I Reviewed 3 Different Airbrush Makeup Kits & Here Are My Thoughts On All Of Them

Apparently, you don’t need to be a professional makeup artist to master the flawless airbrush makeup look…

Whenever I think of airbrush makeup, I’m always brought back to freshman year of college. One of my best friends had a pretty high-maintenance girl as a roommate, who would blast her airbrush makeup machine at 7 a.m. every morning before heading to class. Back then, my bestie wasn’t a fan of her roomie and, therefore, complained about how over-the-top her makeup routine was every day. As any best friend would, I, too, thought her roommate was inconsiderate and thus hated her airbrush makeup kit, too.

Fast forward nine years later, and I’ve become that person addicted to airbrush makeup application, too. The finish this type of product gives my complexion can’t even compare to the liquid or powder foundations found at the department store or drugstore I’ve tried, and after testing out three different brands, I suggest anyone looking for a more “natural-looking” finish invest in an airbrush makeup kit. Let’s dive into the pros and cons of each magical machine I gave a shot:

LUMINESS SILK AIR AIRBRUSH KIT ($180, LUMINESS AIR)

To use the device, you’ll need an outlet close to your mirror, as it needs to be plugged in to turn on. The air is suctioned through the box with the on/off button and is released through the handheld stylus. When I applied my makeup, I held the stylus like a pen or pencil and applied in circular motions around my face. It’s very easy to add droplets of the foundation into the reservoir of the handheld device, and it wasn’t released until I gently pulled back on the applicator.

I’ll start with the pros of using this product. First, I loved the finish this Luminess Airbrush Kit offered — there was not too much sheen or shine, and my skin definitely appeared more matte than the other two brands I tested. Second, this kit came with a primer, and after checking my reflection at the end of the day, I could definitely tell that the primer was holding up and helping the foundation and blush not to pill or get cakey. Finally, this pick offered what was probably the most natural-looking finish of the the three I tested. I used the Luminess Air Silk 4-in-1 Airbrush Foundation in Shade 020 ($22, Amazon) and thought it was an excellent match to my natural skin tone.

Before using Luminess:

As for the cons of this kit, I didn’t love the actual Luminess Air device. You have to plug it into an outlet for it to work, and I was really confused about where to put the liquid into the device — I ended up having to watch a how-to video on YouTube. I also kept having to add more droplets of the foundation into the reservoir. Either the foundation doesn’t go very far, or I was underestimating how much I actually needed to cover my face.

Unlike the other two devices I tried, I found the Luminess Air to be more precise — but not in a good way. Perhaps I was holding the device too close to my face, but I felt as though the air stream was too targeted, and I ended up with a few splotches that I needed to fix afterward. I think practice makes perfect with this device. Finally, the maintenance and care this device needs is no joke, and although I haven’t actually tried to clean it yet, there are thorough instructions on how to clean the Luminess Air after every use. For each of these devices, you’ll always want to make sure that you clean after each use so that it applies the foundation seamlessly each time.

After using Luminess:

Airbrush makeup kits are not cheap, but the incredible finish you get from each device is worth the money. These devices will last you years, and after your initial purchase, all you have to do is purchase the foundations and added blushes, highlighters, etc. And just think, you’ll never have to use or clean makeup brushes ever again! Dream come true? I think yes.