Sally Hansen Airbrush Face Makeup Review & Swatches

Sally Hansen Airbrush Face Makeup ($9.97 exclusively at Walmart) is a lightweight spray foundation that gives a sheer, natural finish. 

Years ago, I was borderline obsessed with the Sally Hansen Airbrush Makeup by What Not To Wear makeup artist Carmindy (love that show) and couldn't believe that it had been discontinued. Fast forward a few years and it's BACK...well sort of. It's not under Carmindy's name anymore and it's sold exclusively at Walmart, rather than CVS.  Needless to say, I bought one immediately with the hope that this is Carmindy's version repackaged. 

Airbrush Face Makeup comes in 6 shades, and as I do with most foundations I chose the second to lightest shade, Natural Beige. When I got home and tried it, I was questioning my shade choice because I looked the perfect shade of oompa loompa orange. Now maybe it's a bit exaggerated on me because I have cool-toned skin (anything that's not cool and pink looks orange on me), but it was also really dark and not what I was expecting from the second to lightest shade. I have a "tan" right now so I'm closer to medium than light and it was still too dark. So if you plan to buy this, definitely prepare to go at least a shade down from what you would normally get. I'm guessing that the lightest shade is probably good for "light" skintones like mine but that means there's no shade for fairer skin.

One of my biggest gripes about this product is that even though it's an "airbrush" mist foundation, you're not supposed to spray it directly on your face, per the instructions and I totally understand why. It doesn't come out like a light mist, it's a really strong stream that puts a lot of product into a very small area. So how do you use this? Sally Hansen recommends spraying it directly into your hand, then applying it with your fingertips (or a brush, Beauty Blender, etc). I can't remember if the Carmindy one was the same way or if you could spray that directly on your face (if you remember, please leave a comment below and let me know!).

I've owned Dior's Airflash in the past and currently have Sephora Collection Perfection Mist Airbrush Foundation and both are meant to be sprayed directly on your face (which is kinda the point of an airbrush foundation, yes?). I find that both of those spray an even, fine mist that makes it easy to apply...unfortunately, I can't see that with the Sally Hansen version. Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, I believe the Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs is the same way...I remember using it in the past and the can says to spray it into your hand first.

So here's what it looks like when you first spray it. As you can see, it's concentrated into a small area because it came out very fast before I had the chance to move the can back and forth.

Sally Hansen Airbrush Face Makeup in Natural Beige

Coverage-wise, this is very, very sheer. It gives a barely-there hint of tint, similar to the level of a tinted moisturizer. I wish it covered a little more, since I actually really love the finish on this! It dries to a beautiful satin finish that looks like skin and is pretty much undetectable. I suppose you can build it up a bit...maybe to medium but if you're looking for any more than that, you may not like this one.

Sally Hansen Airbrush Face Makeup in Natural Beige

Overall, while I really love the finish of this foundation and it could be a great option for days when I don't want a lot of coverage, I feel like the shades are pretty limited, it doesn't give that much coverage, and it's just messy to use. I was hoping for a way to just mist, blend and go, but the whole process of spraying it into my hand and then applying it to my face isn't too appealing. I know that I do the same thing with other foundations (pump them into my hand first) but the difference here is when you spray this one, it kind of splatters a little and I worry about getting it on my clothing. It's also hard to control how much comes out of the nozzle. 

Well, I was essentially looking for a less expensive alternative to my Sephora Perfection Mist Airbrush, but I think I'll just stick to that one for now. Have you tried the new Sally Hansen Airbrush Face Makeup? What do you think? 

You can purchase it at Walmart stores and Walmart.com.