What brand do you like the best??

Ok so I have been reading alot of topics about some fp brands, I was just wondering what people like the best? I have been wanting to invest in some Tag, but I really like my wolfe... I don't have lots of money to spend so I am trying to research as much as I can b4 I go all out... I would appreciate any help!!!

You didn't provide "All of the above, and more" as an option

Shannon.

skidzz I have to say for colour, vibrancy, great application & price I say TAG is really your best bet. The only wolfe I use is the black & white.

another all of the above here.... different brands for different reasons

Hmmmm... well I made it multiple choice...lol.... didn't think of the all of the above though....

well I have heard alot of people tend to like tag... so that may be what I will invest in...can't wait to hear some of the other peoples opinions too...

You guys are awesome!!!

I really like Wolfe but having tried TAG recently, I have to say that I like it better. I love love love the TAG neon split cake! I also have a lot of Snaz and have had no issues with it. I've not tried any of the others named but am waiting on some DFX to come in.

I like a range of paints all for different reasons. I used Sanzaroo for all my base work.
Tag for making up split cakes (which is what I have been mostly using lately) the black for line work (on kids), and coloured details.
Wolfe white!
I also have favourite colours from the different brands, like the DFX Gold and Green.

I bought wolfe paints. I am pretty happy with them but i have not tried anything else. just starting out:)

Thing is that different brands, different colours in the same brands, etc. all work differently and work best in certain situations for specific purposes.

Snaz bright red is the BEST spiderman colour IMO. The Snaz Sparkle colours are nice and bright and shimmery and go on really well. Snaz Yellow Ochre is the best all purpose wild cat/golden retriever/monkey face colour.

Wolfe White/Black and Red are best for details and linework (NOT bases) as they are solid and colours don't bleed through.

Kryolan is dependable, great colour selection and easy to work with (the regular line). The Interferenz line is wonderful but needs to be worked properly.

Mehron and Ben Nye are not part of my face painting kit BUT are a key part of my regular theatre kit and SFX kit.

DFX has some great colours, but I'm not fond of it as a base but it is great for line work and smaller areas.

Haven't tried TAG.

Will NOT use Paradise.

Not on your list but in my kit:

Grimas is a nice easy to use paint, great colour selection, the pearl colours are great to use and blend with flat colours of any brand to make them pearly!

Fardel comes in liquid and creams and are my preferred body painting paints.

Fantasy Worldwide aka FWW is also a cream and liquid paint - really nice to work with and IMO the MOST comfortable of all of them to actually wear.

Funky Foxes, made for Charles Fox in London by Kryolan, nice bright solid creamy colours - great primary and secondary colours that go on smoothly and easily with a sponge OR brush.

Tim Gratton is a line of paints made by Matisse Derivan from Australia - an acrylic based body paint. I only have black and use it exclusively for body painting - it is awesome. But it does smell like acrylic paint. Washes off the skin easily in the shower.

Shannon Fennell wrote:
Will NOT use Paradise.

Shannon - why will you NOT use Paradise?

It blends so well and works well with Kryolan? Would love to hear your view.

I use DFX, Mehron and Mehron's Paradise line and absolutely love them.

I admit Paradise doesn't come off easily but we figured out the soak and rinse method works so we have that on our care cards. Not to mention anything made by Mehron are the only ones available locally so that is a big part of it for me as well.

Wolfe Neons are not so easy to work with and require a lot of activation and practice. Wolfe white is hands down the best white.

I've had nothing but issues with Snaz sweating off and running. Not good when the bulk of our money is summer fairs.

It is a hugely dependent on personal preference, what and where you paint, how you want to work them, etc.

I sure like this thread! Thanks for posing the question Skidzz.

AUSSIE3070 wrote:

Shannon Fennell wrote:
Will NOT use Paradise.

Shannon - why will you NOT use Paradise?

It blends so well and works well with Kryolan? Would love to hear your view.

When it first came out I tried it...

I don't like smell - I think it is horrid AND it triggered my asthma. I also had two cases of skin reactions - itching and raised welts in the exact shape of the brush strokes done in it. So I choose not to use it.

Lots of people love it. I don't.

DFX is my #1 go to paint and I use it for bases and for line work. I love my DFX all colors. I do have The wolfe palettes I had were cut up into travel splits. I do keep wolfe white and black on hand. DFX/WOLFE white and black are the best you can get for line work and going over other colors without bleed through.

That being said I also have some Kryolan, Ben Nye, some paradise and some TAG

I'd like a poll that says to pick each brand and on a scale from 1-5 how often do you use it. That would be more accurate. And an N/A choice for brands you've not used & can't rate.

The bulk of my paints are currently DFX and I vary between being happy with some colors to LOVING others (metallics are definately my new best friends!).

I started out with Snaz and while I still like Snaz black/white for bases if I'm painting indoors, in the summer Snaz gives me nothing but headaches (call me picky, but I'd rather not have to lug around ice packs in order to keep my snaz 'perky'.)

I bought some TAG splits from Metina and LOVE the pearl rainbow cake! I also really like the black iris and the black/white split for fast designs.

I bought paradise details bottles back when I was a newbie newbie, and now that my linework is better I don't use em...ever.

I've bought rainbow cakes from Sillyfarm and love some, while only ok with others. I like the dark green/like green two color splits for leaves. I was not a huge fan of the fact that arty cakes are square instead of rectangular (like TAG). But my facebook page showed that Sillyfarm is coming out with rectangle bases and I'll probably find extra money for them from somewhere.

It's interesting to me that you don't use details now. I never used them for line work. I always hated the brushes for that but for dots and really small fast flowers, I truly think they can't be beat for ease.

I dunno, it got to be easier to use a brush and make dots. Maybe my style will change and I'll feel differently, but I doubt it.

Lynnie, want to swap for a black and a white detailz then?

You are quite welcome Gr8ful... I have been wondering this for a long time... People do seem to have their favorites... but I live in a weird kind of weather town so I have to be extremely picky. I did try a little sample of the Snaz and didn't like them cuz they melted, really didn't look very bright and I ended up having to use alot of it.

I love my Wolfe paint, haven't really had any problems with them. The Ben Nye paints is what I started out with... no melting... but the colors are really flat. Those are the only two that I have ever tried...

I do have one more question... I have heard that is not good to be "mixing" paint brands, but from the sounds of it alot of you guys do it on a regular basis... so what is up with that???? I am confused>....

Thank you Bunches for you help guys!!!

I don't mix it to store it or on the palette or the brush, but I use different brands on the same face. Same as I do with makeup.

I've always mixed Wolfe, Snaz and Disguise Stix and have never had a reaction problem reported with the exception of my daughter (recent).

Here are some samples of them. The bunny is Wolfe/Snaz/Disguise Stix (pink) and the butterfly is Wolfe and Snaz

Here is my take-
The biggest difference I have found in paint choice is if you want to use a sponge or a brush. I prefer brushes, and so my favs are all the ones that work better for me that way.
Snazaroo: This was my first split, and sold me on face painting, so it was my favorite, until I tried ANYTHING else. Now it is the worst. It melts, but is very easy to get a good base. Definitely in my sponge group. Just bought their jewels for the first time, and unless I got a bad batch: Beware, these are terrible. over half of them, the sticky part stayed on the paper making them useless. I used a bunch of scrap booking supplies, which fall off, but look great while they last and are readily available. Then I found some "fabric stickers" that came with jewels on clearance. I bought a lot. They have been amazing, but of course something like that is a one time deal. Now I am just sad I need to find a replacement that works for me.
DFX: Only have the metalix palette, then I opted to buy the big metalix in wolfe- Like the DFX better, hardly use my wolfe metalix. Brush paint
Wolfe: Love the black and white- just like everyone. Brush paint.
Silly Farm Artys/Rainbow cakes: Love them. Bought lots when I first started- but they are pricey, so I tried switching to other brands, and have not been satisfied. I am buying some of the new "body cakes" and plan to cut them down to fit in all my empty containers.
Mehron Starblend: These are great. I know a lot of painters that don't care for them, but I find that even though the coverage isn't the best, it is fast, and you can paint right over it, but it gives me a solid base to work on. Yes I think it doesn't look as good as other paints, but the time it saves is well worth the trade off for me. It also keeps my hands a lot cleaner, and it easy around the eyes. and does not itch as much.
Paradise: Do not care for it. I just bought some, and this is a sponge paint. I have made some splits, but they seem dull, and you need much more water on your brush and then you have lots of wet thick paint. Not a fan. I bought some of the rainbows, and find them to look "washed out" I like their detailz though, so nice to have something that makes perfect dots that is always ready.
TAG: Stains, and again, seems more like a sponge paint to me. I have their splits, and as I paint things like flowers, the edges don't go on smoothly, so I have to trace every petal- which defeats the speed a split cake gives you. The pearly one works great, but the others are not my favorite.


So super long, but hope it helps.

I love my Kryolan! I was basically brought up on it but I'm a recent convert to TAG. TAG for me is a good balance between Kryolan and Wolfe. It has the creaminess of the Kryolan with the great pigment power like the wolfe paints and it washes more easily than the wolfe. I still choose/trust Kryolan above the others as my first choice for really little kids (esp.black) it washes off well with mild soap and water and rarely stains. I have never in 15 years had a reaction. On older kids and adults I use the wolfe/TAG black and white for detail.
As for splits, I have the arty cakes but I find them really short for loading the brush and they are made up of a mix of brands which I think plays around with the general consistency of the product. I like the TAG splits because they are longer and therefore load better and they are made up of one product so the consistency is uniform. That is important to me.
DFX is not readily available to me so I can't comment having not used them but I've heard that they come from the same factory as Wolfe/TAG so I guess there are some similarities.
I really don't like products that stain heavily, Wolfe black is notorious for this but its such an effective detailer I'll make an exception.

As a make-up artist I have always used a multitude of brands. I use what works, what is the right colour for the job, and what is available when I need it.

Face paint is make-up - so, I use what works, what is the right colour, and what is available when I need it.

A couple of the manufacturers like to say that you have to use their brand exclusively OR you void their warranty. I assume they would then claim that any problem was caused by the other brand - it gives them an out.

Some people choose to use only one brand (like Perry for instance) and others don't. Purely your choice.

If your new and want to get some practice and faster, go to a nonprofit or charity event that you know will have a limited budget. You can volunteer a few hours for them BUT they have to pay for a kit (up to $130 or so). This way you can try out a kit and have a brand new one too!

I did a gig for Telemundo in Decemeber when I had nothing going on that day, so i told them i would BUT they gotta pay for the supplies. This is how I got some Tag and DFX even paradise black