Super stage makeup

I recently made the switch from drugstore brand makeup to nice, sephora-quality products for my stage kit.  These higher quality products absolutely wear better and are kinder to skin than their cheaper counterparts.  In this post, I take you on a tour of the products I love best for my stage makeup.

I swear these products are awesome quality, even if they cost more than other brands.  I cannot swear that the colors I have chosen work well on everyone, but most of them come in a variety of colors so you can choose what works best for you.  When you go to Sephora, the sales staff will be happy to let you try on and sample multiple products and shades until you find one that works for you.

Always apply makeup with high quality brushes.  This makes sure the product goes on smoothly.  My favorite brand is Ecotools, browse them on Amazon.com here.  For the best stage makeup kit, you should invest in at least 2 eyeshadow brushes, an eyeshadow smudge or blending brush, a brow groomer, a blush or contour brush (can be used for highlight and bronzer as well), a large powder or foundation brush, and a lip brush.  Most of the pre-packaged sets do not contain all of the necessary pieces for building a good stage set, so I recommend going with the Bamboo 6-piece makeup brush set and the 6-piece day to night clutch set.  Together you get all the pieces you need for just under $40.

These products will be listed in the order that I apply them when I do my stage makeup.

First, I prime my face with Bare Minerals Prime Time foundation primer ($24, Sephora).  A pea-sized amount is enough to cover my face and neck.  This product locks in the moisturizer I apply in my skincare routine so that my makeup goes on smooth and not flaky.  

For a full coverage base, I use Bare Minerals matte foundation ($27, Sephora).  This powder foundation is full coverage, so I do not need to use any liquid or concealer products.  The matte finish makes my face look nice and not shiny under the stage lights.  The mineral formula is very light feeling, and it does not clog pores.

After the foundation base, I lightly pencil in my brows.  My hair is not super light, but my brow shape and color are naturally unremarkable, so they can disappear on stage.  I like the Sephora collection waterproof retractable brow pencil ($13, Sephora).  This product comes in many colors to match different hair colors and skin tones.  This product comes with a little comb on one end, so you can comb through the color so it looks more natural.  I like to follow with a the brush end of my brow groomer too, just to make sure the color is blended.

To start my eye makeup, I put on Too Faced shadow insurance candlelight eye shadow primer ($20, Sephora).  This product is a light shimmery beige color, which blends well with the color of my skin.  It may look very pale on darker skin tones, but you will be putting eye shadow on top of it.  You only need a tiny bit (like the size of a sesame seed) of product for each eyelid.  This product keeps eyeshadow from creasing, and it lasts all day.  It also makes eye shadow pigments appear brighter and more pigmented when applied.

This eye shadow trio is the perfect addition to any stage kit.  I love the Sephora collection MicroSmooth baked eyeshadow trio in #13 Cosmic Flame ($19, Sephora).  You get a shimmery ivory, a glittering copper brown, and a shiny dark brown.  These are the traditional stage colors for simple stage eye makeup.  The palette is the size of an oreo, so it's nice and small to tuck into your stage kit.  No more bothering with a huge palette or multiple single colors!

For my double-winged stage eyes, I use the Sephora collection classic line 24-hour felt eyeliner ($14, Sephora).  This felt tip pen can create a thick or thin line, and it's great for getting in tight corners or very close to the lashline.  This product glides on well over eyeshadow, and it does not dry out, even after multiple uses (In my experience, many drugstore brand felt tip liners dry out after one or two uses).  The formula is not waterproof (so it comes off when you wash your face), but it is smudgeproof and does not run, even with sweat/tears.

I line my lower waterline with a white pencil, and I also apply it between my upper and lower black eyeliner wings.  The Sephora collection nano eyeliner in #3 pure white ($5, Sephora) is absolutely perfect.  The mini pencil is just 4 inches long, so it can easily go into a makeup bag without taking up space or blocking the zipper.  The formula glides on nicely and is highly pigmented.

For stage lashes, I try to avoid using false eyelashes when I can.  This Benefit They're Real! mascara ($10 for a travel size, Sephora) provides a thick, long, false lash look on my already thick, long lashes.  If your lashes are very short, thin, or blonde, you may have to break out the falsies, but a few coats of this product does the trick for me.  The formula is also not waterproof, so it washes off easily.  That said, it does not smear or run with sweat.  After applying, comb lashes with the comb side of your brow groomer.  This will remove any clumps.

For blush, highlight, and contour, I like the Sephora collection MicroSmooth baked sculpting contour trio ($21, Sephora).  This palette comes in multiple colors to flatter most skin tones.  I like sassy for my light skin, and sultry looks good on darker medium to deep tones.  Stage blush must be bolder than everyday colors, and it should be very bronze-pink toned.  I like to apply the bronzer in the palette just under my cheekbones, and I use the highlighter between my eyes and the top of my blush.  This gives my face dimension on stage.  I also love that this palette has 3 products in one; no more digging in the bag for multiple products for blush and contour!  

For my lips, I start off with a liner.  The Sephora collection nano lip liner #20 real red ($5, Sephora) is perfect for stage lips.  The color is very bold, and this tiny liner pencil is convenient, just like the nano eyeliner.  This product makes sure that lip color stays on the lips and doesn't feather out, even with sweat and drinking water.

The last product I apply to finish my look is Kat Von D Everlasting liquid lipstick in Underage Red ($19, Sephora).  This product is highly pigmented in a great stage red color.  It is also fairly hydrating; I like the liquid formula much better than traditional lipsticks.  The color stays on pretty well, too.  I can drink water backstage without having to redo all of my lip color.  Some small touchups are needed, but this product works so much better than drugstore lipsticks!  The only big downfall with this product is that it cannot be shared with friends for hygienic reasons.  

That is all for my basic stage kit.  I hope you got some good ideas of what to stash in your stage kit for high quality makeup that makes a great impression and lasts a long time!