What is the easiest way to book you?

Email, email, email, and email.  I’m often working and I can’t answer my phone while at another event.  Email is the easiest way to get a hold of me. I don’t accept bookings via text as it’s too complicated to go back and forth with all of the information needed for a contract.  The best way to handle this is to send me an email.  There is a form in this website under the CONTACT tab that includes a way to send me a message directly.

I want more than one painter for an event.  Can you supply multiple painters?

I know several painters who I work with throughout the year.  Most of them have over a decade of experience painting children.  With enough lead time I usually can find enough painters for your specific event.  It’s much harder to get multiple painters on short notice.

 

 

Is the paint that you use non-toxic?

You’d be surprised how often I’m asked this exact question.  The paint that I use is not only USDA approved it meets the higher EU (European Union) standard for use on children.  With anything applied topically to the skin some people will have a negative reaction to a specific ingredient.  Professional grade face paint is extremely low risk as are glitter tattoos.  Face paint does NOT contain gluten, nuts or nut oil or any other well known allergen.

 

How do I remove face paint?

Face paint is easily removed with a mild soap and water.  A washcloth also helps get all off the residue off the skin.  Some parents also use baby wipes, although some children might react to chemicals in the wipes.  If your child has overly sensitive skin I’d suggest sticking with mild soap, water and washcloth.  You don’t need makeup removers as those are meant for oil and alcohol based products.  Some of the blue and green pigments in face paint might leave a small trace of color, but it usually fades within a short period of time.

How do I remove glitter tattoos?

Glitter tattoos are applied with a fairly strong adhesive.  If applied in ideal conditions, and allowed to dry completely before touching, they can last up to 7 days.  They tend to slowly come off over time.  If you absolutely have to remove a glitter tattoo I would recommend applying rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer and using friction to scrape the glitter off.  A richly emollient based soap can also help.  Basically anything with a lot of oil or alcohol and some scrubbing should take it right off.

Can my child sleep in face paint?

I’ve heard multiple stories from parents regarding kids leaving their designs on their skin for 2-3 days afterward.  I wouldn’t recommend sleeping in face paint.   Even children sweat quite a bit when they sleep.  A child who tries to save a design on their face overnight will leave quite a mess on their sheets and pillowcases.  I’ve heard anecdotal evidence of people applying hairspray on the top of an arm or body design to try to keep it looking great for a couple of days.  I wouldn’t recommend this either as hair spray is sticky and flammable.  Face and body painting is meant to be temporary.  Definitely get some great photos but don’t try to save your design for more than a few hours.

How far in advance do you book gigs?

This one varies wildly.  I would always say go ahead and ask if I’m available.  Some clients will book months in advance, others have booked a day or two before a gig.  I would recommend as a general rule of thumb to allow at least two weeks if not longer to ensure you get the day and time you want.  My busiest month of the year is October as Halloween as turned into a month long event.  I often book multiple gigs on the weekends, so when in doubt just email me and ask.  I might be able to fit your party in even at the last minute.

Do you require a deposit to hold a date?

Like most businesses related to special events I require a 50% deposit to hold a booking.  The full deposit is refundable if a client cancels with more than seven days before their event.  The deposit is also payable on any number of online payment services such as Pay Pal, Venmo, Google Pay, and the Cash App.  Credit cards are also acceptable but require a phone call as it’s not secure to send that information over the email.

 

What are your rates?

My rate varies depending on location of the gig.  A party with 10 four-year-olds priced very differently than a party with 30 six-year-olds.  A party in Long Island is going to be priced differently than a party in Brooklyn.  My rates for all of New York City are the same with the only exception being Staten Island.   The best way to find out my rate is to email me with the specifics about your event – date, location, number of children, and age of children.  Overall my prices are mid-range for the NYC Metro area.

Is Face Painting hygienic does it spread germs?

The highest risk areas for germs are the eyes, mouth and nose.  You can see that most of my designs avoid the immediate eye area and mouth completely.  When I paint on the nose I’m careful to clean and sanitize the brush I used with hand sanitizer after each child.  The other parts of the face are much lower risk.  It’s all about entry into the body.  The mouth, nose and eyes allow bacteria or viruses to enter the body.  The cheek, arms, and other parts of the face do not.   It’s not the lowest risk activity however so if your child has a cold or virus they should skip face painting.  If you’re child has a contagious disease they absolutely should NOT get their faces painted.  It’s not worth exposing other children or the painter.  I also ALWAYS avoid broken skin or stitches when painting.  Eczema is not a problem nor is other skin disorders that are not contagious.  As long as the skin is not broken it’s usually perfectly safe to paint on skin that might be less than smooth.

I want to have a small face painting kit for use at home.  What would you recommend?

It’s best to use water based professional grade face paint.  The brands I would recommend would be Cameleon (My preferred brand), Wolfe, Ben Nye and Krylon Aquacolor.  You can get Wolfe, Ben Nye and Krylon Aquacolor at Halloween Adventure and Abracadabra in Manhattan.  Both stores have all sorts of products that are safe for use on children and easy to remove.  Another brand that you’ll see a lot in face painting kits sold to children is Snazaroo.  It’s the brand I started out and it’s a fine option if kids just want to play around with it.  Avoid oil-based or cream based makeup.  Most sticks of Halloween makeup marketed to children are basically tallow with pigment in it.  It’s difficult to remove, makes a huge mess and is uncomfortable on the skin.  Water based products are easily taken off with soap and water and much easier to use.