The Art of Mise En Place for the Modern Makeup Artist

Something clicked when I learned about the term “mise en place” recently. And even though it’s beginnings and practice are in a field so far removed from makeup, it really is a practice that can so easily translate to the world of makeup. For makeup artists and for you at home, with your own makeup too.

So, take a walk with me today, and learn about the art of mise en place, and how you can apply its principles to makeup, makeup artistry, and everyday makeup at home, as well.

the art of mise en place for makeup

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In This Episode We Cover:

• What is “mise en place?”
• How seamlessly mise en place applies to the work of a pro makeup artist.
• Ways you can apply mise en place at home, in day to day life, in makeup, everywhere!

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click here to read the transcript!

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Episode 50: Show notes

Can we just take a moment to celebrate the fact that we’ve hit episode 50?
I mean, when I started this podcast, I never imagined 5 episodes, let alone 50! It still feels like I’m just getting started in this whole podcasting adventure. And guess what?

To celebrate our big 50, I’m feeling extra generous. Yup, I’m doing a little giveaway.

I feel like Oprah, but without the budget, you know?

So, listen up, this is your chance to snag one of the ten exclusive The Makeup Refinery gift packs. Stuffed with stickers, makeup, and skincare goodies, these packs are up for grabs, but here’s the catch: only the first ten folks who give us a shiny five-star rating and a review on Apple Podcasts or your platform of choice will win. Once you’ve done that, take a quick screen grab and slide into my DMs on Instagram @themakeuprefinery to claim your prize. But don’t snooze on this – you’ve got until February 8th of this year to make it happen. And, let’s face it, I don’t do these giveaways every day, so don’t miss out on this chance to score some sweet loot.

Okay, now that the celebration vibes are out there, let’s dive into today’s episode: Mise En Place.

I was totally reminded of this French term by one of my business mentors, and at first, I thought it only applied to the world of culinary arts.

But as the light bulb went off in my head, I realized how perfectly this concept works for makeup too.

Mise En Place, which translates to “everything in its place,” is all about preparing and organizing your ingredients and tools before you start working your magic. It’s like the ultimate recipe for a smooth and stress-free workflow.

I’ve been in the film and TV makeup game for quite a while, and let me tell you, this concept has proved to be invaluable.

Curious about the best (and quickest) ways to love on your makeup brushes?

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Picture this: your makeup station is set up like a boss – products lined up in the order you apply them, brushes ready to roll. It might sound a bit OCD, but trust me, it speeds up your process and keeps things hella organized. And why stop there?

Take the Mise En Place mindset through your whole workday. Think ahead, anticipate what’s coming up, and be the ultimate team player.

It’s about making life easier for yourself and for others, whether you’re on set or at home.

This habit isn’t just for the pros; it works wonders in your daily life too. I mean, who doesn’t want to shave off precious minutes (or even hours) from their day?

Prepping your outfit the night before, knowing which lippy you’re reaching for – it’s the little things that add up and make your day flow like a smooth jam.

I wish I had learned about mise en place ages ago, but hey, better late than never, right?

Maybe you’re already doing some of this without even realizing it – I certainly was. And once you embrace this concept, you’ll see how it can be a game-changer across all aspects of your life.

So there you have it, my fabulous makeup friend. I hope this episode gave you a lightbulb moment like it did for me.

If you know someone who needs to hear this, spread the word, share the love, and don’t forget to rate and review the podcast for a shot at our special celebratory gift pack.

Click here to listen to this episode!

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Episode Transcript

[00:00:00]: I am so giddy with excitement to discuss today’s episode with you. But first, I have to announce that this is indeed episode 50. Wow, 50 episodes already? I can’t believe it.

It actually still feels like I’m just beginning in this world of podcasting. So I guess if you’re still listening, you must be enjoying the show.

So to celebrate, I’m feeling a little generous today, so I want to do a little celebration giveaway. Yep, I’m getting all Oprah on you, just without the budget.

[00:00:40]: But you have to help me first. So to celebrate the big 50, I’m giving away ten, The Makeup Refinery Gift Packs, which include stickers, some makeup, and skincare goodies. But just to the first ten people that give me a five-star rating and a review on Apple Podcasts or your platform of choice.

When you do the rating and review, just take a screengrab and send it to me as a DM at the makeup refinery on Instagram. But you’ve only got until February 8th of this year. That’s 2024, just in case you’re listening from the future. So you must act fast. And now, you know I don’t do this kind of thing every day, but when I do, I like to surprise you.

[00:01:27]: So get reviewing and click those five stars, send me the screen grabs, and I’ll do the rest.

Okay, back to today’s episode, mise on place.

I was reminded of this phrase recently by one of my business mentors when she was applying it to all things business and particularly the world of entrepreneurial business. And the whole time I was listening to her, I kept thinking, this applies to makeup so much so I want to share this with you right now.

[00:02:35]: Mise en place translates to “everything in its place” in English.

But obviously it’s a french term that has its roots in the world of french cuisine and the culinary world. And that’s clearly something that I know next to nothing about. And it’s based on the idea of preparing and organizing all the ingredients and tools needed for a dish before your actual cooking begins. And this might include chopping your vegetables or measuring out spices, setting out pots and pans, any other necessary preparations.

Now, the concept of mise en place is not only about efficiency, but it’s also about creating a smooth workflow in the kitchen. By having everything organized and ready to go, chefs can focus on the cooking process itself without interruptions or delays. It helps to streamline their cooking process.

[00:03:34]: It reduces stress and ensures that each component is ready to be incorporated into the dish at the exact right moment.

The term has its roots in classical french cuisine, where precision and attention to detail are highly valued.

So the philosophy of mise en place has since been adopted and adapted in kitchens worldwide, emphasizing the importance on organization and preparation in the culinary arts.

Now, when I took a step back and had this aha moment of just how easily this can all be applied to makeup, both professional and your own at home, it just all clicked in my head about what a brilliant approach this is, and I hope that it can apply to you in your makeup world and make your life easier too.

Now, I’m sure for all my professional friends, you’re already thinking, well, I do that already. I set up my makeup station the night before, so when I walk in in the morning, it’s all ready to go for my first person, right?

Well, that’s a great start, but I wanted to go further than that. For example, how about having your products lined up in the order that you apply them in? And your brushes, I know that might sound a little OCD to you, and that’s totally fine.

[00:04:54]: You can think what you want, and I promise you this only serves to make your process smoother, faster, and more organized, and therefore less stressful.

Mise en place, right? I love the idea of applying mise en place to the entire day at work too.

So as soon as you’ve completed your makeups in the morning, you’re thinking about what needs to happen when you all break for lunch. Let’s say, do you have to take off a lace moustache on set for your actor to comfortably eat their lunch? Do you have someone to clean up midway through the day that you can set up a wrap station for and prep a couple of hot towels before you go to set for the morning’s filming?
Or perhaps you have to leave set halfway through the day to make up someone who might have a later call time, and you have some extra time to kill before they arrive.
Maybe you can use that time to print the morning’s continuity photos and leave them on the other artist’s station so they’re right there for them when they return to the trailer at the end of the day, and you’ve saved them some time later as well.
Thinking ahead like this can not only make you the best version of yourself at work, but it can make you a valuable team member as well. Because what you’re doing is constantly thinking about others as well as yourself.

And for me, that’s a massive part of the job, helping out everyone else as much as you can.

[00:06:23]: I mean, you don’t have to be in people’s faces, but it’s just thinking ahead and thinking of others. And as far as being efficient goes, this principle can so easily apply to you at home as well.

Now, if I have my act together, I love having my clothes ready for the following morning.

That way I remove the need for any decision making to even come into play. Because the last thing you want to do to waste time at three in the morning is deciding what clothes that you want to wear. Get that stuff done the night before.

And you can also go as far as having your coffee cup ready to go, even precutting your lunch, if you’re bringing your own lunch, that is. But I’m not going anywhere near catering needs today in this episode.

[00:07:09]: By putting the art of mise en place into practice, you can save precious minutes, sometimes hours, in each day simply by thinking ahead and then doing ahead of time and ultimately causing your day to flow far more smoothly and with less stress.

And do you know why this is really important? Because you know that every day on set, something unpredictable happens, right? So by preempting the things that you can control, you can become much more efficient, much more organized, and much more adaptable with the things you can’t control.

This can totally be applied to your own makeup, hairstyling, and self care as well.
Let’s say something as simple as having that shower the night before. Unless you’re a morning person, of course. Know what color lippy you want to wear tomorrow and where it is.

No minutes lost doing that mad dash search because you made a rash decision to wear your, I don’t know, Charlote Tilbury pillow talk and can’t for the life of you find it.

[00:08:18]: Phew. That was a lot. Does that make sense? Though? I wish I’d learned about this term years ago, even decades ago, actually.

And sure, like me, maybe you are already practicing some of these things without even knowing it was called something, that there was a term for it.

But once you’re aware, you’ll realize just how well you can put into play the art of mise en place, no matter where your life might need it.

I hope you enjoyed this episode, and if you know someone who desperately needs to hear it, please feel free to tell them all about it, recommend the show, even copy the link and text it to them.

And remember, most important, today you’ve got one week to rate and review the podcast. Just send me a screen grab and you will go into the running. Very special celebratory 50 episodes The Makeup Refinery gift bag featuring stickers and makeup goodies just for you.

[00:09:19]: Okay, see you next time. Bye.

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