okay Bath and Spa is the way to go if any humidity will be in the room... without getting to scientific, the surface of the paint actually accepts the moisture and spreads it along the surface, resulting in no sweat marks after a shower... the result of which is a beautiful matte finish all the time, without the water marks... the regular aura while outstanding paint, does not do this, it simply rejects the water and seals the surface much like a traditional semi-gloss... not that I think there would ever be a problem here, but for the same price your better off with the aura designed for humidity. so far as the foundation coat is concerned when you order your paint the retailer should get a warning on their computer if the color you order requires a foundation coat, but in theory yes three coats would work just fine... Or instead of purchasing an expensive foundation product (think it's close to $50 for a gallon) you could just use a deep base primer and have it tinted toward the color you need. also the big rule with aura is to get it on the wall, it does a lot of the work for you, you just gotta keep moving... And about the quick drying... keep in mind this is an east coast product, where humidity is high... in dry areas this paint WILL dry extremely quick.

Hunzi, I've spec'd and painted with Aura and ICI mixed FS a lot. Rarely do I spec or use anything but those two. I like ICI's LifeMaster in eggshell. It, IMO, has a comparable *hand* to Aura Matte. ICI's Velvet Sheen and LifeMaster are similar to SW's Super Paint in that just about anyone can paint with them and end up successful -- they are very DIY friendly. Can't say that about Aura. It takes a certain knack and many DIYers (and painters) have to rethink and then adjust how they brush and roll the paint. There are several threads about that on here already. When it comes to color, there is nothing like full spectrum. Nothing. FS is an age old topic around here. Full spectrum mixed in Aura paint would indeed be it-on-a-stick and then some. Don't see that happening any time soon. :-D Affinity is the name of the color palette designed to go with the Aura paint. There are 22 colorants. Having had a handful of *regular* colors mixed in Aura I can say that 22 colorants does give the mixer person a better shot at getting a good match, but 22 colorants in the wrong hands can be about 20 colorants too many. As we all know from the years and years of full spectrum color discussions, it's as much about how all those colorants are balanced and mixed together as it is about the actual number used. Once you gets passed the basic spectral seven, one has to question what is necessary -- if ya need more representation in a color than the basic seven, maybe it's time to revisit color mixing philosophy and/or skills... or, maybe not. IMO, more is not always better. Which leads me to my critique of Affinity colors. They are rich, they are complex, they are pretty, they can have an edge of deadness and a feel of limited dimension. They are not full spectrum color. Having *regular* color mixed via Affinity processes can leave you with a can of paint that looks *puddled* with colorant, overworked, overdone. Totally depends on the color. Restraint with all that color power at one's fingertips is paramount. Doubtful that there are too many other people on the planet who would share that opinion with me. A lot of people really want Aura to be it-on-a-stick, all that and a bag o'chips in its own right. I think it's great stuff, lots of positives, but it does not hold all the allure and wonder of color to be had in the universe. Just like every other brand, it has pluses and minuses. At the end of the day, having to make the decision between Aura paint and full spectrum color is a pretty darn great place to be!

Several years back we painted our DR with BM Aura in a yellow color and it took 3 coats over a white paint. At that time it was $50/gallon. Now that we are painting the LR/Foyer/hall, I have a difficult time swallowing $70/gallon for it now. Instead, I decided on the BM Regal Select and I love it. It glided on so nicely and we had no issued with it at all. DH even mentioned how nice of a paint it is. And it took just two coats over the exact same white paint that was in the DR where the Aura needed 3 coats. I choose Beach Glass eggshell and it looks gorgeous on the walls. This color is GORGEOUS. Also, the Regal has a good drying time, but, it didn't seem to dry quite as fast as Aura, IMO, which was a plus. BM Regal Select will be my go-to paint for now on.

Will it be exact - no. Will it make a difference? Probably not. Human perception of color is dependent both on the color and the reflectivity of a surface, so as soon as you change sheen it looks lighter or darker. Paint color is also not mixed identically - every can of paint can be ever so slightly different than the next - this is why professional painters mix the cans together before painting and never let one can completely run out before mixing in a new can. Temperature and dry time changes the color of paint - the quicker it dries the lighter it is. Again, not enough that most people notice unless they are trying to patch a wall and the paint isn't drying the same color as before. If the entire job is going to be done in either Aura or another BM paint it won't make enough of a difference that anyone would notice.