Currently in my box of ALCOHOL BASED body painting supplies:

* Reel Creations Body Ink

* Reel Creations Blue Aqua Sealer (Gives smudge and water resistance to the paint.)

* Reel Creations Body Ink Remover

* Application sponge cut into a half or fourth.

* A small tray for loading the sponge with body paint.

* Lipstick (Body ink will eventually rub off the lips.)

* Eyeliner (For the inside edges of eyelids, especially the bottom.)

* Eyebrow brush (For getting extra body paint off the eyebrows.)

* Eyeshadow  (Body paint comes off creases in eyelids.)

* Nail polish (Body paint won't stick well to nails, but it sticks to polish!)

* Colored contact lenses (For an exotic look!)

* Hair net made for under wigs  (Keeps hair up, and protects it.)

* Air compressor and airbrush

* Plastic housepainter's dropcloth (To keep the floor drip free.)

* 15" box fan with an air conditioner filter taped to the side  (Catches paint overspray.)

Painting Technique for Alcohol Based Body Inks

Note: I only use this body paint when I have an airbrush.  If you are going to invest in the high quality ink then you need to invest in an airbrush, too.  Otherwise, you're pretty much throwing your body paint money away!

First, wash your skin with soap, or wipe it with an alcohol cleaning wipe to remove skin oils.  

Put in your contacts if you wear them.

Using a small sponge (I use a round sponge cut in half or fourths, or a flat makeup sponge), apply a light layer of body ink.  You do not want to use a large sponge, because it will soak up and waste too much of the ink.  That first layer of ink will be uneven, but that doesn't matter.  Just get a base coat over the entire area to be painted.  The ink will dry faster if you stand in the breeze created by the fan... but be warned, alcohol based ink gets very chilly as it evaporates!  When applying ink around the eyes and nose, the fumes can really sting.  It helps to stand with your face directly in the breeze from the fan.  It will help the ink evapoate faster, and will blow the alcohol fumes away from your sensitive skin!

Once the base coat has been applied and has been given time to dry, apply a very light second coat with the airbrush.  This will even out the color very well.

Finish up by applying a very light coat of Blue Aqua Sealer.  This will protect the ink from liquids and smudging.

That's it!  The ink will stay on amazingly well.

To remove alchol based paint, you will need a remover made for that purpose.  It is possible to scrub the paint off with just soap and a scrubbing pad, but your skin will be rubbed quite raw by the time you get all the color off!  Reel Creations sells a remover that works very well.  99% alcohol works, but really dries out the skin.  There is also a remover cream sold by Reel Creations for removing paint from the sensitive skin, but I don't care for it.  It works very slowly, and is terribly greasy.

After removing the paint, it's a good idea to apply a moisturizing lotion.

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