Makeup Artist Must-Haves: Kayleen McAdams
When we found out celebrity makeup artist Kayleen McAdams was stopping by our office, we had only one agenda: knowing the contents of her makeup bag. After getting over how much she looks like Regina George (Rachel McAdams is her sister, after all) and how lovely and knowledgeable she was overall, we asked her to spill the products she brings with her on all her shoots.
From an olive oil spray she found in the drugstore dollar bin to cooling eye masks that also double as makeup stencils, we were more than a little fascinated by everything she showed us—keep flipping to see what they are!
Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels ($30)
“I love these—they’re great for de-puffing and cooling, but there’s another way I use them that’s not as traditional. Because of their shape and the way you put them on, I use them as an eye shadow shield. I will leave them on my clients’ eyes as I do the rest of their eye makeup and remove it afterwards for a clean line. Then, I just blend any harsh lines out. Plus, it catches any eye makeup that falls under their eye and leaves that area clean!”
CK One Color Pure Color Lipstick ($9)
“They give a really creamy finish—I actually wear these lipsticks when I fly, because they brighten up my face and are moist. I put all of my basic favorites into this little pallet and just use a spatula to pat them down—I say a little prayer before each one because I love the beautiful packaging! Must Do, a cherry red, is my favorite one, and Little Liar is good too!”
Hourglass http://bit.ly/1bVSMRP ($45) in Dim Light and Radiant Light
“I just discovered these recently and held on to them for a while because I didn’t know what to do with them. But once I started playing around with them more, I realized they’re just beautiful as a finishing powder. It’s not really like a loose, translucent powder or a highlighter, but it gives you this all-over glow when you dust it over your face. It illuminates for that lit-from-within look—it’s not heavy at all.”
BeautyBlender Beauty Blender Pro ($29 for 2)
“I like the black versions—I feel like they’re cleaner. I like to use these for foundation, cream blush, and concealer. I’ll stipple it over my clients’ faces for foundation, then have them smile and put cream blush on the apples of their cheeks using the flat side. I use foundation brushes too, but I love these—they’re great multitaskers!”
Smoke and Mirrors Lashes ($14) in New York
“I love these lashes. I know people say strip lashes look too obvious, but you can trim them down so they look a lot more natural. I recommend these New York City ones—you can see at the ends how they get more feathery. Most false lashes stay really thick and don’t taper out at the ends, but these ones do and are really light. Or, you can trim off one end and use it as a demi lash for a natural look.
I think one of the most important things to do when applying falsies is to always trim them for your eye shape. I use a mirror, look down, and shove them in right at the lash line. I’ll put them on bare lashes, then add a swipe of mascara—I feel like it blends better.”
CK One Color Volumizing Mascara ($18)
“This mascara has a corset brush, which I think is really good for getting in at the root. For the first coat, I’ll brush it through, but then for my second coat, I’ll really wriggle in and comb it through, then dab at the ends of my lashes to build volume. I like this one—it’s really black and makes your lashes so full.”
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream (available in the US soon)
“This is a really good cream—I use it under makeup for times when you don’t want that shimmer, but still want illumination. It’s like the most finely ground pearl! I don’t know what she puts in it, but it’s amazing.“
CK One Color Gloss Eyecolor ($17)
“This is my favorite thing—it’s a glossy eye color. A lot of glossy eye pencils are too wet. This one stays a little better and gives the same glossy texture, but isn’t so slippery. I’ll do a smudgy pencil liner in a different color, then blend these two together—it gives a light-reflecting finish instead of being cakey.”
Mazuri Organics Olive Oil Sheen Spray (prices vary)
“So this is my weird makeup artist trick—it’s a cheap olive oil sheen spray and you can just buy it at Walgreens or CVS. It gives you that perfect glow, with a little illumination underneath. People love the smell! I love it and use it all the time for shoots. I’m not a big shimmer person, and this really gives you that subtle glow. I’ll just spray it onto my hands and rub it anywhere I think could use some illumination.”
Have you tried any of these must-haves? What are you makeup essentials? Tell us below!