Trying to settle the debate of whether Airbrush makeup is better than traditional makeup is hard.
However, we can still settle the debate using some Airbrush makeup facts, as discussed in the guide below.
Don’t go anywhere.
Differences between Airbrush makeup and traditional makeup
A lot is involved in both Airbrush makeup and traditional makeup.
However, based on my experience, Airbrush makeup was far much the best.
This is because of the flawless makeup look, safety, ease of use, and how long Airbrush makeup last.
My reasons for loving Airbrush makeup are quite personal.
To help you pick the best makeup, I will discuss a few Airbrush makeup facts and compare them to traditional makeup.
I will also rank both Airbrush makeup and traditional makeup based on various details.
But before we get there, the table below will give you a clear view of what I will discuss in the guide.
| Details | Airbrush makeup | Traditional makeup |
| Makeup look | Flawless and natural | Prone to creasing and looking cakey |
| Consistency | Appears like a continuous layer | Can be inconsistent at times |
| Buildable | Makeup is buildable | Hard to apply in layers |
| Coverage | Light-Full coverage | Light-Full coverage |
| Ease of use | A bit complicated | Straightforward |
| Affordability | Quite expensive | Affordable |
| Availability | You might struggle to find Airbrush makeup in other regions | You can access traditional makeup in any region |
| Safety | Very safe | Prone to contamination |
| How long it last | Can last up to 12 hours | Starts to melt after 4 hours |
The information on the table above is enough to give you an overview.
However, if you want to understand how traditional and Airbrush makeup compares, you should continue reading this guide.
Makeup looks
If you want to achieve a flawless makeup look that looks so natural, you better go with Airbrush makeup.
Airbrush makeup products come in a liquid form that, when sprayed on your face, will create a continuous thin layer.
If you follow the right procedure for applying Airbrush makeup, you will achieve a flawless makeup look.
To achieve a flawless natural look with traditional makeup, you will need to put in extra work.
Since traditional makeup comes in cream form, if not done well, it will look cakey.
Airbrush makeup: 4/5
Traditional makeup:2/5
Consistency
The consistency of any type of makeup determines how well your makeup look will appear and how easy it is to apply makeup.
Based on the use of the Airbrush makeup machine for Airbrush makeup application, the formula used to make Airbrush makeup is very light.
This makes the layer formed when applying Airbrush makeup flawless and consistent.
Traditional makeup products are usually in cream form due to the mode of application.
This can result in some clumps being found in the makeup.
If you want to achieve the right consistency, you can use a dumped beauty blender to apply traditional makeup.
Airbrush makeup:4.5/5
Traditional makeup: 3/5
Buildable
When makeup products are buildable, you can achieve any makeup look you desire.
Airbrush makeup being thin and sprayed in mist form, can be quickly built into layers.
You can apply a single layer if you are going for light coverage.
You will need to go 2-3 layers deeper to achieve full coverage.
Trional makeup, however, can be so hard to build layers.
If you keep adding layers on top of layers, your makeup will appear cakey.
You can still apply the first later perfectly and achieve full coverage.
Airbrush makeup: 4.8/5
Traditional makeup:3.7/5
Coverage
When makeup provides enough coverage, you won’t need to use too many products.
Airbrush makeup comes in options that provide light to full coverage.
You can choose the makeup that offers light coverage if you have a clear skin type.
For those using makeup to hide skin blemishes, a more pigmented makeup product will work for you.
Depending on how pigmented the makeup product is, you can achieve light-full coverage with traditional makeup.
However, most traditional makeup products provide full coverage.
Airbrush makeup: 4.6/5
Traditional makeup: 4.2/5
Ease of using
Initial stages of Airbrush makeup application is where you will face all the problems.
However, after grasping the concept of Airbrush makeup, it will take you less than 10 minutes to apply full face makeup.
Traditional makeup, on the other hand, is very straightforward.
Provided you have your products and tools, you can take the makeup and apply it.
Though, you still need some skills to perfect traditional makeup.
Airbrush makeup: 3.8/5
Traditional makeup: 4.6/5
Affordability
Airbrush makeup is far more expensive.
If you decide to get your face Airbrushed by a professional, you will pay between $150-$200, depending on the region.
Buying a complete Airbrush makeup kit is also very expensive.
Traditional makeup is very affordable.
It will cost you $20-$50 to get your face done by a local makeup artist.
If you have the right skills to apply makeup, you will only spend a few dollars to buy your products and tools.
Airbrush makeup: 3.5/5
Traditional makeup:4.3/5
Availability
How easily you can access the makeup products will determine how much you will enjoy your makeup application.
Despite Airbrush makeup being embraced in recent years, it is still a struggle to access the products and the machine in certain regions.
However, you can still ship the products from online vendors.
Traditional makeup products and tools are sold in all beauty stores worldwide.
If you need a certain product, you won’t have to walk miles to get a store that sells the products.
It is for this reason traditional makeup is still very famous.
Airbrush makeup: 2.9/5
Traditional makeup: 4.4/5
Safety
If you are assured that your face won’t react or get infections while applying makeup, that is sure the makeup method you should go for.
Of the two forms of application, Airbrush makeup is the safest.
You will feed the makeup directly from the bottle to the gun, press the trigger to apply makeup, and spray the makeup in a mist form.
At no point will your hands touch your face or the makeup products when doing Airbrush makeup.
You also have to clean your Airbrush machine after every use.
This means the chances of contamination are reduced.
Since Airbrush makeup is not very common among people, you will not find many brands that sell low-quality Airbrush makeup.
Also, there are no counterfeited versions of the products.
So, you can be assured you are putting quality products that will help keep your skin healthy all through.
On the other hand, you will need to touch your products with your hands and use tools that might be contaminated when doing traditional makeup.
This makes it a bit unsafe when it comes to contamination.
You will find a lot of counterfeited versions of traditional makeup products.
This makes traditional makeup unsafe and unsure.
Airbrush makeup:4.9/5
Traditional makeup:2.5/5
How long it lasts
How long your makeup lasts is determined by the products you are using and how well you apply it.
Both Airbrush makeup and traditional makeup have products that are waterproof and long-lasting.
However, Airbrush makeup will last up to 12 hours without needing touchups.
This is because it is sprayed in mist form.
Also, the most common ingredient used in Airbrush makeup is waterproof and transfer-proof silicone.
As for traditional makeup, the products being in cream form increases the chances of the products melting after 4 hours of application.
If you want both makeups to last longer, you should prep your face before makeup application.
Airbrush makeup: 4.7/5
Traditional makeup: 4.4/5
Between Airbrush makeup and traditional makeup, which is better?
Based on my ranking, you can see there are things that Airbrush makeup surpasses traditional makeup and vice versa.
However, based on what we aim for our makeup to achieve, Airbrush makeup is far the best.
For instance, you want your makeup to be flawless, buildable, provide enough coverage and safety, and last longer.
You can solve the matters of availability and affordability with proper planning and get used to that.
As for ease of use, you will train how to apply makeup, whether you want to use Airbrush or traditional makeup.
Traditional makeup, on the other hand, is quite affordable and straightforward.
However, you will have to do a lot of work and a lot of time to make your makeup flawless.
Conclusion
Based on most of the important parameters and some Airbrush makeup facts discussed in the guide above, you can see that Airbrush makeup is better than traditional makeup.
Since this is not the last time I am helping you make this tough decision, you should subscribe to this page.
References
- Suardi, E. (2021). THE CUSTOMER’S PERCEPTION ON THE USE OF AIRBRUSH MAKEUP (Doctoral dissertation, Universitas Katholik Soegijapranata Semarang).
- D’Allaird, M. (2012). Milady Standard Makeup. Cengage Learning.
- Kim, Y. S. A Comparative Study on Effective Makeup Technique for HDTV. Kor J Aesthet Cosmetol, 3(1), 49-65.
