Max May's - Current Kit Favourites.
Sydney makeup artist Max May has been in the industry for nearly 30 years. He has worked with Armani, Charlotte Tilbury, Laura Bingle, Mel B and Jennifer Hawkins. He is currently part of the Charlotte Tilbury Glow Squad.
Max May & Mel B
When he sat down with me on The Makeup Insider, he brought his kit. We went through every product he uses right now and why.
Here is the breakdown.
Skin prep
Max's approach to skin prep is very different to what most Western artists do. He avoids heavy, rich creams before foundation because they sit on top of the skin and make everything slide. Instead he layers lightweight products that absorb quickly and leave the skin smooth without a greasy film.
His current routine:
Rationale Hydrogel. Lightweight hyaluronic acid. Not sticky. Absorbs immediately and plumps the skin. He applies this first.
Dermalogica ProCollagen Banking Serum. More nourishing than the Rationale but still a serum, so it does not add weight. Layered over the top.
Esmi Probiotic Milk. Great for sensitive or red skin. Calms, hydrates and has a minimal slip. He also uses this to thin out cream products mid-application. A drop into a cream bronzer or blush liquefies it so it blends into the skin instead of sitting on top.
Foundation
His ride-or-die is Armani Luminous Silk Foundation and has been for years. He knows how it performs on every skin type and how to adjust it. Add oil for a sheerer finish. Add powder for more coverage. Mix in a primer for textured skin. The new formulation has more skincare actives and he rates it. He said it sets down the same way it always has.
Powder
Max is not a heavy powder person. He likes blurring over mattifying.
Chanel Natural Finishing Loose Powder is his current pick. It is a white powder that completely evaporates on the skin. Works across all skin tones. He compares it to the Trinny London Miracle Blur, which is a gel you apply over the skin to smooth out fine lines and control shine. Both work on texture and neither one sits in fine lines or makes foundation move.
Mascara
Max uses coloured mascara almost exclusively. He rarely reaches for black. He uses different mascaras for different clients and actually keeps them in individual bags labelled with each person's name because he knows which brush and which formula suits which lash type.
His current standout: Clio Kill Lash mascaras from W Cosmetics. Under $15. Fine brush that you can bend so you can apply it front-on the way you would on yourself. Designed for Asian lash types so the formula resists transfer and holds a curl. He said he puts them up against luxury mascaras and they hold their own.
He also keeps YSL Lash Clash in rotation.
Bronzer
Fenty Beauty Sun Stalk'R Souffle Bronzer. Blends like a cream, sets like a powder. The formula is spongy in the pan, has great slip on the finger and diffuses beautifully on the skin. Max rates the light shades in particular because they have a pinkish undertone that does not go orange on fair skin. The deeper shades have red and purple undertones. He said Rihanna just understands skin tones in a way most brands do not.
Blush and cheeks
Madge Beauty Cheek Jellies. An Australian brand. Small jar of tinted jelly that stains the skin and stays put. Waterproof. Works on lips, cheeks and eyes. He puts a drop into cream products to sheer them out or uses it straight on the skin for a natural flush. There are five or six shades. She also does a great SPF 50 primer with a glow finish.
Glow
Charlotte Tilbury Glazed Goddess Glow Stick. He is not a highlighter person. He makes that clear. But this is not a highlighter. It gives a wet, glassy skin finish that looks like moisture rather than shimmer. He would use it over eyeshadow, on the Cupid's bow, on the cheeks, on the decollete. Not greasy, not tacky.
Eyes
Tom Ford Soleil Eye Shadows. New collection. Beautiful sheen rather than shimmer. He layers these over matte shadows. The formula is smooth, does not emphasise texture, and the colour range covers all the golds, bronzes, roses and reds you need.
Charlotte Tilbury Exaggereyes Shadow Sticks. Multi-use pencil. Matte and shimmer shades. Works on the eyes, as a lip liner and for nose contour. Sets down but stays blendable.
Hermès Lip and Eye Pencils. Old-school pencil formula that blends easily. He loves these because the packaging is clear so you can actually see the colour in your kit. Beautiful warm browns, taupes and skin tones for both lip and eye.
Brows
Glossier Boy Brow Arch. Fine tip, great colour range including grey, auburn, blonde, warm brown and cool brown. He likes that you can get into small gaps precisely without the brow looking drawn on.
Lips
YSL Lip Blushes. New range. Matte but hydrating with a slight sheen. Stain-like finish. 11 liners and 10 lip colours that are all designed to mix and match with each other, which makes it easy to build a lip wardrobe without worrying about whether your liner and lipstick are going to clash.
Tom Ford Tinted Lip Oil. Also doubles on the eyes and cheeks. Gorgeous sheer colour, stains the skin as it wears off and smells great. He would use this for a summer skin moment.
Concealer
Trinny London Serum Concealer. His pick for mature skin or anyone who has given up on concealer because it moves. Has its own dry-down so you do not need powder over it. Does not sit in fine lines. Contains vitamin C. He also uses the Miracle Blur from the same brand as a primer before foundation on areas with texture or deep lines.
Lashes
Sweed Nikki No Lash. His long-term go-to. Fine lash, pulls out cleanly, does not stick to the lid. More expensive but worth it.
Own Beauty Essentials by Australian artist Leah. He loves the corner styles and different shapes in her range. He sends his own clients to her when he cannot do them himself. He said she is his favourite Australian makeup artist.
Max May x The Makeup Insider
Max is also working on his own product. He has just come back from Korea, first formulation samples arrive soon and it will be in the skin prep category. Watch this space.
Listen to the full episode of The Makeup Insider to hear everything, including how he built his career, his social media formula and what it was like working with Mel B on The Masked Singer.
Max May is repped by Dolores Levin Management (DLM) for commercial and editorial work and Ministry of Talent for digital content. Listen to the full episode of The Makeup Insider wherever you get your podcasts.