*Updated Jan. 2021*
Dance Competition season is upon us and it is time to pack that dance bag! When I was newbie I researched and asked the pros (shout out to The Dance Space!) for advice on how to prep my dancer successfully for the season. We now have a few years of competition under our belts and these are the items we could not have lived without- they have made our prep work a breeze!
First, let’s talk makeup. I do not wear a lot of makeup (ruby red lips excluded ;)) so I spent extensive time researching and practicing in this area. There are many great products available, but I found these items to be long lasting and easy to apply.
The Urban Decay Naked2 eye palette is hands down the best and longest lasting quality eye shadow for competitions. It seems to be THE go to eye shadow for most dance studios across the country. The multiple shades offer endless possibilities for the eyes. I like the Naked2 palette vs. the others because of the shades- lots of options with gold and silver luminous metallics with black and greys.
The BB cream is a nice, light neutral foundation base- nothing too cakey! I found it to be perfect for my little girl with dewey, fresh skin. If you need little more coverage for certain spots, like under the eyes, then get some Tarte Shape Tape Contour Concealer. This concealer doesn’t mess around, y’all. So, prepare yourself for full coverage.
The fine point on the CoverGirl liner was easy to use and offered the precision needed for eyeliner. My daughter and I have been practicing with a liquid liner. It works great if you have a steady hand. But, for a more forgiving and easy application a simple liner like the CoverGirl one does the job. Now that we have practiced, we use the liquid liner. I use it for myself too! We love it!
The Urban Decay eye shadow primer is another must have item. On long competition days you want to place that eye makeup and have it stay throughout the day.
For competitions, most dancers wear false eyelashes. We have found that Ardell lashes are fabulous. If they are a little long, just trim the outer end to fit the lash line of your dancer. We love this House of Lashes lash glue in black.
The Nars contour and blush kit is a very versatile kit that allowed me to purchase one item and use it for multiple types of applications. We used this for blush and contouring. The white contouring powder has a light glittery sheen to it that I found really made my dancer’s eyes pop!
And lastly the Hoola bronzing powder is a fantastic size and perfect bronzer to offer some color and shading to create that dynamic makeup needed to shine on stage.
Something else that we can’t live without is the Make Up Eraser. It is incredible! You just drop a little bit of water on it and it takes the make up right off! We keep this in the bag and often wet it with a small amount of water from a water bottle to take off make up on the way home from competitions. The unique fabric weave is the magic here! It is fascinating that the weave of the fabric and water take all of that competition make up right off!
To apply the make up you will need some great tools! Organization is key in the zoo like dressing rooms at competitions. Right?! Not only do you want to be organized, but you also want to clearly label your items so that if they get separated from your bag they will not be mistakenly picked up by another dancer. Below are the tools that will make your life simple!
These brushes are affordable and are great quality! I found that these two kits gave us every brush we could possibly need. The brush holder is something I could not live without- it kept us organized and helped with quick touch ups in the dressing room. Much easier than digging through plastic baggies or in the bottom of my makeup kit.
The Precision Q tips and Clinique make up remover saved the day more than once! When quick costume turnarounds made my hands a little shakey while rushing through applying makeup, those precision tips dipped in a little bit of remover sharpened and cleaned eye makeup in a flash. We also pack make up remover wipes for a quick clean in the car after competitions if we are going straight to another activity. We have found that coconut oil works the very best to remove eyelash glue and long lasting eye make up. Every bag should be stocked with these tools!
Every dancer needs perfectly placed hair to do their thing on stage so placing it perfectly requires some practice and tools to simplify the process.
The Kenra texturizing taffy was reccommended to me and it has been a life saver. It helps smooth all of those fly aways and it smells amazing! My girl opens it up and takes a whiff and smiles every time we pack the bag! LOL!
Are you a bobby pin or hair pin kind of girl?? I know there are passionate schools of thought on which pin is the correct pin to use when pinning dancer’s hair. I like to have both in our bag. For the last bun we pinned at competition I used the hair pins, but I just feel more safe when I have the bobbies in the bag too. And sometimes I just go rogue and use both! Better to be prepared! I usually put a bunch in my pockets because you never know when you might need to re-pin a hair or two. Some professional dance moms use this nifty magnetic bracelet to hold safety pins and bobby pins. How cool is this?!
The Kenra spray is a favorite because it keeps the hair in place and again- it smells so good! I know that for pageants and competitions Freeze It Mega spray is also a favorite. Either way, I like to get a travel size bottle to keep the bag light in commute. And lastly, these bun donuts are a must for girls with fine hair. Sometimes it is required to have a small, flat bun. But, these really beef up a bun and help them look more substantial for the stage.
To store all of the make up we purchased a clear, plastic tackle box to use as a make up kit. It was inexpensive, light, and works! We put a giant turquoise monogram on it and it is as cute as can be. There are more professional make up kits as well that we see being used in dressing rooms. They can also be locked if you are concerned all of your expensive make up may walk away while you are not close by. I think this make up kit is a great idea if you bring a rolling duffle bag to competitions. Choose what works best for your family.
Below are a few items that saved our sanity at competition. The mini gold kit is a bridesmaid’s mini emergency kit. It is small and fits in the palm of your hand, but mighty in function. It is a 21 piece kit that includes double-sided tape, a safety pin, a mending kit, 2 earring backs, dental floss, clear nail polish, an emery board, nail polish remover, stain remover, hair spray, clear hair elastics, a tampon, pain reliever, breath freshener, and lip balm. Fantastic space saving little item!
If you have been on the dance scene for long you know about the mighty power of the E6000. These travel size tubes are perfect to throw in a plastic baggie with some toothpicks and a small piece of cardboard or paper plate for those last second stone failures. If you are doing a lot of stoning you will want to get this tool. It makes the process go by so much faster!
Jobst “It Stays” body fixative is fabulous to keep those costumes where they should be on stage. I will say, sometimes we do better with some body tape. It just depends on the costume and also your dancer’s skin. One of my girls has very sensitive skin so she can only wear the Jobst for a little while before it irritates her a bit. I don’t know any other dancers that have trouble with it. Just us?
And under those costumes for the dancers who are all about comfort, we have found that these panties are the perfect dance under. Sometimes unders are just not an option, but when they are, these are a welcomed layer. We shopped the “official” dance underwear and they were cut surprisingly low on the thigh. – Making it challenging to keep covered in costumes that are cut a little higher on the leg. These nude, seamless Fruit-of-a-looms are also 1/2 the price!
Every costume should have a place to live. We personally use Dream Duffel long garment bags. Unfortunately, they are often out of stock. So, this is an extremely similar version. The pockets are perfect for shoes, head pieces, extra bobby pins, safety pins, etc. They also have a spot for a card that you can print your dancer’s name and contact information. We like to use one bag for each costume and I found that helped us stay very organized and move quickly. On the back of the contact card write or print reminders. For example “Hair in high bun, pink tights, black jazz shoes, and headband placed on dancer’s right side.” This will save time and brain power as you can relax knowing you have a little reminder with each costume.
If your dancer is doing more than 3 dances at a competition you may consider getting a Rolling Dance Duffle bag. It really does help to have a hanging rack in areas that are make-shift dressing rooms. I held out for 3 years before investing in this bag. I did lots of research and evaluated all of the options at competitions. This bag was much more affordable and works great. It has an insulted pocket in the front as well that we have enjoyed stuffing with water bottles and snacks. It has been a life saver and helps to keep everything in its place.
You can also buy accessories like a hanging mirror or toiletry bag to hang on the side for make up touch ups. Some dancers that really want some privacy buy a changing tent. Thankfully, my dancer has always had a semi-private dressing room and we have not needed a pop up tent. A folding stool is a great accessory to bring along to every competition . There is often limited seating at competitions. A foldable stool is helpful for the girls to use when getting their hair changed or a quick make up touch up. It is also a great spot for mommas to sit and rest in between dances. My only complaint about this luggage is that it can be bulky when going up and down narrow staircases backstage and is just more to tote around. When you can use the wheels, they are great!
Hope this post has helped you to grab some essential items to make your competition experience simple and enjoyable. If you would like a complete check list to aid you as you are packing click HERE. Here is a link to a fabulous make up tutorial! Best of luck to all you dance moms and dancers! Have fun!!
Recommended products or services may contain affiliate links that provide a small commission to Hosting What Matters if you purchase through the link. So grateful for your support of this little blog! All opinions are our own and we would never ever recommend something that we do not love ourselves!
Meet the Hostess
I'm a Southern girl who loves a good party, a house full of laughter, and a porch swing full of friends and family. I blog about how to host in a way that matters. Curious what I mean by that? CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND READ MY STORY.
Leave a Reply