Airbrush vs. Brush and Sponge?

Hi everyone!

So many of you have been emailing me-- wondering what is the big difference between using brushes and actually airbrushing the makeup on. I have been using brushes for my entire life as a makeup artist. Since I am primarily doing the face with the airbrush machine-- meaning the foundation, the bronzer, top coat (like a sheer Jlo-esque glow), and blush-- I have noticed a huge difference.

For standard application I typically do a layer of silicone-- this fills in fine lines, wrinkles, and pockmarks which essentially makes whatever goes on top of it-- flawless. I can do this "Spackle" so to speak, as a prep for both standard and airbrush application-- seeing as it not only makes the foundation look that much better, but silicone also blocks your sebaceous (oil-producing glands) from producing oil.

After the silicone dries down there are two ways I can apply the foundation-- either by brushing it on (sponges suck up all the good stuff) or airbrushing. In both cases I am using MAC foundation however when you are running foundations through a compressor they have to be thin enough to be micronized and sprayed.

When you dillute the foundation, you have to break it down by its base. There are essentially two different bases a foundation can have-- silicone or water. Like I said before, silicone is a great agent for the resiliance of a foundation... so when you are dilluting a foundation with silicone, you are only giving it that much more "lifespan."

I am not saying this to downgrade the power of brushes alone-- I truly believe that the control and finish brushes give is unmatched-- which is why I don't airbrush eyes. I love to go into extreme detail with the precious lunettes'-- so why try to parallel a perfected method?

So back to the airbrush-- when the foundation is sprayed onto the face-- it is so extremely micronized that there is no need to go over it with brushes and push it around. Where is lands is where it stays. This allows for a much more flawless finish. In addition, with the now much higher percentage of silicone in the application the makeup stays on that much longer.

The main reason airbrush was introduced into the makeup world was for HD feeds. With rising technology and the now extreme level of detail plasma and LCD TVs' offer in tandem with High Def. quality and feed-- makeup artists' have a whole new level to rise to. When your 52" wide screen is a close up of someone's cheek-- us artist's need to ensure that it is flawless.

So for your wedding-- if your gonna be dancing up a storm and having lots of detailed pictures taken... why not? If my standard application is considered an E class Mercedes-- my airbrush is a fully loaded S class... get it?

My regular is fantastic... airbrush is that much more fantastic.

And finally as far as "feel" goes-- every person I have done it on said they cant believe not only how well it stays on (like we are talking 1o hours later still totally in tact), but also how it feels like absolutely nothing is there.

So that's what I have to say about that... more to come. To bed, I said!

Glammy

A collage of my recent brides-- unleashing their inner glamazon.

Hey guys. I wanted to share with you some pictures of brides I have done throughout the past season. They were all amazing people to work with. Let me know what you think.

This is actually pretty cool-- http://www.jefftismanphotography.com/kimtom/

Its a little slideshow thingamajig of this one simply gorgeous bride who got married in Edgwater. Take a peak!

Ok well this Blog is entirely too addicting. To bed I go!

Love ya,

Glammy

Update: Now offering Airbrush Makeup!

After much demand "The Glam Fairy" now offers Airbrushing using the MAC Professional airbrush machine. I am running it with pure MAC PRO Silicone's and MAC PRO Micronized Airbrush Formula Foundation. The makeup is virtually waterproof which is fantastic for your special day. For those of you who don't know, MAC PRO is the professional line of MAC and is exclusive to those in the fashion industry. Basically, this is the fully loaded Maserati of airbrush compressors and foundations. I am super excited to offer this so whether your getting married or just want to look dead sexy-this fairy is fully armed with every possible beauty request you could dream!

The limits of this machine are boundless-- I can etch in a six pack, I can contour (minimize or maximize any feature) with seamless integration. Fake tattoos that last up to two weeks, self tanning with transfer resistant properties, flawless tattoo coverage, and even body makeup are just a few of the many things I can do with this puppy.

Here is the thing-- saying "Oh, yea I have an airbrush machine" is like saying "I have a car." Okay well... a 2007 BMW M6 loaded to the T and an 82 Chevy Celebrity with your grandma's ashtray hand glued to the dashboard are both, essentially, "cars." You get my drift. So its pretty easy to say "I airbrush" but odds are-- "they don't got what I got." Like I said, the compressor and foundations are the cream of the crop-- MAC PRO baby!

I have been working with this machine non stop... its absolutely addicting. Look at my friend Jon in this picture. Aside from the fact that he is totally gorgeous without a drop of makeup-- I airbrushed him with a matte finish foundation and did an opalescent top coat. I bronzed him, fully contoured him, did male eye and lip makeup and a couple other little tricks (an artist never gives away their secret... he he). I also did the "M" for Madonna on his hand which is totally water proof and will last at least two weeks. I have tested every foundation/ dilluter combination possible and what I have found, regardless of the mix-- the makeup does not move an inch. This is fantastic for any bride-to-be.

Check out my website http://www.theglamfairy.com/ and book your airbrush trial asap. This year is almost entirely booked up and every bride needs MY signature glow. We are just a call, click, or flight away:)

"The Merge"

So a little over a year ago I did this wedding and I met this amazing hair stylist. We didn't end up actually doing that wedding together but we were networked through the bride and in our first conversation discovered we had alot in common.

For a long time I didn't even work with a hair stylist seeing as I could never find anyone that I was blown away by. Well... when Mandy (who is the owner and creator of http://www.lasorellabridal.com/) and I did our first trial together we were both totally aghast by the way our work complimented each other.

That trial, in fact, lead to our both being on "Who's Wedding is it Anyway?" courtesy of Kristin Rockhill of http://www.detailsofido.com/.

In an event, we learned that not only was our work absolutely complementary of one another-- but we seemed to have the same idea's in terms of customer service, "the customer experience" and a general light hearted but hard-working approach to our businesses.

We both share the same philosophy in that a bride not only has to feel 110% comfortable with the makeup and hair-- but mainly, the need to feel comfortable with you. No one wants some uppity, ego-maniac, overwhelming artist on their special day.

So, over the past year Mandy and I not only have worked together but we have decided to be business partners. We merged our companies and although we still run them as two entirely different entities we understand that the work we do in tandem is nothing short of a masterpiece.

We have become best friends and find that at every time we try to unwind-- like a nice dinner with a glass of wine etc. we end up throwing around ideas, brainstorming, and basically just being non-stop about "The Merge" he he. It is rare being a young entrepreneur and finding someone who shares the same passion and vigor for their business as you do-- so our ability to truly understand one another is priceless.

I would like to introduce all of you guys to not only my business partner, but my best friend Mandy Liento.

Welcome to my new blog!

Hi everyone. Thanks for checking out my blog. I am the owner and creator of "The Glam Fairy" http://www.theglamfairy.com/ and I am super excited about all the fun new things going on that I thought it would be best for me to keep you posted via blog.



I have been like a one armed paper hanger this season. So much is going on. I have expanded onto not only theknot.com but also wedding channel.com, partyspot.com and thenest.com. So you can check out my profile on those sites as well. Weddings are non-stop-- I have been averaging about 6 weddings a weekend. Lots of work but as



I wanted to share a note with you from my New Years Eve Bride--

"Alexa,

I just wanted to let you know what an awesome job you did on my wedding
make-up (and hair). I felt so beautiful and got so many compliments. My aunt
got tons of compliments as well and she wanted me to tell you how happy she was
with the makeup. Thanks alsow for putting up with the delays (ughh):) I'm sure
I will be seeing you in the near future for a "girls night out" or even for
lessons.

Regards,

Allison"

That being said I am really proud of the work I have done. I am going to be doing a bunch of posts on all different topics. Feel free to hit me up with any questions or comments.

Thanks.

Alexa

NJ makeup artist

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