Pro Makeup Artist Stephanie Elise Shares Her Top Ten Must Haves!

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about makeup artists whose work I admire, it’s that their passion for creating beautifully painted faces begins very early on. So it was with today’s guest blogger, Stephanie Elise, whose obsession started at the ripe old age of ten!

Stephanie’s work is, in a word, breathtaking. She certainly has a gift for artistry, and through the years she’s accumulated an impressive portfolio that would have so many other artists drool. She’s generously agreed to share her top ten makeup must haves. You can check out Stephanie’s work at her website, http://www.stephanieelise.com/.

I’m often asked what I can’t live without when it comes to professional and personal preference regarding products, accessories and tools.

Editing my kit is one of my biggest challenges, it’s like the circus is rolling into town when I arrive on set or location! so this is good practice to try and narrow it down and see what I use the most.

#1  – My Zuca!!!!

I cannot believe how much you can stuff into this thing! clear tops on the pouches make it easy to find what you’re looking for, and it’s not a hassle if you have to climb stairs!

#2 – Face Atelier Foundation

Beautiful flawless skin is the base for any makeup look. If the skin underneath isn’t perfected? it doesn’t matter how the rest of it turns out. Unmatching, cakey, too dry or too dewy foundation makes for extra time (and money) for the retoucher. With almost everything being high definition these days? You don’t need ‘hi-def specific’ makeup, you need to know how to create flawless skin.

Face Atelier is a smooth, creamy, easy to blend silicone base foundation, that covers like the heavier stuff, but has a light texture, light feel and is lightweight on your skin. It is fragrance free and I’ve never had anyone say they were irritated or allergic to it. It is available in a professional-friendly plastic pump bottle (no contaminated product) as well as a glass bottle.

#3  – Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil

Another key to great skin and therefore, great makeup is completely removing every trace of makeup before your head hits the pillow. This oil breaks down makeup and mascara, waterproof liners, etc. Then you add a few drops of water, massage and emulsify it into a lotion that rinses everything off. I highly recommend this to anyone as a make up remover and skin purifier, but especially to anyone who wears a heavier amount of makeup.

#4 – MAC Mineralize Skinfinish

The natural shades (unpearlized) are great for contouring and highlighting, and the shimmery pearlized shades are beautiful highlighters. Not too glittery or frosty, with just the perfect amount of pearlized shine. Genius.

#5 – Nars Hydrating Freshening Lotion

This is no ordinary toner…it also dissolves the bond that holds dead skin onto the new. It will hydrate, remove flakiness and restore radiance. There’s nothing worse than starting to apply foundation or concealer and realize you have a layer of dry flaky skin that was invisible to your naked eye. This wonder gel also removes flakiness from the lips, if they’re chapped.

#6 – Make Up For Ever Lift Concealer

Used alone or over a heavier concealer, it tightens the skin and highlights and covers. Best dabbed on (literally…you wipe? you’re wiping it off!!!) with one of the most amazing inventions ever….#7!!!

#7 - Beautyblender

A pink teardrop-shaped sponge that looks like an Easter Egg! Stipple (dab) on your cream or liquid foundations, concealers, bronzers, blushes and highlighters with this little gem, and like me, your airbrush will end up in the closet. I apply my favorite airbrush foundations with it now…waste not, want not, right? I’ll have to post two high resolution photos side by side of airbrushed foundation and foundation applied with this tool and I promise you won’t be able to tell the difference!!!

#8 –  Stila #15 brush This double-ended  wonder has a small smudger brush on one side and a small multi-purpose brush on the other. This and a small angled brush are all you need for a really basic everyday eye.

#9 – Z-PalettesSoft-sided, clear top palettes you can put magnetized or ‘de-potted’ shadows, blushes etc. in. They don’t bang together and cause breakage, and you don’t have to open every palette and/or label to see what’s inside! You can change everything around on a whim without having to re-label .

#10 – Armani Eyes to Kill Excess Mascara

With most higher end mascaras priced at $30 and up these days? This definitely gives you your money’s worth. Longer, thicker carbon black lashes that don’t clump, flake or smear.