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, like Kitpak and Moltn. 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 than my 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.
