In Depth Review: Temptu Pro SB 37 set starter pack

A must have product for anyone approaching the art of Airbrush Makeup

We are beginning the new year with the first in a series of  detailed reviews that will focus on the leading products from the most significant brands of Airbrush Makeup today. 

Temptu is without a doubt the leading brand in Silicone based airbrush makeup for professional use. The company started producing its airbrush line in the 90's, and in 2009 became a household name with the marketing of its Airpod system, created for consumers and distributed for a while across the whole United States by Sephora.

Today Temptu Pro offers three separate lines of products: S/B (silicone based) , AQUA (water based), DURA for body painting, tattoos and special effects, all the while keeping the AIRpod system as a further option.

The range of colours offered by this brand is simply staggering, however the information available on these colors themselves is decidedly less than overwhelming, and there are precious few blog posts and videos demonstrating and explaining the range to the uninitiated. This is why the option of a starter sets made up of thirty seven 1/4 oz size bottles becomes essential. 

The SB 37-set starter pack is the biggest of the many sets offered on the Temptu.com/pro website, where it often sells out. I got mine from the wonderful Camera Ready Cosmetics online store, where it is available for $195, that is 30 dollars less than its retail price of $ 225. Factor in free shipping and CRC's low price guarantee, and you can't go wrong buying it there.

Here is what the set contains, in detail:

-12 Foundation colours: Porcelain 001, Blush Ivory 002, Ivory 003, Sand 004, Pure Beige 005, Toffee 006, Golden Honey 007, Clay 008, Natural Mocha 009, Cappuccino 010, Dark Chocolate 011 and Espresso 012, which make up the complete range of S/B foundation.

-8 Highlighters: Pink Pearl 050, Gold Shimmer 051, Copper Bronze 052, Champagne Shimmer 053, Peachy Pink 054, Red Bronze 055, Silver Shimmer 056 and White Shimmer 057. This used to represent the complete range of S/B shimmer highlighters. This year Temptu introduced two more highlighters (Platinum 080, Pearl 081) as part of of a new series called Multicolors, and those are not included in this pack. 

-4 Blushers: these represent the most popular blusher colours: Blush 040, Plum 041, Peach 042, Coral 043. 

-7 Adjusters: the complete range of adjuster colors: Black 029, White 030, Yellow 031, Red 032, Green 033, Blue 034 and Violet 03. These can be mixed with any other S/B color produced by Temptu or used on their own. 

-6 Hi-Def colors: Red 021, Yellow 024, Green 025, Blue 026, Purple 027, Pink 028. These are highly pigmented, vibrant shades that can be used for a great variety of applications. The whole range is actually made up of 8 colors, but Black 029 and White 030, are counted in with the Adjusters set mentioned above. 

Now for some personal considerations. I was actually a silicone skeptic before trying out this line. The few encounters with silicone based products from other brands, and to be honest an early dab with the AIRpod product itself (which is a different formulation from the Pro line) had left me underwhelmed. This set allowed me to experiment a lot, and to actually become a Temtpu Pro enthusiast. The texture of the makeup is very smooth, and the application as fine and soft as silicone can be. The colors are actually beautiful, and their possibilities almost endless, given the fact that you can mix everything with everything else. They appear quite glossy on application, and they remain movable for a good few minutes before drying completely to a natural looking, waterproof finish with the perfect amount of dewiness.  I particularly love the Hi-Def set: you can create almost any eye shadow colour, which can then be turned into a shimmer by just adding a drop from the Highlighter set.  The slower drying time (when compared to water based lines) means extra care when applying eyeshadow, but you can speed the process by blowing some air on the area with your airbrush, or if you are working with matte colours, by dabbing a thin veil of setting powder. Another thing I definitely like about the whole range is the scent, which is lovely, very delicate, and which disappears quickly after application leaving no lingering after taste. 

When it comes to silicone, the quantities needed for a full application mean that the 1/4 ounces sizes will not go particularly far, especially when it comes to foundations, however this set represents the perfect way to test each shade without having to buy every color in its obviously more expensive regular size. Professional MUAs can of course also refill the smaller bottles from the regular size they will buy later and save a significant amount of space in their kit. 

All in all this is a fantastic purchase. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the fact that all the colours came together in one single clear pouch that is almost too small to contain them all, and which makes identifying the individual shades a bit of a challenge, as the colour name and number are printed on very small stickers placed under the bottom of each little bottle. 

Please check our next post for color swatches and eyeshadow demos. I will also publish an individual review on the foundation range later on.