Check out this crown tutorial on You Tube or click their post to see how to do the makeup too.

CT Body Painting: Do’s and Don’ts

Look at this awesome article:

DON’T use acrylics or other cheap paints as body paint. Body paints are actually giant tubs of makeup similar to liquid eye liner or foundations. Acrylics, temperas, or other paints aren’t made for humans! Click the image on the left to open it up and read it. Remember this guy? He used cheap submarine paint (instead of body paint) to become the Hulk. And then remained the Hulk for months afterwards. Or, even if you can get the paint off you, acrylics can end up staining furniture, clothing, or anything else you touch. Plus, most colors (especially yellow or red) contain heavy metals known to cause cancer. No thanks! And if that’s not enough to convince you, other non-body paints can crack, smudge, and just generally make your costume look awful!

DO go to a professional. Professional body painters use FDA-approved makeups which are made specially for human skin. Even sensitive skin usually does well with this stuff! Plus our body paint is water-soluable (aka comes of quite easily), is applied by professionals (no streaks or smudges!) and we seal it in (aka it doesn’t come off until you want it to.)Now, we get a lot of requests for people asking us where we get Kaleidoscope gets our body paint from because they want to do it themselves. (The short answer is that we get it through professional suppliers up in MA.) But generally, even for a simple painting you’re going to end up dropping $50-75 dollars on enough paint to cover you. And, more than likely, because you’re not used to painting with makeup, you’ll also probably end up frustrated with streaks or uneven coverage. Call a body painter today and see what they’ll give you for a quote or simply tell them your budget. You might be surprised! (If you live in the Hartford or Boston areas, drop us a line for a quote today!)

Read the full article here.

Face Painting vs Masks for Halloween Makeup

There are a lot of awesome safety facts here for families:

Safety at Halloween is more than just stranger-danger. It’s also being thoughtful of cars on dark streets,  security at large events, and making sure no one has an allergic reaction. Can face paint or masks be any more safe than the other?

Check out safety, hygiene, cost, and more! This Halloween, what is the difference between face paint and masks?

So our whole big Family got together for a big birthday party. We had my Sister’s backyard and pool, a piñata, and a bounce house! But most of the kids were too little for any of those things. So I went to the craft store down the street and tried to find something fun for them. Well, I found something much more fun than a craft! I picked up a face painting kit and thought “I could do this!”

My face painting might not have been pretty that first day, but I loved it and so did my family! After Alexander’s birthday (and another few grand children!) I just kept doing face painting at all of the birthdays in our Family. Then, friends and neighbors and other parents started asking me if I would do it at their parties. For years I kept face painting here and there for free, but after I retired to spend more time with my family which was really big by now, I decided to start doing it on the side!

I have been face painting now for 17 years, but only 8 of those years have been professionally. I love my job and I love the kids I work with.

Almost all of my business is word of mouth. Alexander helped me with this Website, which I would say is a pretty great trade-off for years of painting his face! So if you haven’t met me before the Website Hello! I would love to come to your birthday party whether we’ve met or not and entertain all of the kids there!

I also do balloon twisting and glitter tattoos now, so I can do anything you want!

Last year I had time for three parties, so hopefully this year I will be able to too! But as always, it’s first-come-first-serve, so please move quickly! See you soon!

Thank you Lynda for the lovely note! I’m so excited about the relationship I’ve formed with a few families in CT. Invite me to your party any time of year for any occasion.

If you want face painting or balloon twisting for your 4th of July party, please email me very very soon! Any July spots are first-come-first-serve and need a check to be mailed to me to be held.

See everyone very soon!

I choose 1 event a year to volunteer at. I think working with my community is a great way to serve and have met some great families out of it!

The reason I cannot volunteer for more than that is because of how expensive it gets! With gas, supplies, not being able to book paying gigs… I may be retired, but the income is still very important to my family!

I would love to give your 501C3, church, school organization, or neighborhood group a discount, but for right now I cannot work for free at events.

Good luck with your fundraisers!!!!

“Hello Nancy! You did face painting and glitter tattoos at our daughter’s birthday last fall, and I just wanted to say you were the highlight of our party! Molly’s younger brother Sam is turning 2 in a few weeks, so we wanted to bring you back! Maybe for balloon twisting and glitter tattoos?

I hope you’ll be coming to all of our birthday parties from now on! Talk to you soon!”

Here is their safety FAQ off their website:

Are Snazaroo face paints suitable for sensitive skin? 
All Snazaroo face paints are specially formulated to be friendly to the most delicate skin and are fragrance-free. All our face paints have been reviewed by an independent professor of dermatology and professional toxicologists. However, we recommend that before you start, you try a small test area on the inside of the elbow.
Are Snazaroo face paints non-toxic?  
All Snazaroo face paints are manufactured using only ingredients fully compliant with EU & FDA toy and cosmetic regulations, and are not dangerous and non-toxic.

Are Snazaroo face paints suitable for Vegans or for Vegetarians?
Some of our Snazaroo face paints contain lanolin, an animal-derived ingredient and as such, our products cannot be categorised as vegan/vegetarian. However, the glyceryl stearate in our face paints does not contain any animal ingredients and there are no other ingredients (other than lanolin) which are derived from animals in our face paints.

Are Snazaroo face paints safe for pregnant women?
Snazaroo face paints are safe for pregnant women, as all our cosmetics conform to the cosmetics directive.

Are Snazaroo face paints tested on Animals?  
Snazaroo products are never tested on animals.

Are Snazaroo face paints gluten free or nuts free?
Snazaroo products do not contain any gluten or nuts.

What to use to remove Snazaroo face paints?  
All Snazaroo products are easy to remove. Simply wash off with warm soapy water or use gentle face wipes.

How long can I keep Snazaroo face paints?  
At Snazaroo we recommend that you use your face paints within 18 months of opening.

Do you produce or sell rainbow cakes?  
Here at Snazaroo we do not manufacture rainbow cakes as producing these require cutting the paints by hand and touching them. All our products are manufactured in a cosmetic environment and sealed with the cosmetic film which does not get touched by human hand until you, the consumer, peel it back to use the product for the first time.

What is the minimum age for children to be painted?

Snazaroo face paints are safe for all ages, but we recommend face painting for children 3 years old and over. If painting on younger children we recommend a small motif on their cheek, hands or arms.

Does Snazaroo face paint wash out of clothes/fabric?

Snazaroo face paints are water-based and will wash out of most fabrics. However, please remember that due to the high pigment content some colours may stain.

How long will the face paint stay on my face/body?

Until you wash it off under normal circumstances. Always remove paint before going to bed.

Today I’m going to be talking about hygiene which is a big concern in our industry and it’s so important that you take it seriously to save yourself hassles such as:

* Your clients getting allergic reactions
* Contamination of your face paints that infect others
* And getting sued for all of the above (in extreme cases)
* Below are our tips on keeping your tools hygienic.

People to Avoid Painting
Never paint someone who has:

Any open cuts or sores on their face.
A cold sore, conjunctivitis, or any other known infectious skin condition.
A food allergy or allergic reactions to soaps, skin creams, etc., without a prior skin test.
Face Paints Palettes and Kits
If they have cuts or open sores on their face, think about painting something on their hands, arms or even legs. If they can’t get their faces painted, at least a little bit of body painting might help put a smile on their face, and parents will love the fact that you’re considerate of their child’s feelings.

Keeping Your Tools Hygienic
Hygiene is important but don’t get too carried away. Some recommend that all brushes, sponges, and palettes must be cleaned or replaced after painting someone and before painting the next person.

Although this may sound time consuming, brushes and sponges can be quickly rinsed quite quickly in hot water (as this will kill the germs). If you’re painting lips, a cotton swab works great and is disposable.

The most important thing to remember is that you should only be painting faces that are clean, so if you’re only painting clean surfaces then you’re not likely to be spreading anything around.

Some other tips are listed below:

It is a good habit to get into to ask parents before you work on their child if they have any allergies or skin sensitivities. If you’re unsure, you might try a test patch on the inside of the wrist.
Some (very few) children have extremely sensitive skin and will break out with a rash with even the most pure products. So you should always have a disclaimer on your table, just in case.
Use a baby wipe to clean a child’s face (if he/she has a runny nose or food/drink on their face) before painting it – so your tools don’t get contaminated.

Obviously your own hands should be clean before you start painting. And you should try to wipe them occasionally on a baby wipe to keep them clean while you work.
Keeping your water looking fresh and clean is important. Change it frequently.

Only use one sponge per face, or wash the sponge before you use it again.

Wash your brushes before using them on another person. It helps if you have alot of brushes – this way you don’t have to be washing brushes inbetween each client, you can just use a different brush.

Some insurance policy guidelines, and also FACE (The UK Face Painting Association) recommend never painting the face of a child under three years old, but this is a guideline, not a rule. Children under 3 have not yet built up their full immune system, so might be more susceptible to a reaction. The choice will be yours, but you should be careful. You might want to paint an arm or leg on children under three.

Make sure brushes and sponges are cleaned in soapy water after each day’s session. You can save yourself some time by putting your sponges in the washing machine on a “warm/hot” cycle for a thorough cleansing each evening.

Look after your tools, and they will last you for years. Thoroughly clean brushes and sponges after each session, but make sure you don’t put them away damp. If you do they could mold.