The first time I used Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs wasn’t exactly intentional. I found a dusty can of it in my mom’s bathroom sometime in high school. At the time, I had a school dance coming up, and the promise of instantly “perfect” legs sounded appealing enough to ignore the five-year-old expiration date. I went full force, spraying mountains of product to achieve a glow that could only be described as aggressively bronze. In hindsight, my technique was far from perfect, but even then, I understood the appeal of a little strategic leg-blurring.
Fast forward to today, and leg makeup—along with body makeup in general—is having a bit of a renaissance. Not that it ever fully disappeared. Makeup artists have quietly relied on it for decades to perfect the look of legs before celebrities step onto red carpets. Celebrity makeup artist Elayna Bachman says products like Airbrush Legs remain a staple backstage because they create a subtle “pantyhose-like effect,” instantly smoothing the look of skin. “The type of imperfections that cover easily with leg makeup are bug bites, uneven patchy sunless tanner, veins, and light bruising,” she says.
Naturally, that made me want to revisit my old favorite. While Sally Hansen has expanded the Airbrush Legs family over the years to include illuminators and self-tanners, the core of the line still revolves around two classic body makeup formulas: the spray and the lotion. So, in the name of nostalgia—and smoother-looking legs—I decided to test both formulas to see if the old-school beauty trick still holds up today.
Sally Hansen
Airbrush Legs Leg Makeup Lotion
Sally Hansen
Airbrush Legs Leg Makeup Spray
Contents
The Formula
Both versions of Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs function less like a self-tanner and more like a body foundation. Instead of developing color over time, the formulas use pigments to instantly tint the skin and blur things like veins, freckles, and uneven tone. The effect is immediate and temporary, meaning it washes off with soap and water at the end of the day.
To create that smooth, slightly airbrushed finish, both formulas rely on silicones. These ingredients help the pigment spread evenly across the skin while diffusing the look of texture—similar to the way silicone makeup primers soften the appearance of pores on the face. The formulas also include moisturizing ingredients such as panthenol, glycerin, and vitamin E to prevent the product from feeling overly dry.
The biggest difference between the two comes down to delivery. The spray uses an aerosol propellant to disperse the pigment as a lightweight mist for quick application, while the lotion is a cream you blend directly onto the skin. The finish, in my opinion, is nearly identical, but the choice between the two depends on your preferred application method.
The Shades
Compared to a modern foundation lineup—which can easily reach 30 or more shades—the Airbrush Legs range is relatively small. The lotion comes in five shades, from Fair Glow to Deep Glow, while the spray offers six shades across a similar spectrum.
Normally, fewer shades would be a drawback. But Airbrush Legs behaves differently from traditional complexion makeup. The pigment goes on sheer and buildable, so the tones are designed to diffuse across multiple skin depths rather than match perfectly as a foundation would. A slightly deeper shade can create a subtle bronzing effect, while a closer match simply evens out discoloration without looking like obvious makeup. During my testing, I noticed that the shades run darker than expected. As someone with light-to-medium olive skin, the shade Light would carry me through the summer, even at my tannest.
Bachman says that versatility is exactly why the product remains a red-carpet staple. “I love reaching for Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs for my girlies on the red carpet,” she says. “Even for my lightest ladies or my deepest of dames, it gives a beautiful pantyhose-like effect, blurring any flaws quickly and easily.”
How to Prep and Apply Leg Makeup
To get the smoothest, most natural-looking finish, Bachman says prep and application order make all the difference. Here’s how she recommends doing it:
Prep the Skin First
- “The best way to prep the skin for leg makeup is to shave, exfoliate, and lotion—if you have time,” says Bachman.
- Let the moisturizer fully absorb while you do your hair and makeup. (“If you don’t have time for lotion to absorb into the skin, it’s best to skip this step.”)
Apply in Layers for the Most Natural Finish
- Bachman prefers the spray formula: “My favorite way to apply leg makeup is with the spray bottle.”
- Ensure your skin is dry, as applying leg makeup to dry skin helps keep the product from transferring onto clothing or furniture.
- First, blend it in with your hands, then lightly buff another thin layer with a brush to smooth everything out.
Set It Like a Pro
- Her red carpet trick: “A cheeky little spritz of non-sticky hairspray is a nice way to set it.”
Before using Sally Hansen Airbrush Lotion, I had a very uneven and streaky spray tan—particularly at my wrist. After applying the product, it totally evened it out and blended everything in. (Using shade Light.)
(Image credit: Future)
The Takeaway
Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs is one of those beauty products that refuses to retire—and honestly, fair. When it first launched, the idea of drugstore body makeup that could blur veins, bug bites, and questionable self-tanner in seconds actually felt pretty revolutionary. Before that, leg makeup was mostly something you saw in professional makeup kits—on red carpets, editorial shoots, or in theater dressing rooms—not in the drugstore aisle.
Today, there are a million new body products promising glow, blur, bronze, or all three at once, but sometimes going back to an old-school classic just makes sense. A few sprays or pumps give legs that subtle “good lighting” effect—smoother and a little more even. It’s not meant to replace self-tanner or body care entirely, but on days when your legs need a little extra help (or you’re wearing a dress and suddenly noticing every bruise you didn’t know you had), it’s a surprisingly convincing shortcut. Sometimes the classics stick around for a reason. Turns out my mom—and every red carpet makeup artist—was onto something.
Why Trust Marie Claire
For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion, and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.
Meet the Expert
Elayna Bachman is a highly acclaimed makeup artist with a passion for enhancing natural beauty. With a decade of experience in the industry, Elayna has graced the covers of prestigious magazines such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Elle. Originally from New York, Elayna is now based in Los Angeles, where she continues to leave her mark on the world of beauty and inspire others to embrace their true selves fearlessly.
