What kind of airbrush makeup? An unbiased guide to Dinair products.

100% Dinair Airbrushed Eyeshadow

Dinair was the first brand in the world to make airbrush makeup commercially available to both professional makeup artists and consumers alike. Founded by Dina Ousley and partner George Lampman in 1981, this family run company is stronger than ever and remains the most dynamic brand in the airbrush makeup field today. With so many products and innovations coming through at a fast pace, we thought we would lay out an easy guide to the brand for those who approach it for the first time.  
TIPS: Can't find a specific product in a section of Dinair's website? Try using their search button in the top right corner of each page! In this article will only be describing makeup products. If you are looking for equipment information please read our Kit Review.

Product Composition and Available Sizes

All of Dinair products are water based. Some lines (Paramedical, Fantasy, Hair Colair) have a small percentage of high grade cosmetic alcohol to render them extra resistant to water and rubbing. This makes the products very healthy and extremely safe for any skin type, with no known allergic reaction in the 35 year history of the product existence.

All the colors come in four sizes: tester (.12 oz), small (.25 oz), medium (.50 oz) and large (1.15 oz).  Of course as the size increases the price becomes more convenient, however even the very small tester size can yield many uses, and certainly enough to figure out if you like the color or product before committing to a larger investment: a .12 oz small bottles contains 50 drops approximately, enough for 7 foundation or 14 eyeshadow applications on a conservative estimate. The testers are also super handy to carry with you when you travel.

For quick reference and a guide to each color's undertones please download the free pdf of the latest Dinair Color Chart.

The Foundation Lines

Dinair has four foundation lines available in 20 equivalent shades:

-Dinair Glamour is the first line in the brand's history and it is still a strong customer favorite. It has the most natural and imperceptible finish while retaining great coverage, very good water and rub resistance. It is perfect for those wishing to achieve a totally natural, undetectable makeup, and it also ideal for men grooming. TIP: The matte finish can be easily be balanced if necessary by airbrushing a natural glow such as Dinair's Moist & Dewy or refined Jojoba Oil on top of the makeup.

-Colair Radiance has a satin/matte finish and a softer, more comfortable finish that make the final result very similar to what you would get using a silicone based products. It is less undetectable than Glamour but still very natural, and with twice the pigment content it offers superior coverage and greater resistance to rub and water. It has a very subtle intrinsic luminosity that makes it ideal for everybody and very suitable for more mature skin.

-Colair Soft Glow as the name suggests has a very subtle glow factor intended to blur imperfections optically. It is closer in texture to Glamour with a powdery matte finish that makes it ideal for normal oily skin, and a favorite for bridal makeup.

-Dinair Paramedical (Camouflage) is a water and high grade cosmetic alcohol based formula that allows for greater coverage and it rub resistant and water proof. It is especially indicated for correcting problematic skin conditions while still allowing the pores to breathe (i.e it's non-comedogenic). It can be used as a correcting and priming base on which to layer the other lines of foundation.

Tattoo /Serious Skin Imperfections Cover

-Colair Extreme is a very powerful product that can be used to cover tattoos and very evident skin conditions such as birth marks, vitiligo, strong rosacea and such. It has total blocking power and does not require color correcting, and it's totally water proof and rub resistant, with a long lasting finish under almost any circumstance. TIPS: Because of its extreme pigment content the finish tends to look very uniform, however this be softened by using Extreme under or even mixed with any other Dinair foundation line. Colair Extreme has also enormous potential in the special effects field, where it represents a valid cosmetic alternative to Pax paint, allowing artists to paint base tones on prosthetics extremely fast and with excellent results.

Eyeshadows, Eyeliner, Blush and Lip colors

With airbrush makeup any color can be used for any desired purpose. The difference is not in the formulation, but in the concentration and in the style of application. For example a shade of pink can easily be used as eyeshadow, blush, or even as a lip stain. Dinair's website usefully points out what colors maybe ideal for what use, and you should visit each section to make sure you see all the available shades. Having said that all colors are divided in three main groups according to their finish:

-Dinair Glamour: this is a group of  matte colors that are very easy to blend yet very pigmented. TIP: To ensure a durable, crease free application it is best to moisturize the eye lid and then to remove any excess oils with a mattifying lotion or even with Dinair Airbrush Cleaner (this may sound funny but given its organic, non toxic formula the cleaner lends itself beautifully for this purpose). 

-Dinair Shimmer: a further 24 beautiful shimmering shades. TIP: lid prep applies as described above. Some of the lighter shades have lots of pigment and shimmering particles, so remember to shake well before applying and you may need to rinse the airbrush with some water and /or cleaner after using them before proceeding to the next colors.

-Colair Opalescent: an ever growing group of 27 opalescent shades which are amazingly pigmented, water proof and rub resistant, yet water based. TIP: in spite of their high pigmentation, these colors can be layered to obtain the most subtle gradients, with truly amazing results. 

-Colair Matte: this is the latest addition to the Dinair range and the first six colors have just been released. They promise to be as pigmented and resistant as their opalescent counterparts, but with a matte finish.

-Colair Eyebrows: while makeup for eyebrows has always been achievable with the shades in the Glamour range, this new addition has six specific shades with the improved pigmentation, durability and resistance you have come to expect from the Colair range.

Effects and Fantasy Makeup

-Dinair Fantasy is a line of 13 beautiful vivid colors in a water and cosmetic grade alcohol base for improved resistance. TIP: These shades are amazing and can be used safely as eyeshadows as well. They can be mixed with any other Dinair color.

-Colair Electric: seven ultra bright shades that are water based with superior water and rub resistance. They can be used for fantasy makeup or as eyeshadows by themselves or mixed with any other Dinair Color.

Airbrushing Hair

-Hair Colair Highlights: this is a range of colors that can be used to cover roots or to create beautiful highlights on any original hair color: their particular pigmentation means that they are visible even on very dark hair, allowing for a world of possibilities. The application will last until the hair is washed.

-Hair Colair Shadows: these seven shades have a more natural matte finish that allows for the most natural root cover. They can also be used to fill in sparse scalp areas (alopecia) or to fill in beard spots in the most natural way. 

-Vivid Hair Colors: eight amazing shades of semi permanent hair colors for stunning effects lasting up until 15 shampoos. TIP:Please read the instructions on the page carefully before using this product.

Essential Complements

-Dinair Airbrush Cleaner has been reformulated a couple of years ago and it has dramatically improved to become absolutely essential. It is organic, non toxic and removes all of Dinair makeup from the airbrush like a breeze, even the very persistent Colair Extreme. Used with the genius Cleaning Caps system it allows you to keep you airbrush pristine and looking like new after every use. It can also be used as a mattifying agent on the skin to remove excess oil. While formulated for Dinair, it removes other brands of water based makeup from any system just as easily. 

-Dinair Deep Clean Clog Remover is the ultimate airbrush problem solver. When normal cleaning fails to restore the airbrush to perfect functionality, this genius liquid will take care of the situation with very little effort. TIP: Please do read the instructions on the bottle carefully. As most clogs happen in the nozzle of the airbrush, you can simply fill a small cap of Deep Clean and soak the nozzle of your airbrush (whatever the model or brand) for fifteen minutes. Then clean the nozzle with a synthetic brush, soak again for a fifteen minutes, reassemble and rinse: problem gone!

-Dinair Makeup Sealer is a lesser known, less advertised product that in our opinion should not be missing from any kit. This airbrushable sealer will greatly improve the water resistance of the applied makeup, making more resilient to heavy water exposure. It is indispensable for special occasions.

Non Airbrushable Complements

-Dinair Under Eye Concealers have the same composition and are available in the same shades of the airbrush foundations but are in cream form. They are very useful when correcting a problematic under eye area or when a person is particularly sensitive to air being blown close to the open eyes. They create the perfect base for a light airbrush pass, and like any concealer they must be used very sparingly and set with a very light dusting of powder to avoid accumulation in fine lines.

-Dinair Pucker Up! is a series of matte and recently added metallic lip stains. Even though they are not an airbrushable product they are worth mentioning for their incredible durability and their amazing payoff. The color "Vixen" may well be that ultimate true red we had been looking for through every brand, and it is our favorite lip color ever.