Every little girl loves unicorns..... and glitter of course! Unicorns are cute and magical and can have all the colors in the world.

In this tutorial I will show you an easy on-the-job unicorn design. It is quick and elegant and very adaptable to every event. And this time we make a Patriotic version.

Supplies Used:

PartyXplosion Pearl White
PartyXplosion White
PartyXplosion Black
Mehron Paradise White
Mehron Paradise Light Blue
Mehron Paradise Dark Blue
Mehron Paradise Beach Berry
Sponge
Sponge dauber
Lip gloss applicator
Loew-Cornell #8 Round Brush
Loew-Cornell #4 Round Brush
Loew-Cornell #1 Round Brush
Star stencil (Wiser's Graffiti Madness)
Blue Glitter
Red Glitter
American Pixie Paint True Colors

Step 1: Sponging the Base

First I cover the eyelids with a sponge and a mixture of metallic white (PartyXplosion) and regular white (Mehron). I pull the paint up a little, forming a triangular shape. With another sponge I add some blue on one of the eyes. A little bit of light blue on the outer side of the eyelid and dark blue on the edge of the triangle and on top of the cheekbone. I blend them together with the back of the sponge.

 Tip: Learn more about sponging technique in the Ultimate Tutorial for Beginners guide. 

Step 2: Drawing the Unicorn Head and Adding Stars

Next I draw the head of the unicorn with a large round brush (#8) and PartyXplosion white and pull the shape down to the inner corner of the eye. I do the same on the other side. Then I add some stars with a stencil and a dauber using the same white paint. The stars are not all placed randomly. With the final design in mind, I try to find the best position and direction (see additional info).

Step 3: Adding Manes and Glitter

The manes consist of just 4 teardrops. For the manes I use a round brush (#4) and bright red. Before the red paint is dry I add red glitter on top of it using a lip gloss applicator (you can also use a cotton swab or the back of your brush). The glitter will stick very well to the damp paint. Then it is time to color the horn with blue and add blue glitter in the same way.

Step 4: The Eye, the Outlines and 'Shadows'

With a thin round brush (#1) and black paint I add an eye and outline the unicorn face with a little swirl on the pointy end of the 'neck' near the nose. I mirror the swirl on the other side and give some of the stars a shadow. I add some blue to the eye.

Step 5: Adding 'Lipstick', More Glitter and Some Dots and Stars

Almost done. Now it is time for the most important part: tying the design together with a band of chunky glitter. I use American Pixie Paint, a chunky glitter gel. In the bottle and on the face it looks white, but with the camera lights it turns into many colors ;-). With white (PartyXplosion) I add two white dots on the eye and some more between the chunky glitter and a few twinkle stars here and there. Last but not least I color the lips with red and cover them with red glitter, like the manes. Oops, I almost forgot to tell that I also painted a light blue low light on the cheek of the unicorn.

Additional Info:

I like designs that are relatively easy. This is one of them. You don't need to be an excellent painter to copy this design and make a little girl very happy ;-). 

The most important thing in this design is placement (see picture): 

- by following the 'nostril - outer eye corner line' you will create an 'open' look, so no droopy eyes ;-).

- everything on the forehead follows the same line: an arch from one focal point (outer corner of the left eye) to the other (outer corner of the right eye).

- the parts on the cheeks are directed to the focal point between the eyes.

Another reason why I like this design is because it is very adaptable: change the colors, paint flowers instead of stars and it will be a completely different design. Paint an eyeliner for little ladies, use stencils for more texture or add more glitter on the eyelids. 

So many possible variations! I'd love to see yours!

Annabel Hoogeveen is the owner and founder of 'Blije-Snoetjes Kinderschmink', a Facepainting company and school in the Netherlands. She is painting for about 10 years and is passionate about teaching others how to facepaint, 'because the more face painters there are, the more kids we can make happy'.

Annabel likes colorful and easy 'on-the-job' designs. But, as a former vet, she also has a passion for painting realistic 3D animals.

She is an instructor at Olga Murasev's International Face Painting School (www.facebodyart.com), has written several Facepainting blogs and recently won the 'Black Panther' competition here at Facepaint.com.

You can see more of her work on her Instagram and Facebook pages.