Airbrush eyeshadow may sound intimidating, but with a little bit of practice it can really speed up your morning routine (not to mention save time cleaning makeup brushes!). I am by no means an expert, but I have done a lot of experimenting and picked up a few tips and tricks along the way. So if you’re new to airbrush shadows and curious how it’s done, follow along as I walk you through my typical routine!
Airbrush Eyeshadow Tutorial
For this tutorial, I’m using Luminess Air’s airbrush shadows in three different shades – one for my lid, one for my crease, and one for my outer v.
Products used:
- Luminess Air Airbrush system
- Luminess Air Eyeshadows in:
- #46 (orange-red)
- #43 (medium brown)
- #41 (dark brown-purple)
Pre-Step:
Apply primer all over the lid and especially in the crease area. This will help the liquid airbrush shadows better adhere to the skin and prevent any creasing, and overall increase the longevity of your look.
Step 1:
Set up your airbrush machine and turn it on to the lowest power setting available. Then place 2 drops of your first eyeshadow into the airbrush pen, beginning with your crease color. Here I’m using an orange-red shade (Luminess Air eyeshadow #46).
Step 2:
Position the airbrush pen about 1 inch away from your eye crease, starting at the outer corner. Using the lightest pressure possible, pull back the trigger to release the color, moving the pen slowly over the crease until you’re about 2/3 of the way in.
Step 3:
Next, add 2 drops of a base color (I used Luminess Air’s shade #43). Position the pen over the middle of your lid. Gently press on the trigger and move back and forth.
Tip: Point the pen at a slight downward angle to gain more control and precision when applying shadow on the lid. This will also help you get in closer to the lash line.
Step 4:
Finally, add 2 drops of a deeper color (I used Luminess Air’s shade #41). Start by positioning the pen at the outer corner of your eye lid again, only this time, slowly move it back and forth in a v-shape until it has built up color.
Tip: Hold the pen a little closer to the lid for this step (about a half an inch/1 cm away), and make sure to use the lightest pressure possible (or else it will build up way too quickly since you’re working so close to the lid).
You can go soft and subtle with this step, or keep layering it for a more dramatic look (sort of like what I was going for here).
Here’s a summary of all the steps:
Add eyeliner and mascara, and you’re all done! This whole process takes about 3-4 minutes, and if you’re already using the airbrush machine for your foundation, blush, etc, it’s super easy to incorporate into your routine.
Tips for Applying Airbrush Eyeshadow
Here are few extra tips to help you out when using airbrush shadows:
- Have a paper towel handy to 1) initially get the airbrush pen ‘flowing’ before applying each shadow and 2) release any leftover product before moving on to a new shade.
- Always remember to use the lightest pressure possible on the trigger and gradually build up light layers, allowing each to dry for 5-10 seconds.
- Keep the pen moving in small circles/back and forth motions to avoid too much product accumulating in one area.
- Use your fingers to even out color or do quick clean-ups if needed, but only while the shadows are still wet!
- Give the final layer plenty of time to dry (10+ seconds) before allowing your eye to fold/crease (or else the shadows will stick to themselves and create patchy areas).
- To speed up dry time, keep the (closed) gun pointed at your lid, letting just the air hit your eye area.
- Avoid touching the shadows with your fingers once they’re dry.
- Apply a light dusting of powder over top when you’re all done to help set the shadows.
Luminess Air Airbrush Shadows
As I mentioned above, for this tutorial I used Luminess Air’s airbrush eyeshadows, which feature a lightweight, buildable, and long-lasting formula that’s both waterproof and sweatproof. They currently offer 30 shades that can be used alone, mixed together, or layered over one another to create any type look – from daytime to smoky. All the shadows are free of oil, fragrance, and parabens, and also dermatologist and ophthalmologist tested/recommended (good to know when you’re spraying them so close to your eyes!), and also cruelty-free!
Even if you don’t have an airbrush kit, you can apply these shadows using just your fingers! Simply take a drop on the finger (or brush) and dab them on. (They’ll adhere to the skin pretty quickly, so make sure to blend them out within the first couple of seconds, then allow them to dry.)
Wrap-Up
If you were curious about how to apply airbrush eyeshadows, hopefully you found this tutorial helpful! It definitely does take some practice, so take your time and have some fun experimenting with different shades, techniques and speeds. And if you’re in the market for some new shades, the Luminess Air Airbrush Eyeshadows are a great place to start (they frequently run sales on their shadows, so keep an eye out!). Luminess Air also offers a full line of cosmetics, plus a wide range of airbrush products and systems. See something you like? Use code jessoshii25 to get 25% off!
Have you ever tried airbrush eyeshadow? If so, is it part of your everyday makeup routine?
In collaboration with Luminess Air.
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