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Glitter & Shimmer Tattoos
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Round Brushes
Using high-quality face paint is so important, especially when you’re starting out. You can practice all you want, but if you’re using low-quality paint, your work just won’t look as clean, bold, or professional. In the beginning, your paint and brushes really do make the artist.
You’ll often hear people say, “the only good round brush is a new round brush”—and honestly, there’s some truth to that, especially with many brushes made in the last 5+ years. When you first use them, they can feel amazing—sharp lines, great snap, everything you want. But the real test comes after a busy weekend of painting hundreds of faces. That’s when you find out what they’re really made of.A quality round brush should hold its point, maintain its shape, and continue to perform even after heavy use and repeated washing. Unfortunately, a lot of newer brushes just don’t hold up that way. They fray, lose their snap, or stop giving you clean lines pretty quickly.
Round Brush Sizes
Round Brush Types
Liner Brush
An extra-thin brush designed for fine swirls, curls, and delicate outlines. This is your go-to for those tiny finishing details that really elevate a design.
Round Brush Size 2 or 3
Your fine detail brush. Perfect for small line work, accents, and intricate elements where control and precision matter most.
Round Brush Size 4 or 5
A medium detail brush that gives you a nice balance between control and coverage. Great for outlining, teardrops, and general design work.
Round Brush Size 6 or 7+
Your standard line work brush. Ideal for bold outlines, faster application, and designs where you need strong, clean lines that stand out.
As you get more comfortable, you’ll naturally find which sizes you reach for the most—but having this range on hand will set you up for just about any design you’ll encounter. That said, there are definitely a few that do make the cut and hold up well under real working conditions. Here are some round brushes I’ve personally tried.
Types of Face Paint
Face paint comes in a few different forms, and each one behaves a little differently on the skin. Knowing the types and how they work will help you choose the right paint for the design you want to create—and save you from surprises on the job.
One Stroke Cake
A one stroke cake is a type of split cake where multiple colors are arranged in stripes, designed to be picked up all at once using a flat brush. Instead of loading one color at a time, you load the brush across all the colors in the cake. This allows you to create blended, multi-color designs in a single brush stroke.
Best For
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Flowers (petals with multiple colors)
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Leaves
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Butterflies
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Rainbows
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Fast, eye-catching designs at events
Split Cake
A container of multiple colors placed side-by-side, designed to be loaded onto a brush or sponge all at once. Split cakes make it easy to create quick, colorful, blended designs with minimal effort, making them perfect for rainbows, butterflies, masks, and other eye-catching face painting designs.
Best For
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Sponging rainbow bases
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Backgrounds
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Quick cheek art
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Blended effects
Solid Color Cake
A single-color paint used for line work, outlines, and filling in areas. Function depends on the type of ‘base’ (read more about bases below).
Best For
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Line work
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Outlines
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Teardrops and swirls
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Filling in areas
Neon Colors
Bright, UV-reactive colors that glow under blacklight and are especially popular at parties and festivals. Many neon paints are labeled “not for cosmetic use” because some pigments are not FDA-approved for cosmetics in the U.S., even though they’re commonly used by professional face painters.
Best For
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Glow parties
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Festivals
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High-impact designs
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Bright accents
Shimmer & Metallics
Paints with a metallic or pearly finish that add sparkle and dimension to designs. Often used for highlights and accents. Great for background worked, especially with florals!
Best For
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Highlights
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Princess designs
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Eye designs
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Adding sparkle and dimension