Airbrush makeup

Posted by admin on May 13, 2008

Airbrush makeup is fast becoming an essential for today’s television personalities. With the rise of high-definition television (HDTV) and the impending switch-over in the United States to all-digital television, TV personalities are turning to airbrush makeup to help look great close-up. HDTV broadcasts in much greater resolution than standard analog television, so TV news anchors and other media presenters need to have a new line of defense against large pores, birthmarks, and other blotches and imperfections. That solution is airbrushing.

At Minneapolis’s KARE-TV, news anchors have already made the switch to airbrush makeup. Julie Nelson, the station’s anchor, told the Minneapolis Post that HDTV made it difficult to go on camera without airbrushing: “Every bump on your face, every line on your face — you have to let it all hang out. There’s no hiding. With the old format, it was almost like having a bit of a gauze filter. To know that that’s gone is daunting.” However, traditional makeup does not work with HDTV.

With HDTV, traditional television makeup looks thick, pasty, and unnatural. It can also make a face look blotchy or even red. By contrast, airbrushing allows TV anchors to use less makeup and to apply it more carefully for a more natural and subtle look. Airbrushing also has one other great benefit: No lines. Traditional makeup can leave lines if it is not blended properly, but airbrushing lets you taper off gradually for a subtle, natural look.

While many TV stations have their anchors apply their own makeup, stations like KARE see the benefit of hiring a professional makeup artist to get the most out of airbrushing.