The Face Painting Supplies Ella Uses
Last year, I wrote a post about Ella’s face painting business – she’s made a ton of money over the past year and she’s loved getting better and better.
It’s been such a delight to see her confidence grow, not to mention her willingness to reach out to potential customers, sign up for local events, print her own business cards, request reviews for her Google business page and even build her own website.
Every time I mention her face painting business, people ask what face painting supplies she uses and I asked her to sit down and make a comprehensive list (because, as you’ll be shocked to discover, I myself am not a face painting expert).
Here is what she uses:
face painting supplies
Bowitzki Face Painting Kit
This set is ideal for a face painter who’s just starting out. It comes with lots of colors including a variety of helpful one strokes (Face paint cakes that have multiple colors). The brushes, stencils, sponges, and sequins, are perfect for just about any face paint design! (Janssen’s note: this is the one we bought her for her 12th birthday that kicked off this whole face painting adventure!).
Glitter Powder
I love this glitter powder for toddlers or sensitive little kids. It is super fast to apply and the kids love how sparkly their face paint design becomes!
Fun N Dope Large Cake Set
These large face paint cakes are a lifesaver when it comes to any design that requires the whole face to be one color (tiger, witch, spiderman, etc.) While it may seem expensive, I haven’t been able to find a better price for large face paint cakes.
Brush Set
This brush set has worked great for just about everything I’ve tried it on. With a wide range of brushes, this set should keep you covered on any basic design.
Sponges
Sponges are a must-have when face painting. You get much better coverage faster than you could with a brush. I use these on my larger split cakes (The cakes that have multiple stripes of color) and when applying large amounts of one color.
Chunky Glitter Gel
This glitter is a favorite with children. They love picking out their color and adding a little sparkle to the design. This glitter is amazing for face painting because it (generally) doesn’t smudge the design and it dries quickly.
Mirror
A mirror is a must-have as a face painter, but I prefer not having one I’m particularly attached to. When little kids are handling it, you’re bound to have a mirror break every now and then. This inexpensive, handheld mirror is perfect for bringing along on the job.
Fish and Tackle One Stroke Box
While this is not a must-have, I use this box to store my custom-made one strokes. It is the perfect size and shape for a classic one stroke cake and small enough to easily store.
Wipes
These are the baby wipes that I use. Wipes are always helpful. Whether you make a mistake and need to wipe it off or the child your painting has food on their face, you will be grateful to have these.
Tape
This may not seem like the most important thing for face painting, and it’s not, but it does come in handy surprisingly often. I use this tape for my face painting designs board and to tape signs up. It’s bright and colorful and catches the eye.
Shower Caddy
I searched long and hard for a bag that was small enough to carry around but large enough to fit everything I need. This multi-purpose bag is perfect for carrying all the things on this list and more! It has a mesh bottom so it doesn’t stay wet for long, it has zippered pockets so that little kids won’t get into them, and it has loops that keep everything from falling around.
Rainbow Split Cake
This is just a simple rainbow split cake. I like this one because it is quite large and perfect for full-face butterflies and rainbow masks. The colors are very pretty and it has lasted a fairly long time so far.
Tiny spray bottle
This spray bottle will be the best $2 you every spent as a face painter. I use this spray bottle primarily to wet my sponges (which makes my process so much more efficient and effective!). It is also perfect for keeping face paint cakes from drying out.
Brushes and palette knives
These brushes are almost exactly the same as the larger set of brushes, but I needed the palette knives that come with. I use these to cut up my face paint when making custom split cakes, they work like a charm! I also sometimes use them if my face paint needs to be smoothed down or I need to move a cake from one container to another.
If you have any questions about any of these face painting supplies or Ella’s business in general, leave them in the comments and she and I will do our best to answer them!
That’s so nice and impressive. But sadly the website doesn’t work.
Please repost the link, my kid was so excited to see a sample of her work.
https://tcfacepainting.wixsite.com/truecolorsfacepaint
I’m so impressed? Do you have any recommendations about how to keep brushes and sponges clean?
Is there a kit you’d recommend for beginners? Just for trial and error?
That one I mentioned that we gave her for her birthday is a great starting set.