Always Use a Base Coat

The base coat provides a surface for the nail color to adhere to. It provides a thicker base of polish, and more protection for the nail, and it helps to keep the nail from becoming stained by the color of the polish. The sandwiching technique of base coat, color, and topcoat increases the time your manicure will last.

Don´t Saw, File One Way

Your fingernails are made of layers, and if you start a zigzag filing over your nails, you will pull up the different layers, and you will end up with shredded nails. File going in the same direction with the board. If you file toward the tip, then keep all your strokes in the same direction.

Storing Glitter

Baby food jars are perfect for storing the glitter you use for face painting. You can also use the lid for custom mixes.

Looking for a Design?

If you want a tattoo but don´t know exactly what you want, look at a tattoo magazine or an on-line tattoo e-zine. Art galleries, photo studios, sketch books, animation magazines and books, and comic books all could be inspiration for a great design.

How Long Before Ears Heal?

Ear-piercing usually takes about 6 weeks to heal, but if you leave the earrings out for a while, even after 6 weeks, the hole will close back up. To be on the safe side, wear earrings daily for more than 6 weeks, and be cautious when leaving earrings out for any length of time.

Markers

You can find temporary face painting markers at the drugstore and at sites on the internet. DO NOT USE PERMANENT MARKERS from any source if they are not endorsed for skin use. They could be toxic.

Brighten your eyes

You can brighten your eyes by putting a white dot on the inside of your eye by the tear duct. Experiment until it looks right. In a smaller theatre, the dot needs to be blended more, but still a white area on the inside of your eyes brightens your face.

Dark for Shadow, Light for Sun

Add a little dark to one side of a face painting design to add a three-dimensional aspect. To highlight take a light color, like white or yellow, and add some brightness to the opposite side of the design from the dark color. Practice with a circle and a cylinder shape. Make the circle look more like a sphere, and the cylinder should start looking like a can.

Monsters

Boys love monsters and aliens, scary clowns, Pokemon characters,and fire-breathing dragons. For a dragon, have flames shooting across their cheek to the other side of the kid´s face. You may add glitter to the dragon fins and flames, although most the time boys don´t want glitter.

Wild Colors

If you want to change the color of your hair to a beautiful green or mauve, you must first remove the color that is there. Otherwise, you will get a muted color, or the color might not even take.

Hobby or Profession?

Face and body painting can begin as a hobby doing it for yourself, friends, and family. If you like it, look for opportunities through school or church, and then when you´re ready, get a booth at a weekend craft fair.

Don´t Tattoo Close to the Eye

For permanent cosmetics or a tattoo, anything near the eyes is too risky. Something could go wrong and you could lose your vision or even your whole eye.

Shelf Life

This is a general rule for cosmetics: once you open it and start using it, try to use it up in 6 months or less.

Colors for Skin Tones

Neon colors generally look fantastic on dark skin. Light lavenders look washed-out on pale skin, so you´ll need to outline in a darker purple. Sometimes black doesn´t show as an outline on dark skin, so outline in a lighter color, like yellow or white.

Acceptance in the Business World

If you don´t own the company, and you are trying to get in, start on the conservative side. Then, if the president is found to have five piercings, maybe you can show three. But a standard rule would be to limit it to two or three piercings in the ears for women, and one for men. Save the lips, nose, and eyebrow for after work.

Decals

If you have no artistic talent, but can follow directions, you can use temporary tattoos. All you do is peel the plastic off, wet the paper while it´s stuck to your body part, and peel the paper off.

At-home Facial

You can give yourself a facial at home in an hour or less. Start with your favorite cleanser, then steam your face, either with a bowl of hot water and a towel over your head, or you can take a hot shower. Pat dry. Then use your favorite masque and follow instructions.

Hair Mascara?

Hair mascara comes in a tube that is similar to an eyelash mascara tube. It usually is in bright or metallic colors, and you apply it in streaks. It washes off when shampooing.

Permanance of Mehndi

Mehndi designs will last up to two or three weeks, if you got a really nice, rich color in the design to begin with. If your design didn´t turn out very dark, it will last for less time.