Let's Talk About NV Airbrush

"Don't believe everything you hear. There are always three sides to a story; your, theirs, and the truth" - Unknown

Let me preface this blog post by saying that this content will offend some of the readers. I’m fully aware of that, and I sincerely apologize for injured feelings in advance. But on behalf of women and for the sake of beauty, art, & my own freedom of expression, I feel the need to give a personally-opinionated exposé (emphasis on "personal opinion") on the current hype that is the Jeunesse NV phenomenon.

Google image photo by Jeunesse Global

Many people have asked for my opinion on what a few local makeup artists have been actively extolling, and so I've researched this airbrush makeup in-depth and spoken to a local rep about it too. Here's my breakdown of why I'm not a fan after seeing it in action:

- The foundation itself is thick & drying (creases horribly on textured skin)

- The product doesn’t breathe on the skin - The spray is wide & powerful - There are only 9 shades - It retails at $56 per canister

- Clients are encouraged to purchase all 3-4 products (each $56 for bronzer, highlighter, second shade for concealer, & foundation)

- The description of the special “technology”, APT-200™, doesn’t actually explain what it does or how it does it - One can only lasts between 2-4 weeks (according to online forums)- The ingredients aren’t openly listed

- The sales presentation by the saleswoman was appalling. She unrolled a disgustingly dirty case (the clear plastic windows on the bag were coated in all shades of thick foundation, so much so that I couldn't even see into its contents) and presented badly stained, once-white terrycloth headband. I was initially supposed to meet up with one rep, but two came to my door without notice, so I felt very targeted and pressured.

That being said, let's dig a little further into this product's formation and the woman who invented it. The NV airbrush system started as Aero Minerale over 8 years ago by Yolanda Halston where they reportedly used dozens of cans on the set of the infamous movie "Twilight". Set makeup (vampirical at that) is very different from bridal or everyday wear though as those vampires needed thick, durable coverage to hold up under the action and the otherwordly, fantastical look used on-set. Most ladies interested and able to afford the expense are mid-30s to late-50s/60s, and they have drier skin, excepting of course, when hot flashes hit. There are wrinkles, creases, dry patches, etc that need creamy moisture. This product doesn't contain oil which is probably why it looks so cakey, dry, and matte.

Makeup is supposed to be relatively healthy for your skin, giving you a natural radiance, some coverage, and evens the skin tone. This NV airbrush covers skin like a mask. The websites don’t list specific ingredients which concerns me, but in further research, I found that it does contain some aloe for calming properties, is talc, paraben, sulfate, & phthalate free, and highlights this generic description of a APT-200™ (mentioned in my breakdown above) which is a "youth-enhancing, polypeptide technology rejuvenates skin to new and gorgeous radiance" - okay, great, but what IS it?

Don't be the kind of consumer that just agrees and jumps at anything a salesperson say is "new" and "healthy" and supposed to do this, this, and this without backing it up with tangible reasons for its viability.

Here's a little screengrab I took from a tutorial/interview that was posted where Yolanda explains how to use the product. She shows her audience how it's a "very narrow spray pattern"...

...but do you see how wide she's holding her hand? If I were using it as body makeup (similar to AllEven London's product line and spraying outdoors or in my bathtub, then I'd be all for this wide swath and full, waterproof coverage. However, on my or anyone else's face, no thank you.

Now, let's discuss how this product fits in with the current makeup artistry climate.

Yolanda's tribe lauds her as being a "well-known, celebrity makeup artist". I had to search a little but came up with 7 IMB credits on small indie or B-roll films (weirdly "Twilight" wasn't listed) and no official website. The celebrity artists I know of (think big-time pillars of the industry like or smaller ones like Mario Dedivanovic, Patrick Ta, Priscilla Ono, Sarah TannoPat McGrath Tobi Henney and Emma Chen) have personal websites or agency sites, not to mention very busy, professional Instagram accounts with thousands and millions of followers to whom they bless with favorite product info, current traveling itineraries, educational classes, etc.

Interestingly enough, I haven't heard a peep about this product from any pro artist that I follow and admire, and by "pro" I mean those who set industry standards. Those are the kinds of people that I emulate and trust to use the best of the best on their actual "celebrity" clients. I don't trust the wildly famous YouTube influencers or the sales-pitching pyramid schemers because they are always hot n' heavy for a minute and then crash hard with some kind of faulty product drama.

As Jeunesse Australasia's Facebook page states, Yolanda "boasts a cult following of beauty bloggers, celebrities and women all over the world"...all 1,461 followers on her personal Instagram, 5,000 on the Jeunesse NV page. That's not considered a cult following unless by "cult" they mean rather uninformed consumers.

Education is crucial to me, so when the saleswoman that visited said that the creator of the product (Yolanda Halston) “puts her brides in the shower” to further “waterproof” the product after application, my brain instantly goes "in what scenario is that even logical"? Any water on anything doesn’t further its water-repellant nature...it gradually (on a minute level) wears it down. And who splashes water on a bride before she walks down the aisle anyways? Either that’s a tall-tale sales tactic or somebody’s off their rocker (the hairstylist in this scenario would be furious having the bridal hairstyle they’ve just created be that close to water).

With all of this being said, clearly my answer as to whether or not I'd like to retail, sell to, or use this product on my clients is "no". I have a deep respect for the art, for prestige products, for skincare, for sanitation, and for overall health that prevents me from welcoming this product into my kit.

I'm happy to take personal opinions about your experience with or questions concerning the product, so feel free to shoot me a comment below!