WHAT has mummy done to me?!!! (Snazaroo Face Paints)

Member Name: azana

Product:	Snazaroo Face Paints
Date:	13/01/09 (97 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Face painting at home or to raise money

Disadvantages: If you get it wrong you get it REALLY wrong

Face painting is very popular with 2/3 year olds and up. If you are a parent at one time or another you will have been submitted to pester power and probably coughed up anything up to £4 or so to have your child's face painted. As with most activities "doing it yourself" is cheaper.

Children love face painting, and Snazaroo are a company that have tried hard to make face painting relatively affordable and accessible for you to try at home. They are also the choice of many professionals.

In my non copious free time I decided to learn to do a short course to learn to face paint and these are the paints that my tutor recommended, through use of the paints I can see why; I shall try to explain why this is a great product.

When I bought some (£2.50-3 each for the 18ml size) I was surprised to see that they actually have "made in the uk" on the pot, the company is based in the uk and was established in 1989. For me it is a good thing to be able to buy a British product.

The manufacturers have an excellent website www.snazaroo.com ; if you are feeling daunted and thinking that this is something that is not for you take a few minutes to browse this site. There are useful tips and a beginner's guide, the products themselves, and also photos to enable you to be inspired. Should your results be amazing you can also share your creations!

The paints themselves come in pots with clear lids of various sizes - the smallest pots are 18ml which seems a tiny amout, but I have found that they last and last and you can do over a hundred faces with one pot. You will also need some brushes, some sponges, and a mirror to show your "victims" their finished face and you are good to go! A water spray can be helpful to wet the paint too.

They also sell special packs with small amounts and everything you would need to do a party or small charity event such as a school fair. I would say that practice is ESSENTIAL first but I have done a few events now and it is always very popular.

For an outlay of about £10 you can purchase a party pack which will cover 30 faces or more, and if you spend about £30 on paints and brushes and sponges you will be able to raise money for your preschool or school for a few events. The paints won't go off and can be stored for a couple of years.

You should know that the paints are safe - they are non toxic and formulated for sensitive skin. Because they are water based you apply and remove them with water. I have found through use that they remove easily with a wipe or water, the exception being bright green - my poor daughter had the remains of a Christmas tree on her face for a little while!

The paints should be applied using a brush or cosmetic sponge. You use them much as you would do water paints - the more water you add the lighter the colour will be, so follow the tips on the website - but basically do not over-dilute.

Sponges are best for covering large areas - so eg the red for spiderman. Brushes can be used for smaller areas, e.g small butterflies, flowers or pirates' eye patches or crossbows. These are relatively easy to paint, but again practise!

The paints dry quickly, if the weather is warm you will need to use a little more water. The only problem I have ever had is that one very hot summer day the paints were literally melting and hard to apply, but that was in extreme conditions.

The company also produce other products like fake blood and glitter. I have found that the glitter gel is fantastic - it is a bit more expensive but a little goes a long way and girls love it for butterfly or princess faces.

Snazaroo products are available online but also can be found in many craft shops and ELC, the cheapest offline stockist I have found is The Range.

On a rainy afternoon or for a school fundraising event give these products a try - it is lots of fun! I was worried it would be difficult when I started but now I have taught a few friends how to do "spiderman" and butterflies and have even been asked for my card - so perhaps in the future it will be a money raiser. If you are nervous you can practise on your arm. As I have said most children love having their face painted so in my experience they sit quite still - though 3 year olds are more easily pleased than 6 year olds!

Give it a go!

Summary: A fun activity for children