Coty Airspun Powder Review + a History Lesson!

Written by GirlChickBetty in face,makeup,powder

Coty Airspun has been a staple makeup product in countless beauty junkies collections for literal decades for good reason! A quality loose powder is one of the most important tools in your makeup kit whether you are a beauty guru or just starting out in the world of makeup! Keep reading to learn all about the origins of this tried and true powder and my in-depth Coty Airspun Powder review.

Coty Airspun Powder Review

This post contains affiliate links. If something is purchased through my link it will send some spare change my way that will goes towards keeping this slice of the internet up and running.

What is Coty Airspun Loose Powder?

Coty Airspun Loose Powder is an extremely finely milled loose powder that comes in shades ranging from translucent to very tan. The name “Airspun” actually describes how the powder is spun into such a fine texture! You can buy it at almost every drugstore or grocery store. It’s very cheap online as well (I buy mine here). Prices range from $5-10 in-store and I’ve seen it as low as $3 online!

Airspun was launched way back in 1935 to jump on the “Bite Test” phenomenon that was sweeping the nation. Lady Esther (the best selling cosmetic company in the US at the time) had launched an advertising campaign that urged women to use the ‘bite test’ to see if their powder contained ‘grit’.

Take a pinch of your powder and place it between your front teeth. Bring your teeth down on it and grind firmly. If there is any trace of grit in the powder it will be as instantly detectable as sand in spinach.

(Lady Esther advertisement, 1935)

In 1934, Coty patented a manufacturing process using air-powered micronisers and promptly created their iconic line of “Airspun” powders.

“Imagine! A powder buffed by rushing torrents of air! Swirled in a fantastic snow-storm! Spun and driven until it reaches a softness and a smoothness never equaled by any other face powder!” There are countless vintage advertising campaigns for Airpsun that have piled up over the very many years it has been on the market. Going through Coty’s Twitter feed and seeing all their #throwbackthursday posts was very entertaining while I researched into the backstory of Coty.

I’d buy a poster of that advertising campaign above! Click the video below if you want to learn more about the manufacturing process and Coty’s fascinating origin story:

Now back to the modern-day version of Airpsun! This powder comes in six shades:

  • Naturally Neutral
  • Rosey Beige
  • Translucent
  • Suntan
  • Honey Beige
  • Translucent Extra Coverage

The only difference between Translucent and Translucent Extra Coverage is that the powder color is very slightly darker. Both versions are still very translucent and will work on any skin shade. I’ve used both versions and don’t have a strong preference towards either. I don’t feel that the extra coverage version actually makes a difference in pigmentation.

Is it a dupe for Laura Mercier Translucent Powder?

Coty Airspun is definitely a formidable dupe for the high-end cult classic Laura Mercier Translucent Powder. Laura Mercier is $39.00 for 1 oz of product while Airspun retails $5-10 for 2.3 oz depending on the shade/store. Amazon has the best pricing that I have been able to track down.

The only two differences between these products are the scent and tint. Airspun has that iconic floral scent while Laura Mercier is unscented. It is also a slightly warmer yellow-toned powder in the pan, but once the powders are applied to the skin it’s impossible to tell the difference when applied side by side.

If you have extremely sensitive skin or just dislike highly fragranced products you’re better off with the Laura Mercier but otherwise, Airspun is an amazing alternative that will save you a lot of money in the long run.

Fluke of Makeup posted a 9-hour wear test with both powders which you can watch below if you’d like to see these in action:

Coty Airspun Powder Review: Packaging Pros and Cons

Airspun comes in a 2.3 oz plastic container with a perforated divider/lid and a powder puff. Airspun is an extremely fine powder so the container can easily get messy but that’s unavoidable when working with such a finely milled powder.

I personally use a powder brush and threw the powder puff out because the cottony texture of the puff picks up an insane amount of powder. If you do a lot of heavy baking in your makeup routine the powder puff may be a good option but otherwise, it’s best to stick with a traditional brush.

Coty Airspun Powder Review Packaging Pros and Cons

This packaging setup has a very deep lid which makes it easy to pick up powder on your brush and then swirl it in the lid to knock off excess product before applying it to the face.

How does it perform?

This is a great powder to wear alone, for setting everyday makeup or baking an all-out glam look. This is actually the powder I wore on my wedding day so that really lets you know how much I adore this product!

It doesn’t kick up flashback during photography and gives all-day oil control. I’ve used Coty Airspun for over eight years (during some of my more oily teenage years in particular) and it’s carried me through oil slick skin days and also looks great on my now dry skin type. It doesn’t cling to trouble spots like other powders and is fine enough to set the under-eye area without emphasizing fine lines.

The literal only con I have in regards to this product is the heavy scent. It has a very noticeable floral fragrance during application but this quickly fades and is not noticeable later on in the day. I personally don’t find it offensive, it’s actually almost a nostalgic scent and brings back memories of rifling through older relatives makeup collections as a child. But if you can’t handle perfumed products you may want to opt for a scent-free powder.

Scentless Airspun Alternatives:

If you want a scentless budget-friendly loose powder the NYC Smooth Skin Loose Face Powder has been a staple in my beauty stash for many years as well.

My current go-to powder is actually the NYX HD Finishing Powder in Mint Green (it’s great at minimizing redness). I very rarely wear a full face of makeup nowadays, 10 step skincare routines are more my jam. If you aren’t trying to heavily bake your makeup give this NYX Powder a try!

Recent Posts