Dinair AirStyle Airbrush Makeup Kit Review and video tutorial

Dinair Airbrush Makeup: AirStyle Kit

Dinair AirStyle is the first all-in-one, hand-held rechargeable applicator to feature an actual airbrush.  The device debuted on the market at the end of 2017, and is now available on Dinair's webiste within a kit bundle or just by itself .

What is it?

Dinair AirStyle Airbrush

The AirStyle was conceived to allow Dinair users to apply makeup with total freedom, regardless of the location and independent form a power supply. As you can see from the images, it basically consists of a handle with an airbrush on top, and there is no air hose or power cord to stand in the way. The "handle", which houses the micro compressor, features an off/on button and a charging port at the bottom where you can plug in the charging cable, which features USB connectivity. According to the instructions the unit charges fully in about an hour, and a single charge provides over a half hour of continuous use. This means that if you remember to switch it off when you are not spraying (for example when you are loading colors) a single charge may last you up to five days for personal use. The airbrush on top is just 5'' (12 cm) long, and is a continuous airflow model with a classic screw-on nozzle wide enough for all of Dinair's colors and lines. The strength of the airflow is proportionately adequate, and while I have no way to measure it exactly I would estimate it at a good 10 PSI. The pressure output is not adjustable and remains constant throughout the battery life, and the unit simply stops working when the charge has run out. It will of course work while it is plugged in, so if  users miscalculate the time left on the charge all they will have to do is find an outlet to finish their application. The AirStyle is not a very quiet system. It produces a level of noise comparable to that of an average hair dryer. Not a major issue, but one to keep in mind if you wish to use it in the same room with someone who is sleeping.

Kit Contents

Dinair AirStyle Kit

The Airstyle Kit comes with the unit itself housed in a sleek white box with a molded velveteen tray inside, an elegant packaging solution reminiscent of Apple's devices. There is also a small clear pouch filled with goodies that are selectable from the options listed on the website page. You will get three foundation colors in your chosen color range and in your preferred line (Glamour, Soft Glow or Radiance are the options that Dinair offers based on their finish, please see this article for full explanation). You also get a blush, a highlighter and an eyebrow color, automatically selected to complement your choice of shade range, and of course you will be able to use these colors also as eye shadows. Also present is an eyebrow stencil set, a bottle of practice color for your exercises on paper (sheets are provided along with an operating instruction sheet), a sample of post-application moisturizer Moist and Dewy and one of cream concealer. Finally, a bottle of Dinair cleaner and a set of cleaning caps, with a bonus anti-spill cap. The small clear pouch housing these products is also the ideal size for your AirStyle. While it offers no shock protection, it is perfect for carrying the device and the few products you might need when going outside, which is what the kit is intended for in the first place.

Who it is for?

Dinair Airstyle in clear pouch

The Dinair Airstyle is intended explicitly and solely for Dinair product users. You will NOT be able to run products by other brands, at least not comfortably and without major clogs,  as the nozzle size and pressure output are designed exclusively to run with Dinair lines. This might sound strange to professionals who are used to thinking, as I do, that after all "an air source is an air source and an airbrush is an airbrush", but trust me, in this case the caveat does apply. A very good ally in using the product smoothly will be found in the Cleaning Cap system, which is included in the kit. The cleaning system works and works well, and it is crucial for optimal performance.

My experience and thoughts

I have been using the AirStyle system for a while now and I have to say it gets easier every time. Please view the video below to see it in action as I conceal prominent rosacea spots on a model. The ergonomics of the design may require a little getting used to if  you are used to traditional airbrushes, but the commodity of being unencumbered by cords and hoses makes me reach for it much more often than I expected for personal use.

On a technical level I find the idea of a a truly hand-held, cable and hose free compressor with a real, full-fledged airbrush nothing short of genius, and I highly commend George Lampman (Dinair's CEO and co-founder) for this remarkable innovation.

I think personal users will find the AirStyle to be a very interesting alternative to their table top system for all those occasions when mobility and speed are important. I do wish it came with a CX airbrush on top instead of the current one, because that is a superior quality airbrush and an easier one to maintain and deep clean. I also hope that future versions will feature charge indicator lights, a stand or base that would allow me to keep it on my desk upright, and a reduced noise output.

On a professional level I think the AirStyle has an enormous innovation potential.  With the addition of a few features such as a selectable pressure output and a quick-connect adapter (to allow you to connect any compatible airbrush), this  tool would represent a total game changer not only the airbrush makeup industry, where everyone would want one, but I suspect for airbrushing as a whole. I was fortunate enough to meet George Lampman, and I wouldn't be in the least surprised if he came up with exactly that product in the future. 

Airbrush Makeup Kit In-Depth Review: Temtpu 2.0 Starter Kit

We have written extensively about Temptu in the last few months, which should not be any wonder given their status as world leading brand in silicone based makeup, among many other things. Today we are going to review Temptu's latest kit offering, called 2.0 Starter Kit, which is currently being offered on their website for 250 U$D. 

Temptu 2.0 Starter Kit

Let us get this out of the way right at the beginning: in our humble (but quite informed) opinion, this is simply the BEST kit combination being offered right now on the market and featuring a mains reliant compressor. The quality and quantity of the components and their value make this the best choice for a starting professional contemplating airbrush makeup. In a rather comical twist of fate, we had assembled this very same combination (with a compatible airbrush) for the students of our classes a almost a year before Temptu came up with this package, so we can't help but feel a little proud and a lot validated, even though of course we never told them about it. Let's look at this beautiful bundle up close. 

The compressor is Temtpu's standard 2.0 model. It is in short a slightly improved version of their very first mini compressor, gutsier and quieter than its predecessor but with the same maximum power of 30 PSI, a very remarkable strength for such a small and light unit. The 2.0 compressor will allow you to use any kind of airbrush makeup (water based, silicone based and alcohol based), and it will allow you to execute a full body painting with no major problems. It has a security shut off system that will turn off the machine after 15 minutes of continued use, but I can assure you that in years of extensive usage It never shut off on me once. The reason?  It is almost statistically impossible that you will keep it running for that long without switching off if only to recharge your airbrush. So unless you have to body paint twenty people in a single session, or to do extensive FX using paints rather than makeup, this compressor will be more than adequate. Another plus of this latest edition is the colour choice, which is not restricted to black anymore, but also offers White, Hot Pink, Poppy Red (more orange than red) , Lime Green, and Light Blue. 

Temptu SP-40 Airbrush

The airbrush included in this kit is a brand new model made for Temptu for this specific release, the SP-40. It looks exactly as the SP-35, the brand's trusted workhorse, but as the name suggests it has a slightly wider nozzle. You will still be able to do detail with this size, please keep in mind that we are talking a difference of points of a decimal, but the slight difference allows for a better flow, which is great especially with thicker silicone based products. A peculiarity of this airbrush is its "hybrid" mechanism, which means it is a continuous airflow airbrush, but you can also push down the trigger to make it work, as you would in a standard dual action airgun. I am saying that you can push down, not that you have to, as the act of pushing down does not have any effect whatsoever. I suspect this mode was chosen to create a transitional tool for people who are used to dual action airbrushes. If it bothers you in any way, all you have to do is unscrew the valve (easy to find in specialist shops)  and replace to turn the gun in a standard dual action or a simpler "continuous airflow" tool. [For further clarification on these terms, please read this article on the subject].  The airbrush comes with a custom hose connector that will allow you to plug it in the standard hose provided with the 2.0 compressor. What is great is that you can use this very same connector to attach any other airbrush with a standard 1/8 fitting (that means most models and brands around). 

Also included in the kit is an AIRpod airbrush tool, that will allow you to use Temptu's proprietary AIRpod capsules. While the AIRpod line is still the one originally conceived for consumers and has a different formula and colour system than the pro S/B line, it is absolutely great to be able to experiment with it, as it can be a real time saver and a great commodity in many a situation. 

As for Makeup, this package includes the S/B Foundation Starter Set which means all the 12 colors in the S/B Foundation range in 1/4 oz. bottles, and a bottle of airbrush cleaner which is indispensable for silicone based makeup. We love the S/B line and have written extensively about it here. The Kit also includes an AIRPod highlighter in Gold, an excellent choice to familiarize yourself with this proprietary technology, as highlighters are really quite wonderful in this line. The presence of both the SP-40 airbrush and the AIRpod make this kit much preferable to another bundle being offered, the "Starter System " with the SE-50 Airbrush that we have also tried to less than exciting results (this model seems to be from another manufacturer and is not up to par with the SP airbrushes).  

We have used the 2.0 Starter Kit and many more Temptu products in our latest video tutorial, the very first fully airbrushed drag makeup video every made. We hope it will give you an idea of how fantastic this brand really is. 

Airbrush Makeup Review: Kett .25 Transformer Airbrush

Kett's .25 Transformer Airbrush

Having a reliable airbrush is a fundamental prerequisite for any makeup artist who wants to add airbrush makeup to their skills. Actually, it is indispensable for anyone who is dabbling in this art even if only for personal use, as there is nothing more frustrating than a clogging airbrush preventing you from enjoying the wonderful results that the technique allows. If you are approaching airbrush makeup for the first time and you are thinking of building your own pro kit, or if you have bought a kit for personal use from one of several consumer oriented brands and the included airbrush is starting to "act up" on you, you may be confused as to what to choose from the relatively wide range of tools available from different outlets. You might have read about the double action versus "single action" (or rather continuous airflow) diatribe, and you might be wondering if you should go for a low cost or of for a top of the range instrument.  Well, the answer to all your doubts is happily at hand and it is called Kett .25, a.k.a. the Transformer Airbrush. 

Kett's .25 Transformer Airbrush unboxed

If you have read these pages -or indeed if you have researched airbrush makeup at all- you know that Kett is one of the best brands out there, with a tradition of innovation and commitment to the highest standards for High Definition makeup. The Transformer is perfectly in line with these standards. It is manufactured especially for Kett by Sparmax, the Taiwanese company supplying excellent airbrushes to the best makeup brands. The package assembled for Kett includes a stylish and useful box, a set of indispensable quality pipe cleaners (which are almost always sold separately and for a steep price by other companies), a nozzle wrench, a "plug in" hose connector and most importantly a spare double action valve, that you can easily switch with the already assembled "single action" valve to take advantage of this mode. The presence of both valves is what gives this airbrush its "Transformer" nick name, and it is a huge commodity. The .25 part of the name refers of course to the nozzle size, which is ideal for finer, more detailed work (although of course you can easily cover larger areas too). Another thing we greatly appreciate is the very honest pricing for this set, which considering all the accessories actually turns out to be cheaper at Kett than its general release version. 

And now for some impressions deriving directly from my experience. Please be sure to read our disclaimer in our About Me page. You've been warned. Let's go: I love this airbrush. I have used this little workhorse for just about any kind of makeup for over two years, with absolutely no major problems. It almost never clogs, and when it does, inevitably due to shimmers, it is quickly cleaned and back in action in a very short time. While it was chosen by Kett for its own highly praised water based makeup, I have also used it with silicone based formulas with no problems. Of course it is preferable to use larger nozzle sizes with silicone (such as the other airbrush offered by Kett, the also excellent .4), but in a pinch this will more than do. Moreover, thanks to its standard 1/8 ' fitting and its plug in connector it is absolutely compatible with any compressor that works within makeup's PSI range of 2 to 30 PSI. Yes, that includes consumer brands. I used it for years with my Dinair compressor, and it changed my whole experience of that brand for the better.

So, I most definitely recommend this both as part of your pro kit and for home use. You can buy it through the Kett website, or at any kett retailer. If you live outside the US I would strongly recommend buying this at Camera Ready Cosmetics, who will ship it worldwide for the best and most honest price. 

My little Workhorse: the Kett .25 Transformer Airbrush

A while ago Kett released this video, where the fab Sheila McKenna shows the airbrush in detail: