Mass market, professional or luxury: which cosmetics should a makeup artist choose?

The beauty market offers makeup artists a huge selection of cosmetic products to work with. And each brand, of course, talks about the benefits of its own products. How not to get lost in this diversity?

There is an opinion that professional cosmetics are always the best choice. But clients love it when makeup artists have luxury products laid out on their tables, and sometimes even ask in advance what cosmetics the makeup artist uses. At the same time, every master cannot fully fill his case with expensive products. In the end, everyone is based on their financial capabilities.

Our regular expert Evgenia Elisova talks about the advantages and disadvantages of each segment of cosmetic products, as well as the approximate ratio of luxury, professional cosmetics and mass-market products in a makeup artist’s arsenal, depending on the specifics of the work.

Evgenia Elisova , professional Makeup Artist & Stylist, works with such stars as Jamala, Laura Marti, Yasya Minochkina, Yulia Magdych, Mira, Maria Yastremskaya

What cosmetics should a makeup artist choose for work? It all depends on where you work and what problems you need to solve. But first, let’s look at the advantages and disadvantages of cosmetics from different segments.

Mass market cosmetics

Advantages:

• affordable price;
• is sold in many stores, so you can easily repurchase the finished product.

Flaws:

• low quality packaging and poor sealing;
• low quality of color pigment and glitter, which leads to color distortion during video and photography;
• low durability of shadows. The exception is bronze shadows. This is the only quality product from many mass market brands;
• specific smell. It’s quite rare that mass-market products can boast of high-quality fragrances.

Luxury cosmetics

Advantages:

• exclusive packaging design;
• light and plastic textures;
• the presence of complex shades in makeup collections;
• limited collections of products;
• quality fragrances and ingredients;
• 2-in-1, 3-in-1 products.

Flaws:

• high price;
• bulky packaging;
• medium level of shadow pigmentation;
• limited makeup collections. If the product you like runs out, you won't be able to buy it again.
• Not sold in all stores.

Professional cosmetics

Advantages:

• convenient sealed packaging;
• variety of colors and textures;
• durability;
• neutral aroma;
• the products are easily mixed with each other, you can create your own shade or change the texture;
• products are presented in different volumes;
• color is not distorted when shooting video or photography.

Flaws:

• high price;
• sold in special stores;
• does not have an attractive packaging design.

In addition to the quality, design, durability and affordability of cosmetics, an important role is played by the specifics of the makeup artist’s work, the tasks he faces, and the segment of clients with whom he works. Below are approximate diagrams of the relationship between products of different classes depending on the area of work of the master.

Working with clients

If you work with clients at home or in a salon, the distribution of cosmetics by segment can be as follows: luxury - 50%, professional - 40%, mass market - 10%. Why exactly in this ratio?

It is important for the client not only to leave you with beautiful makeup, but also to enjoy the process itself and the products you use to create makeup. Psychologically, girls even change their perception of themselves when you apply makeup with luxury cosmetics. Also, a makeup service for clients is a great chance to try the product on themselves and then buy it, being sure that it is perfect. After all, as we know, luxury products cost a lot of money.

Work on television/film

If you work on television or cinema, then the approximate ratio of cosmetics by segment will be slightly different: luxury - 10%, professional - 80%, mass market - 10%.

Why is that? Because in this case, the ideal result of the work and the durability of the makeup are important, because the camera highlights even the smallest imperfections. The most important thing is to create a successful image of a TV presenter or actor.

Work on filming/shows

If you work on filming or shows, formulate your case based on the tasks that customers most often set for you. The distribution of cosmetics by segment can be as follows: luxury – 35%, professional – 35%, mass market – 30%.

In this case, the makeup artist creates the image that the customer wants to see, and cosmetics should help the specialist cope with the task as much as possible. Focus all your attention on the variety of textures and number of colors in your case, since filming is a creative process, and tasks are constantly changing at shows .