Why does my facepaint always look like this???

Soaking wet and dripping down my face! Like I sprayed it with a water bottle lol

I did this yesterday with cream paint I bought at party city, Now I understand that it's not the best paint and all but why is it always so watery? I must be doing something wrong because I see people using the same paint and it not dripping down there face.

I know it has to be a setting thing, as I do not know how to set face paint. I got advice on that yesterday to put some neutral setting powder over it when I'm done but with as wet as it is I don't see how I could even put powder on it without smearing the design or ruining whatever tool I have the powder on..

Someone please help!! lol

P.S I'm going to try dry grease paint tomorrow.. Maybe that will solve my problem?

I refer to this video


And as you can see it looks like hes using cream paint, yet the white stays on so well he can actually put the black lines right over it.. Than when hes done, it stays dry, dry enough to not really even smudge if he touches it.. How can I achieve this?

#1 - why are you using water with cream paint? If it is a cream you would just rub it on?

#2- Why would you want to use grease paint? Why aren't you just buying water activated cakes.

just a few q's... and what brand is the kind you are using currently?

He powdered the white first then applied the black on top of the white

sting probably uses that kind of paint so it sets and wont smear or run down his face while sweating... but it is my thought that regular people wouldn't need something like that on their face. (clowns use it as well)

Are you just doing this for yourself, or do you plan on painting kids faces with it?

Suzy I did not use water with the cream paint.. I was implying that the cream paint feels like water on my face it's so wet! lol Also I am an amateur wrestler so for me, and I want to start painting other peoples faces as well and more for art and raves and such which involve a strong tolerance for sweating. I even see people at the ren fair with crazy face paint on all day out in the heat that look fantastic.. I'm currently using the party city brand.. I once bought expensive clown white grease paint and mehron black but the mehron black was watery as well and the white was clumpy and smeared right off with any contact..

I've never used water colored cakes, nor would I even know where to purchase them. And even so, arent those not necessarily long lasting and come off and smear with any sweat? just asking. I honestly dont know anything about them.

And Kathy, I was told to use a neutral setting powder on top of the cream paint, only problem is while I'm painting, the top starts getting watery before I even finish the bottom! and how do I powder a design like the image I showed without messing up the design? I am truley a beginer and do not even understand how to apply setting to such a wet surface..

Please give me a few pointers if you wouldn't mind.

as a regular user of cream makeup, perhaps I can help a little bit here?

On the particular design that you posted, I would do the red first. Powder it. Do the black, powder it. Then do the white and powder everything again.

How are you applying your powder? I don't use setting powder, I use cornstarch free baby powder on my paint (it's a LOT cheaper). Put your powder into a clean sock and tie off the end. You can keep this in a little tupperware. Shake the sock over your face when you powder, wait a minute or so, then brush off the excess. **Hold your breath while you do this btw** By shaking it over your face instead of patting it, you won't smudge your lines or move the colours around at all.

To put it on fast and furious, you can use your fingers or the pencils to apply the makeup. I use artist brushes just like when I'm face painting because I want my lines to be perfectly clean... I work with kids VERY close up, for wrestling, it probably won't matter so much to the audience.

Thank you very much, that is very help full. I'm going to definitely give that a shot. I also want to try the grease paint I purchased as well today since I already paid for it to see which I like better, cream or grease. Should I be setting that with powder as well?

Definitely powder grease makeup - it will crease and slide otherwise.

They are pretty much the same thing... Grese is the "old" name for it, cream just sounds nicer.

Perry Noia wrote:
Shake the sock over your face when you powder, wait a minute or so, then brush off the excess.

How would one "brush off the excess" without smearing the design I guess is my only question.

Also I really dont think cream and grease paints are the same thing because the cream comes in a tube and is wet like most paint, the grease comes in a cake type thing and is very dry compared to the cream.

Hints why i'm thinking it'd be a way better option.

Once you get the powder on (and even pressed "in") it won't smear - it will be set. If you have a powder puff, you can put a tissue over it (to protect it from the color) and press the powder into the makeup. Or even make a tissue ball wrapped in another tissue.....

Cream and grease really are the same.... when you work with the grease, you need to get it moving (if it is dry and hard it isn't going to spread on), how it behaves when it gets heated by your face is the same. When I'm working with grease, I take some out of the cake with a palette knife and put it on a palette, and mush it around to smooth out, then use a brush to apply. When I use cream, I squeeze a bit out onto the palette, and use a brush to apply - same result.

If your cream is really that watery by comparison, there might be something not right about it.

there are degrees of grease paint and creme....to me, they are NOT the same... "grease" can be VERY hard to remove...first off.... but i totally understand why people think they are.

Once it is powdered, you use a big soft makeup brush and brush off the excess.

They key is going to be making sure that you put it on as thinly as possible so that the powder can really soak up all the moisture in the makeup.

I was thinking cream (like fww paint) never the less, I have no experience in this area Ignore my previous comments! lol

I use a moist baby wipe to pat off the excess powder so the colors are saturated and bright. Yes, definitely powder in between each color. And to remove a mistake or remove a circle of paint to add a dot, just spit on a Q-tip and spin it around or wipe. (but do this after you powder it). Good luck!

here is a little video I made last week while getting ready for an event... it is of me putting on my clown makeup. EVERYONE does it differently and some people disagree with my opinions on clown base makeup, but the application of makeup might help. The second time that I powder shows how I shake it over my face.
I had to speed up some parts of it because youtube only allows videos to be 15 minutes long and it takes me about 20 to put on my makeup. I hope this gives you more of a visual of at least how this one little clown puts on cream/grease makeup.

https://youtu.be/804G8DNaFJE

haha I just saw that in my subscriptions box and i was about to suggest it.. but you beat me to it lol

I'm coming in a little late, but you can get all great water activated paints in the Face Paint Forum Shop. Metina sells all safe cosmetic grade face paints & they will work great for you. She has the best prices & lightning fast shipping!

thehatchetwarrior wrote:
I did this yesterday with cream paint I bought at party city, Now I understand that it's not the best paint and all but why is it always so watery? I must be doing something wrong because I see people using the same paint and it not dripping down there face.

I know it has to be a setting thing, as I do not know how to set face paint. I got advice on that yesterday to put some neutral setting powder over it when I'm done but with as wet as it is I don't see how I could even put powder on it without smearing the design or ruining whatever tool I have the powder on..

Someone please help!! lol

P.S I'm going to try dry grease paint tomorrow.. Maybe that will solve my problem?


And as you can see it looks like hes using cream paint, yet the white stays on so well he can actually put the black lines right over it.. Than when hes done, it stays dry, dry enough to not really even smudge if he touches it.. How can I achieve this?

Hey man.

First off, there is definitely a difference in good cream/grease paints, and cheap-o ones from the party store. You really should check out the Mehron or Kryolan brands of stuff. It's what clowns use, and it works MUCH better! You want to put on one color at a time, and you can still use a nice brush for this part, OR buy the makeup pencils and just draw your designs on. Powder between each color. I set mine with transparent powder, I just poof it on and give it a sec to dry and set, and then knock off the excess with a huge fluffy brush(like a big powder brush or a kabuki brush.)

I get my cream/grease makeup from LaRocks...
Go to: http://www.larocks.com/makeup/makeup.htm and then click on the brand on the left menu. I reccomend Mehron, but you can try a couple of brands and see which works best for you.. I've never wrestled in makeup so you're more of the expert on that!

Good luck.

I'm also going to jump in here and address the "rave and sweaty places" statement.

I'm a bellydancer and use the water activated powders. I also paint at Ren Faires and dancers in night clubs, doofs and other dance heavy events. I use the water activated ones at those as well. A high quality paint does not slide off so easily, nor does it sweat off as easily.

Grease/Cream, I definitely agree that there is a difference. Even when you walk into our local theater make-up shop if you ask for them they will hand you different stuff. For example, Mehron makes tubes of cream paints while Ben Nye has cream pots. Both of these are used for theater/stage where it's hot and sweaty but they are just not up to quality in my book for anything outside of distance looking. Grease paint needs practice to apply but doesn't come off easily when you don't want it to and is a really good option for wrestling.

Good luck.

Could you be applying too much 'cream' make up? Unless you are really dark skinned, it usuall doesn't take much to get a good opaque coverage of your skin. However, I agree if you are using the cheap party store stuff, your results won't be NEARLY as good.

I recommend Mehron or Ben Nye as well. Mehron makes cream/grease paint in cakes as well as tubes and pencils. I use mehron for my clown make up and have never been steered wrong with it.

There is another brand out there called "Jim Howell" clown make up that is a lot creamier and almost liquid-like in consistency. I've used it once and hated... but I know many people who refuse to use anything BUT his make up. It's all personal preference. What I didn't like about Jim Howell's make up was that it is sooo wet and I applied it too thick (I applied like my other normal grease make up, big mistake!) and then no matter how much I powdered it would not set.