Hallowe'en 2010: Is Face Painting Safe?

The time has come for you to transform into a strange creature of the night, or channel your inner vampire.

There are as many designs out there as there are Television Shows: from blossoming into your best sparkling Tinkerbell, to spackling your face a ghoulish eggshell a la The Addams Family, the Hallowe’en creative spirit knows no bounds.

We’re inspired by a few of the trends out there, including the face painting train. But…we have to ask, is face painting safe?

Well, that depends on what you use to paint your face. We don’t recommend using your water-color box or Sharpie metallic pencils to get your glow on because even though they contain FDA-approved water-soluble dyes (F, D& C), they have been linked to health problems.

What we recommend is that you shop for reputed makeup brands’ face painting kits so you know you’re getting a skin-safe solution. We love Make Up For Ever’s “Make Up Tricks & Treats” Kit ($42) that contains four products to create the perfect Genie, Kitten or Fairy. The kit contains a highly-pigmented Aqua Cream (true silver shimmer) made with mother-of-pearl particles, Aqua Eyes liner (Mat Black), Glitter (white violet) and Faux Lashes (Gwen) .

Pair a fierce look with feathers, Venetian masks, or a fierce Ricky’s costume and you’ll transcend expectation. The SAFE way.

Tell us, are you doing face painting this Hallowe’en? If so, what are you transforming into?

Charu Suri

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