I have used various different gunge powders from a few different suppliers and my personal preference is Natrosol although it can be a ball ache to mix.

Anyone else got a favourite gunge powder and supplier (UK)

My go to is always the thick messysupplies.com gunge. Super easy to mix and love the colours it comes in too.

Yeah Messy Supplies was the one I used before too...really happy with it and so easy to make!

I've used Messypup most recently and found it to be really easy to mix and work with. Well packaged and great service too.

Thanks for your replies
Is that the MS thick gunge powder?

Appreciate it's already been suggested, but MessySupplies have a great range of different products and colours.

My favourite is MS Xtra thick. Nastoral Xtra thick is amazing too. I find both pretty easy to mix with outstanding results.

I tend to go for the thick. I sometimes mix it up though and do less powder to water to make it thinner or more powder to water to make it thicker depending on what I'm up to xxx

I've had trouble where spraying warm water straight into the bucket caused lumps in the Messy Supplies thick MS Gunge powder. I tried adding the powder to a full bucket and immediately mixing which caused less lumps but I still had lumps. For those that got on well with this powder, did you ever achieve a 100% lump free mix and how did you manage this?

I have had trouble with lumps before, and one way I work around it is to only half fill a bucket (5 litres), add half the powder, then mix. Repeat in another bucket for the other half, then pour one into the other.

Adds notable prep time (more buckets, and more cleaning of buckets) but don't think I've ever had a 'fail' doing that.

I was lucky enough to have a messy session with a lady friend of mine last week. We purchased the 5L Ready Mixed Standard Natrosol Gunge in six colours from messy supplies. Excellent service from them.

Adds a bit to the cost but so much easier than mixing - just open and pour!!

Would highly recommend!!

I've either used or experienced most of the major ones. Classic Natrosol, the MessySupplies MS Gunge, and MessyPup's wares too.

Although there is a bit of variation, they're broadly similar - in that none of the main ones are bad.

Most of the texture has to do with how you mix it! Follow the instructions, and adding more water or powder after the water cools enough that the powder stops dispersing and starts dissolving is best avoided. (If there's a grade of Natrosol like there allegedly is that tolerates being mixed in cold water, I've certainly never found it!)

If you want the gunge tank 'cone' effect which requires slightly thinner gunge, MS-Gunge regular is a good way to go for that. For pouring, MessyPup seems to mix thicker and smoother (MessyPup's regular is about where MS Gunge Thick is) - but letting it stand after mixing does a lot for all of them. (Maybe they just have a little more powder in the bag, or slightly different grades, or one's a hydroxypropylmethylcellulose or something - who knows??)

Methylcellulose for me has sometimes needed a bit more enthusiastic mixing, keep it moving, but if you do you'll be fine, I never had any problems with it. Xanthan gum is harder to mix - it really, really requires a drill mixer and perseverance or you'll get serious lumps - however if you don't mind it not being perfectly smooth and want quantity, don't forget about it as an option because it is quite inexpensive.

The pigments are more different between suppliers. MS's 'glass' gunge is ironically very bright (the 'pink' when mixed is way more dramatic than you think it's going to be - looks like strawberry jam or even fake blood - I think it's like that to come out more easily on camera!) and more prone to staining (I don't think I'd choose that again). The MessyPup purple can be a challenge to get out in really serious quantity, but a bit of scrubbing solved the problem - and the colour's great. I do like that one, and their pink.

I overall still prefer getting uncoloured gunge powder and colouring the warm water first, rather than getting the powder-paint versions - but I think that's probably just personal preference.

During a recent shoot, as 'Cerys', I also did get a, uhhh, *sneak preview* in product testing, shall we say, of an upcoming gunge range from another supplier: I believe it may launch soon? I don't know how it mixes firsthand, but I certainly *really* enjoyed the results - bright, smooth, thick, wonderful stuff, and no staining issues I noticed. If I was going to buy some today, I think it'd be either that or MessyPup as I've had gloriously positive recent experiences with both.

Overall I'm happy we have options! We are spoilt for choice for suppliers here in the UK now! (Even the US has a 'Gunge Emporium' I believe? I haven't tried their stuff.) I love how you can just GET that stuff more easily now!

(* Disclosure: I am not being paid for this post, it's not sponsored, I am giving an honest opinion.)

For some consumer news you can use: I did a side-by-side comparison of two of MessySupplies DIY products - their Natrosol, and the own brand HEC. For me, I found the own brand HEC mixed quicker, thicker and was half the price for a kilo.

I'll always mix untreated powder (16g/l) with 5l of tap-hot water, then stir using a hand drill with one of those mixer attachment thingies, while adding in another 5l of water and around 20g/l of tempera-based poster paint (the kind which are used in classrooms, so are quite safe). Never had an issue with lumps.

I LOVE Messypup!!! So easy to mix and the colors are vibrant! They hold their own color, but also mix together with enough activity (I love finding different color combos that change into other pretty colors as I add more gunge). The regular is great and the extra thick is

I love them so much I became an ambassador as a matter of fact so for anyone who buys please use my code NOSHA at checkout - you'll help us both earn free gunge

We've been using messy supplies gunge for years, we absolutely love it and always have a few packs in our messy fun box. We did recently get some messy pup gunge to try out. It's excellent stuff and mixes up well, the consistency is thick which is great but maybe a bit too thick as there was a lot left behind in the bucket after pouring.
We've always used a paddle mixer on a drill to mix our fingers which has given us perfect gunge every time. So all in all its about finding your brand get some gunge from each supplier and have a whole load of messy sessions to figure out which I'd your favourite. It's probably the best bit of scientific research you could do.

We use an electric mixer, following the instructions and using warm water, leaving it to sit for an hour before using, not only to cool but also for it to thicken up.

An hour to cool? Are you using boiling or close to boiling water?

I find if you put ms gunge powder in the bucket, pour a full bucket of warm water straight in and then pour it straight away into the empty bucket and just mix with your hand, you won't get any lumps.