Margo Benson.

I recently spent a day in London learning the application and techniques of airbrush make up.  There are several airbrush systems, both silicone and water based and I chose a silicone one called Airbase.  Airbase was brought to the UK by Judy Naake, the woman who brought us the St Tropez tanning line and it was in her London home that the training took place.  The class was in the hands of Hannah Wing, the chief make up artist and trainer of Airbase.

There are many videos and tutorials on the internet regarding airbrush make up and, having watched loads, I was glad to talk and troubleshoot with someone who really knew the equipment as the health, safety and hygiene necessities are paramount.  The airbrush gun itself has a luxurious weight to it and the compressor can be held in the palm of a hand.  It also weighs less than a kilo.  With the air hose, plug and lead the whole kit is small and fits nicely into my make up and beauty trolley.  

I wanted to learn airbrushing as I’d heard it was good for brides and that is a large part of my business.  Silicone based make up sits on the skin as opposed to sinking in and claims to be flawless, weightless and long lasting.  After fathoming out how best to hold the gun and remembering to point the nozzle downwards so as not to lose any product we set to work.  It really didn’t take long to get the hang of spraying a face and it’s quite pleasant being the recipient too.  You use small circular movements over the face from about 10cm away whilst the recipient’s eyes are shut and they are either holding their breath or breathing out.  You do not want the product in the eyes, mouth or nose.  The face is moisturised and primed first.  As someone with a mature skin I would recommend a little more eye cream than normal as the silicone is a matte finish and not always kind to wrinkles.  I’ve found with practise at home that with the extra moisture and a gentle pat around the eye with a foundation brush the area looks as smooth as the rest of the face.  The finish is incredible.  You can build up thin layers of make up and the result is really beautiful.  The build up is subtle and we were all amazed at how quickly a face was completed and just how blemish free and smooth the appearance was.  Applying blusher and bronzer required more precision but, again, really didn’t take long to master.  Airbrushing oneself wasn’t too hard either, having worked out when to breathe and keeping one eye shut and the other open a tiny slit whilst making up one side of the face at a time!

The foundation doesn’t contain a SPF so, if it was to be used on a bride or for an outdoor event, you’d have to have protection in your moisturiser.  There are five colours of foundation, two of blusher and one bronzer and they can all be easily blended to create a custom shade for most skin tones.  I understand Airbase is bringing out further foundation colours at both the lightest and darkest ends of the spectrum to complete the range.

Everyone on the training day was there for varying reasons to include airbrush make up in their repertoire, including one young woman with severe vitiligo.  She isn’t in the make up or beauty industry but simply wanted to find an alternative to fake tanning her face in order to cover the changes in pigmentation.  Airbrushing gave her a gorgeous, smooth and even finish and she went home very happy indeed, which was lovely.

I wasn’t sure how I would take to airbrushing as I love the intricacies of correcting, concealing and taking time over applying foundation.  However, I really liked the beautiful finish and the ease of use of these products.  I find that just a little more emphasis in certain areas gives all the concealer one needs.  It will definitely sit happily alongside my liquid and powder foundations.  The economics are good too, as only a little liquid is required for each face.  The gun is also easy to clean and maintain and will definitely be a useful addition to my kit.

Margo Benson