Sephora Perfection Mist Airbrush Foundation : Product Review

If you follow me on Facebook, then you know that I made a "resolution" of sorts to post on the blog at least three times a week and upload one new video each week. So here is post one for this week, I have three days to post two more times, but I have a ton of material, so don't you worry. One thing that I am absolutely obsessed with when it comes to makeup is trying out foundation. I don't know when this happened because I used to be a "buy one foundation, use it up, buy another" kind of girl. But now, right now I have at least 10 foundations that are in my makeup rotation, all serving a different purpose. Will I ever find my holy grail foundation? Maybe, but if not, I won't sweat it because I love trying them out.

Todays foundation review is for the Sephora brand Perfection Mist Airbrush Foundation. I have long thought about purchasing the Dior Airflash, but at $62 for 2.3/oz, it scared me a bit (seriously, that's an entire season's worth of indoor soccer). Sephora's version is $26 and rings in at 2.5/oz which lets me try out this idea of airbrush foundation without the shocking price tag.

The Facts

Price: $26

Amount of Product: 2.5 fl oz.

Number of Shades: 5 - Which is an extremely limited shade range... I'm lucky that one of these matches my skin

Claim: "Seamlessly blur imperfections and control shine for up to 10 hours with this satin-finish foundation. The weightless, micro fine pigments of InstaBlend technology ensure color lays down seamlessly smooth so you can build to your desired coverage level—from light to full—for a flawless look every time. Mineral-rich red algae extract protects the skin from environmental stresses and helps smooth the skin for a soft-focus, airbrushed finish that lasts." 

Shade that I used: Fair (if you're used to Sephora's shade finding system, this falls under 4Y01)

Shades and the foundation itself: Like I mentioned above, there are only 5 shades in this line, which is maybe the most ridiculously limited shade range for a true foundation. I lucked out that the Fair shade is a yellow toned foundation since I have warm undertones. The next step up, Light, is straight up pink on my skin and it was almost comical when I tried to test it at the store. Medium is a yellow/warm toned product, while Tan and Dark are both pink/cool toned. The foundation itself is kind of a unique texture since it's getting blown out of a can with a propellant (aka this is an aerosol). Oddly enough, when I spray this on the back of my hand, it kind of bubbles. I think that has to do with the aerosol and pressure, but I could be wrong.

Coverage: The coverage on this foundation is completely buildable and could really be applied anywhere from light to full. When I've used multiple layers to achieve more opacity, it didn't get cakey or gross, which is awesome. However, if you use this as directed, it should turn out to be a medium coverage foundation. If you look in the pictures below, you can see that some of the blemishes on my cheeks are still partially visible. It truly does have a satin finish, which in my opinion, is one of the best finishes a foundation can have.

Application: The directions on the bottle state that you should shake for 5 seconds, hold the can 10" from your face and start to spray in circular directions. It also states to covers your hair and clothes and to close your eyes (and not to spray for longer than 10 seconds straight). The bottle also informs you that if this application method isn't your cup of tea, you can spray this directly on a brush and apply it that way. I, however, nixed both of those and apply it to the back of my hand and then buff it in with a brush. Does that negate the whole "airbrush" idea? You betcha, but the foundation still applies beautifully using this method, so I go with it.

Wear Time: Looking really good? I would say that the wear time is definitely around 10 hours or so. I've tested this with Laura Mercier Protect Primer underneath and it didn't wear as well. With moisturizer and without that primer, it wears much better on my skin. If I don't end up rubbing my face all over my dog, this method lasts a good 12 hours.

Does it deliver on its claim? For the first time in a long time, I am going to say that yes, it delivers on its claims. Can I speak that it helps protect my skin from environmental stresses...? Don't look at me, I have no clue and there is legitimately no way for me to test that. But the other claims? Yes, it definitely delivers on those. This is the happiest I've been with a foundation in a long time.

So, what's wrong with this foundation, because I'm pumping this up like it's too good to be true, right? Well, there are some downfalls here. The first and most obvious being that this is airbrush foundation, so it feels like I am going to blow through this fairly quickly. At this point, I've only been using it for about a week, but the can just feels so lightweight. Since it comes in a can, I can't tell how much I have left and I think that I will only know when it's out when the aerosol stops working. Will that be in two weeks or in two months? Only time will tell.

This isn't so much a con as it is a word of warning. The can says to shake for 5 seconds before use and they are very, very serious about this. If you don't shake it (I actually shake it for about 10 seconds just to be sure), it comes out in a weird separated mixture and it's really gross feeling.

And the last "con", that I have to mention is, again, not so much a con but my own stupidity working in your favor. As I said up above, I spray this to the back of my hand and then apply to my face. Well, the first time that I used this, I held the can about an inch from my skin and ended up burning the skin on my hand (there's a photo here if you're interested). Keep in mind that this is an aerosol and products that use propellant to come out of a can are very very cold. So yes, I essentially gave my self an unintentional ice burn. When they say hold the can 10" from your face, they are serious. When I spray it on my hand, I only hold it about 5-6" which doesn't burn me, but I would be extra cautious with your face.

Final Verdict: I will definitely use up this can and then buy another. I don't know if I will use it every single day or if I'll start using it more sparingly, but I am really into this foundation. Maybe we're just in the honeymoon phase or maybe this is the real deal. Whatever it is, if you can find a color match, I highly recommend picking this up!

(all photos copyright Allison Richardson Photography and not available for use without permission)