SPRING Colors... it's a jungle out there!

Everyone wants to know how to manouver around the confusing world of spring colors.  How do you know if these shades aren't right for you?  Easy - you'll know when you’re at the makeup counter and try them!  Spring color introductions should be viewed as a guide, not gospel.  If you don’t like a color or a shade isn’t flattering, then don’t wear it.  The fashion police are more likely to site you if you blindly wear shades that don’t suit you. 

Seasonal colors don’t work for everyone, but generally they create a ‘feeling’, or trend, for the season.  The FACE atelier Golden Rule is to always adapt the trend to your style.  Understand the story behind the colors, and then adjust the shades to fit your personal preferences.  For example, a bold red lip graced a lot of runways during Spring 2008 New York Fashion Week.  Andrea Claire Walmsley, a key FACE Atelier Pro Team member, uses FACE Atelier lipstick in Red Fuchsia to herald the return of lipstick and bold colors to spring.  But the story for Spring 2008 is about ‘bold’, as much as it is about ‘red’.  If a red lip’s not your thing, adjust it to a shade you like; perhaps a strong plum or peach or pink, but keep it bold if you choose follow the trend.  Voila – you’re following the trend, while retaining your individual style without becoming a fashion victim.  

The rule of thumb, says Andrea, is to apply contrasting colors to your skin tone.  Therefore, if you have light olive skin, you avoid similar shades that will only serve to emphasize the green in your skin.  Choose a contrasting color, such as a light peach or violet.  For example, this spring there is an emphasis on metallics.   Olive tone skin would look lovely with the spring violets, such as FACE atelier Purple Haze Eye Shadow or Shimmer in Aubergine, a lovely eggplant colour.  As for the spring neutrals – there’s always a neutral color palette for spring – olive skin requires a depth of color.  A lot of light neutrals will get lost on an olive complexion.  You need to choose neutral shades that are a bit darker and have more golden-brown shades to complement an olive complexion.  Snake Eyes, a green-brown Shimmer, is one of Andrea’s faves, as it suits all skin tones. Because of the duo-tone, it works beautifully on everyone.

Paler skin is better suited to lighter neutrals and blue shades, such as turquoise. We’d recommend for FACEatelier Cerulean Ice Eye Shadow or Shimmer in Champagne.  Everyone looks lovely in gold tones but they really light up women with darker skin tones or women of color.  FACE atelier eye shadows in Bullion and Copper are what we call a sure thing for almost any complexion, and are a lovely complement to darker skin tones.

Another important guideline for all women, especially in the spring – is to keep it simple.  Bold colors don’t mean that you need to look heavily made up.  Pick your poison.  If you choose a dramatic lip, then lighten up on the eyes.  And visa versa.  We always recommend that the cheeks have a naturally flushed look.  A peachy-pink blush, like Peach Glaze from FACE atelier, complements almost any complexion, and especially light to dark olive skin tones.

Silicone:  FACE atelier's Secret Weapon

No single class of materials has had such an impact on modern cosmetic formulation as the silicones.  Explains two-time Emmy award winning makeup artist Kevin James Bennett, "silicones’ unique properties have completely redefined the performance and look of modern makeup."  Women today are bombarded by products claiming benefits that are at best, exaggerated, and at worst, deceptive and untruthful.  Unlike many cosmetic ingredients, such as most herbal extracts or vitamins (whose main appeal is their name and picture on the label, as opposed to functionality), silicones are added to cosmetics simply because they work.  

Silicones – a substance derived from silica (sand is a silica) - made their first appearance in cosmetic formulations in the early 1990’s, proving particularly useful in liquid makeup.  They quickly become ubiquitous in color cosmetics because of their multifunctional properties.  The unique fluid properties of silicone give it a great deal of slip and in it’s various forms feels like silk on the skin. It imparts emolliency, and significantly enhances a product’s lifespan and effectiveness.  In emulsions, like Ultra Foundation, silicones give a soft, smooth product that is pleasant to apply and, in the case of cyclomethicones, imparts a unique skin feel.  They are naturally water resistant while absorbing sebum (the oily substance produced by certain glands in the skin), thus reducing skin shine. 

And yes - products with silicone really are non-comedogenic.  Dermatologist Dr. Zoe Diana Draelos, Clinical Associate Professor of Dermatology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, highlights an additional benefit of silicones.   She recommends that women, and particularly those with sensitive skins, choose a liquid foundation with a silicone base because silicones have a very low incidence of skin irritation, and are proven to not cause acne.  When used properly in a formula, they also help liquid foundations form a lightweight and flexible second skin.  Consequently, silicone-based foundations are ideal for mature or troubled skin, as the emulsion floats on the skin, rather than settling in fine lines and wrinkles.  Further, the size of silicone molecules is larger than human pores, preventing them from settling into pores upon application.  The best of these products are age-neutral, meeting the needs of consumers ranging from teenagers suffering from acne to maturing women dealing with the changing needs of aging skin.

The use of silicone has also revolutionized pressed and loose powder products.  That is why silicone can be found in all of FACE atelier's Ultra Powders, Blush and Bronzers. The addition of silicone creates a longer-lasting product that neither creases nor looks cakey.  The pigments in these products are surrounded by the silicones, enabling them to go on smoothly while at the same time creating a barrier between the powder and the skin.  Unlike a talc-based product that falls into creases or skin imperfections, these powders float on the surface of the skin.  The silicones create a cushion between the powder and the skin, no longer emphasizing fine lines and wrinkles. 

Dedicated to innovation as opposed to duplication, FACE atelier has taken the use of silicone to another level, using it in our formulations for Lip Glaze, Sculpt Mascara and Camouflage Duets.  The result?  More high perfomring, long lasting products that represent the next generation is cosmetic formulation.