Frequently Asked Questions

Face painting, Glitter Bar, and UV Neon Painting

How much do you charge?

I have 2 pricing options for these services:

1. Hourly Rate: £45 per hour. I require a £20 non-refundable deposit to secure the date, which will be deducted from the total balance. This is most common for events where you want to provide guests with a free service.

2. Pay per Face: £5 per face. No deposit required. This is most common for events where you want to provide an optional service for guests, which guests pay to myself by cash or card.

Why do you charge so much?

It can feel like a lot. I get it, but once you understand precisely what these costs cover, you maybe understand why they are set to the level they are.

I aim to provide a professional, high quality and reliable service; therefore the prices reflect not only my time and expertise, but also have to factor in:

• Public liability insurance in excess of £1,000,000

• Regularly replacing products and materials - which are very expensive.

• Associated travel costs - car fuel, car tax, insurance, wear and tear on my car.

• Prep work - cleaning and sanitising materials, creating bespoke design lists, and the setting and packing up.

• My skills and expertise, including my ability to produce good quality work under pressure

• My knowledge of what products work, how to keep everything healthy and sanitised.

What products do you use?

I only use high quality, professional-grade face paints and cosmetic glitters, from reputable suppliers, for all my body art services. These are products that are specifically made for use on skin. Some of the brands I use are Diamond FX, Tag, Fusion, Snazaroo, and Amerikan. I use artists brushes and sponges to apply paints, and silicone applicators and puff bottles to apply glitter. Stencils are made of a thin durable Mylar plastic.

Do you have insurance? Disclosure Scotland?

I have public liability insurance which I renew every year, a risk and method assessment which I review regularly and update if necessary, and Disclosure Scotland.

Disclosure Scotland is not necessarily required for face painters purely because we are never left alone with children, thus are not responsible for their supervision. I require parents/guardians/caregivers/event host to be present for health and safety reasons. However, through the nature of my day job I’ve been getting Disclosure Scotland and Protected Vulnerable Groups (PVG) checks throughout most of my adult life.

All of these documents are available to view on request.

What areas of Scotland do you cover?

I’m based in Falkirk, but I cover the Central Belt and beyond. There may be an additional fee for travel if the event is more than 45 minute drive away from my home.

Are you on social media?

Yep, I’m on TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram: All with @stardustfacesandspaces handle. Feel free to pop over and say hello or tag me. You use the Social Media links at the top right hand side of this page.

Who can you paint, and what can you paint?

I will paint anyone over the age of 3+ years, but there is no upper age limit, anyone can be painted. Due to insurance reasons, I cannot paint anyone under 2years. This is primarily for health and safety, and is standard among professional face painters. For children aged over 2 years, I may be able to offer a small arm design but this is only at my discretion and is dependent on the child. I reserve the right to refuse to paint someone who is abusive or threatening in any way.

In terms of what I can paint, the list is endless! I have a repertoire of designs but I always welcome requests and I’m more than happy to be put on the spot to create something new. I can provide a list of designs or we can work together to create a bespoke design list to fit your event: whether its incorporating the party theme or colour scheme. I also offer Halloween, Valentines, Easter, and Christmas designs. I can paint and apply glitter to cheeks, arms, hair free heads, shoulders, baby bumps, and beards. I reserve the right to refuse to paint a design I deem offensive or an area I’m uncomfortable painting.

Do you take photographs of my event and guests?

I normally take a photo of my set up and post this on social media, often tagging the location (unless its a residential property) after the event. If you would prefer I don’t do this, please let me know.

I do not take photos of children I’ve painted.

I may request verbal permission from adults (18+ years) who I’ve painted if I may photograph my work and use this for online marketing. There is no requirement for photos to be taken, and I don’t take offense if people prefer not to be photographed.

I’m happy for guests and host to take photos of me and my work, and post on social media, all I ask is you/they credit my business accordingly.

Why are there no photos of face and body paint on people on your site?

I don’t post photos of my children on social media, so I won’t post photos of yours. That’s your decision to make, and yours alone. Instead, I use practice boards or paint on my arm and share photos of those instead. It’s maybe not as good as the real thing, and I don’t get to show those happy excited wee faces. But for the sake of online child safety, I’m ok with that.

What are your hygiene practices?

I take hygiene and infection prevention very seriously.

Before events:

• All brushes and glitter applicators are washed with hot water and a mild hypoallergenic soap then left to air dry.

• All sponges are put through a machine wash at 30c with a non-bio washing detergent designed for sensitive skin then left to air dry.

• Chairs, mirrors, stencils, table etc are all cleaned with an antibacterial spray and hot water.

During events:

• I clean my hands between each customer with NHS approved antimicrobial cleanser (this is more gentle on my hands than antibacterial gel).

• I use 1 sponge per child, and used sponges are kept separate from clean sponges.

• I use a standard 3-pot cleaning system for brushes between faces: 1 with mild hypoallergenic soap, 2 with water for rinsing. Water is changed regularly.

For health and safety reasons I cannot paint anyone who:

• Is visibly unwell (i.e. has a runny nose or cough)

• Has a skin infection (i.e. chicken pox, hand foot and mouth - even if scabbed over).

What about skin reactions?

I urge people to use their own judgement whether skin will tolerate face paint or not. Patch tests are available on request. I will not paint on broken skin (i.e. eczema or psoriasis).

It is unlikely someone would suffer from an allergic reaction specifically to the products I use. However, in the event of a reaction, I advise customers to wash their face immediately with warm water. I will give customers a note of the product used, so they can avoid this occurring in the future.