What kind of airbrush makeup? An unbiased guide to Dinair products.

100% Dinair Airbrushed Eyeshadow

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.

 

 





            

Inside DINAIR Airbrush Makeup: in depth company review and product guide

Back to the originators

In 1981 Dina Ousley and George Lampman founded Dinair inc, the first company to offer a proprietary airbrush makeup formula and to make it available to the public at large. Over thirty years later Dinair has become synonym with airbrush makeup not only in the United States, but all over the world. It is now one of the "best kept secrets" in the industry at pro level, being used in countless productions (including a very, very famous period drama that we all love) without actually being credited. At the same time Dinair has reached hundreds of thousands of home consumers, who have turned from skeptical to addicted in the space of a makeup session.

Dina Ousley wecomes us to Dinair

Like so many other makeup artists and enthusiasts, I started my own journey in airbrushing when I opened a white cardboard box sent to me exactly from these very premises we are about to visit today. We actually stopped here two years ago, but having just started this website we wanted to build our content, our experience and our reputation with our followers before offering a closer look at this fundamental company. A few phone calls to Dina's wonderfully efficient assistant Dasia and a 15 hour flight later we have come full circle as we step through the door of the Dinair Studio at 5315 Laurel Canyon Blvd.
[Please click on each image to view in full size. Scroll to the bottom for more photos]

A warm welcome

The Dinair building blends well with the others on its street, with only a small sign indicating the brand's presence on the premises. Once you park at the back and walk through the green Studio door however, you immediately realize that you have arrived at the heart of this legendary company. The Studio itself is a well equipped, medium size room where walk in customers can come and not only shop the entire product line, but also have a skilled Dinair artist help them try the products on, and receive valuable information on how to achieve the same results at home. As we step through the door, this is exactly what is happening. 

 Tips from the originator!

Dina Ousley herself is supervising a color match on a visiting makeup artist who is trying out the product for the first time. Dina welcomes us and we are immediately swept away by her energy, her warmth and her enthusiasm. If you have seen videos featuring this lady, know that you will not be disappointed should you be fortunate enough to meet her: she is exactly as she appears, embodying the spirit that drives her company with such a joy and a vibrancy that you would think she started the whole operation just three months ago, rather than over 30 years back. She immediately makes us feel right at home, and then... we're off to lunch! As she very often does, Dina is showing her support for a charitable cause today, and she is kind enough to take us along with her. This gives us a chance to chat and to get to know each other, and for me it is a great opportunity to gather more information for the profile interview that I have planned and that I will publish soon.

Inside Dinair

Dinair Workshop in progress

We are back at the Studio, and it is now time for our tour of the operation. Dinair actually occupies five adjacent buildings on the same lot, where everything that the brand needs is produced or assembled. Having everything on site cuts production times significantly and gives the company amazing creative freedom. For example a new colour for any given line can be formulated, mixed, bottled and labeled right here on the premises, and a fully equipped video studio means that the promotional material can be shot on site. Dina takes us through the color mixing room, the equipment assembly and maintenance line where each airbrush kit is assembled and manually tested, and the huge stock room where thousands of bottles of color are ready to be shipped, and where the kits and the Internet orders are assembled. There is also an IT room where many technicians are busy at the computers constantly updating the website, and of course a mini studio set up for live video Skype lessons, a service that very few companies can boast. There are about one hundred employees at Dinair, yet the atmosphere is happy and informal, and everywhere we go we are met with warm smiles. This is nowhere truer than in the large Customer Service room where many operators are assisting customers from all over the Country and the world. The girls working here are Dinair's front desk and they know it: all of them wear beautifully airbrushed makeup that they expertly applied, and looking at them is like watching a live presentation on Dinair's latest products. 

The importance of training

George Lampman and the Dinair class

All of Dinair's Customers Reps are of course certified Dinair instructors, like the amazing Tasha Boyd who will be one of the teachers at the next course in just two weeks. Education is a truly fundamental part of Dinair's activity. Courses are held regularly all over the US and in many foreign countries, but nowhere more often than right here in the perfectly equipped room that opens up right from the Studio. We will be back here in two weeks to finish our interviews and we will witness some of that in person. Students flock here literally from all over the world, from South America to Japan with translators in tow. The  training is intense, but it takes place in an exciting, positive atmosphere that will leave everyone elated with a great sense of accomplishment. There are some great makeup artists ready to assist the students and to give them the necessary individual attention, and of course there are Dina and George themselves, so you can really say that you have trained with the originators.

Innovation never stops

We often say that Makeup is a very dynamic business, where innovation is vitally important. I have never seen this applied more to the letter than at Dinair. Since I started following them this company had done nothing but grow, but never so much as in the last two years, when every single aspect of the production from makeup to equipment and even packaging has been improved and expanded. 

Just over two years ago a new, sleeker and quieter version of the Dinair compressor was launched, and the makeup bottles were redesigned with new lids that finally allowed a completely mess free dispensation of the makeup. Shortly after the Colair line was launched, and later still a new airbrush started being distributed in the pro kits, later to replace the old JX model for good. The Hair Colair line was then added, and shortly after the Colair Electric colors finally replaced the old Bright line. A first successful foray into lip stains called "Pucker Up!" is being followed right now by new colors, and most importantly a revolutionary product called Colair Extreme was introduced just weeks before our visit.
Over the next few weeks we will publish much more content dedicated to Dinair, and we have shot three video tutorials demonstrating its amazing lines. Until next time, here is a breakdown of the many products this company offers.

The Dinair product line explained
If you are considering this brand for the first time I realize that you may feel confused by the very wide range of products, so here is a recap of the product line to help you choose what is more appropriate for your needs:

Glamour line: Water based. Finest, most undetectable application, with great coverage and staying power. 20 foundation shades plus 5 adjusters and  5 concealers. 24 matte colours for blush, lips, liner and eyeshadows, and 20 more Shimmer colours for eyeshadows and highlights.

Paramedical /Camouflage line: alcohol based for more durable, water proof coverage of skin imperfections, can also be used for tattoo coverage. 20 foundation shades (same colors as the Glamour line above), 5 concealer colors and 2 adjusters.

Fantasy line: alcohol based for special effects and body painting. 12 matte colors.

Colair Radiance line: water based. More pigmented for improved coverage, comfort and durability. 20 foundation shades (same colors as the Glamour lines, but identified by numbers).

Colair Opalescent line: water based. An ultra pigmented, ultra durable line of opalescent and shimmering colors. 12 basic shades always available, but many more special edition colors are often released for a limited time and available in the "collections" part of the web store.

Colair Electric line: Alcohol based. Ultra pigmented neon colours for face painting or for bold eyeshadows. 7 matte colors.

Colair Xtreme line: Water based. The most durable and blocking coverage available. Water proof, rub proof. Suitable to conceal serious skin imperfections and for tattoo coverage with no need for prior color correcting. 14 shades available identified by numbers, matching the most popular colors in the Glamor and Radiance lines.

Hair Colair Highlights line: 12 shades allow you to create highlights on visible on any color of hair, even dark tones.

Hair Colair Shadows line: 7 shades allow you to temporarily cover visible scalp patches or hair roots.

Please click here to access a comprehensive illustrated printable color chart directly on Dinair's Website.

PRO TIP: If you can't find a particular color from any of the lines, or if you wish to purchase a color that only seems available as part of a collection, insert the color name in the Dinair website search engine: you will find what you are looking for in its own individual page and ready to be added to your basket. 

Training at Dinair: the lovely Heaven Thorton demonstrating smokey eyes

With the amazing Tasha Boyd