on style, she rules

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Published: 12:00am, 20 Apr 2008

I've been invited to a dress-up party where the best outfit gets a prize. I want to stand out, so I thought I'd paint my body. Where can I get hold of cheap body paint, possibly liquid latex?

Naken Hunch, Hong Kong Island

The Dictator rules: Good idea. When all that's standing between you and everyone else is a thin layer of paint, definitely go for the cheapest and most likely to go wrong. Not only that, cheap paints and cosmetics can be harmful and are likely to stain (although your colleagues would have fun on Monday).

If you really want to win the prize, call in a professional. Hong Kong-based face and body art expert Cat Finlayson (tel: 6199 7069, e-mail: [email protected]; www.cats-creations.co.uk) was named Britain's face painter of the year and placed fifth at the World Face Painting Awards in 2007. She recommends two body-paint sources: May's (shop 2028, Miramar Shopping Centre, 132 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel: 2369 8789; www.mays.com.hk) and Ivy League (room 704, Far East Consortium Building, 204 Nathan Road, tel: 2390 5522; www.ivyleague.com.

hk). Her recommended brands are Paradise and Kryolan Aquacolour, which come in cakes of solid colour, or Fardel, which makes creams with special setting powders and are more tricky to use. For metallics, she suggests Mehron, Graftobian or Eastman metallic powder and matching mixing liquid. If you're smart, you'll let Finlayson do it for you; she charges about HK$1,500 to HK$2,500 for up to two hours. Generally, trompe l'oeil effects such as fake clothes take the most time.

Another expert worth consulting is Karen Yiu, who charges about HK$800 an hour (tel: 6330 0196, e-mail: [email protected]; www.karenyiu.com).

How exciting that fingerless gloves are coming back in. Where can I buy some?