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The Best Face Paint Makeup Kit

Last updated on October 25, 2019

We looked at the top 10 Halloween Makeup Kits and dug through the reviews from 56 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best Halloween Makeup Kits.

Best Halloween Makeup

Our Review Process

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The most important part of dressing may be your costume. Anyone can buy a witch’s hat or a store-bought mask and call it a day, but diving into some face paint will really set your look apart. Don’t be intimidated if you’ve never stretched your creative wings with makeup before. Even a few small details or a dusting of glitter will elevate your costume.

There are several types of makeup kits, but the most popular makeup kits are either colorful palettes of face paint or upgraded kits with latex and fake blood for special effects. The face paint kits come with a rainbow of colors, a few brushes or sponges and usually a container or two of glitter.

The paint itself will be water-based, oil-based or alcohol-based. Water-based paints are easy to apply and remove, but may run if you get sweaty while trick-or-treating. Oil or grease-based paint is tougher to work with and tougher to remove, but it has better staying power. Alcohol-based (or alcohol-activated) paints will last through almost anything, but they’re expensive and very difficult to apply.

Special effects makeup kits also come with paint palettes, but the colors are closer to skin-tone shades for realistic burns, scratches and wounds. They also come with fake blood, modeling putty, fixatives and prosthetics.

Face paint makeup kits are fun for all ages. Take a look at our Tips & Advice for the nuts and bolts of buying these fun accessories.

Our Picks For The Top Halloween Makeup Kits

View All Recommendations
Product Overview
Our Take
Pros
Cons
 Best Hypo-Allergenic

Artiparty Face Paint Kit

Don't Waste Your Money Seal of Approval

Artiparty

Face Paint Kit

This makeup kit's got it all: tons of skin-safe colors, brushes and glitter galore. You can create basic looks for kids or more exotic looks for adult costumes. It has a comfortable, lotion-like texture, and it's easy to remove.

Overall Take

Fully LoadedA full rainbow of skin-friendly colors at a great price.

Pros
" Paint your body and face with a safe color palette such as the Artiparty face painting kit. It is non-toxic, hypoallergenic, paraben-free and FDA-approved which prevents rashes, burns or any skin allergies caused by harmful chemicals. Perfectly safe especially for..."
Cons
"It smudges easily as it takes quite a bit of time to dry up. It has a cakey and flakey finish once it dries up completely."
 Best Special Effects

Mehron Makeup Special FX Kit

Mehron

Makeup Special FX Kit

This kit has everything you need to create movie-quality special effects. You can get the creepiest look on the block with an eight-color palette, modeling putty, liquid latex and more. It comes with step-by-step instructions for newbies.

Overall Take

Wonderfully SpookyA do-it-all kit for realistic wounds.

Pros
" If you want to cover all your bases and get all your supplies in one place, the Mehron Special FX Kit is a great way to start. You can basically go from having no tools to everything you need in..."
 Best White

Mehron Makeup Clown White Professional Makeup

Mehron

Makeup Clown White Professional Makeup

Whether you're going for "funny ha-ha" or "funny scary," this white makeup base can help out. Its high pigment count creates a lasting white base. You can also become a comic book character, sugar skull or anything else you can dream up.

Overall Take

Quality ClowningAn affordable makeup base for clown costumes and beyond.

Pros
" It's one of the most popular choices because it's so versatile — reviewers have used it for clown costumes, comic book characters, sugar skull makeup, and more — plus it's especially long-lasting when covered with a layer of baby powder...."
Cons
"Cleaning of the paint can be tasking as it requires more effort."
 Best Overall

Snazaroo Face Paint Kit Ultimate Party Pack

Snazaroo

Face Paint Kit Ultimate Party Pack

This kit's bright colors and glittery gels make it a top choice for family fun. The skin-friendly ingredients create gorgeous hues for unforgettable costumes. They also wash off easily after a night of face-paint fun.

Overall Take

Family FriendlyA full palette of intense colors for painting every face in your trick-or-treating group.

Pros
" The Snazaroo Ultimate Party Pack contains a dozen vibrant colors and two glitter gels for a sparkling finish. It includes a step-by-step guide that makes it easy for anyone to create a variety of designs, from animals to superheroes."
Cons
"The liquid glitter may cause your paint to bleed or smear."
Don't just take for granted what one reviewer says. Along with our own experts, DWYM analyzes the top expert reviews of the leading products and generates a score you can actually trust.
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Products Considered

We identified the majority of the halloween makeup kits available to purchase.
10

Products Analyzed

We then selected the leading and most popular products for our team to review.

View All Product Rankings

56

Expert Reviews Included

In addition to our expert reviews, we also incorporate feedback and analysis of some of the most respected sources including: Top Ten Review Pro, Gist Gear, Best Seekers, Secret Asian Man, 10Bestify.

8,848

User Opinions Analyzed

We also incorporate user reviews from the leading retailers including

Our experts reviewed the top 10 Halloween Makeup Kits and also dug through the reviews from 56 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best of the best Halloween Makeup Kits.

DWYM is your trusted roduct review source. Our team reviews thousands of product reviews from the trusted top experts and combines them into one easy-to-understand score. Learn more.

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Look for the DWYM seal for products that are the best in their category.

The Best Bang For Your Buck

Mehron Makeup Clown White Professional Makeup

Our Expert Score

10.0
6 expert reviews

User Summarized Score

8.8
1,168 user reviews

Our Take

Whether you're going for "funny ha-ha" or "funny scary," this white makeup base can help out. Its high pigment count creates a lasting white base. You can also become a comic book character, sugar skull or anything else you can dream up.

What other experts liked

It's one of the most popular choices because it's so versatile — reviewers have used it for clown costumes, comic book characters, sugar skull makeup, and more — plus it's especially long-lasting when covered with a layer of baby powder. It has rave reviews — one customer, who often works...
- Bustle
September 10, 2019 | Full review
Consistency in quality and coverage are what makes Mehron s Clown White the first choice of professional clowns and mimes. This super smooth, ultra-white cream covers efficiently without dryness or cracking, even under the most demanding performance conditions. Mehron uses a high concentration of titanium dioxide and formulates the base...
- Gist Gear
September 30, 2019 | Full review
Overall, this is a high performing white face paint that is recommended by professionals. Its highly pigmented color is second to none. Just know that this is an oil-based white face paint, so clean up will be a bit more extensive.
- Createlet
January 7, 2019 | Full review
Available in three different sizes, the Mehron white face clown paint is one of the quality white face paints available in the market. Having been used in multiple Broadway productions such as Lion King and Shrek, the Mehron Clown white paint is an oil-based paint that is quite popular. Its...
- Secret Asian Man
April 30, 2019 | Full review
I bought this excellent Mehron Clown White to compare it with another well-known brand. Flawless. I love this clown white. It goes on well, wears well, and has unbeatable coverage. This is good stuff! If you need clown white, you can't go wrong with this Mehron Clown White. I'm very...
- Clown Antics

What other experts didn't like

Cleaning of the paint can be tasking as it requires more effort.
- Secret Asian Man
April 30, 2019 | Full review

What to Look For

  • Only use paint that is designated for use on your skin when creating your look. Using crafting paint, markers or decorative glitter can cause unpleasant skin reactions.
  • Be mindful of any skin sensitivities you may have before you break out your brushes and sponges. Non-toxic paints can still cause a skin reaction if they contain ingredients that you’re sensitive to. Test out your paints on a small patch of skin before you paint your entire face.
  • Brush quality matters, but the brushes that came with your set should be fine for small or simple jobs. If you want to go for something more complex, look for a set of mixed flat and round artist’s brushes.
  • You can use sponges to cover larger areas, but standard makeup sponges might absorb too much paint. Cut a car sponge into small pieces for an inexpensive option.
  • How you remove your face paint is just as important as how you apply it. You can use plain soap and water, or baby shampoo, for water-based paints with no sealant. If you used oil-based makeup or sprayed a sealant on top of your makeup to help it last, you’ll need to use a combination of baby shampoo, cold cream and makeup remover. Don’t use baby wipes or rub too hard — this can cause skin irritation.
  • Most special effects kits come with spirit gum remover, which takes off prosthetics. Make sure your kit has some before you add your fake wounds!

Halloween Makeup Kit Rankings

1. Artiparty Face Paint Kit

Overall Score: 9.6
Reviews Included: 7

2. Mehron Makeup Special FX Kit

Overall Score: 9.6
Reviews Included: 9

3. Mehron Makeup Clown White Professional Makeup

Overall Score: 9.6
Reviews Included: 7

4. Snazaroo Face Paint Kit Ultimate Party Pack

Overall Score: 9.5
Reviews Included: 16

5. Zenovika Face Paint Kit for Kids

Overall Score: 9.4
Reviews Included: 6

6. Midnight Glo UV Body Paint

Overall Score: 9.2
Reviews Included: 4

7. CCBeauty Professional Face Body Paint Oil

Overall Score: 8.6
Reviews Included: 4

8. SpeedRobot Face Paint Kit for Kids

Overall Score: 7.8
Reviews Included: 5

9. Dress Up America 12 Color Face Paint

Overall Score: 7.8
Reviews Included: 3

10. Jmkcoz 120 Colors Eyeshadow

Overall Score: 7.6
Reviews Included: 8

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