Monday, July 21, 2008

3 Custom Color Specialists

I got an inquiry today about a discontinued lipstick, and I thought of 3 Custom Color Specialists. I first read about them in Real Simple and have been subscribed to their emailing list for a quite a long time now. I guess I never really paid any attention to any of the emails I was getting, that is, until the inquiry I received today.

The anonymous reader asked me about a discontinued Lancome lipstick, Le Rouge Absolu Creme in Rosiere, which I reviewed several months ago. She wanted to know where she could find more of it since Lancome no longer carries the line or the color. The very first thing I thought of was 3 Custom Color Specialists. Why? Because, true to the brand name, they make custom color cosmetics! Nifty, huh? Do you have a lipstick, gloss, eye shadow, blush, you name it piece of cosmetic you love so much but is no longer available on the face of this planet? Like wise, do you have a color you wish they'd make in a lipstick, gloss, eye shadow, blush, you name it piece of cosmetic? If so, check out the Custom Blending section on their website!

For a discontinued cosmetic item, you have 2 options:
1. Search their archive under each category of lipstick, conceiler, eye shadow, powder, nail polish, blush, etc., using a brand name (like Lancome) and a shade name (like Rosiere). If the discontinued item you love is made by a mainstream brand, chances are someone else before you have already requested the shade and your search will yield a match, meaning 3 Custom Color already have the color and formular on file. All you have to do then is order it!
2. Send in a dime size sample or the actual item (or what's left of it) in its packaging. It will be returned to you along with its clone!

For a color you wish to customize into a special cosmetic item just for you, you can send in a sample of the color in the form of "a splash of nail color in a baggie, a piece of fabric, a paint chip, a photo from a magazine, two lips colors blended together to create the ideal shade...anything!" - or so the website says. For those who love personalized things, this can be great fun!

Whether you are recreating a beloved item or customizing a special item, there are options for packaging (wand applicator, pot, or tube), texture/finishes (matte, semi-matte, creamy, sheer, gloss), and/or add on for special effects (shimmers versus opalescent).

No, I'm not working for 3 Custom Color, nor do I get any commission here, I just think the service they offer is kinda cool! And actually, there are several other indie cosmetic brands that offer this service as well, but the only one I could think of is 3 Custom Color. I've always taken this sort of things for granted, of course, because I'm not a loyal lover of any specific color or cosmetic item, but that doesn't mean everyone else has a short attention span like me. Also, another draw back for me is the price. With 3 Custom Color, you'll have to order a minimum of 2 units of whatever cosmetic item you're trying to replicate or create, for $55 for the first 2, and $18.50 for each additional unit. A bit pricey, I know, although it's still a lot cheaper than many high end brands. So I guess no duplicating or creating anything for me...yet... :P

However, with all that said I am eyeing several things from 3 Custom Color, as they do offer their own makeup collections and whatnot:

- Light Brights Lipsticks: I've got to have these lipsticks - see how bright yet translucent, sheer, simple and uncomplicated they are? I can almost see right through them - awesome!!! They are available in 4 super sheer but buildable neon pop shades: a tangerine (Area), warm coral red (Danceteria), "pinky peach" according to the website (Limelight), and cool berrish hot pink (Palladium). And best of all, they can also be used as a cheek stain. That's it, they are ALL mine. Mine!!!!


- Light Brights High Shine Gloss: Same concept and colors as the lipstick above, only in a gloss, and a lovely one at that. They have none of that shimmery or opalescent mess, and they are also very mine! I'm a total sucker for simple translucent glosses :D

***Pictures from 3 Custom Color Specialists.

- Lip & Cheek Stains: these are "dewey and balm-like," the website says. Whatever, 2 of the warm shades sold me so it doesn't really matter what the website says LOL. I'm so in love with Poppy (bright orange) and Mom on the Go (bright yellow-based red).

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm liking the lipsticks, but I'm far too pasty to pull them off, sadly.

D. said...

Hi mandypandy,

actually, i think those pop colors will look really awesome on fair skin. also, the lipsticks are supposed to be really sheer, like a balm with a tint of color but is buildable if you want more pigment. perhaps you should try the gloss version?

i LOVE sheer lipsticks!

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