Airbrush Makeup, Is it Worth it?

Many of my clients ask me what is airbrush makeup about. Is it a fad, a craze, or does it really make a difference? 

 

It makes a difference.

Truthfully for everyday makeup I don’t suggest going to the trouble of airbrush makeup. That could get expensive and also it’s time consuming. On an average day I go to my Laura Mercier liquid foundation and use my beauty blender to get a natural look. Airbrush does have its benefits though. Airbrush makeup is typically waterproof and smudge-proof, lasting much longer than traditional foundations, for up to 16 hours. So for those special occasions where you need your foundation to last you through a long day or if you’re being photographed, I would talk to your makeup artist about airbrushing. I urge all of my Brides to go with airbrush makeup for their special day especially during summer months. 

How it works.

 

How airbrush makeup differs is airbrush makeup utilizes a small makeup air compressor, an airbrush gun, and special airbrush foundation. This foundation is thinner than regular liquid foundation because it needs to pass through the airbrush gun. The airbrush sprays a very fine mist on the skin pushed through with gentle air pressure from the compressor. This allows an even and consistent application of foundation, which sits evenly on the skin. Since it’s such a fine mist your true skin tone shows through which makes it look more natural and not so heavy, which if not careful can happen with traditional makeup. The final result gives you a very natural, yet very finished and polished look. Your makeup artist will know how to mix foundation colors for a perfect blend to match your skin tone. 

What to use.

 

There are different kinds of airbrush makeup for the face, some that are water based
and some that are silicone based. If you have every sensitive skin, like myself, or
breakout easily you may want to go for the water-based foundation. Although water-
based foundations tend to be more matte and have less shine, they do break down easier when it comes to tears and sweat. Silicone foundations tend to look like skin and can be more forgiving. Silicone foundations tend to not dissolve as easy either. I use Dinair’s paramedical foundation for my clients that prefer water-based airbrush makeup and I use Temptu for my clients that can use silicone-based foundation. Ask your makeup artist which makeup is best for your skin type.


I hope this helps answer any questions on the topic of airbrushing. If you have any other
questions I would love to hear them!

Bronze Ambition

How to use bronzer without looking like an umpalumpa or too fake! Let’s face it, we all what to be a bronze goddesses once in a while rather it be for an event or vacation or just because most of us look healthier a little bronzed. But we want to do it with out the harmful sunrays and with out sun spots and bronzer is a great way to do that. Bronzers can be intimidating because we have seen it be abused.

 There are several Bronzers on the market I prefer either powder bronzer or crème bronzers. For Powder Bronzer I recommend a big finishing brush I swirl the brush in the product and tap the access powder on my hand before I apply it to the face because it’s easier to blend on the hand first than on the face, that way we don’t get splotches of bronzer on our face. The finishing brush gives the bronzer a veil like finish on your skin so it doesn’t get too cakey. You will then apply bronzer where the sun would naturally hit your face. Basically the application with your brush will be in the direction of a backwards three. Start on your forehead, then under your cheekbones to emphasize them, on the bridge of the nose and the top of your chin for a naturally bronzed look. I apply crème bronzer in the same places except I use a large crème brush or simply my fingers.

If you were contouring I would use a smaller more detailed brush like a blush brush. Darker Matte bronzers work best for contouring. Apply on the tip of the nose to shorten it or along the sides of the nose to narrow it, a deeper application under the cheekbone to create emphasis and on top of the forehead to shorten the length as well as along the jawbone to strengthen it’s appearance.

Bronzer first and then it’s time to blush. This spring and summer women are really stirring towards using Crème Blush because it gives your skin a bit of Glow and it blends right into the skin so smoothly. Use it on the apples of the cheeks and blend the color out with your fingers crème blushes are so easy to use and they really enhance your cheekbones. 

Now go get your Bronze Glow on!

Spring Cleaning Alert

 

Most the time you think of Spring-cleaning you think of your closet, but what about your makeup?  I just got rid of my gemmed torn jean shorts because I finally realized I’m not twenty any more.  Makeup is no different, so maybe it’s time to let go of that glitter shadow or 5 year-old lip color also.

If your brushes look like they’ve been in a fight, time to let them go and get new ones.  We all have been guilty of not cleaning our makeup brushes enough so spot cleaning once a week with a brush cleaning spray gives you longer time between deep cleanings.  For deep cleanings, use a soft shampoo, I recommend a baby shampoo.  This prevents your brushes from carrying bacteria.  The better you treat your brushes, the longer they will last, but yes sometimes you will need to replace them from time to time.

If you have six makeup bags, narrow it down.  I use a great Laura Mercier Portfolio to store my cosmetics.  It has separate pouches for lips, for eyes, foundations and concealers, as well as section for your brushes.  I find the more organized I am, the less time it takes in the morning to do my makeup and we all know how important beauty sleep is

Mascara should go in the trash if it’s over six months old, foundation only lasts a year once it’s opened, and powder, eyeliner, lipsticks and gloss last 18 months.  Typically, most products on the box have a symbol with a number that signifies the number of months of how long that product will last.  It’s always a good idea to keep your makeup properly stored in containers, not on your bathroom counter, where the heat and steam from the shower can form bacteria and degrade ingredients.

If it smells… throw it away, if the color is off… throw it away, if the consistency is off… throw it away. Basically if you bought it in 1994, Throw It Away.  Trust me, I know it’s hard. I have very fond memories of my favorite Vixen lip color that was discontinued.  I tried to make it last, but reality set in that it smells and it’s time to find a new favorite color.  A good way to make your lipsticks last is to store them in your refrigerator.

If you’re not sure what you should get rid of and what you should keep, bring your makeup bag to your makeup artist and she/he will help you decide what products you should update.

Happy Spring Cleaning!