Doodlebug Ink

It all depends on which service you would like to have at your event: Face painting: about 10 large designs per hour. Mehndi (henna) and White mehndi: about 5-10 designs per hour, depending on the size and complexity. Glitter tattoos: about 10 tattoos per hour. Body painting: Depending on the complexity, between 2 and 3 hours.

For face painting, we recommend that children under 3 years old should not have their faces painted as they may develop sensitivities to the incredients and become alergic. Other than that, whether you're 5 or 105 we would love to paint you! For mehndi, anyone who is able to hold still wherever the design is applied can get a tattoo. Excessive movement can smudge or crack the paste and cause uneven coloring, so for our especially fidgitey friends we might recommend white henna or glitter tattoos instead.

Yes! Whether you want a large henna design on your pregnant belly or you want to be covered head-to-toe in body paint, we can schedule a one-on-one session. Fill out the Booking Request form and we can work out the details for your session via email.

Doodlebug Ink requires a $20 deposit once the booking has been confirmed. We will send you a payment request via PayPal for the deposit. On the day of the event, we accept cash or checks made out to Megan Dooley.

At Doodlebug Ink we want to see as many happy customers as possible! A $20 deposit is required once the details of the event have been discussed and confirmed. This ensures us that you are serious about having Doodlebug Ink provide services at your event. The $20 deposit will be deducted from the total payment due at the end of your event.

We use a combination of Wolfe Brothers, Snazaroo, Paradise, Kryvaline, Diamond FX, and Tag face paints. They are non-toxic FDA approved face paints that can be applied to children and adults.

If your child is allergic to red or blue dye or you have any concerns, let us know and we can do a patch test where we'll paint a swatch on the inside of the child's elbow and wait for 15 minutes before washing it off. If the child complains of itching around the site or if it is red and irritated-looking we unfortunately will not be able to paint their face. However, we offer glitter tattoos and temporary tattoos.

Face paint can be washed off very easily. Baby wipes work the best and are the most gentle on the skin, but a clean wash cloth with warm water will work as well. With the baby wipes or wash cloth gently wash away the paint. Some colors such as blue and red can stain the skin temporarily, but if this happens don't panic!​ Just put a small amount of mild soap on the wash cloth and carefully scrub away the color. Do not use soap around the eyes for it may cause serious irritation. Any stain that won't go away should disappear by morning.

Glitter tattoos are applied with non-latex medical grade adhesive and can last up to a week! If you want to take it off sooner, scrubbing the area with dish soap and water works well.

The term 'Mehndi' and 'Henna' are used interchangeably in the U.S. to describe the beautiful and intricate designs painted on the body using henna paste. 'Mehndi' specifically refers to the design created by applying henna paste to the skin, while 'Henna' is the plant used to dye the skin.

Henna is a plant grown in Africa and southern Asia that has many uses including temporarily dying the skin. It is very safe and non-toxic, and can actually be good for the skin due to the essential oils in the paste. For more information visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henna​​​.

We use Jamilla henna powder, a very high quality powder that is finely sifted, lemon juice, tea-tree oils, and sugar. These are mixed together the day before your party or event to assure the richest color and deepest stains possible.

The health and safety of our customers is our top priority, so we do not use black henna paste. What people call "black henna" is traditional henna paste with chemical additives. These additives are carcinogenic and can cause serious scarring and other negative health effects. We use red-brown henna paste, the normal coloring of the plant, which is perfectly safe for the body and will stain the skin for up to 2 weeks. If you wish your design to be darker, you can leave the paste on your skin for a longer period of time.

It is recommended to leave the henna paste on your skin for 4-12 hours. The longer you leave the paste on your skin, the darker the stain will be and the longer it will last. If you leave the paste on for only an hour, the design will be a very pale brown and disappear in a few days. If you leave it on for 12 hours the design will be a dark, rich brown and last for 2 weeks. Dab a cotton ball soaked in lemon juice to the paste every so often once it is dry. This will help the paste stick to your skin and darken the color of the stain. If you want to sleep with the paste on your skin, dab a little lemon juice on the design so that the paste is slightly moist (not damp or soaked) and carefully wrap the design in plastic wrap. Tape the plastic wrap in place. Some parts of the design might flake off or shift during the night, but that is fine. Take the wrap off in the morning and scrape off the remaining paste.​

White mehndi, or 'white henna' isn't technically henna. Artists apply latex-free medical grade adhesive to the skin using the same techniques and designs as with traditional mehndi, then cover the design in shimmery mica powder. This creates the look of henna in a brilliant white or gold. White henna is great for all skin tones, where traditional henna can have a hard time showing up on darker skin. You also do not have to let paste sit on your skin for hours to achieve a fabulous look, once the powder is applied you are good to go!

Because this technique does not stain the skin, can last for about a week with proper care.

Doodlebug Ink does not yet offer White Henna, but we will soon!

Not just yet. We have just begun experimenting with White Henna and are not quite ready to offer this as a service.