There are no other two words in the English language that spell par-tay to kids like face painting.  It's to kids what Margherita Mix is to adults:  a reason to get sloppy and start leaning on people. 

We went to another kiddie event this weekend and the main attraction was face painting - the ultimate kiddie cosmetic.  What the heck is it about face painting that makes kids actually volunteer to wait 45 minutes on line?  Lily has never displayed this kind of patience with any other kind of activity.  God forbid she should stand still while I brush her hair but offer to draw a lion on her face and she's all yours.  (Kind of scary.)  I rarely see male face painters.  I think that would be a red flag.  Is there a mild sedative in that paint?  Or is the face painter some sort of wizard?  Is face painting what you do when you fail cosmetology school?  Is it linked to Scientology?

My 15 year old god daughter, Hillary, who lives on the upper east side and is soooo "Oh my god!" once asked the face painter at Six Flags, "What kind of base do you use?"

I don't see the allure of face painting perhaps because I'm an adult or perhaps because they remind me of carnivals: broken dreams; broken people; broken rides; no insurance.....  But once you've got face painting, to quote SpongeBob, "The party switch is officially in the on position."