Two palettes, two completely different jobs
Grimas makes its Crème Make-up Pure in a hinged tray of twelve 2.5ml pans, and the two palettes we stock look almost identical in the box. They are not. One builds a character out of nothing; the other makes real skin look like different real skin. Buy the wrong one and you will be frustrated on the first face.
This guide covers what is actually in each palette, which work each one suits, and how to get crème make-up on and off properly. If you want the broader brand picture first, start with our guide to Grimas make-up.
First: what crème make-up actually is
Grimas describes Crème Make-up Pure as a base make-up built on plant-derived oils and waxes that can be applied either covering or transparent. In practice, that means two things that matter to you.
It does not dry off. Water-based face paint sets into a thin film within a minute and stops moving. Crème make-up stays workable on the skin, so you can keep blending an edge, stippling texture into it, or layering a second colour on top ten minutes later. That is exactly what bruising, ageing, wounds and weathered skin need, and it is why theatre and film have used crème for decades.
It also covers properly. Because it is pigment suspended in oil and wax rather than pigment released by water, one pass usually hides what is underneath, including beard shadow, blemishes and the edge of a prosthetic.
The trade-off is that crème has to be set with powder or it will transfer, and it has to be removed with oil rather than water. Both are easy once you know.
Palette B: the character palette
Crème Make-up Pure Palette B is twelve pans built around strong character colours with a few light skin tones alongside them: white, black, grey, dark green, red, deep maroon, orange, blue, brown and skin.
That specific mix is more useful than it looks written down, because it covers the three things a character face needs at once.
- Structure — white, black and grey do skull bases, hollowed eye sockets, sunken cheeks, stone and statue skin, and ageing.
- Damage — red and deep maroon build the inflamed edge of a cut, the raw centre of a burn and the angry stage of a bruise, while blue gives you the cold, fresh-bruise core underneath.
- Character — dark green reads as witch, goblin or creature; orange and browns do dirt, rust, rot and sun damage; and the skin tones let you blend all of it back into a real face so the effect has an edge rather than a border.
If you are buying one Grimas palette for Halloween, cosplay or SFX, this is the one. It is the closest thing to a whole special effects kit in a single box.
Palette V: the skin palette
Crème Make-up Pure Palette V is twelve skin tones and nothing else, running from pale through to mid in warm and neutral shades.
This is the working palette rather than the party one, and it does jobs that a character palette simply cannot.
- Matching and correcting — evening out a base under stage lighting, warming or cooling a face for camera, or knocking back a red patch before the audience sees it.
- Blending effects into skin — this is the big one. A wax scar or a latex wound only looks real when the join disappears, and the join disappears when you feather a matched skin tone over the edge. Without it, even a beautifully built wound looks stuck on.
- Ageing and contouring — shadow and highlight with two neighbouring tones will hollow a temple or lift a cheekbone far more convincingly than grey alone.
- Covering — blocking a tattoo, hiding a blemish, or resetting a small area mid-set without starting the whole face again.
To match a skin tone, mix two neighbouring pans on the back of your hand rather than hunting for one perfect pan. Almost nobody is a single pan.
So which one?
- Halloween, cosplay, creature and character work — Palette B.
- Theatre, film, drag, ageing, camouflage, blending prosthetics — Palette V.
- Doing wounds properly — both. B builds the damage, V makes it belong to the face.
Most working kits end up with both, which is why we stock them together in the Grimas collection.
Where the Covercream sticks fit
Alongside the palettes, Grimas makes the same idea in a 16ml twist-up stick. A palette gives you control; a stick gives you speed. When you need one colour, fast and opaque, across a whole face, a stick beats a palette every time: Covercream Pure White lays a skull or ghost base in under a minute, Black does the sockets, and Covercream Bright Envy Green turns a face into a witch with two passes.
Grimas lists Covercream Pure specifically as vegan, made from plant-based oils and waxes. That claim is for Covercream Pure, not the whole range.
How to apply it
- Start clean and dry. Crème will slide on moisturiser, so let anything you have applied sink in first.
- Sponge for area, brush for detail. A damp sponge stipples a base on quickly with a slightly textured finish; a brush gives you lines, edges and small shapes.
- Build in thin layers. One thick layer creases and transfers. Two thin ones sit flat and last.
- Blend while it is open. Crème stays workable, so soften every edge before you powder. A hard edge is the single biggest giveaway of painted make-up.
- Powder to finish. Press a translucent or fixing powder on with a puff, then knock off the excess. Brushing powder on drags the make-up underneath.
How to remove it
Do not start with water. Lift the bulk of the make-up with an oil-based remover or a cleansing cream, wiping in one direction rather than scrubbing, then wash the residue off with warm water and a gentle soap. Finish with a moisturiser, especially after a heavy SFX face. Our preps, barriers and removers range has what you need.
Buying Grimas in Australia
Grimas is barely stocked here, which is most of the reason Australian artists have not used it. We hold it in our Wantirna South warehouse in Melbourne with same day dispatch and free standard shipping within Australia on orders over $115. Shop the Grimas range, or come and look at the pans in person six days a week before you commit.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Grimas Palette B and Palette V?
Palette B is a character palette: twelve colours including white, black, grey, dark green, red, deep maroon, orange, blue, brown and a few light skin tones. Palette V is twelve skin tones only, running pale to mid in warm and neutral shades. B is for building a character, V is for matching and correcting skin.
Is crème make-up the same as face paint?
No. Water-based face paint is activated with water, dries quickly and sits as a thin film. Crème make-up is oil and wax based, does not dry off, and stays workable on the skin so it can be blended, stippled and layered. That makes crème better for realistic effects and water paint better for bright, graphic designs.
How many faces will a Grimas palette do?
Far more than most people expect. Each pan holds 2.5ml and crème make-up goes a long way because it is highly pigmented, so a light layer covers well. For shading and detail work a palette will last many seasons. Full-face coverage in a single colour is better done with a 16ml Covercream stick.
Do I need to set Grimas crème make-up with powder?
For anything that has to last, yes. Press a translucent or fixing powder on with a puff rather than brushing it. Unpowdered crème make-up transfers onto costumes, collars and other people.
How do you remove crème make-up?
Lift it with an oil-based remover or a cleansing cream first, then wash the residue with warm water and a gentle soap. Water alone tends to smear the pigment instead of lifting it. Follow with a moisturiser.
Is Grimas Crème Make-up Pure vegan?
Grimas specifically describes Covercream Pure as vegan, made from plant-based oils and waxes. It does not make that claim for the whole range, so we do not extend it to the Crème Make-up Pure palettes. Ask us and we will check the current declaration for a specific item.
Can children wear Grimas crème make-up?
Grimas supplies schools and the hobby market as well as professionals, and publishes an ingredient listing for every shade so you can check before you paint. As with any cosmetic, patch test first, never apply to broken or irritated skin, and keep it out of the eyes and mouth.
