Hey future brides! For today’s blog, I’ve asked my friend and my favorite hair/makeup artist, Hanna McCord of Le Reve Makeup, to share the pros and cons of using airbrush foundation!! She did my hair and makeup for my wedding day and is the first person I recommend for any bride looking for someone to create their bridal look (seriously, she is AWESOME!). I’m so excited for what she has to say because it’s SO GOOD! I sincerely believe this will help any bride make the right decision for their makeup!

“It is time to start planning what I believe to be one of the moment important parts of the wedding day, your makeup! You want to have flawless skin for your wedding day. You will look back on these pictures for a lifetime. Your grandchildren will see them. You have to look your best! All the women in your family and all your girlfriends will notice your makeup, I promise! A lot of freelance makeup artists are offering both airbrush makeup and traditional makeup. How do you pick which is best for you? That is why I am here to help. I am going to give you the pros and cons to both airbrush makeup and traditional makeup. I highly recommend that you speak to your makeup artist at your makeup trial, tell your artist your skin concerns, what you love about your skin and most importantly what you are envisioning your makeup to look like on your wedding day. Every artist has their own opinion to what they would recommend, trust your artist! The moment I feel a bride’s skin, I know what type of products I want to use. Your makeup is only as good as your skin. Start practicing good skin care!

What is airbrush makeup? Airbrush makeup is a liquid form of makeup. The product is placed into the airbrush cup located on the airbrush gun which is connected to a compressor. When you turn on the compressor the makeup sprays out of the gun. The makeup comes out as a cool and wet mist.

Pros:

1. Because the artist is not manually placing the makeup on your face, airbrush makeup looks very natural. The gun is doing the work as it sprays it lays perfectly on your skin. It will fall into the pores and natural features on your face. This creates a more “natural look” and a true “airbrushed look” as well.
2. Most Airbrush makeup is silicone based which means it will last all day! Through the cries, kisses and dancing, your makeup will last. There are other formulas. There is water based and oil based. It all depends on your artist needs and preference.
3. Silicone makeup is more water resistant than traditional makeup and it dries very fast and it will not transfer on your wedding dress!
4. It only takes a little bit of product to do miracles with airbrush makeup. It feels lightweight and looks lightweight.
5. You can have very light coverage or heavy coverage with airbrush makeup. The artist can control the force of the spray. It is very easy to spray on a light layer of makeup then build up to full coverage.
6. Airbrush looks great in HD photography
7. Airbrush makeup will last all day and night, no matter what brand, it has amazing staying power!

Cons:

1. Airbrush makeup is not for all skin types. I personally don’t love to use airbrush on mature skin. For example the mother-of-the bride. If a mature skin client has amazing skin, meaning, very hydrated, moisturized, obviously well taken care of, then I say, airbrush away! But for the mothers who don’t have the best skin, I like to use a traditional makeup. Airbrush does not look flawless on skin that is lacking water, dehydrated skin. I am not talking about skin that is dry due to lack of oils, I am talking about skin that needs a lot of moisture and water. Airbrush makeup is very drying, that is how it stays on so well. When we have clients with dry skin, adding drying makeup to their skin can cause the makeup to get flaky. Great skin prep is a must for a client with dry skin wanting airbrush makeup.
2. Scaring and acne can also create another problem for airbrush makeup. Once again it would depend on the level of severity of your skin. Always talk to your makeup artist.
3. Airbrush makeup dries very matte, if you are wanting a dewy look, you will need to express this to your artist. There are products and options to make your airbrush look more dewy than matte.
4. Airbrush makeup is more expensive. There are not a lot of brands out there that professionals can purchase from. The cost to buy the equipment and product is much higher than traditional makeup. Which means the price of airbrush makeup will be higher for wedding parties. There is also a lot of additional training needed to offer airbrush makeup. The artist would need to take specialized classes to perfect their technique.

What is traditional makeup? Traditional makeup can be creams, powder or liquids. These are applied with makeup brushes, sponges or a form of a beauty blender. There are so many brands and options out there. Every artist will have their own personal preference when it comes to the brands they love and carry.

Pros:

1. There are many options of traditional makeup. From oil free, silicone, water, oil based and more. This gives brides a lot of options. A professional makeup artist should have many options in their kit for brides with all different skin types.
2. Traditional makeup can build easily to give a bride a full coverage.
3. Traditional makeup has advanced tremendously. There are very high end brands that have the stay power like airbrush. Plus, a professional makeup artist can make any form of makeup stay. Airbrush or traditional, there are setting powders and sprays. Bridal makeup done professionally will stay all day and night!
4. The artist is in control. Is it very easy to fix a mistake, blend makeup and more with traditional makeup. It does not have the drying power like airbrush, which leaves time for changes.

Cons:

1. Traditional Makeup can transfer on your wedding dress. If you are using a well-known professional makeup artist, this should not happen, but it is possible. Traditional is not as drying as airbrush. It does not have the stay proof capabilities. It needs to be “set” properly to make sure it stays in place.
2. Traditional makeup can feel much heavier on the skin, especially creams. Unlike the lightweight feeling of airbrush, you will feel traditional makeup on your skin.
3. If traditional makeup is not applied correctly and blended properly, you will see contour lines and more. Brides, make sure you are using a professional makeup artist on your wedding day. It is one of the biggest days of your life! You need to make sure all your makeup is blended and smooth. We don’t want to see lines!

Always talk to your professional makeup artist. Trust their opinions. Make sure to do a trial run for your wedding day. This way you can discuss your options based on your skin type. Then you can try both options and see what is best for you and your skin! No matter what type of makeup you choose, you will look gorgeous!”

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