We decorate faces and bodies with paint, glitter and gems. We will happily paint arms, legs, backs, shoulders and decolletage in addition to faces at standard events. We will not normally paint any body part usually covered by a swimsuit. We also apply festival glitters and gem clusters to both face and body, and glitter tattoos to bodies, but not faces. If you are interested in pregnancy [bump] painting or full body painting for promotional events, art or photography, please contact us to discuss your requirements.

We provide entertainment for children and adults with magic, balloon modelling and much more – packages are available for events of all kinds, and we can often help put you in touch with other trusted entertainment professionals to create your perfect package.

Our artists do not rely books or pictures to create their designs, and we will not ask guests to choose from pictures unless you want us to limit the available options for a specific theme or event – all our painters can create a wide range of fantastic faces and designs from memory and can improvise to accommodate most requests we might receive, allowing the children and adults to make a free choice [subject to the limitations of time and materials] If you want us to work within a particular theme please specify when you book to allow us to ensure we are properly prepared for your event.

At large events and those open to the public it will be necessary for clients to queue to be painted, but we assume that you will not want the children at your small private events to miss out on other entertainment or activities, so we do not encourage the children to queue – Depending on the type of event we will either allocate the children numbers so they can come up in order to be painted, or simply call them out one at a time so that each child only misses out on other activities for the short time it takes for them to be painted.

We are happy to quote for your event with no obligation. We can often suggest a number of different options to suit your requirements, and to fit a wide range of budgets. The more information you can give us when you enquire the better, but you will need to be able to tell us at least the type of event, the general location, the length of time you want to book for and expected numbers. No job is too big or too small, and we are happy to travel, so please enquire – We offer very competitive rates for our high quality service!

For general guidance, it can be assumed that a professional face painter will be able to complete 12 – 15 full faces in an hour. A larger number of simple designs, festival faces [glitter and gems] or glitter tattoos will be possible in the same period.

If you want to check availability you will also need to let us know the date and time you have in mind. Dates are booked on a first-come-first-served basis. If you have checked that the date you want is available, but you are not ready to make a booking, we will offer to hold the date for a short time. Dates can be held for a maximum of 5 working days. We will take your contact details and if we receive another enquiry for the same date within 5 days we will make every effort to get in touch before we take another booking. Popular dates [ weekends and holidays ] fill up fastest, so if you want to make a booking for a specific date we recommend getting in touch 6 – 8 weeks in advance.

When you make a booking we will take all your details, and we will confirm the price for the job and the deposit payable. We will send you a booking confirmation form and terms and conditions either by post or e-mail. You will need to confirm acceptance of the booking and pay your deposit within 7 days of the date on the booking confirmation. [We may waive the requirement for a deposit on short notice bookings.] If we do not receive your acceptance, deposit payment, or other communication within 7 days we will assume you no longer wish to proceed with the booking and the date will be released. Please let us know if you have not received a confirmation within 10 days of making a booking. Signing the confirmation or giving written notification of acceptance of the booking by e-mail, text or message indicates acceptance of our terms and conditions of business.

Payment for your event may be made on the day by cash or cheque, or by instant payment via internet banking. If you wish to pay by bank transfer but do not have access to instant payment this must be done far enough in advance that payment may be verified on the day of the event.  Please speak to us to agree your method of payment. We will accept payment of deposits by cheque, PayPal or bank transfer / internet banking – Please note that if you choose to send cash you do so at your own risk. We regret that we do not have facilities to accept credit card payments except via PayPal. The balance due must be paid in full on the day except where invoice payment terms have been agreed by prior arrangement.

Our face painters and entertainers will bring all the equipment they require with them to your event.

Face painters will need an area in which to set up a table and chair, access to a supply of clean water and somewhere to dispose of dirty water. Wherever we are working a reasonable level of light, either natural or artificial is essential – we cannot paint if we cannot see. For outdoor events suitable cover/shelter will be required even if the weather is good.

Depending on the type of entertainment booked, entertainers may require access to power for music and lighting, and may need a suitable changing area. If outdoors suitable cover/shelter for static performers may be required.

Face Painting by Dawn uses only professional waterbased face paints. All products are FDA, EU and EEC approved for use on face and body. The paints are hypoallergenic and contain agents to prohibit the formation of yeast, mold and bacteria.

We use only cosmetic grade polyester glitters with no metallic content, which are safe for skin. Our super-fine glitters are safe for eyes and chunky Festival glitters are applied outside the eye socket area only.

Glitter tattoos are applied using dermatologically approved body glue and super-fine polyester glitter. The skin is cleaned prior to application using sterile wipes.

Festival glitters are applied using water-based gel approved for face and body.

Gem clusters are applied with skin-safe medical grade adhesive tape.

We adhere to strict standards of hygienic practice. Clean sponges are used for each face and brushes are rinsed thoroughly in clean water, which is changed regularly. Sponges and brushes are washed with hot water and specialist soap between events. Dirty faces are cleaned before we start work and we use anti-bacterial hand cleaner. 

To remove paint from skin first rinse off as much as possible with warm water, then work up a lather using mild soap or baby shampoo, rinse and repeat as necessary. Vegetable or glycerine soap is best for removing paint. Some colours contain strong pigments and will be harder to remove, especially on very fair or dry skin, but all will come off without staining. Please do not remove paint with baby wipes, as these contain alcohol and astringent cleansers which dry out the skin and may cause a reaction, and oils which can “set” the paint. Make-up cleansers and wipes are not recommended for removing face paint for the same reasons.

To remove paint from clothing rinse well with warm water as soon as possible and treat stain with vegetable soap before laundering as usual.

Glitter tattoos are waterproof and will stay on for 3-5 days depending on the amount of wear on the area. To remove use baby oil on cotton wool [olive oil or shaving oil will work too] and hold the oily pad over the tattoo for a few minutes to soften the glue, then rub gently to remove. Alternatively tattoos can be removed by gentle rubbing in the bath or shower. Glitter tattoos are not recommended for application to the face or other sensitive areas.

Festival glitters can be removed with soap and warm water, taking care to wipe glitter away from the eyes.

Gem clusters can be removed easily by peeling them carefully off the skin, and can be reapplied if desired using eyelash glue or body tape.

All face painter and entertainers supplied by Face Painting by Dawn hold full Public Liability Insurance of at least £2m. Dawn is insured through Equity by First Act, underwritten by Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance plc. with a limit of indemnity of £10m.

Though it is not a legal requirement for face painters and entertainers to be PVG registered and Disclosure Scotland checked as we are not alone in one to one contact with children or vulnerable people, most choose to undergo a voluntary annual Disclosure check for your peace of mind. Our face painters and entertainers can all produce PVG numbers or Disclosure certificates on request.

 *Please read these Terms and Conditions carefully – If you do not agree with our terms you must advise us in writing within 48 hours of receipt of your booking contract and your booking will be cancelled without penalty. After 48 hours you will be deemed to have accepted the terms and standard cancellation charges will apply.

Payment, Booking Fees and Cancellations

Private Bookings – Payment for your event can be made on the day by cash, cheque or instant transfer via internet banking provided that receipt of payment is capable of being verified. You can also pay in advance by cheque, PayPal or bank transfer – please enquire for details. All advance payments must be received not less than 48 hours before the event unless otherwise agreed. The balance due must be settled in full on or before the day of the event except by prior arrangement. The agreed payment terms for your event are noted on your booking contract. If you require an invoice for your records please request one when confirming your booking.
We accept payment of booking fees by PayPal via our PayPalMe link, by cheque or bank transfer – Please note that if you choose to send cash you do so at your own risk. We regret that we do not have facilities to accept credit card payments except via PayPal. Cancellation charges apply as stated below.

Corporate Bookings – Payment terms are as agreed and are stated on your contract / invoice. Where payment is to be made in advance or on the day of the event, an advance invoice will be submitted on request to permit payment processing. Where credit is extended for payment on invoice, terms are strictly 30 days unless otherwise agreed and stated. Interest may be charged at our discretion on payments overdue by more than 10 days at a rate of 10% per week. Cancellation charges apply as stated below. Booking fees are not usually required for corporate bookings.

The signed booking contract, a written confirmation of the booking by e-mail, message or text, or payment of the booking fee will constitute a binding contract, and indicates agreement of these terms and conditions. The booking fee, once paid, is non-refundable except as detailed below. All bookings are considered provisional until the signed contract, written confirmation or booking fee is received. Provisional booking dates which remain unconfirmed more than 7 days after the issue of a contract may be released for alternative bookings without further notice.

Cancellations – Cancellations notified within 7 days of making the booking and more than 14 days in advance of the event date will incur no charge, and any booking fee paid will be returned. Cancellations notified more than 7 days after making a booking will the forfeit any booking fee paid. IN ADDITION – Bookings cancelled within 14 days of the event date will incur a 50% charge. Cancellation within 7 days of the event date will incur a 75% charge, and within 72 hours of the event the full fee will be payable. These charges are applied at our discretion and may be waived or amended in exceptional circumstances, or if an alternative mutually acceptable date is booked at the time of cancellation, such date being no more than 90 days from that of the original booking.  **Only one free change of date may be made per booking – additional requests to transfer a date may be made by agreement, but will incur an additional £30 fee per request.

COVID 19 * If a booking made in good faith has to be cancelled due to changes to Covid 19 legislation any booking fee paid will be returned in full, and no cancellation charges will be applied. Where a cancellation is due to Covid 19 related illness or self-isolation no cancellation charge will apply and booking fees may be transferred to an alternative mutually acceptable date.** See above

It is the responsibility of the booker to check the details of the contract and ensure that these are correct. Changes or corrections to the contract must be advised without delay. We will make every effort to accommodate changes to the contracted time or date prior to your booking, and subject to availability, but where we are unable to do so cancellation charges may apply as above. If an artist or performer presents themselves ready and willing to work at the contracted time and place, and is prevented from performing the contracted service due to booker error or other circumstances [including event cancellation due to adverse weather conditions], the full fee for the contracted booing will remain due and payable.

If, for reasons beyond our control, we find that the booked artist/performer is unable to fulfil our obligations regarding your booking, we will make every reasonable effort to find an alternative face painter or entertainer to attend your event. We will inform you if this is necessary, but reserve the right to substitute an alternative artist or entertainer of equal ability without penalty. If we are unable to find a suitable replacement artiste we will refund any booking fee and give you a 50% discount on your next booking.

Health & Safety Disclaimer

Face Painting by Dawn uses only professional water based face paints. All products are approved to British Standard for cosmetic use on face and body. The paints are hypoallergenic and contain agents to prohibit the formation of yeast, mould and bacteria. We use only super-fine cosmetic grade polyester glitters with no metallic content, which are safe for skin and eyes. Glitter tattoos are applied using dermatologically approved body glue and polyester glitter. For tattoos the skin is cleaned prior to application with sterile wipes. Festival glitters are applied with skin safe water-based gel, and face and body gems are applied on medical-grade double-sided adhesive film.
We adhere to strict standards of hygiene – clean sponges are used for each face and brushes are rinsed thoroughly in clean water which is changed regularly. Sponges and brushes are washed with hot water and specialist soap between events. Dirty faces are wiped before we start work, and we use anti-bacterial hand cleanser to minimise the risk of cross-contamination. * At this time we are also following additional industry standard procedures to ensure the safety of our artists and clients –  these include distanced queuing, use of hand sanitisers and PPE, and additional cleaning of our workstation, tools and materials between clients.*

As with any cosmetic product, face paints, water-based gel and adhesive products may cause a reaction in a small number of people. In such cases the paint, adhesive or gel should be removed immediately. Face paint or glitter applied with water-based gel should be removed use mild soap and warm water, taking care to wipe away from the eyes. Glitter tattoos should be removed with oil on cotton wool, and gem clusters should be peeled carefully off the skin. We accept no liability for adverse reactions to the products used – if you believe you or a child for whom you are responsible may be sensitive to any product please do not ask to be painted, or request a patch test and wait 30 minutes . We advise that face paints should be removed after 2-3 hours and children should not be allowed to wear face paint overnight.

Face paints may stain clothing – we accept no liability if this should occur. 

Face paints are not recommended for use on children aged under 3. We regret that due to the restrictions of our insurance, which require that we work in accordance with product manufacturers labelling instructions, we must refuse to paint any child under 3 years.

No person with cold sores, conjunctivitis, broken or inflamed skin on the face will be painted. We may offer hand or arm painting as an alternative at our discretion. We will not paint any person who is obviously displaying symptoms of an infectious illness such as measles or chicken pox. Please do not ask to be painted if you are unwell. The decision of the face painter is final. 

General Guidance

Adult consent is required before any child under 16 years old can be painted. At private parties it will be deemed to be the responsibility of the client to inform parents that face painting will be offered, and to inform the painter if any child cannot be painted.
AUTHORISATION FOR PUBLIC/CORPORATE EVENTS If you are booking a face painter for a public/corporate event you may authorise us to paint unaccompanied children [under 16’s], or instruct us to paint only children who are accompanied by an adult. If you wish us to paint unaccompanied children this is done entirely at your own risk. Where no authorisation is given only accompanied children [under 16] will be painted.

Despite being CRB/PVG checked our face painters and entertainers are not child minders, and do not accept responsibility for any child left unaccompanied. Parents/guardians are deemed responsible for their children’s safety and behaviour, and at least one responsible adult must be present in the performance area at all times during private events.

Face painting should be fun for all involved. In order to avoid harm and distress we will only paint children who want to be painted, are able to communicate their wishes to the painter, and who are able to sit reasonably still. We will not paint unwilling or distressed children, nor will we paint children who are asleep, regardless of adult wishes.

Many artists have experience working with children and adults with disabilities and sensory issues, and we are happy to try to include them in the activity where possible. Parents and Carers of children or adults with special needs should speak to the painter/entertainer present who will do their best to accommodate these.

We will not paint subjects, words or symbols which we deem to be offensive, or which are inappropriate to the event. Team badges, colours and associated symbols will only be painted at appropriate sporting events.

Face Painting by Dawn operates a policy of zero tolerance towards violent and abusive behaviour. We reserve the right to refuse to paint or entertain any person who behaves in a violent or abusive manner towards the painter/performer or any other person. A face painter may, at their discretion, refuse to paint any person obviously under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Violent or abusive behaviour by any person during face painting/entertainment will result in the activity being halted until such persons are removed, and if such behaviour is ongoing, may result in the withdrawal of services.

The decision of the face painter or entertainer in all matters is final.

We may, occasionally, ask permission to take digital photographs of the faces we paint. We may display photographs on this or other face painting websites, on social networking sites, and use them for advertising purposes. We will not photograph any child without adult consent. If we take a photograph of your child we will be happy to supply you with a copy by e-mail at no charge. Please check our privacy policy for your rights in relation to data control. 

Please note – all images displayed on this site are the work of Dawn Cuthbertson unless otherwise stated, and I retain absolute copyright. No image may be copied, downloaded or otherwise reproduced, altered or used in any form except with the express permission of Face Painting by Dawn.

If you have a question not answered on this page, please contact me.