Storage and Care of Stage Makeup

Is there a particular way I should or shouldn't store my makeup kit? I just have it lying in my room. What are some tips I can use to make sure my makeup lasts a long time and stays fresh?

Kara can correct me if I'm wrong or missing info...but you can store it in any "normal" temperature range...obviously you don't want to melt or freeze it...but the biggest thing will be to avoid contaminating it with hands etc.

As long as you keep it clean like Kara Jo says it should last for a long long time.

QuantumCowboy wrote:

Is there a particular way I should or shouldn't store my makeup kit? I just have it lying in my room. What are some tips I can use to make sure my makeup lasts a long time and stays fresh?

Holy smokey eyeliner! How in the world did I miss this post?!
Kudos to Kelly for giving good advice in my stead (my sis always has my back!).
So, to answer the question in a bit more depth: yep, store a makeup kit within the normal room temp range (about 55-75 degrees or so). Never leave your kit in your car--especially not the trunk! Yikes! The weather here in the AV, especially in the spring and summer months will melt your cremes and render them useless after they seperate. Furthermore, store your brush cleaner (you DID buy some brush cleaner to clean those brushes, right? RIGHT??) upright in the bottle it comes in. Leaking brush cleaner will melt the plastic makeup caps to the containers and you will frustrate the heck out of yourself trying to break open your coveted cake of Sri Lanken Gold. It's some mighty powerful stuff, that brush cleaner--when using it, transfer it to a GLASS container to clean brushes. It will eat through most plastics and all paper containers and end up all over your makeup counter.
Always use a palette knife to remove creme makeup from your containers and NEVER touch creme makeups in containers directly with fingers, brushes or sponges! Always transfer them to a palette, or, in a pinch, a sheet of wax paper or the back of your clean hand. Powders can be used with brushes and then sanitized with a misting of 99% medical grade alcohol (available at places like Rite Aid and Wal-Mart). Always sharpen pencils completely before each use. One whole turn of the sharpener is enough to remove any contaminates from previous use.
Makeup should smell clean--sort of makeup-y. If it ever starts to smell dicey or look off-color, then throw it away immediately and replace it.

Just as a general note--I've met many people who claim to be "allergic" to stage makeup, citing breakouts, rashes and eye infections. When I ask to see their kit , or the makeup supply they are using, I see immediately that they are not allergic at all to the makeup, but that they are having heinous reactions to the bacteria present in the makeup they are using! The supply is old, cross contaminated, and it's obvious that there have been countless dirty fingers and eyeballs all over the makeup for years! The best way to avoid this is to have YOUR OWN KIT THAT IS KEPT CLEAN. It's not hard to do if you know how. Thanks for asking!!

Kara wrote:

(you DID buy some brush cleaner to clean those brushes, right? RIGHT??)

Umm... yeah...

Is brush cleaner different from the medical grade alcohol? Or can I use it for all sanitization/cleaning?

QuantumCowboy wrote:

Is brush cleaner different from the medical grade alcohol? Or can I use it for all sanitization/cleaning?

Oh, Boy.

We need to have a class.

But to answer the question first--medical grade alcohol and brush cleaner are not the same thing. Most brushes are sable, and cleaning/soaking them in medical grade alcohol would dry them out and ruin them. Brush cleaner, which you soak your brushes in, is formulated with special conditioners and oils to keep the sable hairs supple and pliable. While it's okay to give a quick mist of alcohol to sanitize a brush if you drop it, the only effetife way to thoroughly clean a brush is with brush cleaner.

Let's get that class scheduled ASAP.

Kara wrote:

... the only effetife way to thoroughly clean a brush is with brush cleaner.

Hm. I think I might have meant EFFECTIVE.

I wasn't even drinking when I wrote that, either. Go figure. And my minor was in English.

Kara wrote:

Kara wrote:

... the only effetife way to thoroughly clean a brush is with brush cleaner.

Hm. I think I might have meant EFFECTIVE.

I wasn't even drinking when I wrote that, either. Go figure. And my minor was in English.

I re-read that and thought it said EFFEMINATE. Boys and makeup.....who knew?