Before starting, you ensure your hands and nails are well cleaned. File your nails if necessary, so that there are no snags. By doing this you prevent damages on the face and risk of infection.
Always work using clean materials (sponges, brushes, spatulas, water bowls) and change the water regularly.
Get the subject to put on any clothes beforehand that have to be put on over the head. Protect your models clothing with a hairdressing cape or a towel. You can also use an old shirt for this: put it on your model back to front and cut off the sleeves to the right length.
Hint: children like to be able to watch their face being painted in the mirror. This will generally ensure they are less easily distracted and are more likely to sit still.
If the skin is dry or sensitive, than apply a thin layer of Grimas Under Make-up Base: a non-greasy cream with a caring effect. Let the skin absorb it for a few minutes before you start working on the skin with Cake or Water Make-up, thus ensuring that the product has been fully absorbed into the skin.
You can apply Grimas Water Make-up (Pure) directly to the skin, but you may also choose to apply a layer of Grimas Cake Make-Up first. This offers the advantage that the colours of the Water Make-Up colours are more even and more intense (especially the lighter tints and silver) and that in addition, these colours can be removed more easily from the skin later on.
You apply Cake Make-up with a slightly damp make-up sponge. If you work with too much moisture, streaks will form.
You can press the make-up sponge down onto a tissue to remove any excess moisture.
Take the make-up sponge between the fingertips and squeeze it together to create a round surface. With this surface the make-up can be applied.
When you want to age a fair skin, you first shadow and than lighten. With a dark skin you start right away with lightening. On the dark skin lightening is done with yellow because white gets gray. Work subtly and use little water, to make the effect more natural. Apply the yellow make-up on the higher situated parts of the face.
For an extra effect you can give the eyes a darkish red line along the bottom of the eyelashes.
Apply a dark brown beard shadow of Cake Make-up or Water Make-up with a sponge, on the areas of natural beard growth. Dab a moist Stubble Sponge into black Grimas Water Make-up (Pure). Hold the Stubble Sponge between the fingers and compress it gently, so that it becomes a bit convex. Test the colour intensity on the hand first. Then work dabbing onto the skin: do not use a brushing motion, since you would remove the structured effect.
General tip: Water Make-up can be used to add (additional) colour to the hair and eyebrows, provided that the hair is not permed, bleached or dyed. Use a toothbrush to do this.
You can lightly wash the skin with lukewarm water and soap (or shampoo) to already remove a great part. Massage it in briefly and rinse off with lukewarm water. Scrubbing too much with water and soap or shampoo can irritate the skin. You can clean the skin further if required with a cleansing milk or cleansing cream. Massage it in gently and remove it with a soft tissue.
Do not use Afschmink, as this contains waxes and oils which actually adhere the Water Make-up to the skin.
Do not use ready-to-use cleansing cloths.
If a trace of colour is left on the skin, it can be removed with Grimas Cleansing Lotion. If the skin feels dry after cleaning, you can apply a care cream.
Hair that has been coloured using Water Make-up (Pure) can be washed with shampoo.
If necessary, rinse the Water Make-up clean and wipe the surfaces of the colours dry with clean tissues. Let the make-up dry out in the air and only put the lid back on when the Water Make-up is dry. Store it in a dry and cool place until the next time you use it.
The sponges are disposable so you can throw them away after use. If you do want to reuse them, first rinse them under the tap with some soap or shampoo or wash them in the washing machine (in a net bag or pillow case), set to at least 60°C.
You can clean brushes with water and soap or shampoo. Put the moist hairs of the brushes back into shape by hand after washing. Dry the brushes lying flat on a towel and do not place them upright, since that causes the moisture to run down into the shaft.