Clean Up Your Act

We asked our brand ambassador Armand Beasley to give us some ideas and tips on how to keep your makeup kits clean and what key products he swears by. Here’s what he had to say…

We now all know that singing the ‘Happy Birthday’ song twice, whilst washing hands, is the time required to ensure adequately cleansed mitts! Although, I sometimes mix it up with a bit of Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I Will Survive’…

As a makeup artist and Facialist, I’ve always been scrupulous with hygiene from sanitising my products and kit to the use of disposable bamboo mascara wands.

With the ongoing focus on hygiene due to COVID-19, as a pro or even a consumer it’s good to invest in products that are reliable and effective whilst creating positive rituals to maintain high standards.

In the past I have seen some ‘makeup artists’ — students and pros, blow on their brushes to get rid of excess product, which of course sis unacceptable. This has even happened whilst I have been judging Makeup Championships, which obviously gets a zero score from me on Health & Hygiene criteria. Surgical Spirit or Brush cleansing sprays are great to use between clients and then when you get home, you can wash your brushes with a specific brush shampoo.

Nanshy

I tend to use Nanshy PETA approved brushes, which use a luxurious synthetic hair that holds on to product and allows great distribution without scattering it, unlike normal synthetic brushes.

Check out their Masterful Collection, £54.95. They also have a super Brush Cleansing Soap that’s quick, easy and efficient to use. It comes in a neat shoe polish style tin that’s perfect for travel and easy to fit in your kit. www.nanshy.com.

Pro Hygiene Collection

Pro Hygiene Collection, is a range that I’ve always trusted as their sanitising collection has minimum 60% alcohol and includes hand gels, brush cleansers and makeup sanitising sprays, in consumer and pro sizes.

The amount of times I still see people pick up a lipstick tester in a shop and use it DIRECTLY onto their lips, is incredible! So the makeup sanitising spray is perfect to make sure that all testers are clean prior to use. As a consumer it’s also good to do this periodically with your own lipsticks, just to keep them as hygienic as possible.

I also use their eco disposables to help minimise the amount of single use plastic waste. As a professional it’s also good to be seen by your client as someone who not only takes their clients health and wellbeing seriously, but is compassionate toward the environment.

www.theprohygienecollection.com

Pocket Perfect: Swiss Pharmax Hand Gel

A very efficient mini hand sanitising gel that is 80% alcohol but also contains soothing natural Aloe Oil. This simple yet very effective formulation is free from suphates, petrochemicals and fragrances. Use without water and its formulation won’t leave the hands sticky.

Dinky and discreet with a childproof top, so no spillage disaster in your kit or on your person.

10ml, £3.23 www.swisspharmax.com