Should You Insure Your Makeup Kit?

Airlines misplace luggage and cars have been broken into, but what if the lost or stolen item ends up being your pricey makeup kit? A makeup artist’s tools—sometimes worth thousands—are their entire livelihood housed in one container. But it could be destroyed by a fire, swept away in a flood, or stolen in a flash. Your stash is not as safe as you think. How do you recover from such a disastrous situation, or, better yet, prevent it from happening in the first place? We’re happy (and a little relieved) to report that makeup artists can take advantage of insurance, and it all starts by contacting your provider.

If you have homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, you may be able to add an extension to your policy that covers your makeup kit—even when traveling on site. Otherwise, you might need to purchase additional business liability insurance. Depending on the country, state, and company you are working with, most employers may insure a makeup kit if it is worth, on average, between $1500 and $2500.

Not sure how much your entire makeup collection is worth? Monetizing your tools for insurance purposes might be difficult after years of kit-building, so we recommend itemizing all of your goods as soon as you purchase them. Take photos, keep receipts in a file for easy reference, and track everything in a spreadsheet—that way it will be much easier to replace anything on the road to your next makeup gig. If you have an expensive, heavy-duty set and need some peace of mind, start researching and call a trusted insurance agency for the best local estimate.