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How to Face Paint

You don’t need lots of expensive equipment, just a few essential tools…

The must haves:

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Paints

Always make sure you use a high-quality brand such as Snazaroo which has been fully safety tested and approved. Start with a kit or a few individual pots of colour - good first buys are the three primary colours (red, yellow, blue) plus black and white, so you can mix them to make more colours, or our Rainbow Face Paint Kit which has eight colours, tools and a guide book. Take a look at our colour chart here.

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Sponges

A high-density sponge is essential for streak-free base layers and soft, diffused effects such as rosy cheeks. It lets you cover a lot of skin quickly and blend colours together easily. Start with our twin pack: use one for coverage and cut the other into wedges so you can create fine edges.

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Brushes

You need at least one medium-sized brush, for details. Our brushes are made with top quality Toray synthetic fibres, which are super soft on the skin while giving excellent control.

Water

Always keep a fresh bowl of water on hand to rinse your sponges and brushes.

The optional extras!

Glitter

Perfect for magical effects, glitter adds extra dimension and sparkle to your creations. We offer a choice of Glitter Gel or loose Glitter Dust.

Stencils

These simple-to-use templates are ideal if you’re unsure about painting freehand.

Small towel

To keep your hands clean and dry.

Mirror

To show the finished creation!

Hairband or clips

To keep hair away from the face.

If you want to opt for a ready-made kit, you can find a Snazaroo option for all occasions. We’ve put together versatile combination of colours and included all the tools you’ll need, plus easy to use guides to get your creative juices flowing…

Starting out?

A good kit to go for is our best-selling Rainbow Face Paint Kit. This creates up to 50 full faces and includes 8 colours, a sponge, brush and a step-by-step guide to popular designs.

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Doing a party?

Our Ultimate Party Pack Kit is a great option. It creates up to 60 full faces and contains 10 regular colours, 2 sparkle colours, 2 glitter gels, 4 sponges, 2 brushes and a step-by-step guide.

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Going pro?

If want to branch out or start doing regular events, then why not try our Professional Face Painters Kit. This complete set creates over 1000 full faces and contains everything you need including 13 regular colours, 2 sparkle colours, 4 glitter gels, 10 sponges, 4 brushes, a guide booklet and an easy-clean travel case.

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Remember you don’t have to be an artist - it’s about having fun and being creative. It can all be wiped off and done again if you make a mistake (nothing is permanent!) and if you’re creating a look on a child, you don’t have to worry about being too perfect or true to life.

  • If your model has long hair or a fringe, you may want to clip or hold it back with a band or grips.
  • Make sure the skin is clean and dry – there’s no need for cream or moisturiser.
  • If you’re doing a base colour, damp your sponge, squeeze it out, dab it onto your colour, then press onto the skin. If it’s too wet, you may get streaks. If you want a deeper colour, leave the base to dry and then reapply on top.
  • It is recommended to first apply a layer of white underneath any strong colours as a barrier.
  • On designs that have a variety of light and dark colours, apply your lighter colour first if possible.
  • Use sponges for large area coverage and brushes to paint detail.
  • When applying colour with a brush, keep your strokes even and work in continuous lines, avoiding the temptation to sketch as this will give a messy finish. Confidence will come with practice.
  • Snazaroo paint is mixable so mix different paints to create your own colours.
  • You can use our paints on the body to enhance fancy dress costumes, for cosplay, festivals or party looks. From tattoos and flames, to robot details, vines and glitter wings, the only limit is your imagination.

Even if the painting session has been crazy and hectic, take the time to keep your kit hygienic and tidy. It’ll last longer and serve you better…

• Once you’ve finished painting, wipe any excess moisture or dirt from the paint surfaces and replace the lids.

• Your brushes should be rinsed well in hot water, sponges in hot soapy water and both left to air dry before putting away.

• Keep things fresh - replace paints after eighteen months and any brushes or sponges that are badly stained or damaged.

• Store your kit in a cool place out of direct sunlight.

It’s easy to create a magical party with Snazaroo, whatever the age. Offer face painting at the event or use it to transform yourselves before a party - from a feisty tiger to a fairy princess, superhero or Halloween zombie. Perfect for children and adults, Snazaroo is ready to transform! Here’s some tips…

Before the party…
  • Our paints can be used elsewhere on the face and body, so go wild with your costume ideas.
  • Why not practice and perfect your look before the day – this will help you to iron out any issues.
  • If you’re doing a full design with a base colour, we suggest tucking tissues around the neck of your outfit, to avoid getting any paint on it.
  • Think about the best order for getting into your costume – you don’t want to perfect your face and then put your head through a tight neck – do the face last if this is the case.
  • Body painting is a great way to carry a theme through – from animals and zombies, to ageing up (try adding extra veins to the hands), or to add accessories - from rings, to watches and necklaces.
  • Festival looks are easy to create with our glitter dusts and gels, think of your shoulders and torso as a canvas.
At the party or school fete…
  • Make sure your work space is organised before the party starts - you may need to manage a queue so think about the space wisely.
  • Set up your area – if you are doing a face, you’ll need two chairs or high bar stools facing each other and a table to the side.
  • Lay your paints and tools out on the table on a clean towel, together with a bowl of clean water for washing your sponges and brushes between faces.
  • Think about signage – if there’s lots of activities, you may want a sign or banner to show what you’re offering.
  • If it’s a big event it might be wise to have a couple of you painting faces, managing the queue and helping out.
Before the party…
  • Our paints can be used elsewhere on the face and body, so go wild with your costume ideas.
  • Why not practice and perfect your look before the day – this will help you to iron out any issues.
  • If you’re doing a full design with a base colour, we suggest tucking tissues around the neck of your outfit, to avoid getting any paint on it.
  • Think about the best order for getting into your costume – you don’t want to perfect your face and then put your head through a tight neck – do the face last if this is the case.
  • Body painting is a great way to carry a theme through – from animals and zombies, to ageing up (try adding extra veins to the hands), or to add accessories - from rings, to watches and necklaces.
  • Festival looks are easy to create with our glitter dusts and gels, think of your shoulders and torso as a canvas.
At the party or school fete…
  • Make sure your work space is organised before the party starts - you may need to manage a queue so think about the space wisely.
  • Set up your area – if you are doing a face, you’ll need two chairs or high bar stools facing each other and a table to the side.
  • Lay your paints and tools out on the table on a clean towel, together with a bowl of clean water for washing your sponges and brushes between faces.
  • Think about signage – if there’s lots of activities, you may want a sign or banner to show what you’re offering.
  • If it’s a big event it might be wise to have a couple of people painting faces, managing the queue and helping out. With Snazaroo, face painting is easy, so you can train up a keen teenager or friend to help.
  • Think about showing examples of the designs on offer so your guests can choose what they want before their turn – this can speed things up and help the indecisive.
  • If you’re got limited time or a huge demand, offer a limited number of quick and simple designs which you can practice before hand – such as a sprinkle of fairy glitter, a pirate’s patch, rainbow cheek, spider’s web or bolt of lightning. Long queues can spoil the fun and some children don’t like to sit still for long!
  • Offer hand and arm designs for those that don’t want their faces painted. A superhero glove, bracelet, robot hand, henna-style design or flowers can work well.
  • If your model is a little nervous, keep chatting and describe what you’re doing – this will distract them.
  • When painting, rest one hand on your model’s head to keep it steady.
  • Try using one of our stencils if you find it easier.
  • Add glitter or metallic colour to give your designs a special party sparkle.
  • Keep a mirror nearby so your model can admire their finished creation.
  • Think about showing examples of the designs on offer so your guests can choose what they want before their turn – this can speed things up and help the indecisive.
  • If you’re got limited time or a huge demand, offer a limited number of quick and simple designs which you can practice before hand – such as a sprinkle of fairy glitter, a pirate’s patch, rainbow cheek, spider’s web or bolt of lightning. Long queues can spoil the fun and some children don’t like to sit still for long!
  • Offer hand and arm designs for those that don’t want their faces painted. A superhero glove, bracelet, robot hand, henna-style design or flowers can work well.
  • If your model is a little nervous, keep chatting and describe what you’re doing – this will distract them.
  • When painting, rest one hand on your model’s head to keep it steady.
  • Try using one of our stencils if you find it easier.
  • Add glitter or metallic colour to give your designs a special party sparkle.
  • Keep a mirror nearby so your model can admire their finished creation.

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