Buying Guide for Body Paint
Why should you buy body paint?
It’s a great way to express your personality other than just through makeup. You can get as detailed, bold, and creative as you want for Halloween, cosplay, and other costume ensembles. It’s also a fun addition to your outfits if you attend raves and festivals often. Of course, other reasons to use body paint can be for entertainment at birthday parties or community events.
What should you consider when shopping for body paint?
- Occasion: Consider why you need the body paint, which should help narrow your search. If you’re looking to host an afternoon party for kids and offer face painting, you don’t have to buy the same kind as someone doing serious cosplay.
- Number of Colors: Some options are sold as singles, making a look with several colors quite expensive. Other products include a wider variety of colors which can be helpful if you’re painting for multiple looks or people.
- Water or Oil: You will be able to choose from face and body paints that are water-based or oil-based. Oil-based paint is easy to apply because it’s creamy and soft. However, it may take more effort to remove, especially certain colors. On the other hand, water-based paints are a bit more challenging to create the pigmented color you want, but they are easy to remove when you want to.
What other accessories are common to use with body paint?
Some body paints will come as a kit with the necessary accessories, but other options only provide the paint and nothing else. So you will need to consider purchasing application tools and accessories if you decide against a kit. Brushes, sponges, or airbrushes are the main ways to apply body paint. You may also need products like setting powder, setting spray, or sealing spray to keep the body paint from moving and last longer. Makeup remover is also essential for taking off body paint.
Our Picks for the Best Body Paint
Pros: This paint can be used day or night. During the day, the paints are bright neon, and at night under UV lights, they’re a neon glow. Each of the eight paints comes in a compact size of 0.7 ounces, easy to take with you to a fun event. When it’s time to it off, just remove it with soap and water.
Cons: Paints need to be charged with a UV light to glow in the dark.
Bottom Line: If you have experience working with glow-in-the-dark body paint, this pack of eight vibrant colors won’t disappoint. If you’ve never worked with them before, getting used to properly shaking and charging the paint may take some time to get the desired result.
Pros: If you’re looking for high-quality body paint, this is the stuff professionals love. The pigmented colors are unmatched, and with over 40 options, you can find the best hue for your needs. This premium paint is infused with skin-soothing ingredients, including aloe, vitamin E, cucumber, lemongrass, and avocado. It’s also vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free. Each color is 1.4 ounces, which not only provides ample coverage but is easy to tote around. These bright colors can be easily removed with lathered soap and water.
Cons: If painting large areas, you’ll need to use a setting spray.
Bottom Line: This body paint is easy to apply, and with skin-friendly ingredients, it feels good when it’s on, too. The color variety makes it easy to find exactly what you need. While one container can cover an entire body, it is recommended to use a setting spray when applying over a large area.
Pros: This 20-color palette is an affordable option for someone who wants access to various colors. Even with plenty of colors up front, these creamy paints easily blend and allow you to create any color you need or want to achieve your look. The creamy texture is easy to apply and sits comfortably on the skin.
Cons: For best washing, it’s better to use olive oil or professional waterproof makeup remover. Since the paint is creamy, it can be hard to remove from brushes.
Bottom Line: If you plan to use a variety of colors or want to have options to create multiple looks, this is an excellent palette of face and body paint. The oil-based paint will feel good and look good.
Pros: Whether kids are doing their face painting or you’re not confident in your artistic abilities, these face crayons are an easy way to add festive fun to an event or costume. The pack includes 36 colors, so you can create various designs or characters. The face paint crayons are hypoallergenic and are made to be used on sensitive, young skin. The paints are oil-based and go on smoothly.
Cons: These oil-based paints take a little more effort to clean, especially for a child. After a few uses, it can be difficult to make fine lines as the point to each crayon dulls.
Bottom Line: These oil-based crayons are the best choice for face paint that’s easy to apply to children. While they wouldn’t be something to use for a serious event like cosplay, they are great for having fun on a rainy afternoon or as part of a costume.
Pros: These water-based paints are friendly for even sensitive skin. They can be applied with the tool you’re comfortable with: a brush, sponge, or an airbrush. The paint comes in 16 different colors, and it comes in 4.5-ounce bottles. Per approximately one ounce, you can get 20 to 70 applications.
Cons: Application can be tricky and may require someone with more sophisticated experience and tools on hand.
Bottom Line: If you have the tools, setting products, and experience in face and body painting, this paint could be a great choice. While water-based paint is friendlier on your skin and easier to remove, it can also make it harder to apply.
Final Thoughts
Finding the right face and body paint is all about how you will use it and who will apply it. Body paint can help you create a vision and stand out from the runway to a festival to a costume party. When you’re ready to use your body as a blank canvas, consider these options to get you started.
