The biggest change I made in fourteen years was to pack by face. Each bride gets a zip pouch with her own foundation mixed at the trial, her lashes and her lip colour. When the second bride is late and the first one wants a touch-up, nothing gets mixed up.
Pack by face, not by product
Label every pouch with the bride’s name and the time of her slot. It sounds fussy until the morning you have three.
The base wheel
I carry one foundation wheel covering medium to very deep skin, plus two lighter shades for guests. Mothers of the bride often need a different shade from the bride, and they always ask at the last minute.
Concealer and a corrector for dark circles go in the same tray. Powder is the one product I carry two of, because it runs out first on a hot day.
Eyes, lashes and glue
Two neutral palettes and one bold, not ten. Strip lashes in three lengths and individual clusters for brides who cry. Two tubes of glue, always, because one will dry out in the heat.
The emergency pouch
Safety pins, a small sewing kit, plasters, paracetamol for yourself only, blotting papers, a spare gele pin and a phone power bank. I have used every one of these on a single day.
A small torch matters more than you think. Hotel rooms in Abuja often have warm, dim light, and you need to see the true shade.
What stays at home
Most beginners carry every brush they own. You need about twelve. Leave the glitter unless it was agreed at the trial, leave the third palette, and leave anything you have never used on a client.
A light kit means you get up the stairs at a venue without help and arrive calm. Calm is part of the service.