Cost: $230 – $350 USD
Where can I buy this? Luminess Air
MY 2 CENTS
Hey Beauties!
I picked up this Luminess Air Everyday System with Makeup Starter Kit in Tan back in March off of Haute Look. I was looking to purchase the kit in Medium but unfortunately, they were sold out by the time I got to it. So I went a few shades up and bought the Tan kit which is more than a few shades too dark. I bought it for $125 (reg. $230). Because I knew that Tan was going to be too dark for my medium-olive skin tone, I also purchased their Matte Foundation in F5 (Fawn) for $29 (reg. $44.50).
Here’s the kicker: When I received my package, I was sent the wrong shade! They sent me a Matte Foundation in FM1 (Porcelain) which is their lightest shade. I called Haute Look to see if I could exchange it for the correct foundation but unfortunately, they weren’t able to do so. The fortunate part of this whole ordeal is that the extremely apologetic Customer Service rep I spoke to was able to refund me over $40. God Bless is his soul!
I will stop rambling now and got on with the review, but I just had to share what great customer service I received from Haute Look staff.
In my Tan Kit, I received:
- a black compressor
- an airbrush stylus and stylus holder integrated into the compressor
- 2 full-size (0.55 oz) Ultra Foundations in UF7 (Cinnamon) and UF9 (Coffee)
- a 0.25 oz blush in B7 (Apricot)
- a 0.25 oz bronzer in Shimmer
- a 0.25 oz Brightening Glow
- a primer/moisturizer
- an instructional 4 minute DVD
ABOUT THE DVD
I can’t say the DVD was extremely helpful. It was short & sweet which is great, but nothing like the tutorial I expected it to be.
It basically showed me how far back I should hold the lever when airbrushing, how far from the face I should hold the stylus, the circular motions for airbrushing, where to begin and end on the face, and how to get more coverage (add more layers..duh!). It had a few clips of what not to do.
It also had a few snippets about blush and bronzer where it was said to put the compressor on a lower setting but mine only has one setting? Needless to say, I was confused and still am.
I would have like more information like how to properly clean the stylus, and with what type of solution. The kit did come with an information card on how to do this but it would have been nice to see it on the DVD.
Being new at airbrushing, I’d like to have seen some tips for beginners, such as how the foundation should feel as you’re spraying it on the face (I’ll explain more about this later!) or how to perfect a steady hand. Something along those lines!
ABOUT THE SYSTEM
I have no previous experience with airbrushing, thus nothing to compare this system to.
That being said, the compressor isn’t loud, though noticeably vibrates. As soon as you turn it on, the airbrush stylus starts shooting air (not product, until you pull back the lever). I really like the stylus holder, it really comes in handy when you need to set it down without spilling the contents of the cup.
The cup on the stylus is one of the reasons why I wanted a Luminess Air (or Dinair) system. I like being able to mix foundations to get the perfect shade. In this case (being sent the wrong shade), the cup does come in handy!
A few days after receiving the system, I was able to begin playing with it (I blame my social life. I would have love to have gone home, rip open the package, and start spraying away!) After over an hour of mixing foundation, airbrushing my face, taking off the makeup because it was splotchy, and starting over again, I still had not found the perfect mix or perfected the technique. My face was red and sore, and I was irritated. I decided to put the system away for another day.
WHAT I WAS DOING WRONG:
- I was holding the stylus too close to my face, resulting in splotches.
- I was pulling the lever too far back, resulting in the airbrush to dispense way too much product on my face.
Every time I moved my hand in the circular motion I was taught from the DVD, the stylus would get closer to my face. It’s harder than it looks and takes much practice (at least for me it did)
The lever should only be pulled back 1/3 of the way, max 1/2 way. I was pulling it a little farther than that so it was coming at me hard and fast (ha! that’s what she said) resulting in a wet and streaky application.
A couple of days later, I took it out for another days play. This time applying it on my mother. I found it so much easier airbrushing someone else rather than myself. My hand was steadier, I had the motion down right, and the color match was perfect. I even perfected mine. I’m 3 drops of Porcelain and 1 drop of Cinnamon.
I’m still not perfect, but I’m getting better at it day by day.
Here are a few tips to help a beginner “airbrusher”:
- Don’t turn the machine on until after you’ve mixed the foundation in the cup. This one should be a given.
- Hold the stylus about 6 inches or so from the face.
- Pull back the lever about half way or less, any more than that and you’ll have a splotchy mess.
- You should feel more air on your face than product. If you can feel the wet foundation on your face, you’ve pulled back the lever too far.
- It’s going to take a about 4 coats of foundation to get really good coverage.
- Practice pulling back the lever and the circular motion on your arm. Use a darker shade. By doing this, you’ll figure out the lever mechanism quicker, and what technique works for you.
I feel like it takes forever to get really good coverage. I don’t know if that’s just airbrushing in general, or if it’s the formula of the foundation. So if you could shed some light on this, please do!
For every day basic use, I think this kit is perfect. But for my Make Up Artistry needs, I’m going to need to kick it up a notch with another brand.
Leave a comment with your thoughts on this kit: if you’ve tried it or if you’d like to try, or if it’s just not your cup of tea!
I’d love to hear about your experience with any airbrushing system, too.
Talk to you soon :)