I remember being introduced to the concept of Airbrush makeup when I went to The Makeup Show LA. All these professionals were touting airbrush makeup as an alternative to heavy or cakey foundation, especially in HD or 4k conditions. I used to think airbrush makeup was strictly for professionals until I heard of Luminess Air from my fellow Youtubers and Bloggers.
Luminess Air is an airbrush makeup brand for consumers and professionals alike but is especially consumer-friendly. I received the Legend System with a Black and Pink Compressor and Silver Airbrush Stylus. The system comes with two shades of Foundation, a Primer, a Blush, and a Highlighter. You can mix the foundation as needed to get a color that will match your face!
I've had a few weeks now to try the system + airbrush makeup out and I wanted to share my thoughts on it and airbrush makeup as a whole.
Price: Normally $250.00, on sale for $170.00 (use the coupon code 307437437 for 20% off!)
Do they test on animals?: The company does not test on animals.
Packaging: The system came in a white box that you can use for storage. There's are a few cases you can buy if you'd like to have a more stylish storage option.
Just a head's up, the Kit listings don't give the specific shades that come in each color set. They do offer a color matching option but if you're not down for doing that, you will have to guess which shades come in each range. I chose the shade range Warm and got the shades 5 and 6. The Legend System kit comes with the Ultra Foundation formula but I chose to get the Matte Foundation formula.
Before Starting/The Equipment:
Before you start, you should become familiar with the compressor (the machine) and the stylus (the device that the airbrush comes out from). They have an online tutorial that will help you if you have any questions. The airbrush compressor is a one-speed continuous air system, meaning there's air coming out of it even if there's no product in the cup. You'll have to pull back on the button to get product to come out. It's also not a heavy clunking machine, it's maybe 1 lb (if that) so it'll be easy to travel with.
At the top of the stylus is the button that you press back to control how much makeup comes out. Before using it with any makeup, practice with water in the cup so you can learn how far away you have to be and also how it feels when there's air + product coming out vs. just air. There are three lines on the stylus next to the button which will help guide you in how far back to pull. I pull it just until it's about to the second line. You'll know when it's air + product is coming out because it'll feel cooler than when it's just air.
Application:
To use, first prep your face with your moisturizer or primer of choice. You can also use the provided Moist moisturizer. Then you need to shake the heck out of your airbrush foundation, blush, highlighter, etc. If you don't shake them, the products won't go on as well and will look terrible on your skin. These do separate when when not being used so don't stress if they separate after a few minutes. Shake the bottles for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Next you'll turn on the machine and put a few drops (4-8) of foundation in the cup at the top of the stylus. If you need to mix colors, you'll put the foundation in the cup and use a paper towel covered finger to gently cover the tip of the stylus and pull back on the button. This will force the air to mix the foundation in the cup.
Now you'll want to hold the stylus 6-8 inches from your face (about the length of the stylus) and gently pull back on the button. The air will start feeling cooler as the product is coming out. Gently move in small circles and work in thin layers. For more coverage, add a few drops and do more layers but don't do one thick layer since it'll look super obvious. If you want to apply blush and highlighter but want a light layer, just have the airbrush farther away. You also don't need to clean it out in between use.
The tricky thing with airbrush makeup is learning when to stop. Since the coverage is gradual, you might just overdo it since you're expecting to see the dramatic results that you often get when applying regular foundation. Instead, check every so often and in between layers until you get the coverage you desire.
Formula:
I received the Matte Foundation formula to try and got it in Shade 5 and 6. The Matte Foundation promises a "traditional powdery finish" so it's not super dewy or shiny. The Moist primer is a moisturizer you can use prior to the foundation. The Brightening Glow is actually a light matte yellow based highlighter, there's no shimmer in the formula. The Blush is a medium rosy pink.
The formula for all their airbrush makeup is completely oil-free and water-based. If you're using a separate silicone-based primer, the airbrush makeup won't last (since silicone and water don't mix).
Here's a before/after photo of myself wearing the airbrush foundation. I believe this was after 6 drops of makeup. You can see that the color match is fairly spot on and my face is a lot more even looking. My face is naturally lighter than the rest of my body and Shade 5 helps even me out. I get about medium coverage with the foundation, some of the super red acne is still shining through but I get a natural look to the skin.
The coverage is buildable but if you have hyper pigmentation or lots of redness, I suggest using a lightweight concealer first then the airbrush makeup on top. I found that I had to use a lot more foundation trying to cover my blemishes, dark spots, and dark circles but pairing the concealer with airbrush foundation on top still gave me a fairly natural-looking finish.
I also find that if the color isn't quite spot-on, it's not noticeable when applying a light to medium coverage but it becomes more obvious if you're trying to go for full coverage. I do wish the foundation was more pigmented so I can still get good medium coverage without using a lot of drops.
I should say that it's surprising how lightweight it feels given the coverage I get. Medium coverage foundation never feels as light (be it liquid or powder) and this doesn't feel like it's clinging to my skin. I was worried that the foundation would exacerbate my large pores but I had no issues with this.
I personally have oily skin so I use a separate primer with the airbrush makeup. This also helps to prevent any oxidation of the foundation. I still get shiny throughout the day but I'm able to blot without disturbing the makeup.
Though I just reviewed the face makeup today, they do offer airbrush tanning and airbrush eye products so you can get much more use out of your airbrush system. You can also buy refills of the foundation and other face makeup on the website.
Would I recommend?:
If you're in the market for an airbrush system and willing to invest getting a real natural looking finish to your skin, I would suggest checking out Luminess Air. I do wish the airbrush foundation was more pigmented but I can still appreciate the look that I get and how it doesn't feel incredibly heavy and dense on my face. If you're not sure about colors, use the color matching option they offer. Feel free to use the discount code 307437437 to get 20% off!
Disclaimer: I received this airbrush system for review. All opinions are my own and I wasn't compensated for this post. I receive no compensation from the discount code, it's purely for your benefit!
Packaging: The system came in a white box that you can use for storage. There's are a few cases you can buy if you'd like to have a more stylish storage option.
Just a head's up, the Kit listings don't give the specific shades that come in each color set. They do offer a color matching option but if you're not down for doing that, you will have to guess which shades come in each range. I chose the shade range Warm and got the shades 5 and 6. The Legend System kit comes with the Ultra Foundation formula but I chose to get the Matte Foundation formula.
Before Starting/The Equipment:
Before you start, you should become familiar with the compressor (the machine) and the stylus (the device that the airbrush comes out from). They have an online tutorial that will help you if you have any questions. The airbrush compressor is a one-speed continuous air system, meaning there's air coming out of it even if there's no product in the cup. You'll have to pull back on the button to get product to come out. It's also not a heavy clunking machine, it's maybe 1 lb (if that) so it'll be easy to travel with.
At the top of the stylus is the button that you press back to control how much makeup comes out. Before using it with any makeup, practice with water in the cup so you can learn how far away you have to be and also how it feels when there's air + product coming out vs. just air. There are three lines on the stylus next to the button which will help guide you in how far back to pull. I pull it just until it's about to the second line. You'll know when it's air + product is coming out because it'll feel cooler than when it's just air.
Application:
To use, first prep your face with your moisturizer or primer of choice. You can also use the provided Moist moisturizer. Then you need to shake the heck out of your airbrush foundation, blush, highlighter, etc. If you don't shake them, the products won't go on as well and will look terrible on your skin. These do separate when when not being used so don't stress if they separate after a few minutes. Shake the bottles for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Next you'll turn on the machine and put a few drops (4-8) of foundation in the cup at the top of the stylus. If you need to mix colors, you'll put the foundation in the cup and use a paper towel covered finger to gently cover the tip of the stylus and pull back on the button. This will force the air to mix the foundation in the cup.
Now you'll want to hold the stylus 6-8 inches from your face (about the length of the stylus) and gently pull back on the button. The air will start feeling cooler as the product is coming out. Gently move in small circles and work in thin layers. For more coverage, add a few drops and do more layers but don't do one thick layer since it'll look super obvious. If you want to apply blush and highlighter but want a light layer, just have the airbrush farther away. You also don't need to clean it out in between use.
The tricky thing with airbrush makeup is learning when to stop. Since the coverage is gradual, you might just overdo it since you're expecting to see the dramatic results that you often get when applying regular foundation. Instead, check every so often and in between layers until you get the coverage you desire.
Formula:
I received the Matte Foundation formula to try and got it in Shade 5 and 6. The Matte Foundation promises a "traditional powdery finish" so it's not super dewy or shiny. The Moist primer is a moisturizer you can use prior to the foundation. The Brightening Glow is actually a light matte yellow based highlighter, there's no shimmer in the formula. The Blush is a medium rosy pink.
The formula for all their airbrush makeup is completely oil-free and water-based. If you're using a separate silicone-based primer, the airbrush makeup won't last (since silicone and water don't mix).
Here's a before/after photo of myself wearing the airbrush foundation. I believe this was after 6 drops of makeup. You can see that the color match is fairly spot on and my face is a lot more even looking. My face is naturally lighter than the rest of my body and Shade 5 helps even me out. I get about medium coverage with the foundation, some of the super red acne is still shining through but I get a natural look to the skin.
The coverage is buildable but if you have hyper pigmentation or lots of redness, I suggest using a lightweight concealer first then the airbrush makeup on top. I found that I had to use a lot more foundation trying to cover my blemishes, dark spots, and dark circles but pairing the concealer with airbrush foundation on top still gave me a fairly natural-looking finish.
I also find that if the color isn't quite spot-on, it's not noticeable when applying a light to medium coverage but it becomes more obvious if you're trying to go for full coverage. I do wish the foundation was more pigmented so I can still get good medium coverage without using a lot of drops.
I should say that it's surprising how lightweight it feels given the coverage I get. Medium coverage foundation never feels as light (be it liquid or powder) and this doesn't feel like it's clinging to my skin. I was worried that the foundation would exacerbate my large pores but I had no issues with this.
I personally have oily skin so I use a separate primer with the airbrush makeup. This also helps to prevent any oxidation of the foundation. I still get shiny throughout the day but I'm able to blot without disturbing the makeup.
Though I just reviewed the face makeup today, they do offer airbrush tanning and airbrush eye products so you can get much more use out of your airbrush system. You can also buy refills of the foundation and other face makeup on the website.
Would I recommend?:
If you're in the market for an airbrush system and willing to invest getting a real natural looking finish to your skin, I would suggest checking out Luminess Air. I do wish the airbrush foundation was more pigmented but I can still appreciate the look that I get and how it doesn't feel incredibly heavy and dense on my face. If you're not sure about colors, use the color matching option they offer. Feel free to use the discount code 307437437 to get 20% off!
Disclaimer: I received this airbrush system for review. All opinions are my own and I wasn't compensated for this post. I receive no compensation from the discount code, it's purely for your benefit!
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