Articles

Apr 7, 2008 - Color Cosmetic Trends for 2008 by Nick Morante

I am sure many of you have seen some of the upcoming spring 2008 collections. Apart from returning colors like pink and beige, it seems that cool tones will be popular once again. Two major makeup trends for Spring 2008 will be Blue Eye Color and Lilac Eye Color...
Jan 1, 2008 - The Future of Active Ingredients in Lip Products by Nick Morante

Whether we refer to a lipstick, lip gloss, lip liner or even a lip pencil, there are ingredients that can be added to these products for which claims can be made to enhance the functionality and positioning of these products. In the old days, which were not so very long ago, the only claims aside from the deposit of vibrant fashionable seasonal colors, were to deliver moisturization and emolliency to keep the lips smooth and healthy looking...
Dec 26, 2007 - Lead in Lipsticks? by Nick Morante

From time to time I have the pleasure of receiving e-mails and other types of notifications warning me as well as other readers to beware of certain cosmetic products as they contain (or are made) with things that are considered harmful to humans. I say I take pleasure in it because I am quite amused at what I read...
Nov 29, 2007 - New powders for skin care products and foundations by Patricia Lemann

Even if powder particles are commonly known and used in make-up products, it is slightly different for skin care products. Skin care product formulators are aware of possible destabilisation of the interface oil/water of emulsions, dispersion problems in the formulation, re-agglomeration over time or unpleasant feelings on application, when added powders in their sophisticated emulsions...
Nov 8, 2007 - Colorants Used in the Japanese Market by Nick Morante

Natural colorants are slowly replacing synthetic dyes and lakes in the Japanese cosmetics and personal care market as they are in the European Union. Not so much in the United States because of the current color additive laws that are in place. Ingredients can be used but cannot be claimed as colorants...
Nov 8, 2007 - Formulating Sticks for Various Cosmetic Applications by Nick Morante

The use of sticks for various cosmetic applications is a very important in delivering various product functions within this product segment. Sticks are just another variety of product which can be used as a tool that can be used to deliver specialty ingredients, actives, sunscreens and other OTC drugs and of course color. They are just vehicles to deliver these ingredients and only vary in their hardness and ability to properly dispense or deliver the desired amount of whatever ingredient they are designed to deliver. If one were to put an actual definition on what a stick, is it would have to be considered first and foremost a specific type of delivery system...
Oct 25, 2007 - Interview with George Hammer, founder of Urban Retreat and U R Beautiful by Imogen Matthews

George Hammer could be described as a visionary. He was the man who brought Jane Fonda's aerobic dance concept from California to London in 1975, pioneering the fitness craze that is still in full swing today...
Oct 19, 2007 - Color Cosmetics for the Holidays by Nick Morante

Every year it seems that the holidays show off some special color schemes even though we thought we were all done with color launches and everyone is anxiously waiting for the spring roll-out. Usually autumn brings a deepening and darkening of the hues that we saw in summer.
Oct 10, 2007 - Keeping Skin Bright and Young Looking with Color Cosmetics by Nick Morante

Makeup and other decorative color cosmetic products with ingredients that can add illumination to the skin will help keep the skin bright and younger looking...
Oct 9, 2007 - Creative Visual Effects for Decorative Cosmetics by Nick Morante

There have been some creative visual effects for decorative cosmetic products presented to the industry on a regular basis. Some of these effects can come from products which can match or be duplicated from existing patterns as on a dress, shirt or other garment...
Oct 5, 2007 - Photonic Makeup that Mimics Real Life Visual Effects by Nick Morante

It has been suggested to me that photonics could be used to create makeup, photonic makeup that mimics the colors on a butterfly's wings. A product which would contain little or no colorants could emit color and match the skin perfectly. This is because the natural world produces colors from seemingly transparent substances. We must first understand what photonics is and how does it apply in this particular application...
Aug 24, 2007 - Color Cosmetics Application Techniques by Nick Morante

I have written many articles on the subject of color cosmetics, the ingredients used in them, various colorants available, and other information pertinent to the color cosmetics formulator...
Aug 10, 2007 - A Brief History of Lipstick by Nick Morante

Lipstick in some shape or form has been around for as long as recorded time. The ancient Egyptians probably invented lipstick. From their paintings we can see highly stylized and painted faces...
Jul 27, 2007 - New Summer Beauty Trends by Nick Morante

The warm weather is finally upon us. I had to spend a week in California to get a head start on it. But it was all well worth it. With the warm weather comes feeling of excitation, happiness, and well-being, along with people’s need to look good and hunt for the latest trends to keep them right in the swing of things...
Jul 13, 2007 - Differences in Mascara Brushes by Nick Morante

Mascara brushes are actually more important than the formulation of the mascara itself. Almost all of the top companies actually patent their brush shapes...
Jun 22, 2007 - Airbrushing by Nick Morante

Airbrushing is a technique used by makeup artists as quick way to make someone look natural without applying a heavy film of product on the face...
Jun 8, 2007 - Sweating in Lipsticks by Nick Morante

One of the most difficult problems to solve is when a lipstick sweats. The first thing to do when troubleshooting a problem like this is to understand what is happening in the crystalline structure of the lipstick...
Jun 5, 2007 - Painting the market red by Doris De Guzman

Manufacturers of cosmetic pigments are catering to changing fashion trends and innovation with a vivid palette of product introductions and energetic development...
May 29, 2007 - Lip Plumping Ingredients by Nick Morante

Lip plumping, which can also be called lip augmentation, can be achieved in more than one way. This first uses a surgical procedure to restructure and enhance the size of the lips...
Apr 26, 2007 - UV Absorbers in Cosmetic Packaging by Nick Morante

The use of UV absorbers, or sunscreens, on cosmetic packaging is very important. UV light can adversely affect the natural and synthetic pigments and dyes, vitamins, lipids, fatty acids, and flavors found in many foods, beverages and pharmaceutical products, as well as household, cosmetic and personal care products...
Apr 19, 2007 - Lip Gloss for Weight Loss by Nick Morante

Here's a new twist on an old subject. I know all of you will say that you saw this in Cosmetics & Toiletries, but I saw it in a couple of other places as well...
Apr 5, 2007 - The History behind Glitter Effect Pigments by Nick Morante

I am going to provide a little more insight and technical information on glitter effect pigments. It seems that there should be an alternative to the pearls currently on the market in order to create different and unique visual effects in cosmetics and personal care products...
Mar 22, 2007 - All That Glitters Is Not Gold by Nick Morante

It could be blue, green, red or even iridescent. I promised a friend I would write a short article about some special effect pigments. To be more specific, metallic pigments and glitters...
Mar 8, 2007 - Using Color to Create New Shades by Nick Morante

For new shade development and creation, cosmetic shades can be broken down into four different groups or families. They are the reds, violets, nudes and the tawnys...
Mar 1, 2007 - Anatomy of a Powder Cheek Color by Nick Morante

I composed this article to show that there are differences in the characteristics between eyeshadows and blushers and the ingredients used in their formulation. Powder cheek colors, or Blushers as they are also known, are very similar to powder eyeshadows and are another simple product to formulate...
Feb 22, 2007 - Anatomy of a Pressed Eyeshadow by Nick Morante

The object of this article is to separate and differentiate the characteristics between eyeshadows and blushers and their methods of formulation. Pressed powder eyeshadows are another simple product to formulate...
Feb 15, 2007 - Anatomy of a Lipstick by Nick Morante

This article differs from prior articles written recently in that it contains more specific information on the formulation of a lipstick. This is meant to provide some additional tools to the beginning formulator. It is not meant to sound repetitive as there could never be too much information to share with my fellow formulators...
Feb 8, 2007 - Formulation of Mascara by Nick Morante

Mascara is probably the most difficult product in the color and decorative cosmetics category to formulate. It is difficult in that there are multiple facets of the product that must come together and work with one another as one unit.
Feb 2, 2007 - Formulation of Powders by Nick Morante

Powders are sometimes the messiest of the color cosmetic products that formulators have to work with. They are dry particulates that are designed to cover the skin with color and effect as well as have functionality such as oil control or anti-aging properties...
Jan 30, 2007 - The Art of Color Matching by Nick Morante

Color Matching can definitely be considered an art but it should also be considered a science...

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