Hair Spray or Setting the paint

For doing both layered work and to protect vs smudging, is there a particular spray that works well? One guy I know uses some hair spray but I wonder if there is a particular brand/type that works particularly well.

he doesn't do much face work, mainly the rest of the body.

I've used aerosol hairspray on a mom's belly to help it not fade as much before she got home to show hubby...cheaper the better...LOL Actually I have $1 a can stuff to use as fuel in a potato canon. THAT is why I get the cheap stuff. LOL I'm sure any hairspray will work. Just give a few gentle coats from a distance..your not trying to soak it in one go...

When Body Painting, I use Aqua Net as a cheap alternative to Ben Nye Final Seal. The components are almost identical but different perfume I guess. I've used Aqua Net to set my own face paint when I know I'll be at a fair in the heat all day. It does seem to prevent me from sweating the paint off.

I read this and tried it on myself this morning. I didn't notice a difference, BUT I wasn't standing in the sun, or sweating, and it wasn't body paint here it would rub together/on stuff, either. So I can't really form an accurate opinion. Maybe some of our warm weather gals can try it for you? Jzino in the post above, says it works for her! I am curious to try it again.

I don't think I would suggest using hairspray on kids faces. I can only imagine the mother when a painter whips out a can of hairspray and tells little Sally to close her eyes, LOL!

When we used it it had two purposes:

First, to hold hair down on arms, etc, as much as possible. We were painting dancers so (being ladies) they didn't have a lot of arm/leg/back hair lol.

Second, to keep the paint from smearing as easily. I don't know how well that worked but it seemed to help at least some.

Rampant wrote:
First, to hold hair down on arms, etc, as much as possible.

Ohhhh... SMART!!

It works well as long as there isn't a lot of hair. I'm a guy, and not a particularly hairy one, but my arm hair is such that even with hairspray it gets in the way. Some of it is just how long the hairs are, not how many. So, a woman with little hair and all short (like 2-3mm) should be fine. 5mm+ and it got a bit unwieldy.

I'm looking at the Kryolan fixier stuff now...

Rampant wrote:
I'm looking at the Kryolan fixier stuff now...

Let us know what you think of it!

I can't see a huge problem with spraying it on a face, although I don't see it really being necessary on a face in the first place. Hairspray is something people spray around their heads already, and you inadvertently get a little on your face when using it on hair anyway, which is no big deal.

I've tried it on my inner arm, because that's where I do my practice doodling, and it's an area that I find paint rubs off from. It seems to help a little. Not all hairspray is the same though - the one I normally use sprays on quite dry and is fine over paint. The other day I tried a different (cheaper) brand I bought just for my arms (so I wasn't wasting my 'good' hairspray), but it was completely different - as soon as I sprayed it the black lines all started to run everywhere & it ruined the paint.

Apparently the 'fixer' sprays like Kryolan's Fixier are the way to go. They are specifically designed to make the paints hold.

I'll pick up a bottle in the next couple weeks and see how it does.

One reason my company uses professional grade products is because we are professionals. I charge clients a rate that takes into account top quality products. Sure we like to cut corners to keep profit in our pockets, but frankly if you can't afford professional grade products as a professional your doing something wrong.

I have body painted models in a TFP situation and used hairspray. I will say as noted earlier that not all hairspray reacts over all makeup/paints they same. Some paints will get spotches and some gooey.

For paid work Mehron Fixing spray works very well - great in fact. Hands down I swear by Kryolan, the pump is great+ and sorry mother earth but the areosal is the very best. I pose models in 100* weather, in trees, on rocks and makeup stays put.

If you are a professional use, look and act professional. It's a standard that in the long run will put more money in your pockets.

I can't justify the expense of $25-$30 (depending on where you're shopping) for a product I rarely use. I keep the Aqua Net around in the off chance that I may actually need it. Where's the line between looking professional and being ripped off?
I can count the number of outdoor shoots I've done on one hand. Now, if body painting for folks at festivals really picks up for me, then I would look into keeping a professional fixer around. It definitely looks like I would prefer the Kryolan over the Ben Nye I have used in the past.

JZino wrote:When Body Painting, I use Aqua Net as a cheap alternative to Ben Nye Final Seal. The components are almost identical but different perfume I guess. I've used Aqua Net to set my own face paint when I know I'll be at a fair in the heat all day. It does seem to prevent me from sweating the paint off.

So...maybe a stupid question BUT how do you KNOW that the "professional" products didn't start out being hair spray? If a lot of face paints start out basically the same in some factory in China, how do you know that non-aerosol Aqua-Net and Ben-Nye Final Seal aren't similiar? Just something to think about.