The $20 Cable Organizer Makeup Artists Use on Set
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I don’t remember exactly where I first spotted this tray — backstage, Instagram, other social media — but it was more than five years ago, around the pandemic. That’s when many makeup artists started to really organize their kits. We were tired of carrying so many different foundation shades in original glass bottles, which make our suitcases heavy. Several artists even started their own organization lines, likeKitpakandMoltn. And that’s when I noticed that so many of them were using this tray, the Grid-It.
When we have to do touch-ups, while on set or backstage, we have a very tight schedule. So we have to get everything ready — the powder, the lip balm, the brushes — in a way we can access very easily. I first purchased the Grid-It a few years ago, after seeing it so many times. But at that time, I wasn’t sure how to use it. I hadn’t downsized my makeup yet, so it was hard to bring all the products I needed on set using only the tray. I also didn’t think it was any easier to access thanmy go-to set bag, a large tote with many mesh pockets on the outside that I still use today. [Editor’s note: While we couldn’t find Gonzalez’s exact bag, this one is similar.] Typically, once I’m done with a model’s makeup, depending on how many people I’m working on on a set or backstage, I’ll place all the touch-up compacts, tools, and materials I’ll need in the slots lining the outside of the bag, which I’ll strap on my shoulder.
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It wasn’t until three or so months ago, when I found the Grid-It again in my closet, that I realized,Wait a minute, this is so convenient.I completely rethought how to use it. I minimized the products I needed and figured out how to arrange the Grid-It in different ways to make everything fit.
Now the Grid-It is my priority product pad. In my set bag, the delicate hairbrushes I usually use for touch-ups get lost somewhere in it, even when they’re in the outside pockets. Plus it’s not always the easiest to grab them in a rush. While a bag is great for carrying plenty of containers, wipes, and hairbrushes on outdoor shoots or ones with multiple models, I can’tjustuse it on its own anymore. Often, I’ll drop things, too. So when I carry the Grid-It, I slip my hand into its back zippered pouch, using it like a strap. That way it’s more secure and I can carry it on the go.
I’ll also throw it in my bag and break it out on set when I’m through with my initial makeup application. The different-size elastic bands keep everything in place: blush and powder compacts (openorclosed)for quicker and easier application, loose Q-tips, and several face and eye brushes under one strap at a time.
Right now, I only have one. But I’m thinking of buyinga few biggerandsmaller models.Not just to separate products and brushes, but to assign a tray to a model, organizing the products particular to each look clearly in front of me. I carry this in my larger suitcase of tools every time I work. Sometimes I forget I have this in the back, and I’ll think,Today it’s not easy to find some products, and I realize,Oh, I need the Grid-It!
What she keeps in her makeup kit
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A first step in her skin prep. It’s lightweight, absorbs quickly, and eliminates dry patches.
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She likes this clear, glossy balm as a lip-prep mask. Its fatty acids keep lips moist for hours.
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She’s used this Strat classic on me before a lip combo. It’s thick, moisturizing, and slightly pink.
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A clear gel-to-powder formula to mattify shine. She can layer this on for touch-ups without issue.
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She cycles through several shades of this; they’re very sheer and buildable, with a slight sheen.
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The closest replica to a kabuki brush from Japan that she swears by: tapered and great for powders.
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