When you pack a makeup kit, it probably fits inside a purse or tote. When makeup artists pack a kit, it fills a plane's cargo hold. Suffice it to say that makeup artists know cult beauty products -- and they're hip to all kinds of amazing beauty products that you may not find on a drugstore endcap or in a Sephora check-out line. They know the products that work miracles on every skin type -- and can stand up to glaring flashbulbs, high-def camera lenses and scrutinizing fans. So when they say a product is holy grail, we take it as gospel.
Here are 14 insiders-only, cult beauty products that celebrity makeup artists always bring on the job.
Nick Barose, Gugu Mbatha-Raw's and Lupita N'yongo's go-to makeup artist, heads to eBay to find this affordable face powder from his home country of Thailand. "It's a classic product used for generations, now with [gorgeous] updated packaging," he says. "It's great to use to control oil and shine, very light and refreshing."
Barose and Desirae Cherman, who has worked with Kristin Bell and Elle Fanning, both recommend these cotton swabs pre-soaked in olive oil. Barose insists that they're "perfect for fast cleaning-up when you made mistakes with eyeliner and lip colors. It gets rid of [product] in an instant and doesn't leave oily residue."
Cherman says, "I use them to clean up any stubborn mascara around the eyes. [I] also love them for making sure my cat-eye liner is sharp and on-point!"
"Invest in good brushes and you will be set for life," says Tracy Murphy, who does makeup for celebs including Kate Upton and Ashley Graham. That's why she loves these makeup brushes, which are produced by Japanese craftsmen using time-honored techniques. "These are the world's best, handcrafted brushes," she raves.
Kirin Bhatty -- who makes Freida Pinto and Rosario Dawson beautiful -- relies on this mascara made by her fellow makeup artist Murphy. "It's an amazing, double-ended mascara that really is a miracle worker for lashes that need volume and thickness," she enthuses. "It's a magical, new kit staple for me."
