Australian makeup artists share the beauty products they use most
PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAIGGE WARTON
WORDS BY DAISY HENRY
“There’s a reason almost every makeup artist you’ll meet waxes lyrical about this… ”
Having grown up with acne-prone skin, my initial foray into the world of beauty was signposted by a sense of embarrassment and supermarket foundation. I felt pressured to cover up any pimples and redness, desperate to hide the very natural fact that I was a teenager going through puberty.
However, as I’ve gotten older and more comfortable in my own skin, I see makeup as a tool for creativity, self-expression and rebellion rather than seeing it as a way of concealing (mind the pun) parts of myself I didn’t think were good enough. Now, I find excitement in trying out a new highlighter and satisfaction in finally nailing a winged eye.
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Yet there are so many products on the market, and it can be difficult to separate the good from the bad. Very few of us have the financial means to try and test out a range of beauty products in order to figure out what’s the best value for money or to see which products will make it through a night out without smudging.
In order to find out what rates highly among experts in the industry, I enlisted the help of five Australian-based makeup artists to see which beauty products they rely on the most.
Rob Povey
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My longtime kit staple (and personal holy grail) is Mac Cosmetics Studio Radiance Face And Body Radiant Foundation. It’s been my number one go-to complexion perfector for the entirety of my fifteen-year career. Furthermore, as somebody who wore a full beat daily for the better part of my twenties – and now (ironically) loathes the feeling of makeup on my own skin – it’s the only foundation that I still like the look of on myself.
Think of it like a tinted moisturiser that works overtime! Its thin, watery consistency ensures it melts into the skin like a dream for a your-skin-but-better effect that’s just enough for a ‘no-makeup’ makeup enthusiast like me. But for those that desire a little more coverage, it works amazingly as a base to concealer, helping it to blend beautifully. There’s a reason almost every makeup artist you’ll meet waxes lyrical about this…
Kim K Pham
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There are so many products that I can’t live without from my kit, but if I had to nut it down to two products they would have to be the Tatcha Serum Stick and the Mac Cosmetics Studio Fix Correct and Conceal palettes. The Tatcha Serum Stick is my most asked-about product. Tapped into the high points of the cheek it gives a glass skin effect in the right areas. No more sweaty disco ball faces.
I also love using it under the eyes as it acts as a hydrating yet thin eye cream which prevents creasing. The Mac concealers are the creamiest formula on the market with the right amount of pigment to diffuse, conceal, and smooth out the skin. It works best with fingers (tap tap tap) or you can use a sponge to help it sink into the skin.
Meg McConville, aka Moochi
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Cream cheek products are my favourite. They melt into the skin and sit a lot nicer than most powders do. Westman Atelier Peau De Peche is my everyday product. It’s a highlighter but it has a peachy tone so I use it as a combination of a highlighter and blush. The versatility makes it a super quick way to do my base and I love that it leaves my skin looking glossy but not glittery. For all of my cream products, I use a dense stipple brush, I find them the easiest way to blend the product and not leave the skin looking patchy.
I also love a graphic liner. My favourite way to do them is with Danessa Myricks Colour Fix Liquid Pigment and Suva Liner Brush – this duo makes them so much easier. The Danessa pigments come in a huge range of colours to make your liner more interesting and if you can’t find the brush, a super fine paint brush works perfectly.
Kat Bardsley
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One of my favourite products to use on the clients is also one of my go-to products for personal use. I love a multi-use product and the Nudestix Nudies Matte All Over Face Colour Blush and Bronze range, is an absolute must for anyone who loves a fresh-faced look that is easy to achieve. Available in ten blush shades and five bronze shades, I have found the most versatile shade to be Sunkissed (from the Bronze range).
Suited to most skin tones, this deep terracotta shade is perfect to warm up your complexion either on its own or over your foundation. With its creamy texture, it is easy to apply and blend. It can be used as a contour, bronzer, blush, on the eyelids as a wash of colour and even as a lip tint. This product is also cruelty-free and vegan friendly which is an added bonus to such a versatile product.
Isabella Schimid
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It’s very hard to pick one or two makeup or skin products I rely on whenever I am doing someone’s makeup. I tend to tailor each skincare step to their needs but in saying that the one thing I will always do is exfoliate the skin before applying any makeup at all. This step helps to give me a clean even base so whatever I use after sits better on the skin. My fave is Emma Lewisham Illuminating Exfoliant or the BHA Liquid Exfoliant by Paula’s Choice. Make sure you really cleanse and remove any dirt or makeup off the skin and use a wet face cloth to remove all product.
Concealer [is one] makeup product I couldn’t live without. I love the Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage as it has two colours (yellow tone and orange tone) to conceal any part of the face. I use the orange-toned under the eye and the yellow tone to remove any redness in the skin. Sometimes that’s all I would use rather than applying a full face of foundation.
I [also] can’t live without the Living Libations Blushing Balms. They are an amazing all-natural organic lip and cheek balm. They smell amazing and have warming botanicals to give a natural flushed glow to the skin. I get all my natural, organic products from Begenki.
This article was originally published on July 12, 2022.
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