes or a stye, you can get hundreds of disposable wands for a few dollars online so please don't be stingy.
5. Brush Cleanser: If you follow me on Instagram, you know that i'm actively vocal about cleaning your brushes! For a professional clean brushes are essential and if your artist isn't using clean brushes, I would ask he/she to stop! This green liquid is a brush cleanser I picked up from Scotty's in Broadway, its so cheap and works so well. A quick spritz will clean off any excess colour, kill most bacteria and the best part is that the brushes then dry so quickly! Once the alcohol evaporates it's good to go again. If your artist isn't deep cleaning, at least spot clean, please! Nothing gives me chills more than an artist reusing dirty brushes on multiple clients. I could go on about hygiene all day, I will probably do a brush cleansing post showing you everything from spot cleansing to deep cleansing.

So that was pretty hefty but it's really important that hygiene is kept to an extremely high standard. Always make sure your artist is using a spatula, using disposable mascara and gloss wands and that they are using clean brushes!

xx

Motives Cosmetics: thily

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Email: thilymua [at] gmail.com