As our recent post on the ultimate checklist for a bridal makeup artists tool kit was so popular, I thought I’d do a quick follow up to share what I carry for doing hair styling. This selection are perhaps even more down to personal preference (and indeed whether you’re offering hair as a service) – I don’t carry a lot of hair tools with me compared to some hairstylists for example, and I keep it simple. There are things though I must always have in stock:
- Curling Tongs – I have a large barrel, the smallest barrel and a medium barrel (which the clamp is broken so it is more of a styling wand now). I use these to create pin-curls to set the hair while I do the rest of the makeup, or to create soft waves.
- 1x Styling wand large barrel (these are great for creating beach waves)
- 1x Styling wand medium barrel. (A styling wand is like a curling tong, but it doesn’t have the clamp to which you fasten the hair to when curling, but instead you wrap the hair around the barrel itself.
- Hair dryer– I have a hand held hair dryer which works as a curling brush dryer, straightener etc. It is brilliant and portable and is great for those with short hair, or a client who has not completely followed your request to have their hair washed the day before! The one that I use is: Remington AirStyler – highly recommended or the Volume and Curl AirStyler. They both cost about RRP £30.
- Straightening Iron – is good to have but I don’t tend to use them. Of course it is down to preference and if you feel you create better curls with a straightening iron, then go for it.
- Flexi Hairspray – I use flexi because it is nicer for the bride or client to have hair that moved and naturally falls a bit. Crispy is not the way forward.
- Texturising powder – this can be bought at Sally’s Beauty Supply. It works great for clients who have fine hair and need a bit of lift without using a lot of hair spray. It works similar to dry shampoo but has a sticky agent with makes the hair a little more moldable as well.
- Gel – I often use gel to get rid of flyaways. A little goes a long way and I don’t often tell my client I am using it. I just get a tiny amount and smooth the bits I need to.
- Protective Serum – I have a few different types that I use, depending on the bride and how fine or coarse their hair is. It is good to use before any heated products and to smooth down any bits you may need to smooth.
- Small elastic hair bands – These can be bought at Boots, Sally’s and other retailers that specialise in hair products (or Amazon). I have them in black and in clear. They are great for securing ponytails that I turn into buns and for braids for bridesmaids and flowergirls.
- Hair grips/Bobby pins – These need to be bought in bulk. Sally’s or Salon Direct sell them online. They can be bought as little as 100 to 1000 in a box. I recommend buying Dark brown pins and blonde pins. You will go through a lot of these.
- Clips – these are needed to hold the hair in sections while you curl different sections.
- Teasing brush – This will be needed so that you can do a little bit of backcombing.
- Comb– You need a comb to brush out the hair, separate it where you need to etc.
So what about you? What do you keep in your kit that you would consider essential? Any tricks or tips you can share? Any tools which are heads and tails better than the rest? I’d love to hear what you’re working with – drop me a comment below.
And just a reminder – if you sign up to our email list you can get access to our downloadable (and editable) ultimate makeup artist tool kit checklist – so you can make sure you’re always stocked with the essentials!
