Airbrush Makeup Kit Review: Mistair Onyx Airbrush Makeup Kit with Video Tutorial

Bristish airbrush makeup brand Mistair was the very first brand I reviewed on these pages when I started publishing this website. I had met the Mistair team at that year's edition of Cosmoprof in Italy, and as they were the only brand dealing in airbrush makeup at that show I spent quite some time getting to know their products and lines. 

Today Mistair has a more streamlined yet still extensive product line that includes 14 foundation shades, 8 colors for blush and and highlighters respectively, 7 for eyebrows, and 8 adjuster and corrector shades. There are also a water based and an alcohol based line for body painting, and a very interesting product to create effects on hair called Hairlites. 

The Mistair Formula

Mistair Airbrush Makeup

All the beauty makeup colors are silicone based. The formula, which I think has been updated since I first used it, is comparable to Temptu's S/B line, but it's lighter in texture and quicker to dry. The foundation has a very natural finish and feels super light on the skin, with buildable coverage that starts sheer and intensifies to full with a few passes. The blush colors are delicately pigmented but can be built up to achieve more intensity as well. The opalescent highlighter colors offer beautiful shades, some of which are duo chrome such as the lovely Cornsilk, pearly white with pink overtones. As with any airbrush beauty product, all the colors can be used for all purposes, and the faster drying time makes them suitable and easy to use on the eyelids to create fast and natural eye shadows. As I didn't have the eyebrow color kit, I was able to fill the eyebrows well with the darkest foundation shade, and the result was very natural and durable, as you can see in the enclosed video tutorial.

The Onyx Kit

MIstair Onyx Airbrush Kit

The airbrush kit offering from Mistair is currently limited to three models. Starting at 159 British Pounds, The Onyx Airbrush Makeup Starter Kit is the least expensive of the three, and is the entry level option. It features a standard compressor with an adjustable airflow, a rubber tube suitable for "plug-in" connectors and a Continuous Flow airbrush, incorrectly described as "single action" on the website. For those who still struggle with the terminology, Continuous Flow means that the air flows out of the airbrush unobstructed as soon as the compressor is turned on, and that you use the lever to regulate the amount of color your are dispensing. This is a mode chosen by most beauty companies and it is perfectly effective and efficient for beauty makeup. The compressor is also mistakenly credited with a maximum working pressure of just 15 PSI, but I have personally tested it with a pressure gauge and have seen that it reaches 20 PSI comfortably, which is a plus. It still isn't particularly powerful and might struggle with thicker formulas, but it won't have any problems with the Mistair products, for which it was intended.

100% Airbrushed with Mistair

There are several combinations to choose from as far as the makeup bundled with the kit is concerned. The Onyx Starter Kit comes with a custom made packet of colors including four foundation shades (selectable from the fair, medium or deep groups), and one matching blush, highlighter and eyebrow color.  Of course the more colors you get the more options for fun and practice you will have, and the more expensive De Luxe version of the Onyx kit offers more shades, with the same equipment.  Like many brands, Mistair bundles its colors in very convenient starter kits, and in this brand's case they are very reasonably priced, so it will be possible to add on to your kit later without hurting the wallet too much. The starter kits packaging has been updated in recent years, and everything looks very slick. Unfortunately they still use the same bottles for their 7.5 ml packs. These infernal little bottles seem to let in air somehow, and after a while you will notice that the aqueous part of the colors decreases even if you don't use them. I suggest tightening the caps of each bottle as soon as you receive them, you will notice that you can twist the caps at least an extra half a turn, which hopefully will slow down the evaporation. Also very annoying are the stickers at the bottom of each bottle, which will come off even before you take them out of the package, making the color identification very confusing. I advise you to glue them on with a strong glue as soon as you receive them. On a much happier packaging note, Mistair has created a beautiful case for the Onyx with custom molded foam inserts, which are detachable. The case is very sleek and once again reasonably priced. I would definitely recommend it for the sleekest possible look of your airbrush kit. 

Mistair Ingredients:

Purified Water, Cyclotetrasiloxane (and) Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Polysobutene, Cetyl Dimethicone, Copoyol, Sodium Chloride, C12-15, Alkyl Bensoate, VP/VA Copolymer, Methyl Paraben, Disodium EDTA, Propyl Paraben, +/- Acrylates Copolymer. May contain: Titanium Dioxide (and) Methicone, Yellow Iron oxide, Red Iron Oxide, Black Iron Oxide, Carbon black, CL 77891, CL 45410, CL 77007, CL 77288

Airbrush Makeup primer How To and Review: silicone free vs traditional and airbrushable primer

What is the best primer for airbrush makeup? Where can I buy a silicone free primer? Do I even need a primer with airbrush makeup? These are some of the most common questions I get in my classes and online. The subject is vast, the answer to the questions needn't be. Let's do this!

Prepping the skin for airbrush makeup is as necessary as it is with your traditional beauty routine. The general rule is simply to avoid oil based formulas, which would by nature repel or destabilize any liquid that is layered upon them, and use as little product as possible.  If your skin is young, supple and blemish free, a simple light moisturizer used a few minutes before application will do. For any other skin condition (mature, oily, dry and so on), the general rule is to find the right balance between your skin care routine and the finish and consistency of the airbrush product you are going to use. If you came to this post thinking that airbrush makeup is one and the same for all brands, you should know that each product varies according to composition and manufacturer, just like traditional makeup does.

Airbrushable primers

Many brands of airbrush makeup produce their own ready to airbrush primers.These are generally very light formulas designed to moisturize the skin with the best compatibility for the product that will follow. They are mostly water based, such as Tickled Pink or Luminess, or might contain a light amount of dymethicone, such as Belloccio. If you have normal skin and live in a dry climate you may benefit from these formulas and their lightness, however some people might find them a little too thin, and might prefer a more comforting finish.  Temptu Brilliant Glow is a new airbrushable primer which is silicone based and has a much thicker consistency than other products. As the name implies, it adds a very subtle luminosity to the skin, and was created to mitigate the matte finish of Temptu's Perfect Canvas foundation. Because of its density, you will need an airbrush and compressor of the same power as Temptu's, however you can still apply this with a brush or sponge if you have a less powerful machine (such as the ones intended for water based makeup only).

Silicone Free primers

What if you want to avoid silicone in your skin care altogether? While silicone is inert and does not cause allergies, some people are sensitive to its prolonged use, meaning they show signs of intolerance such as blemishes and irritation. In these cases, silicone free alternatives will be the only options. While less common, silicone free primers do exist. Smashbox makes Primer Water, a water based product that can be used for both prepping the skin and as a makeup finishing spray, with a super light consistency. Milk Makeup produces the cult favorite Hydro Grip primer, with a more comforting gel like consistency and a more luminous finish, and mostly natural ingredients. If you wish to stay on the natural path, Nurturing Force produces its famous Blot Out Offensive and Twinkle Not Wrinkle primers, which we reviewed extensively in this post.  If you are in Europe, two products really stand out. For oily or combination skin, Ten Image Professional Matt Primer provides a super long lasting matte finish. You can use it on your T zone and even very sparingly on the eyelids to mattify the eyelid and prevent any cracking of your airbrushed eyeshadow. Bronx Colors Cosmetics Studio Line Magic Primer has a light, creamy texture, is very moisturizing and provides a lasting luminous finish that will add a very healthy glow to more opaque foundation lines.

Traditional primers

Let's say that my preferred airbrush makeup is water based. Would the presence of silicone in a primer really affect the durability and finish of water based airbrush makeup? Generally speaking, not really. It really depends on the concentration of silicone and other plasticizers in the formula. Personally, I would stay away from super slick formulas such as Urban Decay's or Benefit, but a the presence of common silicones such as dymethicone or cyclopentasiloxane in a primer does not affect the finish or durability, so much so that even the skin care sold by Dinair to be used with their products contains them. British airbrush makeup brand AirBase produces a perfect cross over between the two worlds: First Base Perfecting Primer is a Swiss formula with hydrating platinum technology that is slick at first but absorbs quickly to a soft, matte finish that is perfect both for their silicone formula and for any traditional makeup. Temptu's classic S/B Primer is a rich, super smooth formula that leaves the skin beautifully soft and mattified, and has the gorgeous light fragrance of its S/B line. It's also reasonably priced, which makes it the preferred choice of many. For the eyelids, regardless of the composition of the airbrushed eyeshadow, Make Up Forever Step 1 Skin Equalizer Mattifying is a perfect choice, just use it very sparingly and your eyeshadow will not crack even on textured, very oily eyelids.

Special thanks for the advice and information on some of these products to my amazing friends Regina Azizova @reginainneverland and Krysteane Duarte @Iheartairbrush