Hardware stores, kitchen supply stores, and art supply stores are three places that a makeup junkie should check out once in a blue moon. I admit, I am not keen on going to a hardware store but my friend sees it as his Sephora; I see it as a place to buy my caulking and spackle (not for the face).
Kitchen supply stores don't thrill me as much either since my idea of cooking is going to my favorite gourmet grocery store and buying their dinner of the night, but sometimes there are items that catch my eye. Art supply stores are another story, although I am crappy at drawing, a good art store is just as mesmerizing to me as a makeup store. I could spend hours just looking at the different types of drawing paper, stationary, inks, etc. These places actually have useful items for the makeup junkie and makeup artist.
From the hardware store:
1 - I bought this ceramic bathroom tile in a two pack for less than $4. It measures about 4.25" x 4.25" (10.8cm x 10.8cm). Way before the stainless steel palette was available for mixing foundations and such, many pro makeup artists used a ceramic tile as a palette. Some still use this because it is easy to find and cheap. Just make sure that it is glazed which makes it nonporous and white so the color doesn't interfere when mixing. Stick some skid proof pads on the bottom of it and your vanity will be safe from scratches and the palette will be budge proof.
2 - From a kitchen supply store, I found stainless steel measuring spoons that were smaller than the usual measurements. Sometimes, when mixing pigments and other stuff, you only need a pinch or smidgen of color; not the 1/4 teaspoon which can be too much. These measuring spoons are perfect not only because of their size but what they are made out of stainless steel. Stainless steel is non porous which makes them easy to clean. And, you can mix the stuff on top of the ceramic tile.
3 & 4 - Both kinda go together. The candle warmer (3) and the stainless steel measuring cups (4) allow me to melt or mix creams together. The candle warmer allows the measuring cup to sit on top. I can also use this to melt some containers for depotting. Just make sure you put foil between the item that is to be depotted and the candle warmer to prevent anything from melting onto the pad. Also, it gets HOT, so be VERY CAREFUL and don't burn yourself.
The next items are waterpens or waterbrushes. I actually first reviewed these items on Makeupalley way back and figured some of you may have missed it since there are so many reviews which eventually gets lost when it has to go under the "unlisted" category. These are waterpens that are used in watercolor painting.
There are many brands that make these: Niji, Kuretake (Zig BrusH2O), Pentel Aquash, and Aquaflo. I am not a fan of Aquaflo since they are not really well made for makeup application. The other 3 brands are very well made and it wouldn't matter which brand you chose. The tip comes in various sizes from fine point to broad tip. The bottom part unscrews and can be filled with the following: water, eyeliner sealer, 99% alcohol, or an ink type liner.
They can't be used with lipgloss or any powder pigment mixed concoction, the pen will become clogged. If you do use this with water, I suggest sterilized or distilled water. Regular tap water can make it a bit smelly and ripe which could cause eye infections. These pens are ideal for eyeliner application, just squeeze the main body lightly and the brush will be saturated with water, then just swirl in your cake eyeliner. The brush hairs are synthetic, so they are easy to clean. Just unscrew the main body from the brush head and wash the excess residue out of the brush. Remove the stopper the main body and empty. Allow to air dry.
The 99% alcohol is a suggestion for anyone who works in special fx or with the alcohol activated palettes. These pens will carry the alcohol without any damage to the pen which makes them very convenient.
These pens can be found in art stores and some stationary stores.
Edited to add: I finally found the source for the waterbrush idea. I couldn't remember which MA it was and didn't want to credit the wrong person -- Matthew Mungle!
These are just some items that I find useful. There are probably more but my mind is seriously going blank due to the thoughts of stuffing and pumpkin pie. Happy Thanksgiving!
