How to airbrush a full face with Temptu Air and Airpod Pro -with video tutorial

 

100% Airbrush Makeup using Temptu Air & Airpod Pro

It has been a while since I talked about airbrushing makeup with Temtpu Air, the ground breaking hand held system developed by Temptu about 5 years ago. This device was launched as a beauty makeup full replacement option for the traditional airbrush systems that have to be plugged to an outlet and are still sporting an air tube. The system can be used with pre filled single color cartriges called AirPods, or with an open top special cartridge called Airpod Pro that can be used like almost like the well of a traditional gravity feed airbrush, and allows the user to mix any color and any formula. 

After five years and still going very strong, Temptu was obviously onto something when they made this system available, many consumers and pros alike have included this device in their makeup kit, while others are more and more curious and above all wonder if this is a valid replacement for bulkier and heavier machines that are far more complicated to maintain. 

The whole idea behind the invention of the first line of single color AirPod cartriges back in the mid 2000 was to offer all the benefits of the airbrush application with none of the drawbacks, mainly airbrush cleaning and maintenance. After so many years, I can say that I have been a very happy user of the device, and while it hasn't replaced my traditional airbrush system, which I still prefer for precision and versatility, it has become a precious ally in my own kit, allowing me to save plenty of time in many a tight spot. 

The first product created with the AirPods, a foundation line called Silk Sphere, is still only available in that format. The product was update shortly after the launch of the Temptu Air applicator,  and as far as I am concerned is still one of the absolute best silicone base foundations out there, with its transformative all in one formula that acts as primer, concealer and foundation, and a luminous finish that takes years off even the most complicated skin texture. 

With the launch of Temptu Air, a new foundation line called Perfect Canvas was also created, and made available both in AirPod and in bottle form. Because this formula has a faster setting time than the classic S/B line by Temptu, it lends itself to a more versatile application even on smaller areas and textured skin, and is therefore much easier to use even for eyeshadow, creating subtle and beautiful blends. A short while after the release of the Air, Temptu launched an eye shadow (AirShadow) collection called Earth Stone, which featured a wonderfully usable selection of essential neutral and earthy tones. These colors can be complemented by the blush and highlighter colors available in the Perfect Canvas range to create more colorful looks, but now I can't wait for a more vibrant palette that should be released very soon. While we wait for this new color collections, I have played with the available tones to create the look you see in these photos.

In the video pasted below, I have created a full look using Temptu Air, from eyeshadow, contouring and blush down to highlighter and base. I have not used a single brush for this, not because I couldn't have, but simply to show the full potential of the tools and products. Of course avoiding brushes altogether is also faster, easier (at least for me), and more hygienic, which is a huge plus these days. The video is full of pro tips that illustrate what I am doing as I complete the look. 

As you will see, I have used the Airpod Pro "open top" cartridge to apply everything. I chose to do this both to be free to mix the colors as I wished, and because the colors in bottle format are decidedly less expensive than their single color AirPod counterparts. The Airpod Pro is easy to clean and maintain. When you first use it, it will need to be primed with a few drops of silicone cleaner in order to get it to perform correctly.  I would definitely advice buying a two pack so that you can have a spare one ready in case of temporary issues, and to be able to use a separate AirPod Pro if you wish to use a different based formula with it such as an alcohol base line or a waterbase product. So are the AirPod cartridges completely mainenance free? If you use them often and have a little care, I would say yes. If longer period of time occur beteween uses, however, they may tend to settle a bit and will need to be helped a little. This is not difficult nor lenghty, and with a bit of practice you will have no problems getting them to perform well again and use them up to their full potential. The video below teaches you my tricks in order to achieve just that. 

Airbrush Makeup Kit Review: Mistair Onyx Airbrush Makeup Kit with Video Tutorial

Bristish airbrush makeup brand Mistair was the very first brand I reviewed on these pages when I started publishing this website. I had met the Mistair team at that year's edition of Cosmoprof in Italy, and as they were the only brand dealing in airbrush makeup at that show I spent quite some time getting to know their products and lines. 

Today Mistair has a more streamlined yet still extensive product line that includes 14 foundation shades, 8 colors for blush and and highlighters respectively, 7 for eyebrows, and 8 adjuster and corrector shades. There are also a water based and an alcohol based line for body painting, and a very interesting product to create effects on hair called Hairlites. 

The Mistair Formula

Mistair Airbrush Makeup

All the beauty makeup colors are silicone based. The formula, which I think has been updated since I first used it, is comparable to Temptu's S/B line, but it's lighter in texture and quicker to dry. The foundation has a very natural finish and feels super light on the skin, with buildable coverage that starts sheer and intensifies to full with a few passes. The blush colors are delicately pigmented but can be built up to achieve more intensity as well. The opalescent highlighter colors offer beautiful shades, some of which are duo chrome such as the lovely Cornsilk, pearly white with pink overtones. As with any airbrush beauty product, all the colors can be used for all purposes, and the faster drying time makes them suitable and easy to use on the eyelids to create fast and natural eye shadows. As I didn't have the eyebrow color kit, I was able to fill the eyebrows well with the darkest foundation shade, and the result was very natural and durable, as you can see in the enclosed video tutorial.

The Onyx Kit

MIstair Onyx Airbrush Kit

The airbrush kit offering from Mistair is currently limited to three models. Starting at 159 British Pounds, The Onyx Airbrush Makeup Starter Kit is the least expensive of the three, and is the entry level option. It features a standard compressor with an adjustable airflow, a rubber tube suitable for "plug-in" connectors and a Continuous Flow airbrush, incorrectly described as "single action" on the website. For those who still struggle with the terminology, Continuous Flow means that the air flows out of the airbrush unobstructed as soon as the compressor is turned on, and that you use the lever to regulate the amount of color your are dispensing. This is a mode chosen by most beauty companies and it is perfectly effective and efficient for beauty makeup. The compressor is also mistakenly credited with a maximum working pressure of just 15 PSI, but I have personally tested it with a pressure gauge and have seen that it reaches 20 PSI comfortably, which is a plus. It still isn't particularly powerful and might struggle with thicker formulas, but it won't have any problems with the Mistair products, for which it was intended.

100% Airbrushed with Mistair

There are several combinations to choose from as far as the makeup bundled with the kit is concerned. The Onyx Starter Kit comes with a custom made packet of colors including four foundation shades (selectable from the fair, medium or deep groups), and one matching blush, highlighter and eyebrow color.  Of course the more colors you get the more options for fun and practice you will have, and the more expensive De Luxe version of the Onyx kit offers more shades, with the same equipment.  Like many brands, Mistair bundles its colors in very convenient starter kits, and in this brand's case they are very reasonably priced, so it will be possible to add on to your kit later without hurting the wallet too much. The starter kits packaging has been updated in recent years, and everything looks very slick. Unfortunately they still use the same bottles for their 7.5 ml packs. These infernal little bottles seem to let in air somehow, and after a while you will notice that the aqueous part of the colors decreases even if you don't use them. I suggest tightening the caps of each bottle as soon as you receive them, you will notice that you can twist the caps at least an extra half a turn, which hopefully will slow down the evaporation. Also very annoying are the stickers at the bottom of each bottle, which will come off even before you take them out of the package, making the color identification very confusing. I advise you to glue them on with a strong glue as soon as you receive them. On a much happier packaging note, Mistair has created a beautiful case for the Onyx with custom molded foam inserts, which are detachable. The case is very sleek and once again reasonably priced. I would definitely recommend it for the sleekest possible look of your airbrush kit. 

Mistair Ingredients:

Purified Water, Cyclotetrasiloxane (and) Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Polysobutene, Cetyl Dimethicone, Copoyol, Sodium Chloride, C12-15, Alkyl Bensoate, VP/VA Copolymer, Methyl Paraben, Disodium EDTA, Propyl Paraben, +/- Acrylates Copolymer. May contain: Titanium Dioxide (and) Methicone, Yellow Iron oxide, Red Iron Oxide, Black Iron Oxide, Carbon black, CL 77891, CL 45410, CL 77007, CL 77288

Makeup For Ever Color Airbrush & Water Blend Review and Video Tutorial

100% Trucco Aerografo con Color Airbrush e Water Blend di Make Up For Ever

When I started my makeup journey over 20 years ago, the first super pigmented eyeshadows I bought were those by a relatively new brand called Make Up Forever. The colors were trendy, intense and durable, and the line, called "Star Powder" quickly became a staple of the pro makeup world. It was an amazing and much longed for surprise to find, all these year later, a line of airbrush colors by the same company that mirrors the very same qualities that had originally turned me in to a fan.

Make Up For Ever has featured several colors that could be airbrushed in its past catalogs, including -and most prominently- a popular mixing medium called Airbrush Thinner that artists could use to reduce (i.e. dilute, for the less technically versed) cream products and powder pigments and make them usable through an airbrush.

Last year however, MUFE launched its first line created specifically for air application, calling it simply Color Airbrush. The range includes twenty shades, from classic primary colors (black, white, blue, red, green and yellow) to vivid secondary and tertiary shades such as purple, fushia and Turquoise. This line joined another product in the catalog called Water Blend, a foundation line that while not specifically created for air application retains all the characteristics of an airbrush product and can be very easily atomised. I used both these products to create the look you see in the enclosed video tutorial. Have a look at it, and then keep reading more about these lines and my personal opinion on them.

Color Airbrush Product Facts

Color Airbrush is a hybrid water / silicone based product of medium/light viscosity, and can be applied with any airbrush with a nozzle of 0.35 and up, at a low pressure starting from just 3 or 5 PSI. The product is fragrance free and has virtually no smell. The colors come in very generous 2.2 /60 ml sizes with a twist cap similar to Kryolan's Nebula that needs to rest for a few seconds before it is twisted shut to avoid spills.

Color Airbrush: my experience and opinion

As I was saying before, the colors are incredibly pigmented, yet among the easiest to blend that I ever tried. If you control the airbrush lever correctly, you will be able to create very subtle and sheer layers and to intensify them to maximum payoff very easily, just like I do in the video. The product feels very light on the skin, yet it is very resistant to sweat and rubbing, with hardly any transfer and no effect on the finish once it has set, even if rubbed intensely.  It is obvious from the size of the bottles and their marketing campaign that these products are intended for body art application before anything else. Yet their brilliance and durability makes them very viable for creating beautifully vibrant eyeshadow looks, and the formula is so efficient that I really wish the company would embrace airbrushing even more and expand this range to include more neutral shades as well.

Water Blend Product Facts

As the name suggests, Water Blend is a water based foundation line that does not contain any silicones. The range features 20 shades for every skin tone, and the product comes in 1.69 fl. oz /50 ml glass bottles with a very hygienic pump applicator.

Water Blend: my experience and opinion

Just like the best made for airbrush products, this foundation feels incredibly light, looks absolutely natural and and it's very long lasting. While this product was not officially intended for airbrush application, like I said before, it surely lends itself to atomization and benefits greatly from the process. You can pump it directly into the airbrush reservoir, and with a normal .35 nozzle and a pressure of 10 to 15 PSI it will apply well, however because of its consistency the product will tend to rest on the sides of the airbrush cup, so it is much better to dilute it simply by adding a few drops of deionised or purified water. Once diluted the product will apply so lightly that it will be virtually impossible to create hot spots on the skin. It will take a while longer to reach full coverage than it would with made for airbrush products, but the wait will be worth it. To top it all, the foundation smells gorgeous, but those who aren't fond of fragrance should not worry, as the clean scent will dissipate completely in a short time.

Elementwo Airbrush Makeup Kit Review and Video Tutorial

Elementwo is an international airbrush makeup brand that made its debut in 2012, and has kept a relatively low (but very stylish) profile catering mostly to professionals in the several countries where it is distributed. The brand was created in Taiwan and immediately distributed in the United States. Since then it gained a remarkable following in eastern countries such as Kuwait, Bahrain and even Japan. I had a first meeting with the brand at the Makeup Show in New York in 2014, and I am very happy to be able to review it in these pages now. 

Please know that a Pro Program offering 20% discount on all purchases is available from Elementwo Website. Elementwo ships to Europe at reasonable rates directly from its website (Custom fees and limitations apply).

High Quality Instruments

                  Elementwo Airbrush Makeup PRO System          

The first thing that stands out about this brand is the high quality of the tools comprised in the kit.

Elementwo has a very close relationship with  manufacturer Sparmax (also from Taiwan), which is the company that provides tools for most of today's popular brands of airbrush makeup. The reason of Sparmax's ubiquitous presence in the beauty industry is simple: they provide the best value for money around when it comes to tools for airbrush application. Elementwo offers two versions of its kit. The Perfect Skin Airbrush System features a one-setting compressor and a continuous airflow ("single action") airbrush. The PRO System, which is the one I received and that is featured in these images, features the same powerful compressor (up to 35 PSI output) with the addition of a pressure valve regulator right on the chassis of the compressor itself. The regulator has the same sensitivity of the hand held pressure valve typically found on quick-connect adapters, and will require a minimal practice to get used to the range it offers.  

The airbrush is the very reliable and sleek workhorse SP35, and is provided with a double action valve that is easily modifiable into a continuous airflow mode if  so desired. Both compressor options have a pre-disposition for a battery unit, which can be purchased for Elementwo's website and which can be extremely useful for location or on set work. The kit comes in a very sleek, elegant packaging that includes a strong, long air hose, a power unit, an airbrush holder and a nozzle wrench, and a concise printed page with operating instructions. 

Elementwo Makeup Lines

The idea at the core of Elementwo, (and the reason behind its name, I suspect), was to offer the same exact lines of makeup in a water base option (Skin Harmony) and a silicone based alternative (Canvas Blend), in order to cater to everyone's preferences and resolve once and for all the eternal struggle between silicone and water. Today the Skin Harmony line seems to have been put on hold in favor of the silicone based Canvas Blend option, which is the product we received and the one you can see being used in the enclosed video. 

         100% Elementwo Airbrush Makeup     

The range of makeup by Elementwo features 16 foundation shades, 10 blush colors, 3 bronzers and two highlighters. To complement these, an impressive range of 11 shimmer and 18 matte pigments have been added to be used for any option imaginable, from eyeshadows to body art. 

The Canvas Blend makeup is very fluid and the application feels very light, with a consistency that is very similar to that of water based products. When applying foundation, this allows for a very fine, imperceptible finish and a very natural overall effect, with the ability to cover imperfections well without having to color-correct first and without the risk of creating unsightly accumulations. You can see how well the coverage works when I am addressing my model's acne breakout in the enclosed video. The foundation shades have a mostly neutral undertone which adapts beautifully to most skin colors, with more pink or yellow options available as well. The blush and highlighter colors are very subtle and delicate, and again they create a very natural effect that allows them to be applied without fear on top of the foundation (as opposed to underneath, which I usually prefer). The bronzer  options are more pigmented, but still very natural looking when applied carefully.

                      100% Elementwo Airbrush Makeup                        

Finally the pigments offer endless creative possibilities, with an easy to blend,  sheer finish that can be built up to full intensity and brightness simply by layering light passes, as I am doing for the eyeshadow in the video. As with any silicone product, it is a good idea to prep the lid with a mattifying lotion, dry each pass thoroughly and set at the end with a fixing spray or with a light dusting of HD powder. Once set, the eyeshadow will be water proof and stay perfect until removed. 

Like most silicone based products, the Canvas Blend colors are long lasting and once fully dry they become virtually water proof. Because of their light texture they are able to set in place quickly and the tendency to gather in fine lines is very reduced, requiring very minimal or no setting at all even in delicate areas such as under the eyes. This allows for a very natural finish while retaining high coverage. All the product lines are also completely fragrance free. The colors from each group are available individually in 1.15 fl.oz. (30 ml.) bottles, but they can also be purchased in pre selected, generous Starter Kits of .34 fl. oz. (10 ml) which are very convenient and which will allow you to try most shades with a smaller investment. You can select several of these Starter Kits for an even more convenient price when you purchase your kit from the Elementwo website.

Elementwo Kit Complements

There are a couple more products that you can purchase directly from the website individually or as part of your kit. 

The H2O Infusion Moisturizer is a very light, clear liquid enriched with Hyaluronate Sodium and Aloe Extract that can be airbrushed before or (preferably) after your makeup application to add extra hydration and a very natural sheen to your foundation. The Flawless Finish HD Translucent Powder is a very fine fixing product that will set your makeup without altering its texture in any way. It is not absolutely necessary for foundation, as the makeup is pretty stable by itself, but it can provide you with added security and it will help a lot to maintain a matte finish on oily skin types trhoughout the day. Finally the Elementwo Airbrush Cleanser is the ideal solution to keep your airbrush in top shape. You will not need it at every color change, but it will be useful when switching from a dark to a light color, and of course at the end of each session.

Elementwo Ingrendients:

Purified water, cyclotetrasiloxane, cyclopentasiloxane, methicone, isoparaffinic hydrocarbon, glycerin, polyisobutene, cetyl dimethicone copolyol, acrylates copolymer, isoparaffinic hydrocarbon, talc, VP/VA copolymer, methylparaben, disodium EDTA, propylparaben.
May Contain (+/-): Red 40 lake CI 16035, yellow 5 lake CI 19140, yellow iron oxide, CI 77492, mica CI 77019, black iron oxide CI 77499, red iron oxide CI 77491 titanium dioxide CI 77891

100% Elementwo Airbrush Makeup

Summer Glow and Illuminators: Airbase Airbrush Makeup review update

100% Airbase Airbrush Makeup

I love Cosmoprof  as it brings makeup brands from all over the world right to my home town of Bologna, Italy. This year's edition saw our friends at Airbase Airbrush Makeup back for the second year in a row, and this time I had the great pleasure of demonstrating at their booth on the last day of the show. While I've known and loved Airbase for a while now, as I explained in our first review, working with the product for a full day in a very busy context such as a trade show of this magnitude really gave me a chance to get to appreciate the brand in depth. 

After over twenty full face demos in one day on as many different people, selected at random among the trade show's visitors, I have gained a deeper understanding of how the brand's products work. 

High Performance Equipment and Makeup

First of all, the excellent Airbase equipment (customized for Airbase by the leading Taiwanese manufacturer Sparmax) never let me down once, not even for a second, and I performed no special maintenance on the airbrush at all except for a good cleaning at the end of the day to prepare the kit for storage. The small compressor (see our original Kit Review) never faltered either despite the long day.

Secondly, I had a chance to appreciate just how well the very neutral foundations do match complexion to perfection. I rarely had to mix two colours together to achieve a perfect match, and this is remarkable considering there are just seven different shades in the range. 

Finally and most importantly every single person who I tried the product on left the booth happy and extremely enthusiastic about the look and feel of the product on the skin.

The new Illuminators

New Airbase Illuminators Swatches

The Airbase Foundation formula, which has a definite matte, almost velvety finish, can be easily adjusted and made more luminous by the addition of four beautiful new shades of highlighters. These are called Illuminators and you can get an idea of their tonality by clicking on the enclosed photos of the swatches I made. 

The illuminators add a gorgeous, subtle sheen and can be mixed with any of Airbase's foundations or blushes to make new colors. They can be sprayed on top of the foundation at the end of the job, under the base for a very subtle radiant effect, or they can be mixed directly with the foundation to add a healthy glow applied intrinsically. 

Airbase Aqua Colors

The new Aqua Colors

Airbase has further expanded its color offer by adding another eight colors to its Aqua range. While the first group was made up of primary colors with the addition of Gold, Silver and Bronze, the new shades include beautiful secondary colors such as Turquoise, Lilac, Pink and Plum. The formula is a water / silicone hybrid which is very rich in pigment. While it is marketed as a body paint line, its colors double perfectly as eye shadows, as you can see in our video here, just be careful to dry the product well after application for optimal performance. As the name implies, the formula is not waterproof, which is better in many cases such as children face painting. However it can easily be water proofed by using an alcohol base fixing spray, such as Ben Nye's, Kryolan's or Eulenspiegel's. 

We will post more about this formula soon, including a video that shows all the colors being applied in one single face paint.

How to airbrush eyeshadow with Temptu Air and Airpod Pro: Earth StoneCollection Video Tutorial

Temptu has quietly introduced another potential game changer with the release of the first eyeshadow colors in the new Perfect Canvas / Hydralock formula. The Earth Stone Collection includes six earthy, neutral shades that constitute the ideal palette for any natural tone or smokey look. My guess is that the brand wanted to test the waters for an eyeshadow line by starting with the basic go-to colors that any makeup artist cannot do without, encouraging the public to experiment more with their Temptu Air system and with their Airpod Pro.

Once again I find that congratulations are in order, because Temptu absolutely aced this product. 

Silicone based eyeshadow?

100% Temptu Airbrush Makeup, Unfiltered

Unfortunately there is a lot of prejudice among makeup artists on the idea of airbrushing eye shadow. Many imagine that the level of skill required to work on such a tiny space as the eyelid surpasses their own, while others have had less than satisfactory experiences with the way the colors behave on the mobile lid, especially when using silicone based formulae.

The classic Temptu S/B line, which I absolutely love, does imply a little learning curve when it comes to using the many beautiful shades available for eyeshadow. In order to avoid creasing, the S/B colors require lid preparation,  a thin, layered application, very thorough drying of each layer and possibly setting spray before eyes can be opened in order to avoid creasing. That said, once these precautions have been taken, the color payoff is amazing and the product will stay perfect for hours and will be completely waterproof.

These Perfect Canvas Airshadows simply retain all the good qualities of the S/B line, at the same time doing away with the drawbacks. They dry quickly and do not require extra prep or setting. They do not crease or move, and are also totally waterproof, with a perfect wear for hours and hours. Because of the tonality they are also super easy to blend. In short creating a beautiful eye makeup is literally a breeze even for less experienced airbrushers, who will become proficient at using them after a simple try or two. Moreover, the colors are very comfortable to wear and feel soft on the skin, and do not feel or look in any way heavy, in fact quite the opposite.

Earthy pleasures...

100% Temptu Airbrush Makeup with Temptu Air

The Earth Stone Collection comes as a starter set of 7.5 ml bottles for use with your traditional airbrush or with the Airpod Pro. Each color also comes in Airpod form for use with the Temtpu Air System or with the Airpod airbrush. As far as the application goes, I have shot the enclosed video tutorial to show how the colors can be easily used with the portable system and the Airpod Pro. Personally, I still prefer my traditional airbrush as I feel that I can achieve a more precise, easier to control application. Having said that I do believe it is just a matter of habit, and if you use your pods often enough you should have no particular problem in getting good results with that option.

Perfect Canvas Color Correctors

An important complement in achieving the look of the video was also Temptu's new Perfect Canvas Color Corrector set. This bundle contains seven popular complementary colors that can correct any type of skin irregularity. Once again this is a fantastic product with an amazing correcting power, that works perfectly for the Hydralock/Perfect Canvas Foundation line, which is by nature sheerer in order to allow for a natural finish. The correctors work so fast and so undetectably that it was hard to render in the video we shot. It took only a couple of second to neutralize our model's under eye area perfectly. Once again this product represents a fly in the face of the false myth that you "cannot airbrush around the eyes". You can indeed, and indeed you should, with the right amount of pressure and after a little practice to make sure you are using your tools correctly around the delicate eye area. 

More please!

Temptu has already switched their highlighters and blush airpod lines to the new Hydralock formula, which makes them completely compatible with the Airshadow range and opens up a whole lot of possibilities for eyeshadow designs. I really hope that they will soon offer more Airshadow colors, perhaps reissue the former S/B Hi Def and Multicolors selections with the new Hydralock formulation as well, so that we can continue using bold and beautiful colors. I hope this video and review will inspire more people to try airbrushing eyeshadow. Aside form the advantages of speed, durability, hygiene, no transfer and waterproof finish, airbrushing eye looks is jut plain fun!.

Airbase Airbrush Makeup: Review and Video Tutorial

100% Airbase Airbrushed Makeup, unfiltered photo*

Airbase is a British brand created by Judy Naaké, the beauty guru and entrepreneur who brought the leading self tanning product Saint Tropez to the United Kingdom. Airbase was developed in collaboration with Oscar nominated makeup artist Anni Buchanan, and the brand is now owned and lead by Judy's son Lloyd Naakè.

I have come across Airbase products several times in the last few years during different trade shows, but I never had a chance to get to know the brand properly until this year's edition of Cosmoprof in Italy, when I met Lloyd and his friendly, unpretentious team. I started playing with the line right at the show's booth, and a few months later I was finally able to put together the video tutorial and unfiltered photo session you see here. So let's have a look at the product line.

Airbase's core strategy is quite simple: the line was conceived to allow professional makeup artists to achieve a flawless, durable makeup base with a streamlined selection of colors that can be mixed together to match any skin tone. The makeup is silicone based, and enriched with vitamine A and E to provide additional moisturizing and anti oxidant benefits. There are just seven foundation colors in the range, complemented by two blush colors (Pink and Peach), a bronzer and two highlighters. The first two foundation shades (00 and 01) are meant to be used more as adjusters for the other colors rather than by themselves. Foundation 00 can be used make the other colors lighter, and Foundation 02 to veer the other shades towards a more yellow/olive range. The remaining five shades are therefore neutral, and they can be veered towards cool tones by adding a little Pink blush to the mix. After experimenting with the products for a few weeks I have to say that I found this color system very effective and easy to use once you practice a little mixing. While some makeup artists might prefer to have as many shades as possible in order to avoid having to mix colors, others will find the process stimulating and ultimately liberating, as they will be able to get the tonality just perfect. A seven color range also means a smaller initial investment, with the advantage of having to replace only the shades that one tends to use more often.

Airbase Airbrush Makeup, Unfiltered*

The Airbase colors are of medium viscosity and would flow well in any airbrush kit that features an airbrush with a nozzle of 0.25 mm and up, and a compressor with adjustable pressure ranging between 5 and 25 psi. The formula has a matte but not overly opaque finish, great coverage power and feels very comfortable on the skin. Just like any good silicone based formula the product remains moveable for a while after application and allows for easy corrections. Setting with an fine HD powder may be preferable on more oily or more textured areas of the skin, but it is not essential. Once again thanks to its silicone base the product is water proof, has little or no transfer and good resistance to the touch. Finally, and very importantly to many of us, the formula is fragrance free. The colors come in 30 ml (1 Fl oz) bottles, which allow for many applications. You will need between 15 and 30 drops of product per application depending on how sheer or full you want your coverage to be. There are also 10ml (.30 oz) trial bottles available at times, but the price for these is not that convenient, and as the small bottle's caps are not airtight the products tend to dry fast, so I would go for the standard sizes if at all possible.

Airbase Airbrush Makeup, Unfiltered*

To put the line to the test, in the unfiltered video tutorial enclosed here I have used all the products in the range to achieve a fully airbrushed look, without any creme correctors even for the under eye area.  As I like to show the full potential of the colors, the understated eyeshadow that you see in the images was also fully airbrushed. I was really happy about the result of the product on the eyes. The formula does not crease on the eyelids and lasts unaltered until it is taken off, even without the precaution of spraying MUFE Mist& Fix as shown in the video. I loved that the shimmer can (and should!) be mixed with any shade to create beautiful opalescent lids, and I hope the company will eventually release a specific range for eyes, since the products works so well.

For those who don't feel as confident airbrushing everything, Airbase has created a series of makeup complements that will integrate well with the liquid products, from a creme concealer wheel, to an eyeshadow pallet. HD powder and mascara are also part of this line.

Please stay tuned for a full review of the tools and more products included in the Airbase airbrush kit.

*Definition of Unfiltered Photo: no "filter" has been applied to the photos above to alter the texture of the skin or of the makeup. Only the background has been edited. A photo filter has been applied to the video's thumbnail, but no filters were applied to the footage.

Airbase foundation airbrushed swatces

Airbase Highlighter, Blush and Bronzer airbrushed swatches

Airbase Foundation Ingredients:

Cyclomethicone, Aqua, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Talc, lsododecane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Triethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Silica, Titanium Dioxide(Nano), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cyclomethicone, Sorbitan Sesouioleate, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Octyldodecanol, PEG-30, Dipolyhydroxystearate, lsononyl lsononanoate, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Polysorbate 20, PEG-40 Sorbitan Peroleate, Stearic Acid, Aluminium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Trisodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin.
May Contain: Titanium Dioxide (Cl 77891), Iron Oxides (Cl 77489, Cl 77491, Cl 77492, Cl 77499) Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850).

How to achieve an INDESTRUCTIBLE bridal makeup with Nebula by Kryolan- With kit review and video tutorial

Bridal makeup is the daily bread of most makeup artists. Brides to be of any ethnicity and tradition tend to agree on three key factors when discussing their makeup: durability, coverage and perfect finish. Airbrush makeup is the perfect answer to these expectations, and it adds speed, hygene and high HD performance to boot. The new Nebula line by Kryolan features a wide range of colors designed to perform well for any makeup goal, from invisible coverage to body painting, however because of their finish and their resistance we found it ideal for bridal makeup, and we produced the enclosed video tutorial to demonstrate just that.

Airbrush Makeup with Nebula by Kryolan

The Nebula formula is silicone based, which makes the product comfortable, allows great coverage and makes it water proof. Unlike many airbrushable silicone based products however, Nebula has a very low viscosity and a very short drying time which is comparable to that of water based products. The final finish is also very light, luminous but not shiny and very effective in its coverage. In other words, it is exactly what brides are looking for. 

We already discussed our first impression of this product last week. After experimenting some more with these colors I can confirm that they do have a learning curve, and that the results you get will improve more and more as you practice applying them. Of course they were conceived for airbrush application, and I hope that this will inspire more and more artists to learn this incredible technique, forgetting all the fears and false myth that still surround it, and that were spread mostly by those who don't really know how to use it. For those of you who are in fact considering adding this skill to their abilities, I will now review Kryolan's own airbrush kit. Please keep in mind however that Nebula will work on any professional airbrush kit regardless of the brand.

The Kryolan Airbrush Kit

Bridal look with Nebula by Kryolan

Kryolan chose a great maker for the kits it distributes. These are made in fact by the Taiwanese historical Sparmax brand, which also provides tools for most of the best airbrush brands in the world. The compressor chosen by Kryolan is the very reliable DAC 25, a true work horse among portable units. This little jewel is very quiet, very light and compact and quite powerful with an air stream output of 30 PSI. The version manufactured for Kryolan has an appealing silver-gray finish that makes it also very attractive to look at. The compressor comes with a rechargeable battery pack, and can be carried on the shoulder or attached to your belt thanks to a very practical and slick bag. The carrier bag feature an exra compartment for an additional optional battery pack which will give you twice the amount of time without having to plug in the unit. A single battery pack in any case will be enough to complete a whole beauty makeup and more. The airbrush included with the version of the kit that I purchased is another work horse in the airbrush makeup world, that is the Sparmax SP35 with its solid reliability and high quality, easy to replace components. With the launch of the Nebula line Kryolan started distributing an additional airbrush with a slightly bigger nozzle (0.4mm) in order to allow for the optimal flow of shimmery pigments. This is good but not strictly necessary, as the product will work well on smaller nozzles too. For our video shoot I have replaced the valve on my airbrush with a continuous airflow valve (often called "single action"), and I added a pressure regulator which at this time does not come with the standard kit. Doing this will make application on smaller, more delicate areas such as the eyes much easier, and will allow you greater control of the product, however these tweaks are not indispensable.

Kryolan Airbrush Kit and Nebula Products

Bridal airbrush makeup:Kryolan Nebula

Additional Nebula products

To make the cleaning process easier, Kryolan has created a specific Nebula Airbrush Cleaner. This is truly an excellent product that will allow you to clean and flush out your airbrush very easily and very fast, even if you use it in between colors. Cleaning at color changes in any case will only be necessary if you are switching to a much lighter shade or between very pigmented colors. In my not exactly limited experience I can attest that thanks to this cleaner Nebula is the silicone based product that is easiest to clean, bar none. Another effective product is the Nebula Remover, the makeup removing solution created specifically for this makeup. The very resistant Nebula colors can be removed also with any good silicone based makeup remover, but none will be faster and gentler than this.

Backstage secrets of our video shoot
The makeup shown in our video tutorial was made entirely by airbrush, except for eyeliner, mascara and lipstick. No brushes, HD powder or fixing sprays were used. The skin was prepped with silicon based Kryolan primers. The cuts in the filming are purely for timing, we have not touched up the makeup "off camera" in any way. Our model survived the water test and went on to wear the makeup for the rest of the day. She confirmed it held perfectly until it was removed.

Nebula by Kryolan: First Impression Review of the new Airbrush Makeup line!

Introducing Nebula by Kryolan: 54 shades for a natural yet super resistant makeup.

Kryolan is a legendary professional makeup brand. Since its beginning in Berlin, Germany in 1945, this company has been proudly run by its original founding family, and many of its products have become standards in the theatrical, fashion and film industry.  Airbrush makeup could not be missing from an extensive catalogue such as Kryolan's, and for several years the brand has been distributing three acclaimed product lines: Micro Foundation On Air (silicone based) Air Stream (water based) and Aqua Proof (alcohol based for body painting). In the last year however Kryolan has taken a further step in the airbrush makeup direction with a sizeable investment in the creation and the promotion of Nebula, a new line of innovative colors with a high pay off that was conceived primarily for beauty application. We couldn't wait to try these products and we are now ready to share our first impressions. Please come back to these pages next week for a full review and video tutorial of Kryolan's airbrush kit and Nebula line.

Nebula is a silicone based line that features 54 colors divided in 6 shade groups: Complexion 1 and 2 for foundation, Eyebrow, Irridescent 1 and 2 for eyeshadow and blush, Chromatic for opalescent eyeshadow and  finally Vivid, which includes six primary colors for any other use. 

Just like any other product in the Kryolan brand, Nebula has its own individual color chart, and its shades are not matching any other product directly. Nonetheless, the line itself is quite extensive, and offers endless mixing possibilities. The colors are sold in kits of 6 shades for each group, however you can also purchase them individually and build your kit more gradually.

The packaging of the products is one of the most attractive and luxurious I have seen for any airbrush makeup products. The color kits are presented in very elegant blue boxes with a magnetic lid, and featuring a slick brochure inside with tips on airbrush maintenance. The dispenser on the bottles opens with a half a turn anti clockwise, and the caps are relatively easy to keep clean. Any spill can be wiped quickly with alcohol 99, which won't affect the high quality printed labels.
The product's formula is silicone and acrylates based. That said, the makeup viscosity is very low, so much so that it can be used with the same low pressure you would apply to a water based product (5 PSI). With the launch of the Nebula range Kryolan has made a special airbrush available with a 0,4 mm nozzle, so that the shimmer pigments could be dispensed without difficulty, however you will be able to use this product even with smaller nozzles, as we did for the swatches below that were applied with a .25 airbrush.

The most remarkable characteristics of the Nebula line become evident when you apply the product: the colors are beautiful, can be layered to a high coverage and are super resistant: after a drying time that can vary to up to one minute, they become virtually indestructible, totally water proof and with zero transfer. As far as the colors are concerned, you can judge for yourself from the airbrushed swatches below: the photo was taken in natural light (please click on it to view it in full screen mode)

We can't wait to demonstrate a full beauty look made entirely with Nebula, which undoubtedly represents an interesting new option on the market. 

PRO TIPS:
Application: Apply the color in light passes, waiting a few seconds for each pass to dry. Lightness is a fundamental rule here as with most airbrushable products, especially when you are applying to delicate areas such as the eyelid, where you must avoid excessive layering that would result in shorter durability or cracking. 
Cleaning: You will not need to clean the airbrush when you change colors, simply discharge the previous color and test the following on a piece of paper to avoid mixed color output. At the end of the job you will have to use a silicone based cleaner or alcohol 99% followed by distilled water. Kryolan has created a very effective, alcohol based cleaner called Nebula Remover.
Availability: Nebula is available on Kryolan's website, through Kryolan's own stores or its many distributors. 
Ingredients:Dimethicone,Isododecane,Trimethylsiloxysilicate,Acrylates/
Polytrimethylsiloxymethacrylate Copolymer, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Silica Dimethyl Silylate and may contain: [+/- Titanium Dioxide CI 77891, Iron Oxides CI 77491, Ferric Ferrocyanide CI 77510, Carmine CI 75470, Mica] May contain carmine as a color additive