Where to Buy Professional Face-Painting Supplies

In the UK, I’ve bought and researched products from specialist face-painting suppliers including 2Meenie, The Face painting Hub, Magic Box.

Amazon can be brilliant for the supporting kit. Brush stands, storage cases, mirrors, sponges, cotton buds, gentle wipes, stencils, chairs, water containers and other organisational equipment can all be picked up easily.

My Beginner Face-Painting Shopping List

1. A professional face-paint palette
2. White and a dark detail colour
3. One or two split cakes
4. A selection of solid colours
5. 6–8 good brushes
6. Plenty of face-painting sponges
7. Finger Dabbers 
8. Useful stencils
9. Cosmetic-grade glitter or glitter gel
10. A water/brush-cleaning system
11. Equipment sanitiser/cleaner– ISO Clean
12. Gentle wipes
13. Cotton buds
14. Kitchen roll
15. Handheld mirror
16. Hollywood Style Mirror (Large), Small
17. Brush storage & stand
18. Storage case or trolley
19. Raised make-up chair (Black), Tall Directors/make-up Chair (White)
20. Appropriate public liability insurance

You can always add more colours, brushes and exciting products later — and believe me, you will. Face paint appears to have the same effect as stationery: somehow you can always justify one more colour.

From paints and brushes to glitter, stencils, hygiene and the little kit essentials that make life so much easier, I’m sharing what I’ve learned, what I actually use and what I wish I’d known when I started.

Less overwhelm. Better kit. More confident painting. 

If you require face painting services, contact pauline@scribli.co.uk

If you’re thinking about getting into face painting, you’ve probably already discovered one thing: there is a LOT of stuff you could buy. Different paints, split cakes, metallics, glitter, sponges, brushes, stencils, chairs, water systems, brush cleaners… When I started buying my own face-painting kit, I quickly realised you could spend an absolute fortune before you’d even painted your first butterfly.

This is my guide to what I’ve found genuinely useful, what I would buy if I were starting again and the little things that make face painting at busy parties and events much easier.

Beginner Face Painting: What You Actually Need to Get Started

Start With Proper Face Paint

This is one place not to cut corners. Face paint is going onto someone’s skin, often a child, so I would always buy professional cosmetic-grade face and body paint from a reputable manufacturer.

You don’t need every colour when you’re beginning. A good palette of core colours, a strong white and a dark colour for detail will take you surprisingly far. I personally use Fusion Body Art paints. They are water-activated, designed specifically for face and body painting. I particularly like Fusion because the colours are vibrant, they blend well, and there is a huge choice of standard, pearl and metallic colours, palettes, split cakes, and one-stroke. After some research, I bought FAB white and an off-black/dark shade from Diamond FX because I prefer a softer line, giving the design definition without overpowering it. FAB is another great brand for colours, split cakes and one-strokes.

One of my biggest beginner tips: don’t outline everything!

It’s tempting to create something lovely and then think, “It needs black around it.” Sometimes it really doesn’t.

If you’ve created a clean shape, perfect split-cake stroke or lovely blended base, outlining the whole thing can take away from it. Great line-work is an art in itself, so until you’re confident with your brush, paint consistency and use, outline deliberately rather than automatically.

Split Cakes Are Your Friend

If you’re going to paint at parties or events, learn to use split cakes. They look impressive but can actually make designs faster. Instead of separately painting several colours, you load multiple colours onto one flat or angled brush and create a multi-coloured stroke in one movement.

Flowers, butterflies, dragons, snakes, rainbows, unicorns and lots of other designs can be built this way.

Speed Matters More Than You Think

I wouldn’t describe myself as the fastest face painter, but speed comes with practice. If you’re planning to work professionally, particularly at festivals, school fairs, sporting events or large family events, plan quick but effective designs. A beautiful 15-minute design might be perfect for a small birthday party, but it doesn’t work quite so well when there are 25 excited children in a queue.

Pick 6–8 designs and get REALLY good at them

Don’t start by trying to master 50 designs. Choose a small menu of different designs and practise them repeatedly. Work out the fastest way to create each one. Which sponge, brush and colours do you need? Could you use a stencil?

Eventually your hands start knowing what comes next without you having to think about it. That’s where speed begins to develop. Keep a reference image beside you when painting as well.

Stencils Are Not Cheating!

I love stencils, especially at busy events. A stencil can turn a simple base into something much more detailed in seconds. Stars, snowflakes, scales, animal print, and textures can add another dimension without painstakingly painting every element. I’d absolutely include a small face-painting stencil set in a beginner kit.

Brushes Make a HUGE Difference

This is something I underestimated initially. A good brush genuinely makes face painting easier. I’ve been particularly impressed with Bananagum brushes, especially the fine-detail brushes. I also really like longer-bristled brushes by Fusion. A longer round or liner brush holds more paint and water and is great for flowing strokes such as swirls, whiskers, vines and sweeping lines and longer bristles have more flexibility, so once you learn to control them you can create lovely fluid line-work. A shorter-bristled brush gives you more immediate control. There’s less flex between your hand and the tip, which can make it easier for small details and precise marks.

Flat and angled brushes are fantastic for split cakes because you can load different colours across the width of the brush and create multiple colours in one stroke.

If I were building a beginner brush kit, I’d want: a small round/detail brush, round brushes in different sizes, a longer liner brush, a flat brush, an angled flat brush and a petal brush. You don’t need 30 brushes when you start. I’d rather have six good brushes that I understand than a huge collection; you will learn your favourites.

Sponges – One Per Face

You’ll need a good supply of face-painting sponges. They’re fantastic for quickly laying down colour, blending and creating bases for designs. For hygiene, its recommended that you use one clean sponge per face. Keep clean and used sponges clearly separated so there’s no chance of accidentally reusing one.

Water and Brush Hygiene

Hygiene needs to be built into the way you work from the beginning. I use fresh water for each child with a paint-brush cleaning/water system. For longer events, the system still needs cleaned and refilled, but I’ve found mine works well for around two hours before I need to reset everything. Brushes also need to be cleaned between each child and when reloading or changing colours.

ISO CLEAN- This has been a game changer in my kit. Having something that allows me to clean and sanitise equipment quickly makes managing a busy setup much easier, particularly when I’m working through a queue and can’t disappear to a sink every few minutes. Always use cleaning and sanitising products according to the manufacturer’s instructions and make sure they are appropriate for the equipment involved. I love the Iso Clean products.

The Little Things You’ll Be Glad You Packed

Gentle wipes- Keep gentle wipes available for times when you need to clean the skin or remove something. Be particularly careful around sensitive skin and eyes and check that anything you use is suitable for the person you’re painting.

Cotton buds- One of the most underrated things in my kit. If a line goes somewhere it shouldn’t or an edge needs cleaned up, a cotton bud can save the design without having to start again.

Kitchen roll- water spillages, wet tables, dirty brush-cleaning areas, glitter explosions… you will use it.

Mirrors- The reveal is one of the best bits. I carry a mirror so children can see their finished face straight away. Watching their reaction is part of the experience.

Glitter – Because Everything Is Better With Glitter

I’ve experimented with quite a few glitters. One I particularly like is Fusion Glitter Gel because it’s easy to control and works with lots of designs. I also use cosmetic-grade puff glitter. Loose glitter needs more care. I ask the child to close their eyes, protect the eye area with my hand and, if they can follow instructions comfortably, tilt their head slightly back so I can control where the glitter goes.

Only use cosmetic glitter intended for use on the skin. A tiny amount of sparkle can also rescue a design you’re not entirely happy with. Glitter has diplomatic powers.

Painting Younger Children

The general rule is three years and over, as this follows the age guidance and safety instructions for most of the products you’ll use. That doesn’t necessarily mean younger children have to miss out. Depending on the circumstances, products being used, parental consent and, most importantly, how comfortable the child is, a small design on their arm may be a better option. Offering a small rainbow, dinosaur, flower, star or stencil design can still make them feel included

Never force the experience. Some three-year-olds will happily sit like tiny statues while you transform them; some six-year-olds will decide after 12 seconds that they’ve had enough. That’s fine — adapt. And never paint irritated, broken or problematic skin.

A Proper Chair Will Save Your Back

If you’re thinking about doing this professionally, buy a make-up/director-style face-painting chair that raises the person you’re painting. Being able to stand upright while their face is at a comfortable working height makes a massive difference.

You Need Something to Carry Everything

Your beautiful collection of paints eventually becomes, *“Why am I carrying six random bags into this venue?” *Get a case, trolley, wheeled make-up case or organised storage system. You want to arrive, set up quickly, know where everything is and pack down efficiently.

I’d also recommend a brush stand. Having your brushes standing where you can immediately see and grab the size you need makes a surprising difference when you’re working quickly. And never leave your brushes in water.

If you want to turn face painting into paid work, insurance should be one of the first things you investigate. Public liability insurance isn’t generally a legal requirement for a sole-trader face painter in the UK, but I personally wouldn’t operate without it. You’re working directly on people’s skin, often with children, and many venues and event organisers will want to see evidence of appropriate cover before booking you.

I currently use Simply Business for my face-painting insurance, although other specialist insurers are available. Check the actual policy rather than assuming generic business insurance covers everything you do.

FACE – The Face Painting Association

If you become serious about face painting, FACE – The Face Painting Association is worth knowing about. FACE requires applicants to have been working as a face painter for at least a year and assesses areas including painting skills, kit, health and hygiene knowledge and professional practice. It’s something I’m interested in as a way of demonstrating professional standards once you’ve built experience.

Happy painting!

*Some of the product links in this article are affiliate links. This means I may receive a small commission if you purchase through them, at no additional cost to you.*