Tips For Parents

First and most important, RELAX and have FUN! Your attitude is contagious and your emotions will often be picked up by your child. Unfortunately, they do not always correctly deduce the reasons why you might be apprehensive and will imagine some scary things. For many kids it's their first trip to a makeup artist and they don't know what to expect.

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Generally you don't have to worry about your child "acting up" -- they probably wont. And your definition of acting up is likely different from ours anyway. We are not bothered by kids laughing and having fun and squirming around. Its SUPPOSED to be fun! We are pretty good at hitting a moving target!

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As a parent, the general rule seems to be that the less you talk the better things are. Usually you do not need to echo our instructions to the kids. If you have any doubt about whether or not you need to say anything, odds are good you don't. 

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If you have more than one child getting makeup please keep the others back. Siblings and friends are often a distraction. The child getting makeup will want to look at their friend.

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If your child really wants a particular design and you just don't have the money for it, please QUIETLY let us know and we will usually be more than happy to help. We want both you and your child to get exactly what they want and I would rather lose money than see a child go away disappointed.

If you have a bunch of kids please ask us about a group rate.

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Please do not let your kids pick things up from our tables. The cosmetic products we use are VERY expensive and difficult to replace!

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Unless we specifically tell you otherwise everything we apply to your child can be easily removed with either a baby wipe or soap and water. If you have them at hand go with baby wipes first. The cosmetic products we use are designed for easy removal.

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Your child is NOT going to get sick or catch a cold from having their makeup done. In tests it has been shown that children are more likely to catch something waiting in line than they are from us. The cosmetic products we use are both FDA and EU tested and approved for use on the skin. All are treated with anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-mould agents. All are hypoallergenic (note that NOTHING is totally non-allergenic for every person); the average incidence of reaction with the makeup products we use is approximately one per ten-million people.  

We practice the strictest industry standards for makeup artists.

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Unless your child has particularly sensitive skin they are extremely unlikely to have any reaction at all to the products that we use. However, as unlikely as it is, as with any cosmetic product a reaction is POSSIBLE. If you have any concerns please discuss them with us. We will conduct a skin test.

(For the record, in all our years of doing fantasy and theatrical makeup we have only had one subject experience any type of adverse reaction. That one time was a full body prosthetic application on an actor with an extremely rare allergy, and even in that case no significant reaction occurred. We have never seen a negative reaction to the products we are likely to use on your child.)

In short, you probably have nothing to worry about, but if you are concerned please let us know!

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Not all makeup is the same, nor are all makeup artists! It is not uncommon to find "face painters" using inferior products, and practices that do not meet makeup industry recommendations and standards. We have even heard of people using acrylic paints and craft glitter on people's faces. These products are DANGEROUS. Some contain lead, some (even -- sadly -- some products marketed as "face paints") are mildly toxic, some have even produced permanent scaring. And if nothing else they can be a pain to remove.

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Sometimes people will look at our prices and make the decision to go elsewhere. I understand and sympathize with this -- money is tight for everyone. In our defense, there is a reason that our prices are high (a reason that goes beyond our desire to make money). Simply, the grade of makeup that we use is very expensive. It is, in fact, the best in the world. It is designed for durability, attractiveness, ease of removal, and extreme safety. Further, we are continuously testing and evaluating new products and new techniques. This is an ongoing process with us, with the goal of providing our customers with the best we are capable of. So yes, we are expensive, but we feel that our customers are worth it.

We hope that you agree.