Take a look over the following FAQ. If you have any questions left unanswered, please get in touch.
General FAQs:
- What areas do you cover? In short - everywhere! Are are Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, New Plymouth, Wellington and Christchurch based... with artists/twisters in many different suburbs. We'll happily travel anywhere you'd like, but there may be a travel fee for events further from our homes. If your artist has other bookings in your area, we'll split the travel charge between you :) We've covered Whangaparaoa and Helensville in the past and would be happy to travel further afield to make your celebration special. Get in touch with specific details for a travel quote.
- I saw one of you painting/twisting/entertaining at an event recently, can I have the same team member attend my party? If they're available, definitely! If they're not available we'll do our best to shift things around if possible to accommodate your request, or we might need to look at another time or artist.
- Is there any situation you can't work in? As long as we have space to work (we don't really need much) with good lighting and cover from the sun on hot days or shelter from the wind and rain in bad weather, we're all set to go.
- Do we need to supply parent/adult helpers? This is a tricky question to answer. In short, if you're able to, it will generally improve the overall feel of your event. Our face painters and balloon twisters are (for the most part) focused on the child that they're currently working with and whilst we can keep a little eye on the other children, our focus remains on offering gorgeous face painting and fun balloons and to do this, we can't control a large group. Our character entertainers are used to engaging larger numbers of children at once but having additional adults around is always a great help!
- Do we need to supply any materials? We bring our own paints and balloons as required. Please see below for information regarding tables and chairs.
Fees, Payments and Terms:
- Are you GST registered? Fab Faces Corporate is registered for GST, Fab Faces Private is not. This means that if you're holding a private birthday party, GST will not be collected; if you're having us join you as part of a corporate booking, GST will be added to the quoted artists' rate.
- How can I pay you? Fab Faces Corporate: You will be invoiced for the full amount and payment will be required prior to the event, unless otherwise arranged. Fab Faces Private: You will be invoiced a deposit, for which payment needs to clear to secure your booking. The remainder can be paid to the artist on the day or invoiced to allow you to pay online ahead of time.
- What is the travel fee? We charge travel costs from the artists house to your location to ensure our costings are as fair as possible. Please contact us for a specific quote to suit your needs.
- What is your cancellation policy? Fab Faces Private: If you decide to cancel your booking after it has been confirmed the deposit is payable please unless otherwise arranged (if outside of 7 days notice). As you can appreciate, there are times when we turn others away because spots have been confirmed - if you're not 100% sure, we're more than happy to pencil a slot in for you (no penalty for cancelling) ... we'll just get in touch if someone else requests that time and ask that you confirm one way or the other. If you cancel your event within 7 days, the full fee may be payable.
Fab Faces Corporate: Once your booking has been confirmed, it will be considered non-refundable unless otherwise agreed. - What happens if the booked artist can't come to my event? When your party is confirmed, we will advise which artist is likely to attend your event (you're welcome to make a specific request of course) - If the artist scheduled for your event is unable to attend we will advise you with as much notice as possible and transfer your booking to another available Fab Faces artist if possible (if you would rather cancel the booking than have a different artist that's absolutely fine and no cancellation fee would be charged - though all of us will do a great job!) Please note that there may be a change in the travel cost as this is charged relative to where your new artist is traveling from. If your artist is sick, again we will do our best to send another Fab Faces painter in their place. Of course the availability of another artist (Fab Faces or otherwise) cannot be guaranteed but we will always do our very best to help organise a fabulous painter/artist/twister at your event! Unfortunately we cannot be responsible if another artist is unavailable for your event, but we will happily offer a discounted rate for another party in the future.
- How far in advance do I need to book? We do not have a cut off time for bookings though the earlier you book, the more likely we will have a spot available at your ideal time. November through to March tends to be our busiest time, so if possible confirm your plans sooner rather than later. We have a number of fantastic artists though, so will do our best to make something work. As we run all scheduling through an online, real-time calendar, we're able to check easily who's available and book you as far out as you'd like.
Face Painting:
- What sort of face paint do you use? All the paints we use are high quality cosmetics imported from the US and Europe. They are FDA compliant (USA), approved for cosmetic use and water based - in fact they're not actually paints. We use a combination of Wolfe Brothers, Diamond FX, Paradise (which contain aloe, chamomile, avocado and cocoa butter - they smell amazing!), Superstar, Global Colours, Cameleon and more. All glitter is approved for cosmetic use and safe around eyes. We sell all of the products we use, so if you'd like to have a play we can certainly help out there.
- Why is it so important to use professional cosmetics? "Non-Toxic" does not mean "safe for skin". Acrylic paints (AKA craft paints or tempura paints) are not meant to be used on the skin - nor are watercolour markers or pencils. Many people are allergic to the non-FDA approved chemicals and colourants used in craft paints and will break out in a rash when these paints are used. Watercolour/washable markers do not easily wash off skin - the term "washable" refers to their ability to wash off fabric easily, not skin. (see Top 10 Safety Tips for Face Painting). Professional-grade cosmetic face paint benefits from a lot of testing and are designed to be easy to work with, long lasting, comfortable to wear, vibrant and most importantly, safe. They wear well for many hours and wash off easily with mild soap and water when required. Your safety and the quality of our work is unparalleled; simply put, bad paints give bad results and can give bad reactions!
- How many faces can you paint in an hour? This can vary. As a guide, we suggest 10-12 faces an hour but this all depends on the level of detail you'd like in the face painting. We can move through more people if designs are smaller or less detailed - likewise if you would like particularly detailed designs, we will require more time. For a party of 15-20 people we suggest 2 hours to allow for beautiful detail but please contact us to discuss your specific requirements. We're a friendly bunch and certainly won't push you towards a longer booking if it's not required.
- What do I need to supply for face painting? If possible, a couple of chairs and a table (it doesn't need to be big though does need to be of normal height) with shade or cover please - some of us choose to carry our own set ups regardless but we do request you have them to hand. Also please ensure there is a spot for the painter's car not too far from your event (if there is no free parking close by, you will need to pay parking for the artist please.)
- How do you clean your face painting gear? We carry baby wipes and hand sterilizer to keep everything clean and tidy. Brushes are thoroughly rinsed between clients and sterilized and cleaned between parties. For everyone's safety, we will not face paint anyone who appears to have a skin condition or any form of illness - a good alternative might be a funky arm design.
Balloon Twisting:
- What type of balloons do you use? We use professional modelling balloons (Qualatex) that are designed to be twisted and stretched. All of our twisters also come with their own pumps to allow them to inflate the balloons with ease.