ONE day life was good. All it took was concealer for my under-eye circles, a swoosh of bronzer, and I was out the door. I wore no foundation, and I had no qualms.

Then the Temptu airbrush makeup system came into my life. Sort of like a gun that blows a mist of foundation, it promised to make my skin flawless. According to its manufacturer, it had made the faces of the “Stepford Wives” look porcelain smooth (if creepily perfect) in the 2004 remake, and it routinely makes movie stars and television anchors ready for high-definition close-ups.

What did I have to lose but my rosy chin?

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

So it has come to this: I’m holding the slender sprayer four inches from my face, misting it with No. 008 honey foundation, in our cramped bathroom. I make small circles in the air to coat my face evenly and look as natural as possible. The machine whirrs as loudly as a vacuum.