AEB MUA
Posts: 45
Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, US
Hi Everyone,
I've been reading all about the new makeup and kit organizing posts and getting some fabulous ideas and been working on my kit. Brought a new and very interesting subject up to my mind. How do you set up your makeup station? And is it for one client, at a studio with provided chair/table/lighting, or on location? What do you haul with you other than your kit and then when you get there how exactly do you set it up? What's your rhyme and reason to put certain items in specific areas and how do you best maximize space and organization?
I promise to post a picture of my set up soon!
PLEASE POST PHOTOS - they are so much fun, and very educational for us all. Share your innovative ideas!
LizW_Makeup
Posts: 1,621
Boston, Massachusetts, US
AEB MUA wrote: How do you set up your makeup station? And is it for one client, at a studio with provided chair/table/lighting, or on location? What do you haul with you other than your kit and then when you get there how exactly do you set it up? What's your rhyme and reason to put certain items in specific areas and how do you best maximize space and organization?
My setups vary according to what I'm doing and where I'm going. My main bag is the Zuca backpack, and if I'm doing a light commercial/grooming job I can often fit both hair and makeup stuff into it. I bring my airbrush in a separate bag, and sometimes stash hairstyling tools in there too. I tend to unpack and repack my kit frequently but there's a "core" that usually stays the same. I do have to unpack my bag when I arrive but I can work out of the smaller bags within, so set up is pretty fast. I'm pretty happy with the system so far!
I drive, so I keep a bunch of just-in-case equipment in the trunk of my car: a folding director's chair with side table and pockets (saves my back - I hate bending over to do makeup!), an extension cord, a folding camping table, and a lighting kit. (Driving to gigs means I have the luxury of overpacking... LOL!) I rarely need all of that, but occasionally I'm in a small dark space with no table space so I bring it in as needed.
Here's one example of everything in use, from a recent shoot in an unfurnished room (by the time I got around to taking the photo, we had sunlight coming in so I technically didn't need the lights anymore) - the hairstylist used half of the table for her stuff, so it worked out nicely:
Here's a close-up of a different setup; my backpack is full of clear vinyl zip bags (some are Zuca brand, some random other ones I've collected over the years). The brush roll is cheap faux leather but holds a ton; I found it on eBay:
Yeah, I have wayyyyy too many eyeshadows... don't follow my example, you certainly don't need a whole Z-Palette per color! I'm slightly addicted but I do love the Zs for storage, they fit loads of pans and I haven't had as much breakage as I used to. (When I travel, I scale this down and fill up a single Z with mainly Yaby pans.)
Glamcor light kit in use in a dark studio (useful when I have to do touch-ups during a shoot, when the overhead lights are off) - I had an unusual amount of table space that day, so my hairstyling stuff is spread out in the background:
One set-up from NY Fashion Week; Youngblood was the sponsor so lots of their stuff is on display (always do this - your stations get photographed and the sponsors want to see their stuff!)
Another NYFW setup, BeautiControl was the sponsor (face charts by key artist Viktorija Bowers):
This was from a recent catalog shoot with three models; I kept the used brushes organized on labeled paper towels (I totally labeled them with eyeliner pencil, LOL). If you have less space, cups for the different brush sets work too:
Minimalist touch up kit on the beach Didn't get a photo of my set-up, unfortunately - I was outside in a parking lot, so I used my table and chair and then threw everything but the touch up materials back in the trunk when I was through.
LizW_Makeup wrote: My setups vary according to what I'm doing and where I'm going. My main bag is the Zuca backpack, and if I'm doing a light commercial/grooming job I can often fit both hair and makeup stuff into it. I bring my airbrush in a separate bag, and sometimes stash hairstyling tools in there too. I tend to unpack and repack my kit frequently but there's a "core" that usually stays the same. I do have to unpack my bag when I arrive but I can work out of the smaller bags within, so set up is pretty fast. I'm pretty happy with the system so far!
Thank you, Liz! Very informative. I love seeing how others are set up.
Are your brushes in a brush roll just leaning against the mirror? Or in some kind of stand up thingie?
Right now I use several keg cups for brushes on gigs and it works okay, but I've been looking for something like a brush roll that can prop up vertically. I've seen some, but not any that hold the amount of brushes I have with me when I'm working.
Heather J M
Posts: 637
London, England, United Kingdom
Hey! Yes that is a brush roll propped against the mirror. To be honest it holds itself up pretty well due to being at the very edge of capacity. I'm looking for a new one myself - I love the brush easels but I need a bigger one than I can currently find?
Heather J M wrote: Hey! Yes that is a brush roll propped against the mirror. To be honest it holds itself up pretty well due to being at the very edge of capacity. I'm looking for a new one myself - I love the brush easels but I need a bigger one than I can currently find?
Darnit! Yes, I know, me too! That pic is exactly what I want and what I've looked at, but it needs to be bigger, as you said. Or at least able to hold a jillion brushes. Any crafty people out there? Ok, I'm done hijacking.
AEB MUA
Posts: 45
Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, US
CMaquillage wrote: here's some of mine
AMAZING - SO MANY PHOTOS SO MUCH INFO, NEW IDEAS FOR ME. Ummmm.... dumb question I am sure - what are those mats you have on the tables and where can I get them? Purpose? Thanks, sorry for not knowing, I use disposable mats but this looks like no slip grip!
AMAZING - SO MANY PHOTOS SO MUCH INFO, NEW IDEAS FOR ME. Ummmm.... dumb question I am sure - what are those mats you have on the tables and where can I get them? Purpose? Thanks, sorry for not knowing, I use disposable mats but this looks like no slip grip!
they are bamboo place matts from the dollar store. just a lil nicer then a towel or paper towel, i'm all about presentation.
I just bring my kit. I am not too focused on how I set up much. But I like to keep eyes with eyes, face with face, etc. I am looking to purchase a chair as well. Such as the first one in the above post. Something standard. Not too fancy, portable. Here is how my setup usually looks.
they are bamboo place matts from the dollar store. just a lil nicer then a towel or paper towel, i'm all about presentation.
I lay these down over the top of my work surface. It's convenient if i need to take excess product off my brushes too, I can just wipe the brush or tap it over the sheet without fear of staining the table.
Jodie Acty
Posts: 36
Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom
Makeup by Dani B wrote:
Darnit! Yes, I know, me too! That pic is exactly what I want and what I've looked at, but it needs to be bigger, as you said. Or at least able to hold a jillion brushes. Any crafty people out there? Ok, I'm done hijacking.
Have you looked at EMJ Company? They do large brush wraps (luxury), albeit not stand up ones.
Rochelle OBrien
Posts: 64
Melton Mowbray, England, United Kingdom
Here's a few of my studio taken today, a little messy after doing a trial. One of the bulbs in the mirror is missing as I'm trying to get daylight bulbs and the local lighting shop has it for reference.
Took the pic today to post on Facebook, so I thought what the hell, I'll post it here as well.
As far as my setup, I try to set it up always the same way, but given that I'm not always at the same table or have the same space, I find it next to impossible to do so.
The only thing I insist on is having a towel, because in that case if I spill something, the towel will absorb it. Otherwise I just wing it.
P.S. The kitchen is a studio setup/props, NOT an actual kitchen.
Dorota MUA
Posts: 74
Leeds, England, United Kingdom
My organisation of space strictly depend fro type of make-up, product I use and space that I have... but You can see few pictures from my last make-up competition - I won 3rd place at Warpaint Professional Beauty Make-up Competition at London.
I was my second time in make-up competition, and I have to admit that good organisation and planning, right storage boxes and sets plan is very important - as you have to organize and speed up work to get fit in short competition time, sometime incl. the hairdo(!) -1,5 up to 2 hrs forcing to learn it better and better!
PS. I hate brush belts, as it's take too much space to me and during wearing it - if I put back dirty used brush - I always gets mess and product transfer on my waist, and top...it's just too awkward to me...so I use only brush tubes - so I also can separate the used brushes from clean brushes...
Here is a pic of my set-up for a recent wedding I did...I keep my pencils and mascaras in the square cup for easy access, and I usually just lay my brush belt out and grab from it. Once I use the brush, I transfer it to my Makeup Forever Dany's Pouch (not pictured) That way, I can just close the pouch up and take them home to wash, and they are separated from my other brushes. All my disposables are in the plastic containers that I got in the craft section at Walmart. To the right (not in the picture) are all my shadow, blush and powder palettes.
but I do love the Zs for storage, they fit loads of pans and I haven't had as much breakage as I used to. (When I travel, I scale this down and fill up a single Z with mainly Yaby pans.)
Didn't get a photo of my set-up, unfortunately - I was outside in a parking lot, so I used my table and chair and then threw everything but the touch up materials back in the trunk when I was through.
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