About Us
Welcome to Face Paint Shop Australia
You are shopping with Australia's favourite* specialty supplier of quality face paint and body art products.... for professionals, children's entertainers, childcare providers, schools, theatre companies, make-up artists, hobbyists, beginners, amateurs and volunteers.
Our promise: To deliver outstanding service combined with the best range of quality face paint and body art supplies in Australia.
Our mission: To share the art of happiness with the world and put smiles on faces. To give women the tools and resources they need to launch and grow a successful small business around face painting.
Our Story...
At Face Paint Shop Australia, we're dedicated to making the world a more colourful, happy place through the art of face painting.
Of course we couldn't do it without our wonderful customers. You are such an important part of our story. Our customers value the care we take when selecting and packaging our quality face paint and body art products. We know this because we receive lots of positive feedback via our website reviews, through social media as well as personal messages.
Since 2013, we've earned more than 2000x 5 Star Reviews for Customer Service - and that is why we can confidently claim to be Australia's favourite retailer of face paint and body art supplies*.
Our goal is that all children have a happy and positive experience of face painting, and that starts with face painters who choose to use only the best quality products.
No matter where you live, we make best quality products available for face painters to order online, anytime, and have them delivered within days.
It's also exciting to know we've helped launch and sustain many new face painting businesses.
As a trusted supplier, we assist people (just like you) to create extremely rewarding self-employment opportunities. Now that's something to be proud of.
As a family owned and operated business, we started small: from a spare room in our home and with only a handful of carefully selected products... we have grown to stock an inventory of more than 25,000 specialty face paint and body art products. We have everything you need to work as a professional in the industry, fund-raise as a volunteer, or enjoy face painting and body art for whatever reason at all.
We pack and post 5 days a week, and send our products all over Australia and beyond, so you can be confident there'll be no unnecessary delays in processing your order. Our shop/warehouse is located in beautiful Yamba, Northern NSW - just a few minutes off the Pacific Highway. You're welcome to make a time to come by and say hello, have a chat, try out some paints and shop if you wish.
*Can we back up the claim that we're "Australia's favourite specialty retailer of face and body art supplies"? Well, yes we can!
Last time I checked, we had over 2000x 5 STAR reviews from our customers on our website (including more than 1000x 5 STAR reviews for our customer service). We're also highly recommended on google with 5 STAR average rating; likewise 4.9 STARS on Facebook. We've seen other stores making various unsupported claims that they're the 'best' or 'voted number one' and such, but when we look for the evidence, no competitor comes close to matching our record.
Does this mean we're perfect? No, of course not. But we do aim high and if there's a problem, we fix it. So you can be 100% confident that when you choose to do business with us, we will take good care of you.
Who's behind the scenes?
That's me! Kate Matthews: the one who imagines and orchestrates how we might deliver the best possible service to you, our wonderful customer. With the help and support of my partner, Rob (aka Pack Man), and of course our packing pixies, Flossie and Morgan, we do our best to make the magic happen.
I'd describe myself as a dreamer and do-er, with a very long list of things to get done.
I grew up in the 'burbs of Sydney and moved to Byron Bay in 1994. That's where I met Rob, and together we've been ever since. We have three boys under 15, and six fur babies too. I love spending time with people who make me smile, perhaps that's why I was so instantly drawn to face painting when I discovered it, by accident, in 2011.
I've worked in the media industry for most of my career: in animation, newspapers, advertising, and more recently as a journalist for a regional newspaper. I also have a BA in Media and Communications.
Anyway, I started my face painting business in 2011, with a little stall at my local markets. I was on maternity leave at the time, and I had no idea where it would lead. I thought it was just for fun and a nice way to make a few extra dollars. But I quickly discovered it WAS a LOT of fun, and a GREAT way to earn a few extra dollars. I was hooked!
I needed to work on my skills, so took a two-day class with Bec Anthony, which helped me see the immense value of training and how important it was to use the best quality products and tools. I could see how these things would not only assist my own skills, but how they would also be the key to improving standards across the industry.
So with this goal in mind, in 2013 I launched The Australian Face Painting School and Face Paint Shop Australia. In early 2015 I quit my job as a journalist to focus on the face painting industry full time.
Over the past few years I've had the pleasure of working closely with many of the world's best face painting instructors, and have organised national tours on behalf of Olga Murasev, Nick Wolfe, and Ronnie Mena.
We traveled all over Australia to help new and experienced face painters brush up on their face painting skills. I've also instructed hundreds of students with my own style of face painting too; which is on the job, fast and fun.
Of course I'm very proud of the success of these two enterprises, and the positive effect they have had on not only my life, but the lives of many others. And so, the journey continues...
About the products we sell...
As a mum and professional face painter, my wish is that all kids can enjoy a safe and happy face painting experience. So when I see children painted with poor quality products, or I hear about a bad experience a child has had with 'crappy' face paint, I am concerned. Using the wrong type of paint is, at best, uncomfortable to wear on the skin - it itches and flakes and doesn't create a pleasing result. And at worst, some craft paints contain toxic chemicals which can cause adverse reactions, even lead poisoning, which definitely takes the fun out of face painting and will turn kids and their families away from face painting for life.
That's why every brand and product listed at facepaintshopaustralia.com has been carefully selected to ensure it meets our high standards. All the face paint we supply has been classified as non-toxic and skin-safe and contains ingredients that comply with Australian Standards, as well as FDA and EU standards. Anything less just isn't worth it.
Epilogue
Many people look at face painting as just a fun activity for kids at the school fete, birthday parties or wherever... which is fine, because it is. But to me, face painting is also a great way to create happy memories, smiles, and allow kids to enjoy and experience art first-hand.
Some may see us as only face painters, but I believe we are more like 'warriors of happiness', as master face painter and world champion body artist Nick Wolfe says.
Indeed, seeing a child look in the mirror with spontaneous wonder and delight is a magical experience for any face painter, including me!
And when those same kids come back and see me, month-after-month, year-after-year; well my heart swells with pride to know I have had such a positive and happy effect on their lives. It may be a small thing but nonetheless important.
I always come home from a face painting gig satisfied, happy, and sometimes needing a good nap after making and receiving all that positive energy.
But more than making happy memories for children and families, face painting is a truly wonderful way to earn an income. Which is why my goal is to share and to inspire; to support and encourage anyone who wants to try face painting for themselves by giving them the best tools and knowledge to do it well and achieve the success and independence they desire.
"You can't buy happiness...
but you can buy face paint and that's almost the same thing"
~ Kate Matthews, owner, Face Paint Shop Australia.
If you have a question or comment, or if there's something you can't find and would like us to get in stock, you can email us.
Happy painting, and hope to see you on Facebook or you can sign up for our awesome face painter's newsletter where we offer top secret specials, discounts, and competitions.
*****
Did you make it to the end of my long story? Perhaps you skipped a bit, that's OK!
Thought you might like to see my very first attempt at face painting, c 1981, when I was about 7 or 8 years old (I'm the little redhead on the left). My cousin Vivienne would have been about 10.
OK so my first attempt at face painting wasn't so great. I'm guessing it was craft paint. Actually I don't remember doing it, but there's the photo to prove it. Look how proud we were haha
