Where Pro Makeup Artists Buy Makeup in LA 💄

This post was originally written in 2019!

LA is best known for being the mecca of the entertainment industry. As a byproduct, aspiring artists from all over the world flock LA to make it in the business. Maybe they’ll end up being someone’s celebrity makeup artist, or maybe they’ll end working behind the scenes on a TV show. Los Angeles boasts more beauty schools than any other metro area in the U.S. The competition is very stiff. If you go to a Sephora in LA, most of the employees do makeup as a side hustle. I follow a few celebrity makeup artists on Instagram and I’m always in awe of their plethora of colorful palettes and small jars. But… where do they get their supplies from? When you watch any TV show or movie, do you ever stop to think about the work done by the makeup artist?

In this post, I’m going to delve into the three main stores in Los Angeles where makeup artists go to stock up on their essentials. First of all, I was shocked that these stores, which are makeup and skincare heaven, are relatively unknown to the average customer like you and me. These stores are only known by a small population, which consists of makeup lovers, pro makeup artists, makeup students and industry insiders. 

I enjoy going to Sephora and Ulta, but I found it fascinating to go to specialized beauty stores and see this other side of the makeup industry. Additionally, I loved seeing all the FX makeup inventory and browsing the endless aisles with wigs, brushes and palettes that makeup artists use on set on a daily basis. 

It’s also fascinating that these stores aren’t widely promoted, but rather, they sit quietly in the most unassuming places in the San Fernando Valley. Here they are!

Naimie’s

12640 Riverside Dr, Valley Village, CA 91607

2721 W Magnolia Blvd, Burbank, CA 91505 – This location opened in 2019, a few months after this article was published.

Naimie’s has been the one-stop shop for makeup artists and hairstylist for over 27 years. Did you know that the makeup artists from Friends would get all their supplies from Naimie’s? After all, the show was filmed nearby at the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank.

When I first walked into the building, I was a little underwhelmed. There was a wig boutique to the left and a hair appliance store to the right, both closed for the day. I made my way to the elevator and pressed 2 not knowing what to expect. Once the doors opened, I was welcomed to makeup heaven. 

In a nutshell, Naimie’s is the Home Depot of makeup. The size of the business is huge. Ten times bigger than Sephora. 

I was shook!

Naimie’s also carries drugstore brands like NYX and high-end brands like Laura Mercier, Makeup Forever, Huda Beauty, MAC, Nars, Anastasia BH among others. Imagine Ulta, Sephora, drugstore makeup, indie makeup and FX makeup all in one place. Despite this, there were a few Sephora brands that were not available at Naimie’s, like Tarte or Too Faced. 

If you’re a SAG member, makeup student or a licensed makeup artist, they offer amazing discounts up to 50% off, which is a great deal. But If you’re none of the aforementioned, they offer discounts as well! All you have to do is sign up on the first floor. In my previous jobs, I had the opportunity to be on sets and photoshoots. I would always marvel at the makeup artists’ kits and wonder where they got their products from, and now I know!

At the back of the store, there was a huge section that carried FX makeup and a beauty salon in a backroom for makeovers. 

Z palettes!! I first found out about these when Lili Reinhart did her Vogue Tutorial. You can only find these palettes online or at specialized beauty retailers. These are another staple in every makeup artist’s kit. Rather than carrying 3 different palettes, Z palettes allow you to store your favorite eyeshadows in one place.

I was shocked when I saw the super hard to get Embryolisse Lait Cream. Apparently, Target carries it, but it’s always sold out and it’s a hassle to get online. 

Stacks and stacks of clearance makeup under $16: Laura Mercier, Stila, Mac, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Stila, Lime Crime… the list goes on and on.  

To check the complete list of brands at Naimie’s, go to the website here. 

Sidenote: I also found out that these beauty supply stores usually receive new releases before Sephora does. When I went to Naimie’s, I saw the new Supergoop’s highlighter collection. Later that day, Supergoop announced on their Instagram that it would be available in Sephora very soon.

Nigel Beauty Emporium

11252 W Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91601

Seven minutes away from Naimie’s lies Nigel Beauty Emporium in North Hollywood. Inside the store there’s a space with endless aisles of wigs and countless autographed pictures of famous people on the wall. 

Nigel’s inventory spans 1,000 brands! They don’t just carry Bioderma’s micellar water, but rather the whole line! It was my first time witnessing such a thing in the US. Very rarely do you see the entire Bioderma line in one designated place that’s not online. Speaking of French products, Nigel carries the whole line of Avene, Embryolisse Lait Crème, as well as other French and Korean skincare brands. 

Dr.Miracle is a brand my mom used back when I lived in Spain and I haven’t seen it since I moved here. Also, I must say that the employees were much nicer here and more accommodating than Naimie’s. 

So, how in the world do they manage to carry all these brands and products?

One of the employees at Nigel told me that they are the ones who contact all the brands, but sometimes the brands reach out to them. They’re also the main supplier for a few movie studios. Another employee told me that Nigel works a lot with Marvel and a few sitcom productions. In the rear parking lot, they have a different space for the FX Department, where trucks come in day in and day out. If this isn’t enough, they also have a Production Services room in the back of the store. If you park in the back you will see it. 

This close-knit relationship between movie studios and beauty supply stores allows makeup artists to know what products are in demand. That’s why when you hear a celebrity swear by a specific product their makeup artist passed on to them, you’ll know it’s the real deal. After all, Bioderma, the OG of all micellar waters, has established itself as a cult beauty product thanks to makeup artists who used it on celebrities and models backstage. It’s a full-circle process. 

When I told the employee that I thought makeup artists always got their supplies from Mac or Sephora, she shook her head no and said that makeup artists don’t get the amazing discounts they do in these stores. Sometimes they can get up to 50% off! Plus, it’s more convenient to get all the supplies in one place.

Nigel also carried what seemed to be countless makeup brushes from Anastasia Beverly Hills and Hourglass. 

If you pay close attention to the customers, you will notice most of them are makeup artists. One person was requesting some type of product (glitter I think?) to create fake tears for a photoshoot, but they didn’t have it. I also saw the occasional actor with their makeup artist heading straight to the wig and hair section.

I was also dumbfounded by how prominent and essential the hair department was in movie studios. One would think that actors get their hair done with just blow driers and other hair tools and just call it a day. I was doing some research and I came across an article about Camille Friend, Hair Department Director of Marvel’s movie Black Panther. I IMBDed the movie and, get ready for this, between makeup artists and hairstylists, 86 people made up the whole makeup department! Furthermore, all movie productions have a background hair coordinator. Oh, and guess who was the hair supplier for Black Panther? Nigel Beauty Emporium!

I was looking for castor oil and that’s what I bought. But I’m telling you, if you’re just looking for beauty products, be aware because you might do some great damage to your credit card. Price-wise, don’t come here expecting everything to be dirt cheap because it’s not. For great deals, always look out for their clearance inventory!

Website: nigelbeauty.com

Instagram

Frends Beauty Supply

5244 Laurel Canyon Blvd, Valley Village, CA 91607

Frends Beauty Supply is another essential beauty destination that has been around since the 1940s!

Out of the three stores, this is the smallest one, but their selection however is top-notch. They carry Bioderma, Sigma brushes and a bunch of other indie makeup brands like Young Blood Cosmetics. Compared with Nigel and Naimie’s, Frends & Beauty’s inventory leans more towards FX makeup.

Note: Frends Beauty Supply is the perfect spot to stock up on high-quality makeup brushes. They had Sigma and Stilezzo brushes for 50% off at the cash register! The reason being was that they were receiving a new launch, so they wanted to get rid of the old ones – and what a bargain! I bought 3 Sigma Brushes for $10 each. I always find myself lusting after Sigma brushes whenever I go to another beauty department store. They’re really famous and super high-quality, but they retail between $25 and $35 each! 

If you watch Byrdie’s Just Five Things, a Youtube series where celebrities, makeup artists and editors share their holy-grails, they mention a lot of drugstore products. Notice in the photo below the Revlon Foundation and the Covergirl Mascara. 

Surprise!

Lucas Papaw Ointment is an Australian multi-purpose lip balm. In the last few years, it has gained a cult following and raving reviews from celebrities like Natalie Portman, Lucy Hale and Alison Brie. This product is super hard to find and it’s highly coveted by makeup artists.

Overall, it fascinates me to see how makeup products are passed down from makeup artists to celebrities, since that’s where all the product knowledge lies. Whenever a product is well-loved by a professional makeup artist, it’s like bible for celebrities and clients.

Due to the fact that Frends Beauty leans more towards FX makeup, they had a super big room in the back with containers of fake blood, prosthetics and every imaginable fake body part!

Just like Nigel Beauty Emporium, a quick peek at their Instagram will give you a deeper insight into Frends Beauty’s roster of clients.

Nigel Beauty Emporium, Frends Beauty and Naimie’s hold workshops to educate aspiring makeup artists about the industry. Although they are ludicrously expensive, most of the guests are renowned industry insiders. Camille Friend, who I mentioned above, is teaching a class next month at Frends Beauty to encourage aspiring makeup artists to pave their way in the entertainment industry. Rose-Marie Swift, founder of one the most beloved celebrity clean makeup line, RMS beauty, did a masterclass a few months ago at Nigel. 

Would you believe me if I told you the last time I went to Frends Beauty I got these items from Anastasia Beverly Hills for only $24.37?

Website: Frendsbeauty

Instagram

Curiosities:  

💄DermaColor Kryolan. I found out about this brand thanks to Candace Swanepoel’s Vogue beauty tutorial. She pulled out the little pot of concealer and introduced the product. This stuff is heavy duty and will cover any darkness or discoloration. It’s so highly pigmented that the sales associates told me they use it a lot on set to cover tattoos. On Youtube, the few reviewers are mostly Middle Eastern and Indian girls who use it to cover dark circles. Since it’s a lesser known brand, the information out there is pretty scarce, but the reviews I read thus far on makeupalley.com are outstanding. So of course, when I saw the product at Nigel I knew I had to try it on. The helpful salesperson swatched different shades before finding my perfect match. I thought it was a concealer but she told me that Dermacolor, besides being a concealer, is a color corrector that cancels out all the darkness and that pro makeup artists always use it before applying a thinner concealer. It retails for $17 and has a two-year shelf life.

💄Kim Kardashian also uses the Dermacolor palette, which is available at Nigel and Frends Beauty. She and her makeup artist, Mario Dedivanovic, also love the Ben Nye powder, which again, can only be found at these specialized beauty retailers. 

💄 NYX, which is a drugstore brand, was omnipresent in these three stores. However, NYX’s inventory in these stores is vastly different from the inventory you’ll find at Ulta or Target. The brand provides makeup artists with simple yet effective neutrals in travel-sized palettes. Here is a screenshot from the Frends Beauty website. Everything is sold out!

💄Frends Beauty doesn’t offer samples, but Nigel Beauty Emporium does! So, if there’s a specific skincare product you want to try, don’t hesitate to ask. The return policy on the other hand, isn’t that flexible at Nigel. Once it’s open and used, you can’t return it. That’s why they offer an amazing sample policy.

💄Every employee is super helpful and since the majority of them are makeup artists themselves, they all have an impressive wealth of knowledge.

💄I was looking for an oil cleanser. My trick is to ask what products people gravitate towards. Do not ask for recommendations or you might get swayed by the employees’ personal preferences. I wanted an oil cleanser and one employee recommended a Korean brand that she was super intent on selling me because it was the one she used and loved. I tried a different route and asked another employee (there are a lot!) what was the most popular oil cleanser. She told me the Emminence Oil Cleanser was their best-selling cleansing oil and that it was also highly praised by makeup artists. I had never heard of that brand before, so I bit the bullet and bought it. When I tried it on at the end of the day, I kid you not, it removed my mascara in one swipe! No leftover residue! To add the cherry on top, it’s formulated with clean ingredients. Also, in a recent article from IntoTheGloss titled, “Makeup Artists On The Secret To Smooth Foundation” (read it here), Dana Delaney said she used the Emminence Facial Recovery Oil on their clients. Boom! 

Update (2023): To this day I’m still using the Emminence Oil Cleanser! It’s a game-changer!

💄Here concludes my lengthy post. If you live in LA and are a die-hard beauty junkie, I suggest setting aside time from your schedule and driving to these three stores!! They’re all within a mile from each other, which makes it even more convenient. Whether you just want to browse their endless inventory or you’re looking for skincare and beauty recommendations, these beauty supply stores will have what you’re looking for. I also enjoyed learning about the inner workings between makeup brands, makeup artists and movie studios!