The changing face of foundation

One day life was good. All it took was concealer for my under-eye circles, a swoosh of bronzer and I was out of the door. I wore no foundation and I had no qualms. Then the Temptu airbrush make-up system came into my life. Sort of like a gun that blows a mist of foundation, it promised to make my skin flawless.

Let's just say they don't call it Tempt-u for nothing. That little black box and misting make-up shooter are addictive, especially for overachievers who can't resist striving for perfect skin.

In the old days, women carried compacts full of pressed powder to pat on their faces in the aptly named powder room. Others wore liquid foundation, applying it with sponges and brushes.

These days, the quest for flawless but unnoticeable coverage is gadget-driven. The Temptu, which started on movie sets, is one of the most elaborate applicators but cosmetics companies offer their own high-tech options.

There are L'Oreal Paris True Match Roller foundations, which look like pans of paint with rollers inside. In advertisements, Evangeline Lilly of Lost recommends the L'Oreal product for women who want a "perfectly airbrushed look". But I felt as if I was trying to use a flat paint roller on uneven walls. What's more, it left streaks.

Beauty at your fingertips

The Lancome Oscillation Powerfoundation features a vibrating sponge that is meant to blend in the mineral powder that comes with it. Press the button on the handle and the velvety cushion applicator whirrs.

The powder clings to the applicator, then the press of a button activates the vibrations, which deliver what Lancome calls "seamless blendability". At 6am, I found the "7,000 micro-vibrations per minute" energising but I didn't think they helped blend the powder any better than the swirl-by-hand method.

None of these applicators had the learning curve of Temptu, which purports to offer "pro results, without the pro". After eight tries, I visited Sephora to ask a pro for some pointers.

In my first few tries, the mist was so subtle that I had a hard time believing make-up was being dispensed. So I ended up putting on way too much.

Temptu made my cheeks look fabulous but couldn't tackle the redness on both sides of my nose. The Temptu expert I consulted said he puts more pressure on the trigger where more coverage is needed, always keeping the misting head far from a client's face. Other times, he brings the misting head closer to the face. After he did my Temptu, a colleague said my skin looked "Photoshoppy" — a compliment in this digitally altered age.

Still, I wondered if I would be better off using Chanel's light-reflecting liquid foundation called Teint Innocence. Applying it judiciously just where I needed it took two minutes flat, and the walnut hue matched my skin so well that I didn't look awkwardly two-toned.

I'm getting the hang of Temptu's foundation, though their cartridges for blush — sold separately — remain challenging. I can't get the precision of an old-fashioned brush with the airbrush. Suffice it to say, airbrushing is not child's play, nor is it easy, despite what Temptu claims.