The Best Face Paint Makeup Kit

Buying Guide

The most important part of dressing may be your costume. Anyone can buy a witch’s hat or a store-bought mask and call it a day, but diving into some face paint will really set your look apart. Don’t be intimidated if you’ve never stretched your creative wings with makeup before. Even a few small details or a dusting of glitter will elevate your costume.

There are several types of makeup kits, but the most popular makeup kits are either colorful palettes of face paint or upgraded kits with latex and fake blood for special effects. The face paint kits come with a rainbow of colors, a few brushes or sponges and usually a container or two of glitter.

The paint itself will be water-based, oil-based or alcohol-based. Water-based paints are easy to apply and remove, but may run if you get sweaty while trick-or-treating. Oil or grease-based paint is tougher to work with and tougher to remove, but it has better staying power. Alcohol-based (or alcohol-activated) paints will last through almost anything, but they’re expensive and very difficult to apply.

Special effects makeup kits also come with paint palettes, but the colors are closer to skin-tone shades for realistic burns, scratches and wounds. They also come with fake blood, modeling putty, fixatives and prosthetics.

Face paint makeup kits are fun for all ages. Take a look at our Tips & Advice for the nuts and bolts of buying these fun accessories.

• Only use paint that is designated for use on your skin when creating your look. Using crafting paint, markers or decorative glitter can cause unpleasant skin reactions.
• Be mindful of any skin sensitivities you may have before you break out your brushes and sponges. Non-toxic paints can still cause a skin reaction if they contain ingredients that you’re sensitive to. Test out your paints on a small patch of skin before you paint your entire face.
• Brush quality matters, but the brushes that came with your set should be fine for small or simple jobs. If you want to go for something more complex, look for a set of mixed flat and round artist’s brushes.
• You can use sponges to cover larger areas, but standard makeup sponges might absorb too much paint. Cut a car sponge into small pieces for an inexpensive option.
• How you remove your face paint is just as important as how you apply it. You can use plain soap and water, or baby shampoo, for water-based paints with no sealant. If you used oil-based makeup or sprayed a sealant on top of your makeup to help it last, you’ll need to use a combination of baby shampoo, cold cream and makeup remover. Don’t use baby wipes or rub too hard — this can cause skin irritation.
• Most special effects kits come with spirit gum remover, which takes off prosthetics. Make sure your kit has some before you add your fake wounds!