Chelsea’s Recommendations
Hi everyone! Chelsea here! The following items are things I personally recommend. Please note, I am an Amazon Affiliate, meaning if you purchase something through my link I do get a small paid kickback. I hope you like these things as much as I do. Thank you!
MAKEUP
PERFECT TRAVEL MAKEUP BAG
This is the one I take with me when I travel. It is so much easier to do my makeup in a hotel room when I can just spread it all out and see it and then tie it all back up again quick and easy and mess free.
EYEBROW PENCIL (REALLY A CRAYON)
I love this much more than a pencil. You never have to sharpen it, its super easy to use and it looks great. Don’t underestimate the importance of coloring in your eyebrows on stage, especially if you have light colored hair.
If you do not want to deal with removing waterproof mascara then go with this one. The name is naughty but the product is great. Do not choose the waterproof one though, the waterproof formula is not the best.
Add some color, depth and shape to your face. I think this is WAY easier for a beginner to use than tying to blend out creme contours.
MAKEUP CASE (COMES IN LOTS OF COLORS!)
This is an excellent makeup case. Small enough to carry around but big enough to fit everything. Most importantly you don’t have to dump everything out to find your makeup. (Note, I put two different makeup bags on here to choose from. This one is ideal for local comps but if you are coming to MTCA I would recommend the other one instead. You don’t need two!)
All the makeup brushes you need in a nice, easy to transport case complete with a lighted mirror.
This is one of the only pricier items on the list. This and the mascara will each run you about $25 but its worth it! Most products, in my opinion, have wonderful inexpensive options, but these ones are just WAY superior.
LOVE these! I wish they were around when I was growing up in theatre and dance, They are SO much better than the glue on kind!
Again, super reasonable price and it’s a great product. Doesn’t get cak-ey or dry and it makes your face look smooth and even especially under those bright stage lights.
Do not forget the blush! Stage lights will wash you out and make you look PALE. Blush will fix this.
This is a great travel sized container of bobby pins, perfect to tuck into your bag. For less than $4 it’s an easy purchase.
Put this on your eyelids before applying eyeshadow and your eyeshadow will stay put longer and look more intense without getting all over your costume.
This stuff is proof that you don’t have to buy expensive makeup to get a great product. This costs less than $4 but its amazing.
THE SECRET TO PERFECT SKIN AND FIXING UNDER-EYE CIRCLES
All our youthful performers may already have perfect skin so this one is for the moms out there (or any kids having a acne filled bad skin day). Before putting on any foundation, just smooth about a pea sized amount into your skin anywhere that you want to have smooth and creamy skin. You won’t believe what this does for under-eye circles. It doesn’t add color, it fills in and smooths out texture. Foundation is not necessary on top of it if you are having a light makeup day.
BEST EVER LONG LASTING LIP STAIN
I use this stuff all the time. It is easy to put on, doesn’t sting or feel waxy like a lot of other lip stains do, and it really does last. Highly highly recommended!
Do not skip this step. One you are finished with your makeup spray this on top to set it all in place so it lasts longer and resists sweating off and getting all over your costume.
This is a perfect eyeshadow palette, all the colors you need in one and the formula is smooth and goes on really well.
This is the most amazing mascara. It’s absolutely worth the price! Choose this one if you want waterproof, takes a little more effort to get off but so worth it.
This step is optional for our young clean faced performers but it s a great way to make your skin look amazing.
For boys that don’t want to wear lipstick, this is a great choice to add some natural looking color. For anyone wearing lipstick or lipstain, this is great on top to keep lips moist and make the color last longer.
I swear by this makeup remover. It removes makeup cleanly and quickly and my skin feels great afterwards.
DANCEWEAR
These are the tap shoes Shelby recommends and I trust her! These are the ones our tap teams all wear. They have the high end taps that don’t create as much dust and mess.
Joining us for your first dance class? Bloch is a brand I trust to be quality
I like tights like this with the hole in the bottom because you can easily access your feet without needing to take tights off. We allow any color in class.
This is a great way to work on your flexibility at home. It’s partner stretching without the partner.
Convertible tights (with the hole at the bottom) make it much easier to access your feet, which dances do constantly. You can wear any color in class.
These are my FAVORITE leggings. They are comfy, buttery soft, belly flattening, they stay up when you bend over, they aren’t see through and they don’t roll down but best of all, THEY HAVE POCKETS!
Click here to purchase on Amazon
Our littles are welcome to wear any leotard they want but this one is a great price and comes in lots of colors.
COMPETITION/TRAVEL GOODIES
I absolutely LOVE this stuff. When your throat is in rough shape and you have to perform do NOT use something numbing, you would never numb a muscle before working out on it, don’t do it to your vocal cords either. This stuff will soothe your throat, clear out the phlegm and help yo using your best safely when you don’t feel your best. Trust me the Professional Strength Non-Alcohol version is the best!.
There are lots of great brands out there but this one is reasonably priced and has great reviews. This is a great option to take to dance competition as you can pack a bunch of costumes and then set up your own mini closet in the dressing room. This is perfect for the local dance comps but NOT FOR MTCA.
After using a lot of cheap portable bluetooth speakers over the years I can promise, THIS one is the best one. Jaimee and I both bring ours to every comp too!
Rhinestones
Wanna add bling to your solo costume? This tool is life changing. Just make sure you order rhinestones that say “Hotfix” and they will work perfectly with this, no glue required. The rhinestones that come with it are pretty mediocre but I will link some good rhinestones here too.
These ones are nice quality, come in lots of colors, and work with the Applicator tool. I recommend the SS30 size. Don’t know what color to get? The Crystal AB looks great on everything. It has a rainbow oil slick sheen that reflects whatever color it is on and looks like magic.
These won’t work with the applicator tool, instead try E600 glue or sew them on or use hot glue in a pinch. They come in lots of colors.
