Horizon Forbidden West Face Paint: How to Unlock and Wear Face Paint

One of the many unlockable things you can collect and use in Horizon Forbidden West is face paint. Alongside armour, weapons and dye, face paint can be used to make Aloy look a little bit more in-line with the image of her you have in your head. I even used face paint to make Aloy look more like the people in the tribe I was currently doing quests with, for example.

You will likely pick up your first set of decorative cosmetics quite early in the game, but Guerrilla isn't particularly forthcoming in telling you what it actually is – or how you're supposed to put it on.

Now that we've got the benefit of a full playthrough under our belts, we're here to tell you exactly how to unlock face paint, and how to apply face paint. For everything you need to know, read on below.

How to unlock face paint in Horizon Forbidden West

There are multiple ways you can unlock Face Paint in the game. They are:

• Unlock Valor Surges in the Skill Tree. Unlock a Valor Surge, and you'll be able to use the corresponding decoration as face paint in Photo Mode (you cannot equip it in-game).
• Complete side missions. Certain side missions will reward you with face paint alongside other rewards. You can unlock and use these in-game.
• Complete errands. Certain errands and multi-part missions will also reward you with face paint if you complete all parts of the mission. The melee pit 'The Enduring' quest line is an example of this.

How to apply face paint in Horizon Forbidden West

Once you have unlocked face paint, you can use Painters in the world to apply it to Aloy. The easiest and most accessible Painter can be found in Scalding Spear (you will not unlock this location until about half-way through the game).

Once you have unlocked the location, locate the tower on the south-east side of the location and use the ramp to go up. You will see a vendor with a brush icon. Interact with him to open a menu where you can spend about 10 metal to apply the face paint of your choice.

This will stay on Aloy's face until you decide to take it off or change it at another Painter vendor.

How to apply face paint in Photo Mode

Right from the start of the game, you will be able to use face paint in Photo Mode. You will likely start the game with some already unlocked (I think this may be tied to having the original game and Frozen Wilds DLC on your account, though I can't be certain at the time of writing).

To see the various face paints available in Photo Mode, simply hit the Options button, scroll to Photo Mode and then hit X. From here, scroll down on the D-Pad to find an option called Face Paint.

Browse which ones you want, and you'll be able to apply them and take a nice pic of Aloy wearing the paint in a lovely, lush environment (maybe even pulling a stupid pose).

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For more character customisation, take a look at our Horizon Forbidden West guide.