hello i'm just starting out as a freelance makeup artist and my question is i have lots of eyeshadows,blush,lipstick,pigments and so forth. but how do i build my foundation and powder collection for models without knowing if it's the right color. because in the industry sometimes you won't know the models and you have to have foundation for them, but i don't want to go and buy all this powder and foundation and never use it becasue it's not the right shade. so far i have been telling the models to bring their base which is fondation,powder and concealer. i would like to know any tips b/c i want to be ableto have the foundations and powders in my collection!

A MA said that buying various shades of colors is helpful because you can mix foundations till it fits the model. Just have some dark, light, and cool/warm. Also, try to see if there is any trend in skin tones (or for the ones you work on), so you can expect what to do.

Try also talking to the sales assistants at the counters and finding out which colours are mostly used. You may be able to buy a few of the more popular shades, and as mentioned, maybe mix them to create another shade, if you need to.

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Have you already established a clientele? Or are you able to at least anticipate what general colouring the majority of your clients will fall under? The reason I'm asking is because if your clients at this time are all in the same general category, then you don't need to invest in a ton of foundation shades at this time, you can buy 2 shades and mix together as needed.

For example, I freelance as well (just starting out too!). I know that my clients right now fall mostly in the C/NC categories (Yellow-Golden Olive/Golden Beige). So, to start, I bought two foundations in the NC category. One in a light shade and one in a dark shade (NC20 & NC50). I haven't had a problem matching the right shade yet! Even with myself, I'm an NC30, but when I mix equal parts of NC20 and NC50, I get a PERFECT NC30 match.

In terms of powder, I suppose you could do something similar, but I like to use a translucent, colourless powder to set. That way, I don't have to worry about matching. Or you could use MAC's Blot Powder to set, since those come in Light, Medium, Medium/Dark, Dark, etc. shades so there's less decisions to be made in terms of colour spectrum, like there would be with the regular pressed/loose powders.

Are you currently working somewhere as a freelancer right now? It sounds like you're working with a modelling agency of some sort (if so, lucky you!! just starting out and you already have an awesome job!) If that's the case, where you'll be working with lots of different models with different colourings, then you may have to purchase more in the other shade categories. Get yourself a MAC PPID card to save yourself some money : )

Hope this helps! Best of luck to you : )

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Is it really possible to get most shaded of skin tone using the lightest and darkest foundation? I would have thought that getting more in between tones would be hard as the darkest foundation may not have enough yellow undertones that would show when mixed with the lightest?

I'm a PPID Member/Pro Card and I emailed a MAC Pro Artist and this is what they sent/said to me:

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Thank you for taking the time to email us at M·A·C Pro Online. We are happy to help you with the shades of the Face And Body Foundation to keep in your kit!

Here's a great hint for choosing the right Face and Body Foundation shade: if you have yellow or olive undertones, choose one of our "C" shades, and if your skin has rosy undertones, go with the "N" category.

Here are the shades you should have in your kit: For yellow/olive undertones, choose our C1, C5 and C9 shades. For your clients with more pinkish/beige or deep pinkish brown undertones, get: N1, N5 and N9. These shades together mix very easily.

Choose Face And Body Foundation for ultra-natural, lightweight coverage. This professional liquid formula blends smoothly, and once dry, it leaves your skin with a long-lasting, water-resistant finish. For a flawless finish, apply Face and Body Foundation with our #190 Foundation Brush. Just pick up a little foundation (I usually put a drop on the back of my hand and work from there) and brush it onto the skin in a downwards motion. This will give you even coverage and you will actually use less product.

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I hope this helps anyone. :-P

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"It's pure fun to let go and play with makeup."
`Pat McGrath - Allure Magazine November 2007

Wow, that helped a lot actually : )
Thanks for sharing this! I'm going to get these shades for my kit now!

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how much of a discount do you get with the mac card

Discounts (hope I have this right, I haven't checked recently):
40% for Makeup Artists
30% for everybody else (models, photographers, etc)
20% for students (heard this, not sure where)