Welcome to airbrush makeup! In these pages you will find unbiased indipendent airbrush makeup reviews, video tutorials, and everything about airbrushing makeup not just from the US but from Europe and the world at large. The guru is in...
Marc Harvey is a very well known face in the airbrush makeup world, having been the brand ambassador for the popular brand Luminess, heavily advertised on US television network. After that experience he created another brand called Elementwo that is popular on the Asian markets, and finally he moved on to create his own brand, Marc Harvey Beauty, which debuted just a few years ago and which offers a range of products for airbrushing, a series of skin care products and some traditional makeup complements for eyes and lips.
This new airbrush line offers a foundation range with 20 colors catering to every skin tone and every ethnicity, plus 4 shimmer colors, six blush tones and two bronzers.
The airbrush products are available individually on the website in .5 oz (14 ml) bottles, or as trial bundles of .25 oz (7 ml) bottles that are also offered in a Starter Airbrush kit combination with a compressor and airbrush package. This review will concentrate on the makeup, as I have not received the tools, however I can confidently say that given its light texture and high fluidity, the makeup can be successfully applied with any and all beauty airbrush systems out there, regardless of the brand.
In line with Marc's passion for skin care, this water/alcohol hybrid airbrush formula is rich in botanical ingredients that include cucumber, green tea, rosehip oil extracts, neroli, jojoba and orange peel oils and witch hazel. These are preserved in a water base with a 14% presence of organic alcohol, which serves both as preservative for the other elements, as an astringent, and to ensure the makeup's durability once applied.
The airbrush makeup line is called Exclusive Air Ultra HD. The name is interesting enough, because it implies that the product is natural looking and imperceptible enough to hold up to the Ultra HD camera. From a professional stand point, this means that the makeup should offer efficient coverage without creating any texture, which is the claim of most airbrush brands out there. So, does the product live up to its own name? In short, yes it does, and the results are excellent. You can view how I applied to obtain the look in these photos and read my pro tips in the video tutorial included here, then read on for my own thoughts and opinions on this formula.
The formula is the thinnest, least viscous product I ever put through my airbrush. After only a pass it's hard to see any difference at all in the skin, but right here lies its beauty: you can build the application very slowly and subtly, zooming in on more problematic areas first and then using wider, more far away passes, and you hardly ever run the risk of creating unsightly concentration of product (hot spots). All you have to do is take a few seconds and a virtual step back from the process between passes in order to assess how your skin is changing. Once you have reached the desired coverage, you will be amazed by the total lack of texture on the skin. You will see the skin concealed and improved, without feeling or seeing the presence of virtually any product at all, and there will be zero highlighting of problematic areas, even of the fine skin around the eyes. While the airbrush product can be integrated with traditional concealer either under or over the airbrushed application, it is my experience that with careful layering you will not need any concealer at all, and as an added bonus you will not have to fear slippage in finer lines throughout the day.
The finish of the product is a delicate matte outlook, which can easily support the use of hydrating finishing sprays on top. The durability is comparable to that of the best, more established airbrush formulas out there. The formula has no added perfume, and a faint scent derived from the natural ingredients will vanish right away after application.
As far as the other complements I was able to try, the bronzer performed just as well as the foundation, and the shimmer colors were absolutely gorgeous, as you can see in the video. I look forward to shooting more content with this line, and I would like to invite you to check back on these pages soon for a very interesting interview with Marc as we induct him in our very own Airbrush Makeup Hall of Fame.
How is the beauty industry going to be impacted by the Covid-19 virus? As the world is still struggling to gauge the scale of the pandemic and its implications for the economy, it might seem too early to ponder this question. Yet there is one thing that already appears obvious and tragic: the way we interact with each other is not going to be the same for a very long time.
In a recent post on Facebook, the creator of a once very popular beauty brand posed an interesting question: how many people will want you to touch their face after this? He then proceeded to make an interesting parallel with the aftermath of 9/11 and what that meant for the professional lives of makeup artists in the US, speculating that this current crisis may well have far more lasting implications on a global scale. Will our perception of the importance of self image forever be affected by the long quarantine that we are experiencing? Will working from home and apart become the new norm, and will the importance of appearing in person be dramatically reduced for the foreseeable future?
While it is really too early to tell, the questions are certainly valid and will soon be urgent for a whole sector of our economy both at corporate and individual business level.
My own intuition is perhaps obvious, given who I am and what I struggle to represent: I strongly believe that now more than ever, airbrush makeup represents a unique opportunity in the face of the challenges ahead. The fact that airbrushing offers the cleanest application available represents a stunning opportunity in the face of future hardship, if you think that an accomplished airbrush makeup artist can execute a whole makeup almost without touching the face -and yes, that can include eyes down to the eyeliner and eyebrows.
For those who stumbled upon these page and are wondering what I am talking about, in airbrush application the makeup goes from the bottle to the airbrush reservoir, and is then sprayed on the skin without any need for brushes, sponges and most importantly fingers. With proper care there is no cross contamination whatsoever and every client receives the benefit of pristine tools and products. Add that to single-use lip and mascara applicators, and you have created the cleanest possible makeup application. You can check any of my videos to see how very little, if at all, I need to touch my model's skin.
Of course I still believe mainstream beauty conglomerates will never give this technique a real chance, due to its learning curve, however small, and its reduced profit margins: in airbrushing, a single airbrush does the job of a whole brush set, and in most cases one product does the job of three or four traditional ones, for example foundation barely needing primer, powder and setting spray.
However those courageous brands and forward -thinking makeup artists that have decided to produce and invest in this medium, are now faced with a unique opportunity to satisfy a potentially radical change in people's perception: the need for the maximum hygiene standards met by maximum makeup performance.
It is to salute these very brands that I am publishing this year's update to our LINKS page (no monetization or sponsorship involved) , where you will find a list of every airbrush makeup related brand and business in the world.
As for the makeup artists, this whole website is a free resource that I have created to help you in your first approach to airbrushing, or to take your skills to the highest level if you already have some knowledge of this amazing medium.
Please help me keep our LINKS page current by reading it and suggesting updates and edits.
Halloween is many a makeup artist's dream festivity. Creativity runs amok and everybody is trying to outdo each other in coming up with the most whimsical and surprising look for the occasion. Some newbies might even feel intimidated at times, but the industry nowadays is supplying us with so many amazing products that literally anyone can create a frightfully good makeup without too much effort. Like every year we turned to our favorite online store in the world, Camera Ready Cosmetics, to put together the look you see in these photos and video tutorial. If you follow these pages you might have read our previous Camera Ready rave review of a couple of years ago. Since we wrote it the business moved to a new location in Dallas, Texas, and grew exponentially under the guidance of their amazingly talented founder and owner, makeup artist Mary Erickson. They now stock about twice as many brands, have lowered their shipping costs and continue with their policy of unrivaled customer service. Much to our delight, they stock an extensive catalogue of airbrush products and special effect supplies, and they ship all over the world at fair prices when many of their competitors still hesitate to do so.
Let's talk about some of the products we used in our demo, hoping that what you see and read here will inspire you to get creative for Halloween 2017!
This amazingly versatile product is made of two components that must be mixed in equal parts. It is extremely easy to blend on the skin and can be cleaned up and smoothed out while still curing with 99% alcohol. It will cure in about 5 minutes, so be sure to work fast. Also be very careful not to cross contaminate the jars when extracting the product, or you may render it unusable. This product is available in various colors. We had the clear version which can also be easily colored intrinsically by mixing pigment in powder form. Once cured the application will look very shiny, but it can be painted easily and blended perfectly.
These alcohol activated pigments are the most famous and most widely used in the professional SFX industry. The On Set Palettes are smaller, more portable (and less expensive) versions of the full size product, and the colors apply so sheer on the skin that they will look like they are coming through from underneath, with a startlingly realistic effect. They can be reduced with their special Activator, which is less irritating to the eye than straight alcohol 99. To use these colors in your airbrush, as we did in the video, simply pour
a small amount of alcohol or activator in your airbrush cup and then "tint" it by dipping a brush into the palette's well and then "rinsing it" in the airbrush reservoir. It is a simple process that is quicker to do than to describe, and require minimal experimentation in order to achieve the right color intensity. If you don't want to do this, you can also order the same colors you find in the palettes in a liquid format that is ready to be airbrushed.
EBA is another brand that is becoming an industry standard in the SFX world, with outstanding lines for airbrushing and solid palettes. We used Endura Airbrush Liquid (alcohol based) in white to prime the face and get rid of the silicone compound's shine, then some flesh tone and some straight black to finish the makeup. EBA also offers Endura Vibe, a line of water based colors of extraordinary pigmentation and water and rub resistance.
So you finally saw me using a brush or two, and these could only be coming from the amazing SFX collection by Bdellium Tools, a vegan product created especially to achieve amazing pictorial textures. These brushes are another industry favorite, and if you look hard enough in related videos, you will see them being used by the very best artists in both the beauty and the special effects fields.
Last week we wrote an easy guide to the many products available in the extraordinary Dinair catalogue. This week I'd like to focus on a couple of lesser known gems available from this catalogue, and I will start with the most unusual one, and one of the most interesting for all the pros out there: airbrush makeup for hair!
There are many occasions when we'd like to be able to alter our own or someone else's hair quickly and temporarily. We may want to cover roots that are starting to show, put in temporary highlights for a special occasion, conceal thin patches or achieve a fuller mane look, or fix another temporary dye that may have started to fade. Dinair has come up with two lines of products that allow us to triumph in any of the above listed circumstances.
Dinair Hair Colair Highlights is a range of twelve shades matching pretty much any hair color, whether directly out of the bottle or after a little mixing with a complementary shade. These colors have a shimmering consistency that allows them to cover darker tones (such as roots) with lighter ones, and the possibilities they offer are practically endless. Even the blackest hair can be streaked effectively with these colors, and it is incredibly easy, as we show in our video. Simply apply on clean hair, allow a couple of minutes to dry completely, then style as desired. Combing or brushing will not remove the color, it will only make it look more natural: thanks to a small percentage of cosmetic alcohol present in the formula of these colors, the application will last undisturbed until the hair is washed.
The short video tutorial included in this post shows how the products were used fix the hair of one of our model whose hair was showing dark roots and a lingering bluish hue from a previous salon applied temporary dye. While the shimmer of the pigment might be evident right after the product is sprayed, it soon appears perfectly natural as soon as it is dry, and the overall result is amazing. The video also shows another application on a more mature model who had a lot of creative streaking in her hair that we muted successfully with the shade Chestnut.
Dinair Hair Colair Shadows has a further seven shades that are totally matte, and that can be used for an even subtle, totally natural coverage of regrowth or thin spots. It can be applied directly to the scalp as well as the hair, and it alcohol components will guarantee it stays put until shampooed. This line is also ideal for man grooming to conceal white hair and to fill in and even out a beard.
Dinair has a further line of Vivid colors to be used for semi permanent, amazing effects on the hair, and we will review that in the near future.
Dinair was the first brand in the world to make airbrush makeup commercially available to both professional makeup artists and consumers alike. Founded by Dina Ousley and partner George Lampman in 1981, this family run company is stronger than ever and remains the most dynamic brand in the airbrush makeup field today. With so many products and innovations coming through at a fast pace, we thought we would lay out an easy guide to the brand for those who approach it for the first time. TIPS: Can't find a specific product in a section of Dinair's website? Try using their search button in the top right corner of each page! In this article will only be describing makeup products. If you are looking for equipment information please read our Kit Review.
Product Composition and Available Sizes
All of Dinair products are water based. Some lines (Paramedical, Fantasy, Hair Colair) have a small percentage of high grade cosmetic alcohol to render them extra resistant to water and rubbing. This makes the products very healthy and extremely safe for any skin type, with no known allergic reaction in the 35 year history of the product existence.
All the colors come in four sizes: tester (.12 oz), small (.25 oz), medium (.50 oz) and large (1.15 oz). Of course as the size increases the price becomes more convenient, however even the very small tester size can yield many uses, and certainly enough to figure out if you like the color or product before committing to a larger investment: a .12 oz small bottles contains 50 drops approximately, enough for 7 foundation or 14 eyeshadow applications on a conservative estimate. The testers are also super handy to carry with you when you travel.
For quick reference and a guide to each color's undertones please download the free pdf of the latest Dinair Color Chart.
The Foundation Lines
Dinair has four foundation lines available in 20 equivalent shades:
-Dinair Glamour is the first line in the brand's history and it is still a strong customer favorite. It has the most natural and imperceptible finish while retaining great coverage, very good water and rub resistance. It is perfect for those wishing to achieve a totally natural, undetectable makeup, and it also ideal for men grooming. TIP: The matte finish can be easily be balanced if necessary by airbrushing a natural glow such as Dinair's Moist & Dewy or refined Jojoba Oil on top of the makeup.
-Colair Radiance has a satin/matte finish and a softer, more comfortable finish that make the final result very similar to what you would get using a silicone based products. It is less undetectable than Glamour but still very natural, and with twice the pigment content it offers superior coverage and greater resistance to rub and water. It has a very subtle intrinsic luminosity that makes it ideal for everybody and very suitable for more mature skin.
-Colair Soft Glow as the name suggests has a very subtle glow factor intended to blur imperfections optically. It is closer in texture to Glamour with a powdery matte finish that makes it ideal for normal oily skin, and a favorite for bridal makeup.
-Dinair Paramedical (Camouflage) is a water and high grade cosmetic alcohol based formula that allows for greater coverage and it rub resistant and water proof. It is especially indicated for correcting problematic skin conditions while still allowing the pores to breathe (i.e it's non-comedogenic). It can be used as a correcting and priming base on which to layer the other lines of foundation.
Tattoo /Serious Skin Imperfections Cover
-Colair Extreme is a very powerful product that can be used to cover tattoos and very evident skin conditions such as birth marks, vitiligo, strong rosacea and such. It has total blocking power and does not require color correcting, and it's totally water proof and rub resistant, with a long lasting finish under almost any circumstance. TIPS: Because of its extreme pigment content the finish tends to look very uniform, however this be softened by using Extreme under or even mixed with any other Dinair foundation line. Colair Extreme has also enormous potential in the special effects field, where it represents a valid cosmetic alternative to Pax paint, allowing artists to paint base tones on prosthetics extremely fast and with excellent results.
Eyeshadows, Eyeliner, Blush and Lip colors
With airbrush makeup any color can be used for any desired purpose. The difference is not in the formulation, but in the concentration and in the style of application. For example a shade of pink can easily be used as eyeshadow, blush, or even as a lip stain. Dinair's website usefully points out what colors maybe ideal for what use, and you should visit each section to make sure you see all the available shades. Having said that all colors are divided in three main groups according to their finish:
-Dinair Glamour: this is a group of matte colors that are very easy to blend yet very pigmented. TIP: To ensure a durable, crease free application it is best to moisturize the eye lid and then to remove any excess oils with a mattifying lotion or even with Dinair Airbrush Cleaner (this may sound funny but given its organic, non toxic formula the cleaner lends itself beautifully for this purpose).
-Dinair Shimmer: a further 24 beautiful shimmering shades. TIP: lid prep applies as described above. Some of the lighter shades have lots of pigment and shimmering particles, so remember to shake well before applying and you may need to rinse the airbrush with some water and /or cleaner after using them before proceeding to the next colors.
-Colair Opalescent: an ever growing group of 27 opalescent shades which are amazingly pigmented, water proof and rub resistant, yet water based. TIP: in spite of their high pigmentation, these colors can be layered to obtain the most subtle gradients, with truly amazing results.
-Colair Matte: this is the latest addition to the Dinair range and the first six colors have just been released. They promise to be as pigmented and resistant as their opalescent counterparts, but with a matte finish.
-Colair Eyebrows: while makeup for eyebrows has always been achievable with the shades in the Glamour range, this new addition has six specific shades with the improved pigmentation, durability and resistance you have come to expect from the Colair range.
Effects and Fantasy Makeup
-Dinair Fantasy is a line of 13 beautiful vivid colors in a water and cosmetic grade alcohol base for improved resistance. TIP: These shades are amazing and can be used safely as eyeshadows as well. They can be mixed with any other Dinair color.
-Colair Electric: seven ultra bright shades that are water based with superior water and rub resistance. They can be used for fantasy makeup or as eyeshadows by themselves or mixed with any other Dinair Color.
Airbrushing Hair
-Hair Colair Highlights: this is a range of colors that can be used to cover roots or to create beautiful highlights on any original hair color: their particular pigmentation means that they are visible even on very dark hair, allowing for a world of possibilities. The application will last until the hair is washed.
-Hair Colair Shadows: these seven shades have a more natural matte finish that allows for the most natural root cover. They can also be used to fill in sparse scalp areas (alopecia) or to fill in beard spots in the most natural way.
-Vivid Hair Colors: eight amazing shades of semi permanent hair colors for stunning effects lasting up until 15 shampoos. TIP:Please read the instructions on the page carefully before using this product.
Essential Complements
-Dinair Airbrush Cleaner has been reformulated a couple of years ago and it has dramatically improved to become absolutely essential. It is organic, non toxic and removes all of Dinair makeup from the airbrush like a breeze, even the very persistent Colair Extreme. Used with the genius Cleaning Caps system it allows you to keep you airbrush pristine and looking like new after every use. It can also be used as a mattifying agent on the skin to remove excess oil. While formulated for Dinair, it removes other brands of water based makeup from any system just as easily.
-Dinair Deep Clean Clog Remover is the ultimate airbrush problem solver. When normal cleaning fails to restore the airbrush to perfect functionality, this genius liquid will take care of the situation with very little effort. TIP: Please do read the instructions on the bottle carefully. As most clogs happen in the nozzle of the airbrush, you can simply fill a small cap of Deep Clean and soak the nozzle of your airbrush (whatever the model or brand) for fifteen minutes. Then clean the nozzle with a synthetic brush, soak again for a fifteen minutes, reassemble and rinse: problem gone!
-Dinair Makeup Sealer is a lesser known, less advertised product that in our opinion should not be missing from any kit. This airbrushable sealer will greatly improve the water resistance of the applied makeup, making more resilient to heavy water exposure. It is indispensable for special occasions.
Non Airbrushable Complements
-Dinair Under Eye Concealers have the same composition and are available in the same shades of the airbrush foundations but are in cream form. They are very useful when correcting a problematic under eye area or when a person is particularly sensitive to air being blown close to the open eyes. They create the perfect base for a light airbrush pass, and like any concealer they must be used very sparingly and set with a very light dusting of powder to avoid accumulation in fine lines.
-Dinair Pucker Up! is a series of matte and recently added metallic lip
stains. Even though they are not an airbrushable product they are worth
mentioning for their incredible durability and their amazing payoff. The
color "Vixen" may well be that ultimate true red we had been looking
for through every brand, and it is our favorite lip color ever.
Last year we were fortunate enough to visit the Temptu NYC Showroom, where we had a wonderful time right at the heart of this amazing brand. If you have browsed these pages before or if you have an even remote interest in airbrush makeup, you will know that Temptu is the world leader in silicone based airbrushable makeup, and the producer of an amazing line of top quality products that have become standards for both the most demanding professionals and the consumer market at large.
The Temptu LA showroom at 2381 Rosecrans Avenue, El Segundo, CA 90245, is ideally located for travelers as it is just minutes away from the LAX airport. In keeping with its image of streamlined elegance and friendly efficiency there are no flashy signs visible from the street, but once you get in the inner court and park your car you will not be able to miss the imposing sign behind the glass doors of its ground level premises.
Francesca, Jackie and Daisy at Temptu LA
We were welcomed by the lovely Francesca Iodice from International Accounts, who kindly gave us a tour of the whole operation. The floor has a mostly open plan that allows you to take in almost everything that's going on at a glance. If New York hosts the creative headquarters of the company, this is where the Customer Service is based, and you can see them right there as they assist the many customers both on line and on the phone. As a walk in customer however you will not be in the least disappointed by the elegantly streamlined and ample premises, and of course by what I call the Wall of Delights, a massive display of all of Temptu products ready to be shopped and browsed for once with your own eyes rather than through a computer screen. There are also posts where you can test all the makeup, or rather have it tested on you by the expert hands of Temptu's own master makeup artists.
The amazing product display at Temptu Los Angeles
We were lucky to meet the very Jackie Fan, Global Education and Artistry Manager, a wonderful makeup artist that we will have the pleasure of interviewing on these pages very soon. Jackie is also responsible for many of the courses that take place right here in Temptu's well organized training room, where both beginners and advanced makeup artist can come and learn how to make the most out of the technology and cosmetics offered by this brand. Jackie and Francesca are of course sworn to secrecy as far as new products are concerned, but from what little information we could pry we are happy to reassure you that innovation is going forward at full speed at Temptu, and that we have a lot of exciting news to look forward to.
The training room at Temptu LA
As for us, we were very happy to touch base with once again with this wonderful brand, and to have a chance to purchase some more products furthering our plans to complete our Temptu makeup collection. As great as the internet is, there is nothing like being able to talk about products in person with the best experts and collaborators of a brand. Our chat with Jackie opened up our minds even more on the Pod line, and we just could not resist the amazing full collection of True Color lipsticks, the newest addition to the makeup offering. We are in the process of editing a video showcasing these amazing products, and we will share our thoughts and some very useful information on them in about a week's time.
If you are visiting LA or simply travelling with a decent layover at its airport you simply cannot miss the opportunity for a visit to the Temptu LA showroom, another corner of Airbrush Makeup Heaven!
Summer holidays are over, school is in and Halloween is approaching fast! And talking of speed, I was recently chatting with a makeup artist friend about a Halloween gig where she had to paint Sugar Skull makeups on a bunch of people in a very short time. I said to her that airbrushing would probably have been a good idea, and that with a few stencils and a couple of extra airbrushes to avoid time consuming color changes the whole endeavour could have turned into a whole lot of fun.
A year later I am challenging myself to "walk my talk", and the results are in this video. The process is not exactly super fast as I chose to experiment with detail and decorations, but I hope it gives you a fair idea of how fun the process can be. In this video I am using stencils that I made by myself, and I decided to make the templates available to you our new FREE STENCILS page. Graftobian of course distributes the great BadAss Stencil line, and I would have used some of those too, but they were scheduled to arrive after the shooting deadline for the video.
El dia de los Muertos Aribrush Makeup
In this look I also wanted to try out my new Graftobian GlamAire F/X Neon colors, and of course to use my new Graftobian Walk-Around System that I purchased early this summer at CRCmakeup.com. The colors are fantastic. They have an amazing payoff, they are super resistant and have a very low viscosity, which in layman terms means that they clear out of your airbrush beautifully, with hardly any residue. I did not have a hint of a clogging problem while using them. The bottles are a large 2 oz. size, which of course you need if you are going to do body painting. The formula is an alcohol and water base hybrid, and dries fast to a matte finish. I found it to be very gentle on the skin and odor free.
Another great thing about these products is that the pigment does separate when they lay idle, but unlike the other GlamAire beauty formulas a quick shake is all it takes to get it perfectly mixed again. Oh, and did I mention that the Neon colors are made to glow in back light? Unfortunately we weren't equipped to show you that in the video, but it sure is a great plus. We will write more about Graftobian, its amazing color range and the Walk-Around airbrush system in our next post. Stay tuned...
Halloween Sugar Skull Airbrush Makeup with Graftobian F/X Aire
We are very excited to bring you the first in a series of interviews with the world's leading and most inspiring airbrush makeup artists. We couldn't have hoped for a better opener than this chat with Kett Cosmetics founder and creator Sheila McKenna, who personifies the best combination of amazing talent and great entrepreneurial skills.
(Please click on any photo to enlarge it. Sheila was kind enough to provide captions that list all the airbrush products that were used in the making of these amazing looks. You can visit the Kett website or refer to the resellers on our directory to purchase these fantastic products.)
Sheila McKenna
Passion, creativity, energy and commitment are
the first words that light up like big neon signs in a writer's mind when
meeting Sheila McKenna. If the writer happens to be a beauty enthusiast with a
love for airbrush makeup bordering on the obsession, the term uber
guru will follow up shortly. We are in New York City visitingThe Makeup Show, one of
the top beauty industry events in the world. Sheila McKenna is right here with
Kett Cosmetics, the brand that she has created and directed to become one of the
most highly regarded and recognizable names in HD makeup worldwide. Kett offers
an unparalleled synergy between crème products, airbrushing, and ultra fine
fixing powders that work together to meet today's strict high definition
standards. The extensive Kett booth is running like clockwork in the
background, with a team of skilled makeup artists demonstrating both beauty and
fantasy makeup for a crowd of spell bound onlookers. In the midst of everything
that is happening Sheila is radiant with enthusiasm and kindly available to
answer my questions.
Above is an image of Lorianna Izrailova. Her skin is airbrushed with
Hydro Foundation. The reflection on her lips and collar bone is
airbrushed with the Shimmer called Zircon. She is contoured with the
color Shadow. Her blush was airbrushed with Sunkissed.
-I know you have a
background in art and design. What made you decide to become a makeup artist?
As a young girl, I remember watching my mother
do her makeup and thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world.
Wanting to paint my own face was a natural step. Choosing makeup as a career
was inspired by my father’s advice to do what makes you happy. It will never
feel like work whether you are making money or not. The choice was easy.
-Who or what inspired
your interest in airbrush makeup?
After 18 years of actively doing makeup, I hit
a creative wall and began my quest for artistic growth. At the time, I found a
group of motorcycle and car painting enthusiasts that were teaching airbrush
classes and registered immediately.I
didn’t expect the passion to ignite as quickly as it did.
This image is one of my favorites because we had Audio Slave blasting in
the studio while shooting. Joan Jett was the inspiration and the names
of the colors are all Rock n Roll inspired. Kristin Cruz is airbrushed
with Hydro Foundation. Here eyes were airbrushed with Iron Maiden,
Purple Haze, Mercury and Star Dust. The rest is Rock N Roll history. We
also have a video of this look on our website and youtube.
-Building your own
company into a success must have required amazing courage and great instincts.
What is the secret behind such a remarkable achievement in such a competitive industry?
I wouldn’t use the word courage to describe
what fuelled the fire. It was more like a passion to do what made me happy
along with the support of my family. The secret behind Kett’s continued growth
is to create high quality products that stand on their own along with a team of
passionate employees.
-Where does the name
Kett come from?
It’s not a very exciting story but is dear to
me so if I told you, I’d have to kill you.
The model is airbrushed with Kett FX colors in Bone and Varicose. The side of
the veins were highlighted to create a concave effect with Hydro Proof
White. She is contoured with Kett FX Darkest Brown and a layer of Liquid
Metal in Star Dust is all over. The bite marks were hand painted with
Kett FX Artery and Trauma
-How would you sum up the best advantages of airbrush makeup for a makeup artist that may be new to the technique?
The greatest advantage to airbrushing a face or body is the ability to alter the skin in any direction with ease and seamless perfection. When layering makeup with an airbrush, you have the ability to color correct and neutralize without creating unwanted secondary colors. It’s also like placing a filter on a camera creating a soft focus on the skin. Technique is key. The application is only as good as the artist with the airbrush. I strongly emphasize the need to get proper training. At Kett, we teach visual and illustration art techniques so every artist attending a workshop will walk away with the ability to understand how to use the airbrush and paint anything from a face and body to t-shirts and murals. We happen to use makeup as our medium. -What do you think may be the biggest misconception or myth concerning airbrush makeup today?
The biggest misconception about airbrushing makeup is that it’s heavy or cakey. The opposite is true. The artist controls the amount of product and layers on the skin. Once the technique is mastered, the option for sheer to full coverage is in the artists’ hand. Some products have more opacity than others so choosing the right makeup is also key to a beautiful application.
The model above is Emily Dann. She is airbrushed with Hydro Foundation
R1, Contoured with Shadow and her eyes are airbrushed with the Liquid
Metal Iron Maiden.
-What new product are
you presenting here at the Makeup Show?
Our latest creation is Fixx Crème Correctors.
This is an abbreviated collection of Light, Medium and Dark crème colors that
have an orange/salmon base. They are perfect for neutralizing blue and brown
whether it is under the eyes or around the mouth area. They are waterproof and
contain skin care benefits which is always a plus when wearing a product on a
daily basis.
-Do you have new additions coming up for your airbrush makeup or equipment lines?
We are working on some new colors for the Hydro
Foundation Series that will be vibrant and fun. It’s always evolving but only
at a pace that is controlled by quality, not quantity.
-Educating about your
product is a significant part of your company's activity, with a busy schedule
of national and international workshops throughout the year. How do you enjoy
teaching?
In the event that I do teach a class, it is
always filled with laughter and fun. Airbrushing is playing and who doesn’t
want to play for a living? I try to find the fun in everything that I do.
This image was done in an extreme makeup class. Courtney's brows were
blocked out and airbrushed over with the colors in our Hydro Color
theory collection.
-How would you sum up
the most distinctive quality of your product and company?
Kett Cosmetics provides a level of
product, equipment and education that is focused entirely on the professional
artist. Attention to ingredients and performance in front of the HD camera is
what sets us apart.In 1998, I started
product development on our first liquid makeup. Having contacts in the industry
and freelance jobs provided the arena for me to test the products live and make
adjustments to the formula before launching in 2003. We continue to test all
new products on camera in our HD Studio. When it comes to airbrushing, we
believe that it should be a professional service and not promoted as a “do it
yourself at home” type of product. The bar is set high.
-What is the next
dream in line for you? Continuing to grow as an airbrush artist, creating new
products and taking care of my parents would be a dream come true.
Meeting Sheila was a real treat, and I admit to
being a little star struck. She represents her brand with kindness, humanity
and a winning "hard rock" charm that is quite unique. I look forward
to getting to know Kett even better, and to meeting her again.
Just for fun: This is my latest portrait of Salvador Dali using black and white airbrush paints on steel
You simply cannot talk about airbrush makeup without mentioning Temptu. This brand has been at the forefront of airbrush innovation since it created its first airbrushable colours for temporary tattoos in 1981. Today Temptu is simply the most recognized airbrush makeup brand worldwide, with a superstar silicone based line, an incredibly wide range of alcohol based colours for body art and special effects, and a water based line. Temptu also offers some of the best equipment in the market, which is constantly updated to offer the best and most cost effective options available.
Just over a week ago, during our visit to New York City, we went to visit Temptu East Coast headquarters, the show room at 26 W. 17th St. in the Flat Iron district.
Welcome to Temptu
A wall of Temptu delights
The show room is located on the third floor of an elegant commercial building, so we knew not to expect a flashy store front, and yet as soon as the door opened, "airbrush makeup heaven" was the first definition that popped into our minds. Other airbrush companies we have visited (and we have visited a few) have retained a quaint, family business outlook. Not Temptu. Here everything is designed to match the image of the dynamic company to perfection: modern, spacious, streamlined and high-tech.We were welcomed by a lovely receptionist, and our attention bounced quickly from her smile to the wall of products displayed next to her. It was so great to see the complete line in one single place.
The newest version of their 2.0 kit was displayed in a range of vibrant colours on a fixture on the opposite wall. This kit comes with the popular Pod system, or in the new "starter" version with the newly released SP-40 airbrush, which can also be attached to any pre exixting compressors in the line, creating what we have long considered to be the ideal kit combination.
The Makeup Show was just a couple of days away so the team was busy organizing the many events related to this important trade show of which the brand was one of the main sponsors this year. In spite of their busy schedule, the guys in the team were very nice to us, and we got to take a sneek peak into some new products that they are about to reveal to the press. We are sworn to secrecy as to what they are, but we can tell you that they will surprise you and that they are of exceptional quality. We thanked the guys and move to the training room, fully equipped with professional lights, where lessons and seminars take place. This is another great feature at Temptu that should not be taken for granted: anyone who buys a kit from them can participate in a free introductory class that will show them how to use it.
The Training Room at Temptu
There is another Temptu showroom in Los Angeles, and perhaps we will be lucky enough to visit there also. For now, we couldn't have enjoyed our visit more, and we could not thank Hallie enough for making us feel so welcome. In the next few weeks we will publish much more on Temptu. An in depth review of their new starter system is in the works, and a video tutorial featuring their latest colour collection is also planned, so as always... stay tuned!
Some highligts from Temtpu timeline (please visit this page for a complete timeline):
1981: Dr. Samuel Zuckerman invents the TEMPTU DURA formula and tattoo ink transfer system for the cult classic film, Tattoo. 1990: TEMPTU’s ink transfer system becomes the gold standard in Temporary Body
Art, appearing on Johnny Depp in the John Waters classic Cry-Baby. 1996: TEMPTU launches professional airbrush formulas Aqua™ and DURA™. 2000: TEMPTU PRO DURA™, makeup transforms Rebecca Romijin into X-Men’s bodaciously blue-bodied Mystique. 2002: TEMPTU goes hi-def with their ground-breaking silicone S/B™ formula and its unparalleled flawless finish. 2003: Key Makeup Artist Bernadette Mazur uses TEMPTU to create Nicole Kidman’s porcelain look in The Stepford Wives. 2009: TEMPTU introduces the AIRbrush Makeup System with AIRpod Technology,
created for easy, at-home use and quickly becomes the beauty
breakthrough of the 21st century. 2011: Makeup artist, Will Lemon III and the TEMPTU artistry team turn Lady Gaga into the "living dead" for her Born This Way video.
Let's face it, cleaning your airbrush is never going to be much fun, but does it also have to be hazardous for your health? I am so glad to have found an answer to this question in this product.
Nurturing force is an American company with a very simple, no frills philosophy of developing products with natural ingredients without compromising the high performance standard expected by professionals. If this wasn't enough of a good reason to perk our interest, they also focus on airbrushing at the core of their product line, which in my immodest and very biased opinion, is exactly where it should be. I originally picked up a small 1 oz bottle of their NF (Non-Flammable) airbrush cleaner on my first visit to CRC Makeup. I was attracted by the claim that it works on Water Based, Silicone based and Alcohol based makeup. So one product instead of three already sounded like a very good deal. I went on to read the label description: "no artificial fragrance, no colorants, no preservatives, no volatile chemicals, no Dangerous poisons, no animal products and no animal testing. Ingredients are food-grade quality".
The product is also a concentrate, so you only have to use a few drops at a time and dilute it with water, making the 1oz size much more sensible than it looked at first (2 and 4 oz sizes are also available). In short this product seemed cheaper, healthier, and more versatile than anything on the market.
Only one question remained. Does it actually work? I am pleased that the answer is a resounding YES! Nurturing Force cleaned water based makeup as efficiently and as fast as my trusted Dinair cleaner. Unlike Dinair, which is also made of natural based ingredients but which is irritant and makes you cough if inhaled, Nurturing Force has a very pleasant peppermint scent and has no adverse effect whatsoever. It proved just as efficient in cleaning my airbrush from alcohol based makeup, and it even did very well on silicone, which is the toughest of them all. Where silicone is concerned, it may act a little slower than 244, but it does the job just as well in the end, and I personally value my health (and that of my customers) above a few seconds spared.
Nurturing force produces several different airbrushing complements, like the very popular Blot Out Offensive primer, which I will review in future posts, a priming/moisturizing mist specifically formulated for airbrush, and a very interesting series of "airbrush makeup safe" blotting papers which I cannot wait to try. In Europe, you can find Nurturing Force also available at Gruru Makeup Emporium.
PRO TIP: For your safety and comfort, please remember to avoid spraying any kind of cleaner into the air. Cleaner should always be discharged in an airbrush cleaning pot or in a tissue.
