Airbrush Makeup Revolution: Temptu Air, Airpod Pro, Root Color andHydra Lock -Review and Video

Temptu has been at the forefront of airbrush makeup innovation for many years, and you only need to look at our reviews of their products to know how much we love this brand. Having said that, we weren't prepared for the amount of improvements and advances that came from this company in the last year alone. During our recent trip to Los Angeles we were lucky enough to be able to meet with the lovely and talented Jackie Fan, Temtptu's manager of Global Education and Artistry, right before her move to the East Coast where she will continue her work with this brand after the consolidation of the LA branch in to the New York operation. 

Jackie was kind enough to take us through the many new products that are coming out this year. Some of these are already huge hits in the industry, like the portable device Temptu Air. Others were literally just being launched at the impending show, like the AirPod Pro, the new Root colors and the Hydra Lock foundation.  We managed to sneak a peak of most of these, and others were described by Jackie in our extensive interview that we will publish very soon as part of our Airbrush Makeup Gurus series. 

Temptu Air

Temptu Air is a portable, standalone rechargeable device that was created to work with Temtpu's AirPods. As we live in Europe we had yet to see this item in person, and I was somewhat prejudiced against it as I thought it might be a bit gimmicky and flimsy. All my preconceived notions were shattered as soon as I tried it in my hands. This beautiful, slick little gem is sturdy, powerful and unbelievably quiet. The battery charges via a USB cable and lasts unbelievably long, we are talking up to a month for personal daily use.  It has three pressure settings that change at the touch of a button, and are all powerful and consistent. The soft touch control button allows for great precision, making the application even easier than with the original AirPod airbrush. While remaining super easy to use for consumers, the Temptu Air marks the definitive transition of the Airpod product into the professional world, where it offers many practical advantages that we will illustrate in a full review coming soon. Oh, and did I mention how QUIET it is?

The new Airpod Formula

The AirPod makeup formula has been improved for a while now, but it bears repeating. The new makeup is much more similar to the original SB formula. Gone is the strong floral smell that was so bothersome to many, the iper moveability and the remarkably shiny finish. The new Airpod product has all these aspects under control and the resulting makeup is simply spectacular, losing none of the advantages offered by the silicone formulation. It also flows much better out of the caps, making clogs and hiccups a thing of the past.

Airpod Pro

Of course the Airpod system, based on pre filled capsules of color, had one last congenital flaw: the colors could not be mixed, inevitably restricting an artist's freedom to some degree. Enter the new Airpod Pro. This is essentially an Airpod capsule with a working opening at the top, allowing you to fill it with whatever color or color mix you can imagine, and then to use it with you Temptu Air device or with the traditional AirPod airbrush. The fact that the AirPod Pro has a 0.5 nozzle size means that practically any kind of airbrush makeup will be usable with this system, although I imagine you'll have to be careful with more fluid formulas like water based products. The AirPod Pro was just about to be launched at the Makeup Show, so we weren't actually able to see it and will review it as our US collaborator sends us one. 

Airpod Root & Hair Touch Up Color

Airpod Root & Hair is a silicone based line of colors for hair that can be also used for your eyebrows, as Jackie demonstrates so well in our video. The application is fast and the finish is soft and diffused enough to produce an amazingly natural effect. There are seven shades available covering any need, and the product is also available as a traditional Pro Sarter Set to be used with your AirPod Pro or with your traditional airbrush.

Hydra Lock Foundation

This is another product that we couldn't see yet as it was still to be launched, but it is certainly worth mentioning. The SB foundation line from Temptu has become an industry standard and the paragon for any silicone based airbrush product. The brand is now trying to up the ante with Hydra Lock, a new silicone based product that claims to have four times the hydrating power of Hyaluronic Acid. The line has a whopping 18 colors, but that's all we know, because while this product has just been released on the Temtpu website.  All we can say is... we can't wait!

New Aribrush Makeup content coming soon!

 

Dear readers, 

we are very excited to be planning our return to reporting after a long hiatus due to international work contracts. Amazing experiences that have enriched us as writers and as beauty industry fanatics, but that have left us little time in the last few months to dedicate to new reviews and videos. 

This is all about to change now, but not before we come back from our next trip to the West Coast, where we will visit again with the top airbrush makeup brands and where we will gather even more material that will be used in the upcoming months for your enjoyment -and ours. 

There are many new products and tools to report on, so please come back to these pages soon, we are looking forward to being your guides again through the amazing world of Airbrush Makeup. 

...for real time updates, please don't forget our Facebook Page, our Instagram and Twitter accounts.  

Stay tuned...

Daniel, Stuart, Angela and the AirbrushMakeupGuru team!

The State of Airbrush Makeup 2016: truth beyond fiction, and the rant of all rants!

Visit our LINKS page to view the most complete Airbrush Makeup Directory on line!

In early 2011 I was shopping online for my very first airbrush makeup kit. Five years, over 15 more kits and countless applications later that initial curiosity has turned into a passion -some would say obsession- for this amazing technique. Today, as we publish the most complete and up to date directory of airbrush makeup brands worldwide, the time has come to reflect on where airbrushing stands in the makeup industry, and on where it's going.

The Gold Standard

Since the advent of HD technology, the expression "airbrushed finish" has become a leit-motif in the beauty industry.  Some courageous and passionate artists and entrepreneurs have devised a way to achieve that goal with an actual airbrush, and have built brands and a whole culture around this. They have become unsung heroes in an often ungrateful industry that never fully acknowledged them at a mainstream level, yet has burnt all the stops to do exactly what they do while maintaining their marketing margins. Almost all the leading mainstream makeup brands today are offering products conceived to achieve said "airbrushed finish". Some of them mimic the texture of those produced by actual airbrush makeup brands,  yet are made with roughly three times the amount of chemical ingredients. These foundations are so similar to our airbrush formulas that you can actually apply them with an airbrush, but are marketed to the public as "easy to use" liquid foundations.  I am talking about major brands ranging from Dior, with its Nude Air foundation line, to Lancome with its Miracle Air de Teint, all the way down to Maybelline and Boots with its N.7 line. Some of these brands have even got so far as bottling their foundation in a spray can, yet none of them would even dream of marketing an actual made-for-airbrush line, with the notable exception of Mac Pro. The question is, can airbrushing have a life outside of the echelon of the professional world, or will it forever be considered a difficult niche dominated only by the most skilled or the most fanatical?

Enter the Airbrush Makeup Brands.

With the mainstream market locked in this ambivalence, the art of airbrush makeup has been able to advance thanks to smaller companies who have made it their focus. Some of these, like Kett, Graftobian and MUD, only cater to professionals. Others like the legendary originators Dinair and  their silicone based counterpart Temptu have kept their professional lines but have also opened up to the mainstream public, and have worked tirelessly to promote the idea that anyone can airbrush makeup with great results. While Temptu offers a simplified tool created for the consumer (the AirPod), Dinair has made its own airbrush kits as consumer friendly and easy to use and maintain as possible, and invests enormous amounts of energy in its training, with courses that aim to teach anybody to tackle any aspect of makeup application with an actual airbrush.

Next to these and other historical brands, a plethora of smaller companies has emerged that try and ride the "airbrush wave". Some have a genuine commitment to quality and represent interesting alternatives to more renown names. Others are in it only for a marketing opportunity, and often disappear as quickly as they surface. We are actually sad to see them go, because even the most basic of them may offer someone an introduction into the world of airbrushing, and if I do say so myself, even the "worst" airbrush brand I have tried has allowed me to get above average results over their traditional counterparts. 

The Real Enemy

The professional makeup world has long been aware of airbrushing. In the United States the technique has officially become a part of the curricula of beauty schools. In spite of this there seems to be no uniformity in the actual teaching of the subject, which is left in many cases in the hands of teachers who have a limited view and knowledge of the subject themselves, and who fall prey to many misconceptions. False myths and lack of proper education, coupled with arrogance, are the worst enemies of airbrush makeup. Certain makeup artists will take a short class with a minor brand and immediately start pontificating on YouTube on how "you should do this", and you can NEVER, under ANY circumstance "do that" with an airbrush. I personally know of a teacher charging $ 600  for a 5 hour class on airbrushing foundation only, because "it is absolutely impossible to do anything else". Another teacher in an accredited school was teaching their class that they should disassemble their airbrush and clean completely it after each single change of color. It is a wonder that any of the unfortunate students pursued the discipline outside of that school...

Europe and the World at large

If the public at large in the USA is becoming aware of airbrushing as a valid alternative, Europe represents practically virgin territory in this respect.  With Customs restrictions on makeup of any kind making even import for personal use very difficult, makeup enthusiasts who live in the EU have to rely mostly on local distributors of American brands. However some new European brands have started to produce more comprehensive and very valid lines, such as Mistair and AirBase in the UK, and Cazcarra in Spain. The first brands have also started emerging in Africa, Oceania and Asia, where the culture of perfect complexion borders on the extreme Even China has a very interesting offering with the wide range of products conceived by Taiwanese makeup artist Nien Tsz Lee. 

The Truth about airbrush makeup

The truth about airbrushing makeup is one and simple, and this whole website, the videos we produce and  all we do lives to attest it: airbrushing can do EVERYTHING.  My own experience shows that "if it isn't working for you, you are simply not doing it right". The larger question of course is why should you bother? The answer is up to your enthusiasm and your preference. Whether you are a makeup artist or a home user, airbrushing doesn't have to replace your brushes -although it could. It can simply be an alternative or an enhancement of what you already know. But be sure to give it a fair chance, and you may never want to do without it again. So many of those who have, like myself, believe that airbrushing allows them to achieve a faster, cleaner, healthier and ultimately more precise makeup application.

The Future

Innovation remains the key objective and the most marketable aspect of any beauty related enterprise. In the airbrush makeup field the leading brands have been expanding their lines significantly to cover any skin type and any corrective need. Airbrush equipment has never looked so attractive, with a strong emphasis on portability that has seen both Temptu and Dinair come up with rechargeable, ultra compact systems for consumer use. Yet airbrushing is unlikely to achieve mainstream dominance anytime soon. The reason is simple: profit. With its reliance on a single tool, and with the extremely high color payoff and coverage power of even the basic formulations, there is simply a lot less to exploit in terms of marketing and sales. Why should big companies promote an airbrush when they can sell a set of twenty five brushes with a 400% markup? Too much is invested in traditional makeup for it to change quickly, and for the time being airbrushing remains a well guarded "industry secret". The best example that comes to mind is that of a mega popular TV period drama, where the makeup is admittedly airbrushed using one of those previously mentioned historic brands, but where the head of the makeup department was sponsored by a totally unrelated traditional makeup brand to show how to achieve that same look "the traditional way". Whether public awareness will ever wake up or not to the effectiveness of the airbrush application, to those who have experienced its advantages airbrush makeup has become irreplaceable.

So much so that I will finish this little rent by paraphrasing none other than the Bard himself:

"If makeup be the food of love... spray on!"


Daniel Pacini,
Editor,
www.airbrushmakeupguru.com 

This article is dedicated to all the hard working dreamers that push this wonderful medium forward, against all odds. Thank you for spraying the world beautiful. 

Disclaimer: no compensation or sponsorship of any kind was received by the author for writing the above. This article, like any other on this website, reflects the author's genuine experience and opinion. 

How to airbrush a Zombie makeup: easy Step by Step guide for Halloween and beyond

Halloween is coming, so let's have fun with an easy, step by step tutorial for a fantastic Zombie makeup. No airbrush? No problem, you can still realize this look by traditional methods, although it may take you a little longer. You can see all the steps in our video tutorial as well. In this post we will give you more information on the materials we used and their possible alternatives. All the materials we will use come from our favorite makeup store: Camera Ready Cosmetics, who ship fast all over the world and have the best customer service imaginable (and no, they did NOT pay us to say this, lol). Let's Start!

WARNING: Safety first. Make sure that you or your model are not allergic to any of the materials used. We will be using alcohol based colors: eyes and mouth must be kept closed when spraying these areas, and be careful not to inhale when spraying around the nose. When blow drying someone else's face always keep your other hand in between the airflow and their skin, to ensure the heat remains tolerable. Finally be very careful of both your instrument and your skin when exposing the needle tip of your airbrush for spattering and veining. Contact lenses must meet safety standards and used according to guidelines.

STEP ONE: Prosthetic application

We are using a foam latex prosthetic called Whoochie Face. These are ready made, professional quality applications distributed by Graftobian. They adapt well to any face shape and the final result is amazing! Start by removing any excess oil on the skin. Prep the application by spreading a thin coat of Graftobian Pro Adhesive all over the prosthetic. Be very careful with the thin edges: they will easily fold and stick to themselves, so try to avoid this at all costs. Use a blow drier on low heat until the glue is clear, then position the prosthetic on the face and use more Pro Adhesive to glue the edges down. Once you have done that, fill any gaps between the edges and the skin with "Bondo" (Pro Adhesive mixed with silica powder), and blow dry on low heat until all glue is clear. Set the edges with Ben Nye Neutral Set, and brush the excess powder off.

ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS: Graftobian's Pro Adhesive behaves exactly like Pros Aide but is less expensive. This glue remains tacky so you can move your prosthetic a few times for optimal positioning.  Spirit gum is a cheaper alternative but it is less flexible and harsher on the skin. If Bondo is not at hand you can stipple a few layers of liquid latex to fill in the edges of the prosthetic. This will take longer as you will need to dry and powder each layer.

STEP TWO: Base Coat 

You will need to make sure the prosthetic and the face are color before starting the actual paint job. We started using alcohol based paints but found them too sheer and not very effective for this purpose. So we decided to use a product called Colair Extreme by Dinair. This is an amazing cosmetic with total blocking power, and we were able to achieve a uniform effect with just a couple of passes. Once applied, you may want to powder lightly with Neutral Set before proceeding. We actually didn't, and it worked out just fine.  

ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS: Pax paint (a mixture of Pros-Aide glue and acrylic paint) would have been the traditional choice for blocking out the application. However Colair Extreme is just as effective, much easier to clean from the airbrush, cheaper, gentler on the skin and comes in a wider variety of colors than Pax. 

  

STEP THREE: Color Application 

Spattering is the best technique you can use to create a multi layered, more realistic effect, because it mimics the natural texture of the skin. It is also ideal for blending the edge of the prosthetic into invisibility. Spattering basically means achieving a color tonality by layering a multitude of translucent speckles of color, much like the printing process where what looks like one color to the naked eye is actually obtained by tiny dots of different shades laying next to each other. While some airbrushes have specific tips to do this, but you can easily obtain a spatter effect with any airbrush simply by removing the needle cap and the nozzle cap (the two parts that unscrew at the tip), and setting your compressor on very low pressure, then use a flickering action on the trigger. We have used European Body Art's Endura colors. These are alcohol based paints used by some of the best professionals, and most famously on the set of Face Off. They are already sheer, but you may want to dilute them more with Alcohol 99% in order to get a finer, more natural effect. We didn't and we should have, but we wanted our work to "read" more quickly for the purpose of the video. If the spatter is too saturated and individual dots too visible, you can dim the effect by blotting the application, but be fast as alcohol based colors dry very quickly. Spattering can be a lengthy process, but the result is worth it. We wanted a classic "green" zombie, so we layered yellow first, then blue, then green to add more punch. 

ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS: You can used an old toothbrush or a cheap brush with short bristles to achieve a spatter with your fingers without an airbrush. We find that airbrushing offers more control and less contact between paints and skin, which we always welcome.

STEP FOUR: Highlights and Shading 

We used a less diluted amount of Endura color to create lowlights and shading. The process of is very easy as the prosthetic's sculpted shapes will make it very obvious. For a final highlight, and to simulated the thinness of the skin stretched on the features, we used Endura Face Off flesh tone in Warm Two.

STEP FIVE: Veining
Airbrushing is a wonderful, fast and easy medium for creating realistic veins. Remove the needle cap (the outermost removable part of the tip of the airbrush) and use distance and pressure to create veins of different size and intensity. Practice on paper first. Achieving a purple-ish vein color was easy: simply mix Endura Red and Blue colors.

ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS: Fine brushes. ...Yawn.

STEP SIX: Eyes and teeth 

You can create very realistic redness around the eyes with a product called Glazing Gel by PPI/Skin Illustrator. This is water based, so it will not irritate the very delicate eye area. For further punch use a red lip liner pencil on the rim of the eye. Finally, nothing is more effective to complete the makeup than a pair of Zombie lenses. We used some great disposable ones by a British company called MesmerEyez. Whatever brand you choose, make sure they meet safety standard and beware of cheap ones that can cause severe damage to your eyes. 

To achieve a more believable Zombie mouth we used black from PPI's On Set FX Palette. Be sure to dry the teeth before applying the color, and right after application use your airbrush on air only to set it.

STEP SEVEN: Blood

No Zombie look would be complete with a little bit of fake blood. We used two types: Ben Nye Thick Blood for a head wound effect, and a capsule from Ben Nye mouth Kit to create the gory mouth effect that you see at the end of the video. Ben Nye's fake blood is an industry standard, it is safe and even tastes good!

Have a fantastic, fun filled and safe Halloween!!!

Airbrushing and special effects makeup: learning online with the Stan Winston School

The reality show Face Off, now in its 9th season, has the undoubted merit of having brought the world of special effects and creature making to the attention of a much larger audience. While the show hardly focuses on any given technical aspect, it has contributed to make another thing clear for the masses: airbrushing is a fundamental skill in the creation of special effects makeup. 

The uninitiated who wants to tackle FX and creature making, but isn't ready or able to enroll in a professional school is left with one big question: is there another readily accessible, fairly priced, and above all reputable source of training and information?
The answer is yes, yes, and and even bigger YES. The source exists and it is called "Stan Winston School of Character Arts". 

Founded by the Winston family in honor of their legendary patriarch, the "School" is not a physical place, but a subscription base website with a wonderful core principle: offering comprehensive, detailed training in the form of professionally filmed web courses held by some of the very best in this field. Every aspect and technique related to special effects makeup and creature making is discussed and explained in depth: from mold making to animatronics and everything in between. I was a subscriber of the school myself for several months, and what follows here is a brief account of my experience, and a little guide to the courses that focus on my passion, which is of course airbrushing. As always these are my genuine, unsponsored opinions.

How it works: no catches!

I always approach subscribing to anything online with great caution, after I was scorched a long time ago by a bad experience with a web service offering "auto renewal". The Stan Winston School Website offers an incredible, unlimited 3 day free trial that is jut that: three days of unlimited access to its contents. This means you can watch as many courses as you like, and really get a feel of what the contents are like. You can cancel your trial at any time after it started. If you do so, you will not be billed anything, and you will still be able to enjoy your full three days. I am writing this because it is not repeated too often during the subscription process, but you can rest assured that the School is a highly ethical enterprise, and it is in no way out to defraud you of anything.

If you decide that you want to continue with your subscription, you will simply let it run and it will turn into a regular subscription at the end of the trial. There is no minimum subscription requirement, this means you can cancel any time before the next monthly renewal and your subscription will end with the current month (or year, if you selected the annual plan). There are three levels of membership: Apprentice gives you 4 tutorials on demand per month for a low price, meaning you can select up to 4 courses and watch them all or in part. At the beginning each month your total will be zeroed and if you want to finish watching a course you had started in the previous month, this will be counted against your month's 4 total.  "Monthly" and "Annual" give you unlimited tutorials. If you don't wish to subscribe at all, but are interested only in watching and keeping selected courses forever, you can also buy each webcourse in streaming or DVD format. It is always a good idea to subscribe to the school's newsletter to receive limited time offers and special promotions.

The Content: amazing teachers

The content of the website is divided in Live Web Courses and On Demand Web Courses. This is self explanatory. What you may not be prepared for is the fact that these are true seminars broadcast in real time, so the live sessions last anywhere from two to seven hours or more, with technical breaks and pauses, and moments dedicated to live interaction with on line students. The On Demand versions of the web courses are slightly edited, and of course no live interaction is possible, but you can always ask a question in each course's page and you will receive an answer, often by the teachers themselves. With a lot of courses lasting over six hours I found my Apprentice membership more than enough, and in some months I wasn't able to watch  more than a couple. The teachers are all amazing. We are talking the very best in their field, including many Academy Award and Emmy winners. I expected them to be knowledgeable ad passionate, but I wasn't prepared for how entertaining they all were. Almost each course is enriched with anecdotes, personal stories and fun tidbits that made learning really fun.

Airbrushing in Special effects: a guide to the courses

If you are new to airbrushing and want to learn it as a tool toward the creation of special effects, this by far one of the best places you could visit.

If you have some knowledge of airbrush beauty makeup or airbrushing in general, you will still be surprised to find out how many "rules" are changed or broken altogether when it comes to application for FX and creature design. While almost every course features airbrushing, a few of them give specific in depth information on techniques and tools, so these are the ones you may want to watch first:

-How To Airbrush by Craig Fraser. This is the best place to start learning about airbrushing from a true master who is not only incredibly passionate and informative, but also seriously entertaining. This course is all about introducing basic airbrush painting techniques that are the foundation for any subsequent application. Tools, materials and sources are all discussed in details. Six hours will just fly!

-Hyper Realistic Silicone Painting Techniques by Tim Gore Another exceptional artist guides you through the rather complicated process of painting on silicone. After a somewhat shy opening, Tim warms up and draws you into his passion sharing a world of useful tips, and a treasure of knowledge on what materials to use and how to make them or purchase them. While the subject material is silicone, the layering techniques shown here are fundamental for reproducing realistic skin tones on any kind of material.

-Zombie Makeup by Bill Corso This course shows very practical uses of airbrushing in creating a zombie makeup. Once again you will be able to decline the techniques you learned here into a variety of different applications. This is actually the second part of a very extensive workshop by Oscar winner Bill Corso, and I definitely suggest watching the whole thing, even though not strictly airbrush related, to get a sense of how a makeup for film is created from concept to screen test. 

-Airbrush Veining Technique mini tutorial by Steve Wang The amazing Steve Wang takes you through the process of creating veining effects with an airbrush. This is a basic technique that you will be able to use in a myriad of projects, taking full advantage of the potential of your airbrush versus slower traditional methods. 

Paiting Silicone Skin-Realistic Flesh Tones by Jamie S. Grove Antother in depth tutorial by another amazing teacher, who will illustrate all the techniques and materials used to create an ultra realistic skin texture on silicone. The methods shown will of course apply to any other material, provided you are using the appropriate paints.

The Garage Monster's Guide to Airbrushes mini tutorial by Shannon Shea   This mini tutorial focuses specifically on equipment. While all the other teachers describe their preferred tools in depth in all the other tutorial, it is good to have a further opinion by the great Shannon Shea on what prioritize in your shopping list.   

With Halloween approaching fast, I hope you will take advantage of this fantastic online resource, born of passion and following the sharing principles so dear to the legendary Dick Smith. My final advice is to start your three day trial on a quiet week end with lots of time at your disposal. You will NOT want to leave your computer screen...

Review: Dinair Colair Extreme and Colair Electric -with Drag airbrush makeup transformation video tutorial

"Extreme Drag" with Colair Extreme

Colair Extreme is a revolutionary new product offering total blocking power, with maximum durability and resistance to friction. As our month dedicated to the wonderful brand Dinair comes to a close, I am very happy to bring you this fun new video tutorial dedicated to the newest products offered by this company, and inspired by the "extreme" look of drag performer Nina Flowers. Colair Extreme is the most recent addition to Dinair's lines, and includes 14 shades that can be mixed to find the best match not only with each other, but also with any other Dinair airbrushable product, opening a world of possibilities. The colors are identified by the letters XT followed by numbers matching the ones used for the Colair Radiance line, so it's easy to find your shade using the original Glamour line as a reference. For example the color Olive Beige in the Glamour range becomes C110 in the Radiance line, and XT110 in the Extreme range. With an incredible amount of pigment in its formula, Colair Extreme offers the strongest blocking power imaginable, and does not require color correction underneath. 

100% airbrush makeup with Dinair

I was lucky to be able to try Extreme during my last visit to Dinair, and I was amazed at the amount of pigment that this product contains, and by how smoothly it applies inspite of the richness of its formula. The product dries very fast with a very slightly tacky finish that will need to be powdered with clear HD powder, or with a light layer of Colair Radiance foundation. Extreme wears comfortably and has no scent whatsoever. What I wasn't prepared for was its durability: two days after their application the swatches on the back my hand were still perfect, totally unchanged by repeated hand washing and showers. Considering its strength, I simply could not believe that this was still a water based formula, containing no alcohol or silicone. 

Colair Electric is the new version of what used to be called the "Bright" range. There are seven super pigmented, ultra vibrant shades that lend themselves to a myriad of applications, from FX to body painting, and from drag to fantasy. These can also give a "pop" to any other shade in other Dinair ranges. For example, try adding just a drop of  Electric Pink to your normal blush, and watch it brighten up and become more radiant. 

Nina Flowers inspired Airbrush Makeup

Personal user tips: Colair Extreme will cover any skin defect, and because of its pigmentation the result will be very seamless, creating an absolutely even coverage that may easily look too perfect and artificial, if not properly applied. It was created to conceal tattoos and serious skin imperfections, while every other kind of blemish will best be served by Dinair's Camouflage Colair Radiance lines. You may also mix Extreme with these other lines in order to find the best solution for your need, but I would advise talking to Dinair's great Customer Service to find the best product combination for you.  

Pro Tips: Professional makeup artists will find Colair Extreme amazing, and will wonder how they ever did without it. Please be aware that you may have to experiment with mixing to find the perfectly matching shade to a given skin tone, and that the colour changes slightly as it dries. Makeup artists dealing in special effects will also find this product a revelation. In the enclosed video tutorial I used it to cover a bald cap, eyebrows that had been blocked with spirit gum, and I even used it to perfectly block out a beard shadow with no other concealers or beard blockers whatsoever. In short, this product will achieve what you would only have been able to do with PAX before, but it's much easier to use, less expensive and infinitely easier to clean with Dinair's newly reformulated airbrush cleaner. 

Application Tips: Because of its consistency, after extensive use Colair Extreme tends to collect at the very tip of your airbrush (in the needle cap), causing it to sputter. This is very easily fixed by pulling the lever all the way back and cleaning the needle cap with a Q Tip. Always remember to clean your airbrush immediately after using Extreme, and you will not need any further special cleaning. Using Dinair's simple cleaning system will ensure that your airbrush stays healthy and efficient for the next use.

It's all about the PIGMENT: unshaken bottles of Glamour, Radiance and Extreme side by side reveal the quantity of pigment contained in each formula. 

Airbrush makeup for mature skin and Age Spots video tutorial: Dinair Colair Review

Dinair Colair unretouched before and after

Hyperpigmentation, commonly known as "age spots", is one of the most common skin conditions and can actually afflict anybody regardless of age, gender or ethnicity. The spots are essentially "clumps" of melanin, the dark pigment produced by the skin to protect its outer layer from exposure to the ultra violet light produced by the sun or by tanning lamps. The spot can vary in size and color intensity, but are generally harmless and no more than a cosmetic nuisance (for more medical information on age spots please read this post). The problem is that once they appear they can only be lessened or eliminated with costly dermatological procedures that may not be suitable or even affordable for many. Enter airbrush makeup, and specifically Dinair with its Colair Radiance line. 

Age spots gone with Dinair Colair

Colair Radiance is a range of foundation shades created recently by Dinair to complement its original line called Glamour. There are twenty colors available, providing a perfect match for most people, and of course the possibility to mix colors for those whose shade falls in between. 

The main differences and great advantages of the Colair Radiance line can be summed up with three words: pigment quantity, coverage and finish. These shades contain approximately double the pigment of the Glamour line, offering an even more powerful coverage and longevity. The finish is also softer and more "dewy", while it is even more resistant to rubbing. In short, it gives Silicone based formulas a real run for its money, offering pretty much the same advantages and none of its drawbacks, such as its potential pore clogging and skin breathing issues.

 

Dinair conceals hyperpigmentation

Because of its richness the Colair formula tends to be slightly more obvious on the skin, and less expert airbrushers need to pay close attention to avoid overspray and to layer it evenly and lightly, but please keep in mind that we are talking about a very small difference, that would never be perceived outside of the closest HD scrutiny. When applied properly, the product simply looks amazing, and wears very comfortably. In many cases it will not even require much priming or spraying hydrating mists (like Dinair's own Moist and Dewy) after the makeup.  I find this product great for everyone, but because of its qualities it lends itself perfectly for problematic and mature skin, while for an absolutely undetectable makeup (such as a no makeup look or men grooming) I would stick with the original classic Glamour line.  Our last video was a tutorial on how to conceal acne related blemishes using Colair Radiance.

With the tutorial you find here below we tackled larger blemishes caused by hyperpigmentation of our beautiful lady model, who is also featured in these photos. The before and after shot was not retouched in any way. We believe the results speak for themselves. [Please click on each photo to view it in full size]

In our next article we will up the game one step further by using Dinair's newest and most revolutionary line called Extreme in an out of this world look that will demonstrate its amazing blocking power. 

PRO TIP: The Colair line matches the original shades of the original Glamour line, but the colors are named with a number rather than a name: even numbers for warm tones, odd number for cool and numbers ending in 0 or 5 for neutral shades. For the less mathematically inclined, thankfully Dinair also specifies the name of the matching color in the Glamour line so you can't go wrong.