Nothing says “party” like a good, old-fashioned face-painting and character visit, and Masquerade Designs has you covered!  Ideal for kids, teens, and adults alike, Owner Gina Shinn has created a truly unique service-offering, featuring her top-notch, artistic talent. 

Dedicated to providing safe, clean and family-friendly face-painting, henna tattoos, and character appearances, Miss Gina, as she’s referenced, masterfully and meticulously handles all the party planning, by ensuring the services her company is providing is an ideal match for the guests in attendance.  Masquerade Designs continues to be a mainstay at popular area festivals, including nearby Hall Family Farm for their fall and spring season opener, and downtown Waxhaw’s annual large-scale community events, among many others.

Miss Gina’s background in competitive figure skating gave her ample opportunities over the years to experiment and hone her makeup skills, while a degree in pediatric nursing propels her to prioritize safety and hygiene in her practice.  The latter is of such importance to her that she considers herself as setting an industry standard for how to keep a clean, working environment – avoiding cross-contamination and using FDA-approved, non-toxic, hypoallergenic products across the board.  And because she’s so passionate about safety and elevating her industry as a whole, she offers face painting classes and YouTube tutorials for professionals, and even her competitors, to impart her one-of-a-kind sterilization techniques.

Adept to handle the gambit in party sizes, Masquerade Designs’ most popular events are the average kids’ birthday party.  Its variety of characters spans from the Disney princesses to Marvel superheroes, Paw Patrol, Santa Claus and many more!  And not only do the characters make an appearance, but they are trained to actually do the face-painting, stay for pictures, sing a magical song, read a princess story, facilitate a relay race or obstacle course, and generally be a true master of ceremonies! 

While characters may not be the draw for teens and young adults, Masquerade Designs caters to that demographic with their offerings of henna tattoos, jagua (a 3-week “trial tattoo”, likened to “black henna”, but completely safe and hypoallergenic), air-brush and glitter tattoos, fairy hair, and the crowd-pleasing glow parties.  The latter uses neon-activated face paint in conjunction with a black light to send a party into overdrive!

For Miss Gina, Masquerade Designs aims to do more than simply face-paint, and reasons why you’d hire a professional and not simply the college kid down the straight that dabbles in makeup.  Beyond safety and stellar creations, Miss Gina places a priority on her characters’ setting an example to young attendees to look others in the eye, and show compassion and respect to others.

As Miss Gina estimates, “The world can be so serious and it’s a nice way for kids to stay kids, in a wholesome, safe and nurturing environment.”