How to Streamline Your Makeup Kit Without Sacrificing Quality

How to Streamline Your Makeup Kit Without Sacrificing Quality.

As a working makeup artist, your kit is your mobile studio. But when your shoulders are aching and your suitcase is bursting at the seams, it might be time to re-evaluate what you're carrying. The truth is, a well-edited kit doesn't mean compromising on quality, it means working smarter. Here's how to streamline your makeup kit without losing the performance, versatility, or impact your clients expect.

1. Invest in Multi-Use Products

This goes without saying, the best way to save space without cutting corners is to prioritise products that serve more than one purpose. Think formulas that work on lips, cheeks, and eyes (like Danessa Myricks ColorFix), or palettes that offer mixable shades for foundation, contour, and concealer. Are you carrying too many shades of one item that you could easily mix with a mixing medium or colour adjuster? Can you find a product that replaces two different products in your kit? Not only do these reduce bulk, but they also create a personalised, tailored experience for your client.

As mentioned above, Danessa Myricks ColorFix is a firm favourite in our founder Natalie’s kit. She uses them not only to adjust the tone of complexion products, but also to custom-create shades for blush, lipstick, and even colour correction.

2. Repackage Smartly

You don't need to carry every product in its original packaging. Decanting into travel pots, palettes, or pump bottles saves serious space and weight. Look for stackable or magnetic systems that let you customise your layout while keeping everything visible and hygienic. For those makeup artists that don't want to condense their luxury items (packaging is way too pretty, right?!), look out for luxury brands that offer streamlined packaging. You can also switch out certain products for more kit-friendly versions that you can decant, which helps you justify keeping a few luxe favourites in their full packaging.

Natalie loves condensed systems like M·Y·O and Artist Kit Company, both of which offer professional, sleek palette options that pair perfectly with the IYKO HANA’s aesthetic and internal layout.

3. Condense Your Tools

Brush belts can become a black hole of excess. Narrow it down to your core essentials – brushes that can multitask, like a domed fluffy brush that works for both powder and blush. Get rid of the brushes you use once in a blue moon, and double up on the ones you reach for time and time again. Quality of choice over quantity here is key.

Lightweight brushes with slim, tapered handles will be your best friend. While bulky brushes might look luxe, the weight and space they take up adds up fast... especially when you need multiples of each brush type.

4. Use a Bag Designed With Artists in Mind

A high-functioning kit bag can make or break your workflow. Look for one that maximises interior space while remaining lightweight and compact. Bonus points for separate compartments, custom inserts, and easy access. The IYKO HANA Pro Kit Backpack, for example, was designed by a working MUA to solve a multitude of common MUA kit problems, with a vertical lid layout that keeps all your products visible, tailored compartments for ultimate organisation, and a sleek, compact structure that won’t buckle under pressure. Whether you're commuting, flying, or navigating tight backstage spaces, it's made to support the way artists ACTUALLY work.

5. Edit Regularly

Your kit isn’t static! Seasonal jobs, trends, and your evolving taste mean you should revisit what's in your bag at least once every 3 months. Remove expired products, anything you haven’t touched in months, and duplicates you don’t reach for. You'd be surprised how many products stay in your kit out of habit, not because they’re actually earning their space and as you read this we know you can think of the exact products in your own kit that we are referring to! 

6. Think Job-Specific

Tailor your kit to the job. Bridal? Bring your soft-focus skin essentials. Editorial? Pack for pigment and experimentation. Having a few pre-packed modular kits you can swap in and out helps keep things lean while still being prepared. The IYKO HANA’s multiple compartments and lid pouches make it easy to organise your kit by job type, so you're never hauling more than you need.

Final Thoughts

Streamlining doesn’t mean stripping down to the bare minimum and fighting for your life to 'make it work', it means refining your kit, like deleting unused apps from your phone — you free up space, everything loads faster, and you’re only left with what you actually use. By curating with intention, you create a kit that works harder for you, not the other way around. Your back, your clients, and your future self will thank you. And with a thoughtfully designed kit bag like the IYKO HANA, staying organised and streamlined becomes second nature.