What's In Out Clown Bags?
We have seen the recent trend of people doing “What's in my purse” and other “What’s in my bag” videos and we wanted to find a way to jump in on this trend... but how? We thought that maybe we could do what's in Dizzy or Cupcake’s bag but that changes with each performance. We then came up with a “What’s in My Clown Bag” blog and video. We have split the video and blog into 3 categories: our makeup, our costume, and our accessories and overflow. If you have not already watched the video you can watch it here.
We thought this might be a good idea to help to show you what we use so that you may be able to get tips, and ideas, for what you may need, but also so that you can see how much you might need.
With this first part we are going to go through each of the 3 categories and explain the items in detail. We will link many of the products but many of them have been thrifted or DIYed so you would be unable to buy them, so let's get started.
Makeup
Dizzy
The first makeup item in my clown bag is Clown White Lite makeup. I find that clown white is one of the few or maybe even only clown specific makeup products that I use. If you use a clown specific white then it is way less likely to melt off.
Next is the foundation color that I use for my cheeks. I find it to be very pink on my skin tone and it works well to bring color into my face.
The next product I use as part of my make-up are the face paint crayons from the Body Crayon Book. I like face paint crayons because they are soft and go on easily, I used to use clown specific crayons and they work fine they are just not as soft.
Ben nye pencils(clown pencils)
Then there are some traditional makeup items that I use and they are, a cheap foundation to even out my skin tone before I put on my other makeup, a nude setting powder, and some black mascara. I use the setting powder use to set my foundation, and I use the mascara to make my eyes pop and look younger. I found all of these products at a drugstore/Dollar store so you don’t have to spend much on them.
Then we have my nose which is just a traditional clown nose. This one was given to me when I started.
If you are using a clown nose you need liquid latex, glue it on with. This is the one I use.
Cupcake
The first makeup items that I have in MY clown bag are my two face paints, these are just fairly traditional face paints. I have experimented in the past with makeup crayons to cover my face (just some random ones that I found in a local craft store) but I found that no matter what I tried, they always clumped up especially in my eyebrows they also had a tendency to run whenever I sweat, these issues may have been due to the brand I used or how I applied them. However I personally enjoy how face paint dries and not having to worry about it after it sets. I use these:
The next item is a wax based makeup, I use this around my eyes and in my eyebrows, because the face paints I use are not supposed to be used around the eyes, and I also find that it sticks quite well to my eyebrows. I use this brand, and I believe that this is also the color that I use:
Next up we have my mascara (which I use for the same reasons as Dizzy), nail polish (which is her own color I don’t use it), lipstick, and lip gloss for just a little bit of glitter and shine. The use of all of these are pretty obvious. I would suggest that you go with whatever your favorite brand is, (if you have one,) or your whatever color you like best. Lastly of course we have my little cupcake that goes on my cheek.
Tips
Our first tip is if you are going to use a crayon or makeup pencil in any part of your makeup, make sure that you have a makeup pencil sharpener. At some point (pun not intended) you will end up with dull pencils or crayons and will have to sharpen them.
Our next tip is, if you are using clown white or other pan oil based paint it is easiest to apply that sort of thing with cosmetic sponges.
If you have straight eyelashes or want to make your eyes look younger, try curling your eyelashes. This has made Dizzy’s eyes pop even more than they would otherwise.
When you are a clown you don’t want to make your makeup run or as we call it melt (this usually happens in extreme heat or rain), so what you can do to prevent this is set it. If you take a sock with baby powder or cornstarch in it and use it to powder your whole face then your makeup will not run. Also you may want to keep the sock in a plastic bag so you don’t get powder everywhere. Which leads me to my next tip.
Use a big fluffy brush to brush off any excess white powder. You can go without brushing off excess, but I find if you that if you don’t, you can end up looking white or ghostly.
Now that you have set your makeup you must get it back off, and let me tell you from personal experience, you CAN NOT get off oil based makeup that has been set with just soap and water. You may well ask “Then how do I get it off again?” One option is baby oil, it takes the makeup off quite easily, but I have also found that if you warm up coconut oil up in your hand and let it sit on your makeup for a few seconds it can help to make your makeup slide right off.
When it comes to applying your facepaint if you decide to use it. I find that it takes no more than some basic paintbrushes (new if you want, however I use some that were just lying around my house.) and a small bowl (or cup) to hold the water.
Now some people have latex allergies and therefore can’t use traditional glues to hold on items like noses or cupcakes, so I have found that you can use glue dots (I would always suggest using more than one, and taking some with you if you decide to do this, just in case.) although they DO NOT all stick very well on the skin. I use the ones that you can see pictured below, but I would double check that they stick well on your skin and that you don’t react to them ahead of time. Also you may want to know that this does work, but if you can use traditional glues I stick with that, as this is not ideal for stickiness, but instead is more of a way to get around an issue.
Costume
Dizzy
The first piece of my costume is a green t-shirt. This was originally acquired because our director told us that we were not supposed to have any skin showing and my first shirt had cold shoulders but I have kept it because I like the way it looks with my new dress. My rainbow maxi sundress is my next piece of my costume. Then I also have some fun socks and my rainbow boots. I also have pinwheels that attach to the stems on my boots.
If you were wondering what happened when my pinwheel flew away well here is the story. Cupcake and I and a few other clowns used to walk in a parade every year. My luck is that it will, has, or is raining while I am in a parade. This year was no exception. The wind was quite strong and everyone thought that I was going to fly away. I didn’t but one of my pinwheels did, before I caught it and put it in the little train we had with us.
Then there is my “summer and performing” hat. This is a plain blue hat with a rainbow ribbon, and a daisy on top. I got this hat right after halloween one year for 75% off. A tip for getting your costume and other pieces is to get things right after halloween so that you can often get things extremely discounted.
Cupcake
For my costume we have my happy socks, my beautiful homemade dress, my fluffy pink crinoline, my lightweight sweater, which was originally helpful because I needed to fix the back of my dress and didn’t have time to fix it, but it’s also helpful for mildly chilly days, and my heavy shrug, which is helpful because where we live it can get VERY cold and we can’t guarantee that our performance spaces will always be completely heated, and my shoes which have been with me from day one.
Tips
If you are going to wear a dress or skirt don’t forget to wear shorts or leggings underneath, (clowns jump a lot, trust us on this one.).
Tips from Dizzy
Always have extra duct tape. With the pinwheels on my boots I always need extra tape, to keep them on with. I also always have extra pinwheels because they are always breaking.
Other Stuff
Dizzy
My first item is my wig. As I explained in the video my mom made my wig. It is made out of an old pair of tights and fishing cord. We made it by first cutting off the legs of the tights and sewing the leg area together in about 2 inch. We then cutting lengths of the orange cord and sewed them in a straight line all the way from the front to the back of the tights. All of the sections of cord were the same length and when it is on my head it causes my hair to look layered.
Then there is my winter hat which is a very long rainbow tie-dye stocking cap. This is not exactly functional in the cold winters but is a fun way to be festive.
I don’t just have one pair of gloves, but many. I always seem to lose just one of the so it's nice to have extras on hand.
Next is my rainbow belt, and two rainbow necklaces. Nothing special about them.
Then there are my rainbow pinwheel earrings. These cupcake gave to me I want to say 3 years ago. They are just so me and I love them.
Then there is my large rainbow tote bag. This is a very big tote bag but when I got it, there were clear panels on the side. I did not want the kids to be able to see what was inside of my bag so I got a fun patterned pillow case at the thrift store and sewed it in so that there were no clear sections anymore.
I have a rainbow metal pail that I found in the target dollar spot when we decide we were doing a photoshoot this year and might be going to the beach. We both thought it would be a good prop. It got to hot that day to go to the beach but it will come in handy for our next photoshoot.
Then I have juggling balls in case I someday learn to juggle. I would love to be able to, but it has not happened yet.
Cupcake
First up in my overflow we have my wig which has clip on ponytails, (if you have anything like them, you will want to be very careful to make sure that they are evenly spaced, and clipped in deeply so they won’t slip out) and it is size adjustable with two tiny hooks, and some little loops to hook them in, so that you won’t have to worry about your wig falling off while you’re jumping around, trust us this is VERY hard to deal with in the spur of the moment.
Then of course we have my hat, now you won’t find any others like this out there in the store. Because like Dizzy’s wig this was homemade. Do you want to know something extra cool about it? It’s made out of the same material as my first dress was!
Then we have my tiny little cupcakey friend who will probably make a debut in one of our skits one of these days, and Frosting who is often mentioned in our skits.
My glittery body spray, which gives Cupcake a lovely glittery appearance, and even gives her, her own distinct smell, this is just a little step that I like to take to add another tiny difference between her and me, (even if I’m the only one who notices it, just like the nail polish). My bag which I have used for holding everything and anything that the skits have needed me to have in it at the time.
My sunglasses which are very helpful whenever we perform outside. My lovely bubbles, and my little stuffed Cupcake, (I find that it’s helpful to have just a few random cupcake themed things in my bag for when kids ask what I keep in there.) Last but not least we have my necklace which has only been a part of my costume for a little while now.
Other (wig) tips:
If you have a good amount of hair (as in if it comes down past your ears), you will need a wig cap. I, Dizzy, use a homemade wig cap made of a pair of nylons. You can make a wig cap by taking a pair of nylons and tying a knot or sewing them right at the crotch. You can also just buy one.
Homemade 
Store bought
Then we have bobby pins, we both find that these come in handy for almost everything, from holding your bangs back to holding your hat on. Then we come to the safety pins, which I know may seem random, but stick with me here. Although I love that my wig is size adjustable, the clips on my wig don’t tend to stay clipped in place very well on their own, so I find that by running a safety pin through the hole that is on the side of the clip, and pushing it through the hole with the actual clip it can’t release mid-performance.
For our next tip we have my small hairbrush, now when I got my first wig I got a wig brush to go with it, because that’s what you are supposed to do right? Well when I tried to use it, it pulled the hair right out of my wig! That is not to say that a wig brush won’t work for you, but if your wig needs a more gentle brush I would suggest a simple wooden bristled brush. Now for our last tip is just another way that your wig can get trashed is if you are not careful about how you keep it, if you just toss it on a shelf it will get so knotted that it doesn't matter what brush you use on it, it will end up getting pulled out and ruined, but if you braid it, it is quite easy to brush it out later. Remember your wig may not do well with braiding or brushing so use your judgement.
Our last tip for you is if you have small pieces like earrings or a clown nose, use a small container with a lid, like a mason jar, to keep them contained in your bag.
Bag
One last thing before we go is what kind of bag to put your clown things in. One option is a duffel bag. This can be helpful if you are changing into costume at your performance building. The reason for this is that you can bring a pillow and just tell the kids that you are going to grandmas or having a sleepover and most kids will believe you.
You can also store your clown things in totes or other bags, or even a basket if you are changing at home.
If you have read this far, and watched the YouTube video that goes along with this here is Dizzy’s new bike. We can’t wait to incorporate this in future performances. And Dizzy says “I like the way the wheels spin.”
Something Silly Clowns
(Cupcake and Dizzy)
Two clowns trying to spread God's love to everyone
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