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Sometimes, a makeup brush just doesn’t blend your makeup right. Whether you’re looking to take your makeup game to new heights or searching for the best gifts for women this holiday season, investing in an airbrush makeup system might be precisely what you need. The right airbrush makeup will help you achieve flawless results instantly.
Designed to give your skin a soft-focused, imperfection-filtering finish, the best airbrush makeup kits use advanced technology to distribute a weightless and controlled ultra-fine mist, which evenly wraps your face and body in the cosmetics product of your choice using peak precision. This technique prevents your makeup from sinking into your pores or accentuating unwanted texture, making airbrushed makeup ideal for blurring the appearance of everything from pores and acne to fine lines and scars.
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“In 2021 there are so many options, but I always look for something that is lightweight and easy to clean, since the cleaning process is usually what makes the user stop using airbrush longterm,” says Stephanie Flor, makeup artist and founder of Around The World Beauty.
For some, airbrushed makeup helps them achieve their desired glam without requiring several layers of product. But if preferred, airbrush makeup systems can offer the same customizable and buildable sheer-to-full coverage as your trusty makeup brush sets or beauty sponges. The best makeup kits also come equipped with several beauty products, including foundation, blush, bronzer and highlighter, plus primers and setting sprays to ensure that your skin is perfectly prepped and locked in for long-lasting results.
“I’ve been loving them for men’s grooming, but also now with Covid restrictions, it’s great for sanitary purposes, and also limits the amount of brushes and products used,” Flor says. “That makes it safer for the makeup artist on set to use. It’s also great for weddings or jobs where you need a longer application. It helps to keep makeup in place for when the client will be in a hotter climate.”
How to use an airbrush makeup kit
- For prepping, it’s important to exfoliate on a daily basis to prevent any build-up within your pores.
- Ensure that your skin is clean and moisturized before applying any airbrush makeup. You may want to use rosehip oil every night as a moisturizer leading up to your appointment.
- Skip the primer because that could compromise the effectiveness of the airbrush makeup application.
Below, explore the eight best airbrush makeup kits that also make for memorable beauty gifts. Plus, these are some of the best makeup products that will deliver professional-level results right in the comfort of your home.
Sephora Mist Airbrush Foundation
For those new to the world of airbrush makeup, it’s best to start off as basic as possible. Enter: Sephora’s Mist airbrush foundation, which you can use to experiment with the spray application, sans the commitment of buying a complete kit. If you get easily frustrated with foundations settling into wrinkles and creases, this product lets you spray to your desired level of coverage without any creasing. It blends with ease and provides a super refined, photo-ready finish.
Temptu Air Airbrush Makeup Starter Kit
Boasting a cordless design that allows for maximum flexibility, precision and control, the Temptu Air Airbrush Starter Kit uses the brand’s Atomized Airflow Technology to create a smooth and even micro-fine mist that instantly enhances the look of your skin using three spray levels.The kit comes with the travel-friendly Temptu Air device and a foundation Air Pod, which delivers a soft-matte, pore-refining and radiance-boosting finish and offers more coverage than average formulas. And, in case you needed any more convincing, it’s earned a spot on our list of all-time best makeup gift sets to give (or keep for yourself). “Airbrush works in layers, and it’s important you work at finding your technique that covers naturally, 360 degrees,” Flor says. “Unlike traditional makeup, it’s not bendable so you’ll want to make sure you work in circles when you apply.”
Art of Air Professional Airbrush Makeup Kit
Equipped with all of your makeup essentials, including foundation, blush, bronzer and highlight, the Art of Air Professional Airbrush Cosmetic Makeup System delivers professional-level results with its innovative ultra-fine mist system. Stocked with the brand’s Mini Airbrush compressor and Precision Single-Action Gravity Feed airbrush, the device performs with the utmost precision and control to create a natural-looking, sun-kissed glow. The set also includes six foundations ranging across the fair and medium categories: the Tropical bronzer, Pink Papaya blush, an anti-aging moisturizing primer, an airbrush cleaning solution and a carrying bag to comfortably and chicly house your kit. For deeper skin tones, you can get the foundations in the shade ranges Tan and Dark separately.
Luminess Air Basic Airbrush Makeup System
Designed to deliver long-lasting and skin-perfecting results, the Luminess Air Basic Airbrush System erases the look of discoloration and unwanted texture with its advanced full-throttle Stylus, which distributes an ultra-fine mist that evenly covers your face and camouflages the look of everything from acne, enlarged pores and dark spots to fine lines, dark circles and scars. Each product is made up of a water-based formula to ensure a dewy, radiant glow and prevent your glam from looking creased or caked on. The set includes the Basic Airbrush System, the no-mess Stylus, an AC adapter, four bottles of the Silk 4-in-1 foundation, one bottle of primer/moisturizer, one bottle of the Skin Brightening Glow and one bottle of blush.
Belloccio Airbrush Makeup Kit
Perfect for beginners and professional makeup artists looking to expand their kit, the Belloccio airbrush Makeup System includes a master set of 17 foundation shades, ensuring that all the basics are covered. In addition to providing the brand’s full collection of foundation, the set also comes with four crème concealers, six beauty sponges for touch-ups, an antiaging primer for prep, a finishing spray to set and an airbrush cleaner. But of course, the real stars of the kit are the three airflow-setting airbrush compressor and cosmetic airbrush, which features a dual-action trigger to create fine-tuned precision sprays for flawless results.
MagicMinerals Deluxe AirBrush Foundation by Jerome Alexander Set
For those looking for an airbrushed finish without the use of devices and tools, the MagicMinerals Deluxe AirBrush Foundation by Jerome Alexander Set delivers the same professional results with its expertly engineered spray foundation. Offering a fast-drying, even and ultra-fine mist, this innovative foundation prevents creasing, smudging and running while minimizing the appearance of pores, wrinkles and unwanted texture for a soft-focus filtered look. The set includes the Liquid Silk Primer to prep the skin, the Airbrush Foundation and the AirFinish Setting Spray, plus two makeup brushes for touch-ups.
Mineral Air 4-Piece Complexion Starter Kit
Available in 11 shades that cater to a variety of undertones, the Mineral Air 4-Piece Complexion Starter Kit creates an ultra-fine mist using the touchless application device, which is a compact and portable device that evenly covers your face without the mess, smudging and caking of traditional formulas and makeup brushes. The set also comes with the brand’s Four-in-One mineral foundation, a weightless, skin-perfecting and long-wearing formula that imparts the skin with a silky-smooth and radiant glow for up to 10 hours.
Kett Mini Jett Airbrush Makeup Starter Kit
With more than a dozen shades to choose from, the Kett Mini Jett starter kit may be an investment, but if you’re serious about upping your airbrush makeup situation, it’s got everything you need. This set comes with four different collections: foundation, blush, contour and shimmer. On top of that, you’ll get setting powders and a large carrying case to store all the goods. “This is my go-to when it comes to my airbrush needs,” Flor says. “For me, it’s in the quality of the foundations they make. The colors work with all skin tones and textures, which is important.”
