6 Surefire Quick Fixes & Tips for Pro Makeup Artists

Want to know the best quick fixes and top tips from the world of movie makeup and skincare? Come with me as I’ll be diving into the wonders of Opsite Spray, a versatile medical spray that can step in as a flawless makeup sealer, and some secret alternatives you might not know about yet.
We’ll also explore ingenious solutions for unexpected on-set challenges, such as using a humidity blocker for facial hair pieces and multi-functional treasures like Lucas Pawpaw ointment and pressed powder palettes.
Join me as I share practical advice and resourceful tips to help you handle any makeup mishap with confidence and creativity.

So, if you’re ready to boost your on-set toolkit and discover some incredible product hacks, stay tuned!

6 Surefire Quick Fixes & Tips for Pro Makeup Artists

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In This Episode We Cover:

• Having certain products in your makeup kit can be a game-changer for sealing prosthetics and creating a waterproof barrier on the skin.
• Incorporating some products for maintaining the shape of facial hair pieces and a range of powders for a natural finish can enhance the quality and efficiency of your makeup work.
• Being resourceful and open to alternative products from unexpected sources can help you tackle unexpected makeup challenges and potentially lead to new, reliable solutions.

Episode 84: Show notes

If you haven’t heard my raving about opsite spray, or for that matter, opsite tape, then give it some time, because it won’t be long. In fact, that time is right now.

Opsite spray is like the solid, oldest cousin to fan favorite Opsite Tape, and if you haven’t had the joy of relying on these in your makeup kit, then the time is now to make the investment.

Medical Spray Bandage is Necessary in Your Makeup Kit

You know Opsite tape is like a desert island mix must-have for me. I never go anywhere without at least one roll of it in my kit, but today I want to focus a little bit more on the lesser-known but equally solid Ospite Spray.

This is essentially a medical spray bandage that is designed by Smith and Nephew to be applied over open wounds, burns, blisters, anything on the skin that you want to create a water-proof barrier on and it does so to remove the need for a bandaid. And we all know how hideously unsightly a big clumsy bandaid can be on our performers on camera of for live shows. Bandaids are just not a good look, they don’t do our continuity and good, and they are just eye-catching at the best of times, right?

So having a spray bandage in your kit is essential.

But what you may not know about Opsite Spray is that it also works incredibly well as a makeup sealer or strong setting spray. At times, I have used it to seal a full-face prosthetic makeup application, three-dimensional transfers, and even smaller prosthetics as well. It really does make them bulletproof.
So if you’re caught short without your Final Seal or sealer of choice, don’t disregard the Opsite Spray. It is so incredibly versatile.

Now of course, there is a caveat, as always with everything that is wonderful, reliable, and all our favorite makeup products. And that is, that it can be hard to come by.
For us in the US, Opsite spray is often something I ask friends to bring back a can or two from NZ or Australia, and for me, I’m now down to my last few cans.
You can find it from medical suppliers in Canada – and I’ve even seen it available from vet medical suppliers in the UK – which reminds me – never discount being open minded to where you can find materials sometimes. You may be working in a different country that you’re not used to. And you might just have to look to other avenues for your 70% of 99% alcohol than your local CVS alternative, so always remember to think outside the box with suppliers. But getting back to Opsite Spray, if you’re somewhere that it is not available, I have a solution.

Learn to Be Resourceful and Think Outside the Box

As this is exactly what happened to me on a job not long ago. A job where I knew Opsite spray was the answer to makeup not staying on our actor’s hands. And the sad truth hit me when I realized I did not bring my Opsite spray as I travelled very quickly, with very little prep time, and couldn’t ship anything flammable.

So I did some digging, found the key ingredients of opsite tape and took a trip to the local CVS and found an alternative that contains similar film-forming ingredients that are acrylic copolymers that allow the material to create that second skin.  And that alternative is Curad FlexSeal Spray bandage. Take a look and learn more if you’re interested, or below in the resources and links section at the bottom of this page.

I know it’s easy to become hyper-focused on having that one product that you see someone else using, that you know does the trick, but sometimes it just wont be readily available.

So, by finding alternatives that may be way more easy to access that’ll still do the job, is important.  Oh and if you haven’t used this type of product as a sealer yet – word of warning, always start with light layers to begin. And use a hairdryer to dry it off as you go, and keep the fumes blow dryed away as you spray.

This Hair Product Will Keep the Curl in Your Facial Hair Pieces

Okay, my next quick fix, is more of a product tip – and this is a newy to me so I’m thrilled to share.

One time in the not-too-distant past, I was curling some facial hair pieces, and they were made with hair that had not been permed.
And if you’ve ever worked in the rain, with facial hair pieces that are curled to their heart’s content, but now permed hair, you know exactly where I’m going with this. They can actually lose their curl with water and moisture, so if this happens to you, I want to give you a little helping hand.

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I’m no hairdresser (well, I trained a million years ago, but then I got offered the first big job of my career, so left the training and never went back) but nevertheless, I’m not up to speed with all the latest hair styling products but I have just learned about Joico humidity blocker – which I guess in a funny way, is basically like Opsite spray, but for hair right?

So once you have dressed your facial hairpieces, you can give them a light burst with the humidity blocker and they will stay curled and dressed to perfection if they happen to get wet or you’re working in humid conditions. Cool, right?

Powder Palettes with a Range of Shades is Vital in Your Kit

I want to express the importance and versatility of stocking your kit with a solid supply of a broad range of pressed powders.
And for me, I like to work out of palettes.

Mainly because they are convenient, they look good, you can work quickly, and they provide you with that safety net of having all of that shades visually available at one time, almost like you can do the mixing in your mind, and then if you have to dip into two different shades for the one person you can effortlessly without your client ever knowing there was some second-guessing going on behind the scenes.

The Ben Nye Poudre Palettes in Mojave and Bella are definitely my go-to product choice when it comes to pressed powder.
They’re so easy to use simply with a powder brush, and the right amount of buffing and blending , have a very healthy amount of pigment, and are even great for men if you have to do some coverage but dont want to do a full makeup and also want to avoid using too much foundation, or use heavier often seen on camera, foundation application.

If you invest in one each of the two palettes Mojave and Bella, you are stocked with 16 shades that will mix and match to give you the perfect shade to take off shine and balance out any skin tone with a no makeup look powder foundation.

There are a few yellow-based shades that will also work to take down red as well, if that’s something you cross paths with.

The Ben Nye Poudre powders are also slim enough to carry in your set kit, perfect if you are day checking, or doing background performers, and Im pretty certain I have included them in my favorite episode all about my Bg makeup kit breakdown – thats episode 67 in case you want to check it out after this one ends.

The Multi-Tasking Lucas Paw Paw Ointment

Carrying a tube of Lucas Paw Paw ointment at all times is an absolute must.

And I know this is an Australian brand that’s been around for over a century, so I may be a little biased. But I remember when it was really hard to come by here in the US, well, not any more.

Another versatile, seemingly solver of all problems, from wound care, to lip balm, to a lovely sheen on set when they ask for a little natural highlight or glow on your actress’s cheekbones in the middle of the night, this is one handy product to keep close by at all times. And one tube will feel like it lasts forever too.

Single-Use Hygienic Lip Balm

And speaking of lip balm, the last thing, I have to finish up the episode by mentioning the Safetec Single Use disposable lip balm packets.

You know I’m forever tortured by the amount of single use things we have to use to follow proper hygiene standards, well, these little packets seem somewhat more envirnomentally aware than the tiny plastic mini lip balm cannisters right?
Technically you could recycle the packaging after using, but they still seem way less horrendous than anymore plastic.

But aside from that, these are so useful for big background shoots, when you have 300 people out in a field, or in the jungle, and you can just give them their own little lip balm that they can keep easly popped flat into a pocket.

And in these post-covid days this is the perfect solution to lip balm for the masses, no qtips or cotton buds required, and the product is actually really good too. I have a set mdeic to thank for this discovery a few years back. And I have never looked back, and always carry these healing lip gloss satchels in my set kit as well.

Ok thats it for some of my latest and greatest quick fixes and product tips, techniques and solves that hopefully help make your own makeup work a little more efficient and effective. If there’s anything I mentioned today you’re dying to learn more about, check out the list of where to get all of these products below.

No matter where you are working, or on what type of project, being resourceful, and always being open to trying different products to solve makeup challenges is vitally important.

And sometimes its these moments that allow you to make the best discoveries – just like some of the ones I have mentioned here. And when you find the right products to solve the challenges we face everyday as on set makeup artists, you will come to trust and rely on these products for years, and decades to come.

So whether it’s taking down too much blush, managing an allergic reaction on the spot, or trying to correct dark circles under the eyes when you’ve left your favorite corrector palette in your make up kit far away on the day of the trial run, by learning to think on your feet, you will come up with solutions, and gain the cofidence to trust in yourself that you can find a solution, even if it isn’t the most conventional of ones.

Because makeup mishaps do happen from time to time, and some of the most common makeup mistakes may also be the ones that are hardest to counteract.

Whether you are a bridal makeup artist, looking after bridezilla on her big day, or a professional makeup artist on a movie set, things can get unpredictable from time to time, so remember to respond calmly, and trust in your ability to think on your feet and come up with a solution, no matter how limited and few your only options may feel.

Because they may just lead to your next greatest makeup discovery that you didn’t even know existed yet.

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