Makeup Monday | Airbrush Makeup : What makes the difference?

This Makeup Monday we are going to delve into a common question that we get from our clients - what IS airbrush makeup and why do you use it? I like to explain airbrush makeup is a tool of the trade - some artists love it and some don't. There are tons of articles about the pro's and con's of airbrush makeup but ultimately each artist is different.

Here are a few things to know about airbrush make up:

• The main difference is going to be the application process - airbrush foundation is applied using an airbrush system.

• Contrary to popular belief airbrush foundation is neither "heavier" or "lighter" than traditional makeup - if your artist prefers a more full coverage look this will also be the case with airbrush. It is only as heavy or light as the hand that puts it on.

• An artist that uses proper skincare, prep and setting techniques will be able to achieve a flawless look on any skin type - it will be using their best judgement as to which form of makeup is best suited for your skin.

Every type of application has it's pro's and con's but I admit to having a bias towards the use of airbrush makeup. Being in the South we deal with much more humidity than other parts of the country, so most of our clients have oily to normal skin, on clients that are concerned with oiliness the use of airbrush makeup is ideal.

Since the foundation is lightly misted onto the skin you have less irritation and the foundation is "stippled" onto the skin and this mimics the skins natural porosity. For oilier skin types the airbrush foundation lasts longer than traditional makeup and because we specialize in wedding in humid weather we choose to use silicone based airbrush makeup. This type of airbrush foundation is best suited for weddings and events since it is not water soluble (aka tear and sweat resistant!).

If you are around me long enough you will hear me say "Airbrush is a tool and you have to learn to use this tool correctly", this is something I whole heartily believe. Having used airbrushs for over 10 year, for both beauty and SPFX work, I am very familiar with how it works to create a beautiful look and also when to use it and not to use it.

Now I will admit there are times that traditional makeup would be better suited to the client, in these cases you are usually looking for the "thickness" that a traditional foundation can provide. We see this necessary with more mature clients with deep wrinkling and with younger clients that want to "feel" the makeup on the skin. In both cases we prefer to "set" the traditional foundation with the airbrush foundation on top to create a gorgeous, long lasting finish for our clients and knowing what is best for different clients is extremely important.

We do hear from clients, "I was told by (the internet, this girl I know, instagram, a "makeup enthusiast" friend) that traditional makeup is better", but once we ask the important question of "Why?" it's usually based on someone lack of airbrush knowledge. There are many artists out there who aren't confident with the airbrush system or the maintenance/care of the machine and these artists quickly decide they "prefer" traditional makeup. As with any art form advanced techniques take more effort and practice as well as training - this is why instead of charging more for airbrush we charge based on our artists skill level so that every artist that provides airbrush makeup is confident with their skills. We feel that airbrushing should be soley based on the clients skin and the artists knowledge.

When it comes down to it, we want to be able to offer what works best for each client, based on their individual skin texture and type. Our team is trained to offer the best for each clients needs - most of the time this means airbrush makeup but sometimes that means traditional.