A Love Letter to Creative Mums, Koha Culture & Mermaid Day Magic
There’s a quiet hero at every kid’s party.
She’s crouched under a treehouse or perched on the edge of a picnic blanket, brush in one hand, palette in the other, transforming a gaggle of five-year-olds into mermaids, tigers, and Spidermen. She’s often not a professional. She’s the mum who ran out of black, white, and red face paint again. The one whose stencils are tucked into a handbag beside a muesli bar and some glitter. She didn’t ask to become the party face painter — she was volunteered because “you’re the creative one!”
If that’s you: we see you.
And this blog is for you — the creative mum, the auntie, the cool neighbour, the brave soul with a sponge and a dream.
To the Creative Mums (and Aunties, and Babysitters)
If Ella’s mum has asked you to paint faces at the party — whether you're a friend, a sister, or “just the one with the good paint” — we at BODYFX want to say this loud and proud:
You have permission to ask for a koha.
We don’t mean a big invoice or an awkward conversation. We mean asking for what will help you do your magic:
A fresh pot of white. A new brush. That mermaid stencil that makes scales look like they took hours instead of minutes.
As a face paint store owner, I encourage you to ask. Not because we want to sell more — but because art needs tools, and artists need support. You are worth good materials. Your time, your skill, your love for making children feel magical — they matter.
And if you want to grow, practice, and expand your repertoire (especially when you’ve done Spiderman ten times already), having the right supplies turns a favour into something fun again.
To the Ellas’ Mums (aka the Party Hosts)
Thank you.
Thank you for seeing your friend’s creativity and saying, “You’re amazing at this. Can I buy you some supplies?”
This simple act — offering to top up their face paint, buying them a new stencil, or even just saying thank you with a koha — means the world. It tells them they’re seen, appreciated, and supported. It gives them the chance to keep doing something they love without dipping into their own pockets for the 12th pot of red.
By backing your creative friend with supplies, you're not just paying for paint — you’re showing her that her contribution has value, and that her artistry (even under a tree with six kids lined up) is a kind of gift to your community.
To Ella and Her Mermaid Mates
Today, you got to become a mermaid.
You sat in a garden or lounge or school hall and were transformed with colour, shimmer, and imagination. For a few hours, you were untouchable by rules, routines, or the weight of growing up.
We hope you remember what it felt like — to be painted into another world. To be wild and weird and magical.
And we hope, when you're older, that you let yourself do it again.
Paint your face. Wear wings. Be a tiger. Or a unicorn. Or yourself — unfiltered and fearless.
A Note from BODYFX
Here at BODYFX, we’re proud to supply the tools that spark joy, connection, and creativity in homes and communities around New Zealand. Whether you're restocking your core colours, exploring new stencils, or just getting started — we’re here for you.
And if you're ever crouched under a tree with a line of kids and a nearly empty pot of white... come see us.
We got you.
