Jump To:
Our Editorial Review
Customer Reviews

Luminess Air

Luminess Air

Overall Rating

1.6

282 Customer Reviews

Write a Review

Summary

The Luminess Air airbrushing system lets you create a flawless makeup look at home. However, high prices and an unclear “rent to try” program might be a reason to stay away.

Pros

  • Customer reviews indicate the product works as described for applying makeup
  • Lots of makeup types and shades to choose from
  • Long-lasting coverage when used correctly
  • Can be more subtle than traditional makeup

Cons

  • Makeup containers are small, expensive compared to competitors
  • It takes time to perfect the application technique
  • “Rent To Try” pricing system tricks many people
  • Difficult to get refunds

Luminess Air Review: What You Should Know

By Lydia Noyes

Updated on: May 1, 2020

HighYa is supported by our readers. When you buy something through a link on this page, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.

Special occasion makeup can now be achieved at home, thanks to the Luminess Air airbrushing system. At least, that’s what this online cosmetics company wants you to believe.

Luminess Air sells airbrushing systems with a rainbow of makeup shades and styles to help you achieve your most flawless look yet.

Can the brand deliver on its claims to give you your best face at home? Learn here what we think of this home airbrushing kit, and whether better options are available.

Understanding Airbrushing

No longer just for special occasions, Airbrushing is a burgeoning style of makeup application that makes it possible to give yourself a model’s complexion at home.

The idea is that you spray a fine coating of makeup onto your skin with a designated application gun that lets you create subtle shading and even toning without any clumps or buildup.

However, Airbrushing isn’t ideal for everyone and has some downsides compared to traditional makeup application. Here’s what you need to know about the pros and cons of this technique:

Pros:

  • Lasts All Day: As it’s applied to the face in a fine sheen that doesn’t build up, airbrushed makeup tends to last longer and is more water-resistant than traditional makeup. This means it likely won’t leave your face until you wash it off with soap.

  • Creates a Flawless Finish: Airbrush guns make it possible to apply makeup in an even layer that creates a smoother finish than you can get with brushes or sponges. This creates a polished look for taking photos.

  • A Little Goes a Long Way: Thanks to their precision, airbrush guns use less makeup, and you don’t need to worry about wasting any that gets absorbed in your brush or sponge instead of your face.

  • Easy to Layer: Airbrushing lets you apply small amounts of makeup at a time, which makes it possible to layer lots of colors together seamlessly. Each application will also dry quickly so you can build up your look in less time.

Cons:

  • Can Be Hard to Re-Blend: Though airbrushed makeup tends to last, if you need a touch-up, it can be more challenging to re-blend the layers to replicate the original flawless look. In most cases, you’ll be better off redoing your full face.
  • May Look Flaky on Dry Skin: When applied on well-hydrated skin, airbrushed makeup has a smooth finish. However, if you deal with dryness, it might emphasize a flaky texture more so than traditional makeup, which tends to be creamier.

  • Shade Options Can Be Limited: If you commit to airbrushing, you are limited to the foundation shades offered by the company in question. This limits your options compared to standard makeup.

Overall, airbrushed makeup can create a magazine-cover-worthy look using less product (and often less time) than traditional application methods. Many people choose to airbrush for special events makeup, especially if they plan to be photographed.

However, the look doesn’t work for everyone and may emphasize your skin’s imperfections if you tend to deal with dryness.

Luminess Air Product Line and Options

It’s possible to purchase a complete Airbrush kit from Luminess or to purchase cosmetic products individually:

Airbrush System

To buy an all-in-one airbrushing kit from Luminess Air, you’ll start by choosing your shade group from colors ranging from “fair” to “rich.” Then you’ll be offered a 4-in-1 trial offer that includes the following:

  • Luminess Airbrush system
  • Two Airbrush Foundations in your skin tone
  • Airbrush Blush in your skin tone
  • Skin Brightening Airbrush Love highlighter

You’ll also receive free gifts in the order (Infinity Wear Mascara, 4-Piece Lip Palette, and 4-Piece Eyeshadow Palette), which you can keep even if you end up returning your trial order.

You’ll pay $39.95 to try the set for thirty days, if you don’t return it during that time, you’ll then be charged five monthly payments of $59.99, plus $4.95 processing fees per payment.

At publication, Luminess Air ran a promotion for a $19.95 trial and three payments of $39.99, plus processing, for a savings of 60%. Alternatively, the system is also available from Amazon.

The Luminess Air Auto-Delivery Program

All Luminess Airbrush system purchases will automatically enroll you in an auto-delivery program where you will receive cosmetic refills consistently. This comes to $39.95 per delivery and includes a complete refill of all makeup included in your initial purchase.

You can change your delivery frequency or cancel it altogether by contacting customer care at (822) 749-5777.

Airbrush Cosmetics

You can also purchase Luminess Makeup separate from the airbrush kit. The company sells a variety of blushes, bronzers, concealers, color correctors, eyeshadows, highlighters, brow and root treatments, tanning products, and ColorFX skin and hair dye.

Most available products range from $10–$70. Some are designed for use with an Airbrush system, while others act as standalone products.

In most cases, you can sign up for a VIP auto-ship program to save 15% off the purchase price and receive automatic deliveries every 30, 60, or 90 days, depending on your preference.

Luminess Air

Buy Luminess Air from Amazon:

Luminess Air Basic Airbrush System Starter Kit costs $148.86 on Amazon. Shipping is free. Foundation and other accessories are available from Amazon as well.

$148.86 from Amazon

Refund Policy

Luminess Air will accept returns within the 30-day trial period, so long as the product is in new or like-new condition with all original packaging.

If you return your order for the complete airbrushing kit, you won’t be billed for the subsequent payments, but you will not be reimbursed for your initial trial cost. The company considers this a “rent to try” fee, and it doesn’t factor it towards the overall purchase price.

To initiate a return, you must contact the Customer Care department at (888) 793-7474 for a return authorization number. Your order will also need to ensure that the product makes it to the company’s processing facility within the 30-day trial period or ten business days, whichever is later.

Merchandise that arrives up to seven days later will be subject to a 25% restocking fee, and anything after 14 days will be refused and returned to you at your expense.

Analysis of Customer Reviews

More than 250 customers have left reviews for Luminess Air here on HighYa. They average 1.6 stars, and just 15% of users state that they would share the system with a friend. Here’s a summary of some of their most insightful comments:

Common Compliments:

  • Easy way to enhance your makeup game, regardless of current skill level
  • Some considered it worth the price
  • Customer service is helpful with makeup questions

Common Complaints:

  • System pricing is deceptive with the trial offer and makeup auto-ship program
  • Difficult to qualify for refunds, must pay to ship products back to the company
  • Short return period
  • Company may be deleting negative reviews from its social media platforms
  • Available color tones don’t work with all skin types

Popular Alternatives to Luminess Air

For those who love experimenting with makeup, home airbrushing systems make a lot of sense for taking things to the next level. Two brands worth considering besides the Luminess Air system include Sephora Perfection Mist Airbrush foundations and the Temptu Perfect Canvas airbrush line.

Unlike Luminess, each Sephora Perfection Mist Foundation is a standalone product – no airbrush gun required. Each aerosol canister costs about $28 for 2.5-oz, and you can choose from a half-dozen shades (tailored towards those with lighter skin tones). This makeup is designed for spraying directly on the face, and you can further blend it in with the brand’s brushes.

What’s nice about these foundations is that you can try our airbrushing without committing to an expensive application system. Likewise, you’ll pay less for each shade than for the Luminess foundation, which is approximately $44 per half an ounce.

The Temptu system is a closer comparison to Luminess. The company offers more than two dozen shades ($36 per ounce) that go with the company’s airbrush kits. These start at $195 for a basic system and go up to $395 for the Deluxe Airbrush Kit, which includes eyeshadows and dozens of foundation shades. Customer reviews for this system average four stars on Amazon, and we like that you can buy it off the company website without signing up for a trial program or auto-ship subscription.

Key Takeaway:
Both Sephora and Temptu offer airbrush foundation systems for less money per ounce than Luminess and with a more transparent pricing system. Unless you already know that you love airbrushing and don’t mind signing up for reoccurring payments, we suggest considering one of these brands instead of Luminess Air.

The Bottom Line: Is It Worth It?

Luminess Air promises to transform your makeup application process by making it easy to achieve airbrushed perfection at home. However, this brand comes up short due to its high cost and confusing pricing plan.

Negative customer reviews for this product indicate that many people don’t realize they are signing up for a “rent to try” program with their first payment and that they will need to pay far more in the coming months to keep the system. If you aren’t happy with your purchase, this initial cost is nonrefundable.

Luminess Air might still be worth considering if other, cheaper options weren’t available. But there are better ways to start airbrushing your makeup at home, and we suggest you try one of these brands instead unless you already know that you love Luminess cosmetic products and aren’t afraid to commit to them financially.

Customer Reviews

1.6 Stars out of 282 Reviews
5 Star:10% 4 Star:2% 3 Star:0% 2 Star:6% 1 Star:79%
15% Recommend This Company
Start your review of Luminess Air:
Sort Reviews By

Posted on Dec 20, 2023

Worst gimmick eve

By Yvette H., Arkansas, Verified Reviewer

They make you think it's soooo good, and easy to try before you buy it, charge you to have it sent to you. Then when you get it and if you're not happy with it, they absolutely won't contact you back to try to return the product, and they then want to charge you a lot to restock the product back to them! WHAT? By the time you take a chance on this product, you're going to be out almost $40, and they will bill you $49.00 for the can of foundation itself so you might as well take the loss and keep the product and take the loss! It's really unfortunate that they do things like this. Customer service is literally everything today; if your company has terrible customer service, I honestly don't care how good your product is...you don't stand behind your product customers and they should be very important to you to, but you absolutely aren't in any way whatsoever. I hope more people read these reviews and are super cautious before trying this under these circumstances because you make it almost impossible to return it or do it without it costing you out the entire cost anyway and returning you your product.

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Pros and Cons

Color was a good match

Packaging was good

Like paint out of a spray can doesn't blend well, dries super-fast

They don't reply to any emails or anything to try to get help to return product

Charge you to restock product

Poor customer service

Posted on Oct 3, 2023

Auto-ship robbery

By Susan B., Tucson, AZ, Verified Reviewer

The auto-ship policy is robbery. I told them no additional product via auto-ship. Turns out that if you cancel auto-ship you no longer are eligible for the sale price. Is this legal?

I was on the phone for an hour 24 hours ago. They agreed to drop the $60 penalty and defer the remaining payments until the end of October and November. Now, 24 hours later, they have charged my bank another 50 bucks. Had I dreamt the conversation? Now I've got to go to my bank in person to cancel authorization. No big deal unless, like me, you've got cancer and find it painful and embarrassing to be in public. I can't get around without pain and I'm bald. I just wanted something to help me feel a tiny bit better about life, and then this crap happens.

What I should do is brave thru canceling the authorization of their charges and then let nature take over. I'm not expected to live much longer due to my diagnosis. Good luck squeezing blood from this dead turnip. Let your lawyers make a claim against my non-existent estate for their $200 of blood money. Hopefully, it will cost them 5 times more in lawyers fees. I feel mishandled by the dirty hands of this company. Raped, if you will.

Starting today until I pass I'm making it my mission to find every online review site and share their criminal policies to whoever will listen. I just wanted something to help me feel better about my life. Now my finances are in total disarray. My bank account is overdrawn and I've got a shroud of worry over me, wondering what I'm going to do about money. Sure, it's less than 200 bucks but, because I can't work that 200 bucks may as well be 2 million. I feel buried prematurely because of this company and I get the distinct feeling they don't care. So now neither do I. It's a shame that something nice I tried to do for myself has been hijacked and turned into a financial nightmare for me in my last days alive.

Thanks for nothing, Luminess.

Length of Use: 2+ years

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Pros and Cons

No “pros” were specified in this review

That they're allowed to treat their customers so poorly for money

That they exist

Posted on Aug 21, 2022

Scam

By Brandy M., Pennsylvania, Verified Reviewer

After requesting my auto delivery be canceled (this can only be done by phone and not online) the company made unauthorized charges to my account. A second request was made to cancel and delete my account was made because online it still showed auto-deliveries set up. The Representative confirmed they had not been canceled. Received email confirmation of cancelation following 2nd phone call.

Third attempt was made via email to have account canceled and deleted. The account still remained open and still showed auto-delivery set up. Another phone call to customer service was made to again delete the account and ensure all deliveries were deleted.

Total scam. Do not purchase anything from this company. They lie about canceling hoping people won't notice reoccurring charges.

The product is awful anyway, not at all like described in commercials!

Poor customer service. How many requests does it take to cancel?

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Pros and Cons

No “pros” were specified in this review

Customer service

Product

Account cancelation

Helpful Review? 1 Person Has Voted

Posted on Aug 20, 2022

I have never been as dupes, taken advantage of, and just flat out lied to like I have with this company!

By Dominique M., Muskegon, MI, Verified Reviewer

Let me just begin by saying that for four years I waited, debated, and thought about purchasing this product. And let me be honest. Not because I wait or am that thorough about ANY product! But because of my own circumstances, hardships, and just life's own crap – it took me that long to actually purchase the product. But wow, oh wowser. When I saw this ad on TV, I was hooked. OMG, to see those before and after shots, man, sign me up! All this for $39.95 with a coupon code (SAVE50) that brought it to $19.95.

Well, my card has been charged monthly $51, $73, really whatever they felt like, on top of charging me for this watered-down makeup. Then he asks, "Would you like an IN-STORE credit?" So you just take my money every month without telling me (of course they claim all of that was disclosed in the advertisement). No wonder why they primarily advertise at night, while people are going to bed, and late at night when most people are shutting down for the day. So, before you buy, please, please, please ask questions! Lots of questions, and clarity!

Thanks for listening!

Length of Use: 3–6 months

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Pros and Cons

No “pros” were specified in this review

Lies

Took my money

Misled

Posted on Jul 31, 2022

Can't cancel

By Donna G., Rocky Top, TN, Verified Reviewer

I have been trying to cancel my subscription to no avail. When you call this company they talk you out of canceling. So I email them. Supposedly they canceled it last month, but today I've been charged again for the bottle of makeup. I'm so tired of trying to cancel I don't know what else to do. Maybe giving them a crappy review.

Length of Use: 1–2 years

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Pros and Cons

No “pros” were specified in this review

Not being able to cancel subscription.

Helpful Review? 1 Person Has Voted

Posted on Jun 2, 2022

I love my new air brush

By Maribel M., Manchester NH, Verified Reviewer

I am really happy with the make-up and everything works great.

Covers my freckles and age spots. I can't believe I found the perfect foundation for my face.

I have nothing negative with my order and my perfect foundation.

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Pros and Cons

TV

Online

Friend

No “cons” were specified in this review

Posted on Feb 21, 2022

Limitations, can't use other products that worked for you

By Annie M. , Montevallo, AL

I have products that are a perfect match for my completion. However, I can't use those due to fear of damaging the air-brush instrument. Additionally, the cosmetics color my eyebrows and lashes although I am using cosmetic paper. Hence, I am trying to return the products, but all of my phone calls are dropped by Luminess Air. I am very frustrated!

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Pros and Cons

No “pros” were specified in this review

The limitations regarding the use of other products

Helpful Review? 1 Person Has Voted

Posted on Feb 1, 2022

Non-existent customer service

By Douglas M., Raleigh, NC, Verified Reviewer

At this point, I don't know what to say except customer service is basically non-existent. Integrity and transparency issues when it comes to time frames and billing. This company will get what they deserve in the end; publically shamed, sued, and filing bankruptcy, unless they make drastic changes, real soon, like yesterday!

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Pros and Cons

The concept

The marketing

The promises

Deceptive

Customer service

Pricing/upselling

Helpful Review? 3 People Have Voted

Posted on Jul 23, 2021

My Luminess experience

By Selina S. , Fresno, CA

I bought my Luminess last year online and was over-charged, in one day they charged me twice, not once but twice, and when I called to cancel my membership, I was charged one more time. I didn't have a problem with them until today, a year later, they charged me again. Not a $20 Luminess, it has cost me more than $300. Not worth it, never will I use their crap!

Length of Use: 1–2 years

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Helpful Review? 7 People Have Voted

Posted on Mar 21, 2021

They don't warranty their stylus, broke within a month

By Keli H. , Montana

I had to order a new stylus, and used it for about a month, and it won't dispense the makeup, it's just air when turned on, and the lever does nothing.

Was told there is no warranty, mainly because I had stopped auto-shipment, which is another major rip-off!

Length of Use: 2+ years

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Pros and Cons

Started out ok, but started having machine issues, and had to mix makeups to get right color

The stylus does not hold up to less than daily use, it quits working with the lever...just "air"

They do not stand behind their malfunctioning product

Had to mix colors makeups to get right color for me, so was sent several that won't work for me, was a waste of money to pay for something I can't use

Helpful Review? 4 People Have Voted

Posted on Jan 18, 2021

Should have bought from Amazon to get a full refund

By Jessica T., Las Vegas, NV, Verified Reviewer

The airbrush machine itself is great. I had an allergic reaction to the makeup and then a rare asthmatic reaction because of airbrushing. The thing is if I had bought it through Amazon instead of Luminess's actual website, I could have returned without a headache. There is a penalty of a restocking fee and if there is a cost to ship it back, I will find out shortly when I get to the post office. Then their disclosure that if it breaks during shipment I am fully responsible. I stopped listening because I realized I'm screwed. Wish I could just keep it and use it. It put makeup on great. Now I just have a bad taste in my mouth.

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Pros and Cons

Payment plan

Return policy

Makeup itself including mascara, eyeshadow, and lip gloss

Helpful Review? 6 People Have Voted
Showing 1-11 of 282

Our Promise to You

In order to safeguard you and ensure helpfulness and relevance, our compliance team manually assess every customer review before it goes live.

We have a zero-tolerance policy for fake reviews, and companies cannot control or alter any reviews at any time.