In Depth Review: Temptu Pro SB 37 set starter pack

A must have product for anyone approaching the art of Airbrush Makeup

We are beginning the new year with the first in a series of  detailed reviews that will focus on the leading products from the most significant brands of Airbrush Makeup today. 

Temptu is without a doubt the leading brand in Silicone based airbrush makeup for professional use. The company started producing its airbrush line in the 90's, and in 2009 became a household name with the marketing of its Airpod system, created for consumers and distributed for a while across the whole United States by Sephora.

Today Temptu Pro offers three separate lines of products: S/B (silicone based) , AQUA (water based), DURA for body painting, tattoos and special effects, all the while keeping the AIRpod system as a further option.

The range of colours offered by this brand is simply staggering, however the information available on these colors themselves is decidedly less than overwhelming, and there are precious few blog posts and videos demonstrating and explaining the range to the uninitiated. This is why the option of a starter sets made up of thirty seven 1/4 oz size bottles becomes essential. 

The SB 37-set starter pack is the biggest of the many sets offered on the Temptu.com/pro website, where it often sells out. I got mine from the wonderful Camera Ready Cosmetics online store, where it is available for $195, that is 30 dollars less than its retail price of $ 225. Factor in free shipping and CRC's low price guarantee, and you can't go wrong buying it there.

Here is what the set contains, in detail:

-12 Foundation colours: Porcelain 001, Blush Ivory 002, Ivory 003, Sand 004, Pure Beige 005, Toffee 006, Golden Honey 007, Clay 008, Natural Mocha 009, Cappuccino 010, Dark Chocolate 011 and Espresso 012, which make up the complete range of S/B foundation.

-8 Highlighters: Pink Pearl 050, Gold Shimmer 051, Copper Bronze 052, Champagne Shimmer 053, Peachy Pink 054, Red Bronze 055, Silver Shimmer 056 and White Shimmer 057. This used to represent the complete range of S/B shimmer highlighters. This year Temptu introduced two more highlighters (Platinum 080, Pearl 081) as part of of a new series called Multicolors, and those are not included in this pack. 

-4 Blushers: these represent the most popular blusher colours: Blush 040, Plum 041, Peach 042, Coral 043. 

-7 Adjusters: the complete range of adjuster colors: Black 029, White 030, Yellow 031, Red 032, Green 033, Blue 034 and Violet 03. These can be mixed with any other S/B color produced by Temptu or used on their own. 

-6 Hi-Def colors: Red 021, Yellow 024, Green 025, Blue 026, Purple 027, Pink 028. These are highly pigmented, vibrant shades that can be used for a great variety of applications. The whole range is actually made up of 8 colors, but Black 029 and White 030, are counted in with the Adjusters set mentioned above. 

Now for some personal considerations. I was actually a silicone skeptic before trying out this line. The few encounters with silicone based products from other brands, and to be honest an early dab with the AIRpod product itself (which is a different formulation from the Pro line) had left me underwhelmed. This set allowed me to experiment a lot, and to actually become a Temtpu Pro enthusiast. The texture of the makeup is very smooth, and the application as fine and soft as silicone can be. The colors are actually beautiful, and their possibilities almost endless, given the fact that you can mix everything with everything else. They appear quite glossy on application, and they remain movable for a good few minutes before drying completely to a natural looking, waterproof finish with the perfect amount of dewiness.  I particularly love the Hi-Def set: you can create almost any eye shadow colour, which can then be turned into a shimmer by just adding a drop from the Highlighter set.  The slower drying time (when compared to water based lines) means extra care when applying eyeshadow, but you can speed the process by blowing some air on the area with your airbrush, or if you are working with matte colours, by dabbing a thin veil of setting powder. Another thing I definitely like about the whole range is the scent, which is lovely, very delicate, and which disappears quickly after application leaving no lingering after taste. 

When it comes to silicone, the quantities needed for a full application mean that the 1/4 ounces sizes will not go particularly far, especially when it comes to foundations, however this set represents the perfect way to test each shade without having to buy every color in its obviously more expensive regular size. Professional MUAs can of course also refill the smaller bottles from the regular size they will buy later and save a significant amount of space in their kit. 

All in all this is a fantastic purchase. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the fact that all the colours came together in one single clear pouch that is almost too small to contain them all, and which makes identifying the individual shades a bit of a challenge, as the colour name and number are printed on very small stickers placed under the bottom of each little bottle. 

Please check our next post for color swatches and eyeshadow demos. I will also publish an individual review on the foundation range later on. 

How to save on Airbrush Makeup: discounts, coupons and seasonal specials.

In this post I would like to share some practical advice on how to save money on airbrush makeup. Whether you are a consumed professional or just a professional consumer, I hope you will find some of these tips useful as you prepare to invest in this wonderful, still relatively new makeup media.

Tip one: Brand Mailing lists

Subscribing to mailing lists can pay big!

It is always a good and inexpensive idea to subscribe to a brand's mailing list, and to their Facebook pages and Twitter accounts. Airbrush makeup companies are still struggling to establish themselves in the mainstream of makeup marketing, so they still use their mailing lists a lot to promote special deals for their subscribers. If there was a competition for who offers the best deals on their list, Luminess Air would certainly win the prize, with constant sales going on for their subscriber that will allow them to get truly remarkable discounts and often free shipping on top. They used to send $25 coupons to subscribers who had not bought with them for a while, but now they seem to have settled on general mega sales that will include  everything from equipment to full kits and from foundation to skincare. Runner up for deal frequency would have to be Dinair, although their special are more often than not geared at new customers who will get extra products for buying a full kit. Range wide sales are extremely rare (Black Friday being the exception), and equipment and skincare sales are practically non existent. On the more professional oriented sites, Temptu Pro has a newly restyled website, and a good few specials have been popping up of late, so this is certainly a list you will not want to miss, while Kett's specials are extremely rare.  

Tip Two (Pro Tip): Makeup Stores

This may seem counterintuitive, but some makeup stores do offer the best deals around, even beating the manufacturer's own prices. Take Camera Ready Cosmetics for example: they offer a low price guarantee on most of their products, they have a remarkable Pro Discount of 20%, their shipping charges are lower and their processing time faster than most of the manufacturers out there. They also have periodical specials that will allow you to save even more.  So once again, joining the mailing list of several online makeup stores could save you quite a bit of cash.

A recent special from CRCMakeup.com

Tip Three: Bloggers

Following bloggers on Youtube and other social media may still be very worthwhile, although blogger power has been waning more and more in the last year. New companies used to flood the most influential bloggers with free product in exchange for reviews, and the bloggers themselves would then turn these goodies into giveaway prizes, but this strategy seems to have been more or less abandoned right now. A notable exception is Belletto Studio: with special discount codes and coupons associated with popular bloggers, their followers could get remarkable saving on their steep list prices. For example just a few weeks ago fans of Xparkage could get one of their "Ultimate Skin Secrets Starter Kit" for a laughable $99 instead of the "regular" $430 price. 

Tip Four: Ebay

Of course there is always Ebay. Most of the times sellers are reliable and honest, however you should always keep in mind that even airbrush makeup has an expiry date, and that overstock sold by Ebay seller at discounted prices is often old batches that went into clearance. So be careful what you purchase, and don't hesitate to ask the seller for expiration dates or production dates. One way to see how old the product may be is to look at the pictures: do they show the latest graphics or packaging for the product, or are they showing old merchandise? All the major brands, from Temptu to OCC, to Dinair and Kett have updated their graphics and packaging in the last two years, and you can check their websites to see if what's being sold on ebay matches.

Tip Five (Pro Tip): Equipment Manifacturers

If you wish to save considerably on airbrush equipment, please consider this: most makeup brands do not manufacture their own equipment, but order it from a third party (a professional airbrush maker, regularly distributed by most traditional airbrush suppliers) who will impress the makeup brand logo on their equipment. I am not going to go into details here as I do not wish to make any enemies, but have a look around at the Sparmax SP-35 gun for example. Now do a quick search among makeup brands, and find out how much more it is going to cost you to have the exact same gun with their logo stamped on it where Sparmax's own would be. The same applies to a lot of compressors, although the main three or four makeup brands produce their own exclusively...

Sparmax SP-35 airbrush... where have I seen you before...

Video: Airbrush Makeup How to Eyeshadow with Luminess Air

Demonstrating 3 classic Luminess Air Eyeshadow Sets: Ore, Evening Sari and Smokey Eyes

Luminess "Ore" Duo- 100% unretouched Picture

Luminess Air is one of the most popular airbrush makeup brands aimed specifically at consumers. The brand offers a wide range of eyeshadow colors that are sometimes paired in sets of two or three. Luminess eye shadows have a very low viscosity which makes them easy to clean as they leave very little residue in your airgun, and which renders them very blendable and very sheer on application. Professional MUAs may find these very characteristics a bit limiting, but then again these products are directed at the average consumer, who will find them very easy to use.

Don't forget to check the special sales at www.luminessair.com. The company keeps renewing their specials and you can find some really good deals if you subscribe to their newsletter. If you are looking into buying a kit, definitely go for the 3 speed model, which will allow more versatility for jobs like eyeshadow.

Luminess "Evening Sari" Trio, 100% unrethouched picture

Luminess "Smokey Eyes" Duo, 100% unretouched picture

Review: Camera Ready Cosmetics, the ultimate pro makeup store.

Camera Ready Cosmetics, founded by makeup artist Mary Erickson, is becoming more and more appreciated by makeup artists worldwide due to a simple strategy: they offer only the best makeup brands at the lowest guaranteed price, the most efficient customer service, and they ship worldwide at the most convenient rates. In other words: straight forward top quality, top service, no bull and above all (and most remarkably) no greed. I stopped at the CRC showroom in La Mesa (San Diego) a couple of months ago, on my way from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Not the most efficient route, I realize, but I had a sizable order to collect so I thought I would see what the place looks like, and if it would hold true to its website description of a "playground" where you can test products without obligation and with the help of  knowledgeable staff. Well, what can I say? I left two hours later wishing I could have bought the entire place, and feeling like I had made some new friends. The strategy obviously works!

The Showroom at CRC

 The showroom space is not huge, but it is big enough to display the whole collection of products in a very user friendly layout. There they were: RCMA, Face Atelier, Cinema Secrets and all those other brands I had read so much about but had been hesitant to order finally at my fingertips (literally). No amount advertisement and  no guru's opinion can be a substitute for hands on testing of a a product's colour, texture and wearability, and although the CRC website offers a sampling service, which is rare among online stores, here you can see the whole range taking the guess work and the expense out of the equation. 

The perfect testing post.

The same applies to their very extensive stock of airbrush makeup of course. They even had a Graftobian kit plugged in and ready for use, so I could actually test some colours with an airbrush, rather than just out of the bottle. They have all the major professional brands except for one of the most famous ones, that shall remain nameless here. For some reason this brand hasn't been able to include CRC among their distributors, which is a terrible shame because not only do they lose credibility with the professionals (many think that if CRC doesn't carry it, it is not worth having) but they also lose a major International outlet, as CRC will ship to countries they will not. Oh well, I hope they can take a hint. 

During my visit I was helped by the very knowledgeable and super helpful Ashlie, and later I had a chance to also chat with the stunning Ashley (similar name, different person) and with Nicole, who leads the marketing department with unsurpassed efficiency, elegance and grace. What I didn't expect was to be able to meet Mary Erickson herself, and boy am I glad I had a chance. Mary gave me a whole tour of the operation, from the offices to the extensive mail room which is the heart and soul of CRC, taking two thirds of the space. At the time of my visit the staff was processing an average of over 250 orders a day, yet everyone would smile and say hi, leaving me with the impression of a very happy crew. Mary explained to me that every single batch of makeup that comes in is personally checked by a dedicated employee for flaws of any kind, and immediately sent back if found in any way imperfect. To further guarantee the freshness of  the makeup there is also an unwritten "two weeks rule" applied on the merchandise: CRC does not stock anything that doesn't sell out within that period. Well, I couldn't have been more impressed. Mary herself is exactly as I thought she would be by checking her WEBSITE. Most makeup artists only store their portfolio and their CV there. She went out of her way to incorporate a Q&A page with a lot of information on all aspects of the profession, something I had not seen before and that can be of great use to aspiring MUAs. In other words when so many in her position and with her level of artistry are often standoffish, aloof and a little full of themselves,  she remains enthusiastic, generous and gifted with a biting sense of humour in spite of her strong business savvy. 

You don't have to be an insider to know that the cosmetic industry, at any stage from creation to distribution, is one of the most dynamic and competitive business environments in the world. Add an international economic downturn such as the one of the last few years, and you are left with a question: is it possible for an independent business to thrive, and most importantly to do so ethically? Is it possible to generate high customer satisfaction, create a happy working environment and still adhere to a strict commitment to excellence in the product that you offer? The answer is a resounding YES, and the proof is an Enterprise called Camera Ready Cosmetics. 

PRO TIP & UPDATE: Since we wrote this article Camera Ready has been going from strength to strength: after a major website redesign, a free App was launched bringing the latest update to your phones and tablet (available on Itunes). The Pro discount program was redesigned to include discounts of up to 40%, and the Aspiring MUA discount was increased to 10%. A reward points program was also put in place, allowing any customer to get back 10% on each purchase.

 

Some of the lovely CRC Staff. Fourth from the left is Mary Erickson

Airbrush Makeup: single action vs dual action -The truth at last!

Single action or double action gun for airbrush makeup?

This is one of the most basic questions facing those who approach airbrush makeup for the first time, especially professionals, and one of the most confusing. The reason for the confusion lies in a colossal misunderstanding of the terms themselves, which changed meaning as they started being used by the cosmetic industry. [If you just want the straight answer, please scroll to down to IN CONCLUSION, or keep reading for the whole mystery exposed!]

In "orthodox aerography", that is in traditional technical terms, a single action airbrush is one that dispenses colour by simply pushing down the trigger (or "lever"), hence the term "Single Action". The trigger does not slide back to release more colour, it can only be pushed down, and the colour and the air are dispensed at the same time much like a spray can would. You can already breathe a sigh of relief here, because NO AIRBRUSH COSMETIC COMPANY SELLS THESE. So you would have to go out of your way to find an airbrush like that to add to your kit.

To continue with traditional aerography, a double action airbrush is one where the trigger has to be pushed down to release air first, and then pulled back to release the colour gradually, the further back you pull, the more colour comes out. If you pull the trigger back without pushing down for air first you create a backwash and possibly splatter paint. This kind of airbrush is the most widely available for traditional airbrush painting.

When cosmetic companies started producing kits for commercial distribution, they looked to offer a simplified version of the double action airbrush described above. They wanted consumers to be able to regulate colour flow with the trigger, but they did not want to complicate their lives with having to push down the trigger for air first, and the problems that can arise if you don't. So they started producing (or commissioning their suppliers, in most cases) airbrushes in which air would flow unobstructed from the moment the compressor is turned on, called continuous airflow airbrushes, and where the trigger could be simply pulled back to release colour gradually. They then proceeded to rename this type of airgun "single action airbrush" in their marketing, creating the massive confusion reigning today. All the rants you find on websites like Model Mayhem or Beautylish against "single action airbrushes" are based on this misunderstanding, with a lot of gurus referring to the actual single action as described at the top of this post, rather than the "continuous airflow" conceived later.

Where airbrush beauty makeup is concerned, the only difference between single action (continuous airflow) and double action airbrush is that with a double action you have to push the trigger down to release the air before you pull it back to release the makeup. That's it. That's all. In short: a nuisance, considering that if you forget to do so you run into paint back flow problems, and that the stopping and starting of the air is harder on the small sized, maintenance free compressor that most kits come with.The sudden burst of air is also very annoying for the clients, who are inevitably startled by it and tend to jump back in the chair.

The most common objection that "with a double action airbrush you can feel where the makeup is going to be by releasing the air before dispensing the colour" is moot, because with a "continuous flow" airbrush you can do the same just by pointing the blessed thing before pulling back the trigger.

This is why even pro companies like TEMPTU PRO have now started offering single action (continuous airflow) guns in their professional kits, while KETT Always had the best of both worlds by selling a gun that they call Transformer, that can be switched to "single action" by simply substituting a small valve (included in the box).

IN CONCLUSION:

If you don't already own an airbrush, a continuous airflow "single action" airbrush is better, easier and more efficient for airbrush makeup in general. A double action requires more practice, although it could be better for body painting if you are looking for special spatter effect that can only be obtained by stopping and starting the air. If your area of interest is SFX rather than beauty makeup the whole thing changes of course, but we will discuss that aspect in a future post. [If you come from the top of this post having skipped the middle part and still have doubts, well... you just may have to read the whole thing after all...]

PRO TIP:  THIS FANTASTIC BLOG ARTICLE  will explain how to turn your double action airbrush into a "single action, continuous airflow" one with a few simple moves and at zero cost. We tested the method and it definitely works on all Sparmax airguns (Sparmax is the maker of the airguns  distributed by Kett, Temptu, Graftobian, Kryolan and Airbase among Others). Please use extreme caution and read the relevant disclaimers.

Kett's Transformer Airbrush

TemptuPro's "Single Action" SE50 Airbrush

Inside Dinair Airbrush Makeup: a visit to the Dinair Studio in NorthHollywood, California

INSIDE DINAIR (well, sort of...)

The Dinair Building under an unusually rainy LA sky

When something changes an important aspect of your life it is only natural to want get to know as much as you can about it, and if you have a chance, to go right up to the source of that thing. To see where "everything started", so to speak. Dinair was the first brand of airbrush makeup I ever tried. It forever changed the way I do makeup, and in many ways it's the reason why I am collaborating to this very blog, so when I came to Los Angeles on a personal trip in May of this year, I made sure our tight schedule would include a visit to North Hollywood and to the Dinair Studio, which is the retail outlet attached to the factory itself at Laurel Canyon Blvd.

The address was very easy to find, although we had to look twice as there aren't any big signs outside the building, but once we looked up and saw the beloved pink logo at the top we knew we had arrived at the home of the originators of the airbrush makeup craze. The entrance to the studio is just around the back of the building, where you can also park the car. We were greeted inside by the lovely Sandra, a very young and very kind employee who made us feel at home right from the start. In the studio, as you can see from the pictures, there are several makeup stations stocked full of the complete Dinair line, and to the right a counter with a glass display full of kits in every colour. To be able to see all these in person, instead of on a computer screen, was already a major delight. As efficient as the internet is these days, seeing all the colours right in front of our eyes is an experience that can't be beaten!

The lovely Sandra at Dinair

The Studio isn't just a retail outlet. Here you can test products, try colors and discuss any aspect of airbrushing makeup so the the first thing I did was to put Sandra to the "test" by asking her to colour match me for foundation. Of course I already knew what colour is right for me, but I wanted a second opinion as I am a stickler for perfectly matching tones. Sandra aced it of course, and then we proceeded to test the same colour in the paramedical version, which I had long wanted to try on and buy. After that I bought the few colours that were missing from my collection, and then I gave Sandra a couple of gifts I had brought for Dina Ousley, the very founder of Dinair, and the lovely Julie Tobias, who is their spokesperson and the star of all the first official Dinair video tutorials.
 Every now and then while I was there, the inside door leading to the factory would open and you could glimpse the call centre inside with the operators taking phone calls. It was fun to think that this is what's on the other end of the line when you call the customer service, and that for once we could actually see them in person.

Inside the Dinair Studio.

All too soon it was time to leave, as another customer had come in and was waiting for service. It was a very elegant, great looking elderly lady that had come in "to get a few more shades" (her words). I thought about how incredibly cool that was: while people on this side of the pond are still barely grasping the concept of airbrushing makeup, here an elderly lady is not only using it, but having fun trying out new colours. It was the perfect closing for our visit, proving what Dina herself has been saying for years: Airbrush Makeup is for everybody!

  

PRO TIP: be sure to have the professional Dinair lights (the ones with the little White umbrella on top)  turned on, instead of the bulbs on the mirrors which have a warm hue to them.  The pro lights recreate natural lights to perfection, showing all your blemishes but also allowing a perfect colour match.

The brand new packaging of the Dinair Makeup Kit

A makeup station full of Dinair delights!

AIRBRUSH MAKEUP 101: Everything you need to know in just over 5 minutes!

LET'S START FROM THE VERY BEGINNING...

We are very happy to post a comprehensive, no bull, no time wasted video introduction to airbrush makeup in just over 5 minutes!

This perhaps should have been our very first post, but because of the amount of information to convey it took us a very long time to put it together. While it is intended for those who have heard little or nothing about airbrush makeup before, it may be interesting to check out and see if there are any gaps in our -or your, lol- basic knowledge of this ever growing technique.

When you learn a new way of doing things and you like it, often you tend to stick with what you've become used to and you're comfortable with. This is perfectly natural, however you may be missing out on a whole bunch of possibilities. A lot of people for example start with silicone based products and they don't know much about water based lines, or vice versa.

I started this blog with the ambition of finding out as much as possible about the whole spectrum of airbrush makeup possibilities. If you're reading this, I hope you'll come along for this long journey of discovery...