“Makeup artist are the only people on a crew that will have to replace the majority of his or her kit every one to two years.”
Kit fee’s which can also be called a kit rental or a box rental, is an additional fee motion makeup artist charge apart from their day rate or half day rate. This isn’t a term used by bridal artist or for TFP (trade or time for print) or even editorial work.
The kit fee covers the wear and tear and depletion of products. I can hear you now “ well that’s just the cost of doing business”. The truth is our makeup kits usually contain thousands of dollars worth of supplies, the reason makeup artist charge kit fee’s isn’t to nickel and dime you, it’s because we are the only crew member that has to replace practically every single item in their kit every 1 -2 years! Why would you do that? Well makeup products expire and go rancid, YEAH GROSS - No mold on my face, thanks! Each product has a different shelf life so we can’t purchase in bulk and stock up. This also covers our disposables like sponges and cotton swabs as well as sanitation supplies, like wipes, alcohol and disinfectants, these items are usually a one time use. Depending on how long you are shooting and how big the cast you can run through items in your kit so quickly. I tend to use airbrush foundations, and if you have a cast of 14 people over 20 days, thats like doing 280 faces. Think about how much product goes into that,
Most makeup artist also carry extra things in their kit to ensure the talent is taken care of. In my “oh shit kit” or as one of my mentor’s calls it “kit niceties”, you will find things like, a small nail kit, sewing kit, a small first aid kit, aspirin, batteries, spray deodorant for men & women, hand warmers, and cooling towels, and more.
If you’re a makeup artist deciding what to charge for a kit fee, do some research. Network with other artist’s in your area find out what the average kit fee is. Chatting with other makeup artist’s is also a great way to keep from undercutting. This is a huge faux pas and easy way to get blacklisted in your market. Trust me, we talk.
Kit fee’s will very on how many talent you will be responsible for, how many days you will be shooting and how much product you will be using. Here in Denver, kit fee’s range from $50 - $100 per day. Don’t ever charge a per face fee, or try to nickel and dime for add on’s such as lashes or airbrush - that’s something you see in bridal makeup artist do instead of charging a kit fee. Assume everything the talent needs is bundled into this along with your day rate.
Hopefully I am leaving you with a better understanding of why makeup artist like myself charge kit fee’s!