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report by Holly of the Cosmetic Connection Product Panel
I was on my way to the MAC counter a couple of weeks ago when I got distracted by a new counter. "Have you ever tried Paula Dorf cosmetics?" inquired the salesperson. "Paula does make up for all of the major magazines, and for TV shows like Sex in the City, Friends ..." and she went on with a long list of celebrity clients. It's shameless, I know, but I must admit that she had me at Sex in the City. I love those gals. And I am always up for trying new cosmetics, so she had herself a makeover client. We tried several products. Since eye color is what I had been headed to her competitor for, this is where we began.
Eye Primer ($20)This is a pale peachy cream shadow base intended to extend the life of your eye shadow. The smooth, creamy texture is pleasant without feeling wet or greasy. A very little bit goes a very, very long way, so I'm thinking that a single pot of this stuff should last just short of forever. It goes on smooth and creates a nice "canvas" for eye shadow application. My shadow does indeed last for several hours when I use this, and since I'm all for maximum wear with minimum touch ups, I'm pleased. Eye Color ($16)
We chose two shades: Cherub, a subtle, fleshy pink, and Mystic, a taupy violet that can be quite subtle or be layered for a more dramatic look. The color goes on smoothly and blends well. I purchased both colors and have worn them daily since. I am pleased to say that they hold up quite nicely. The color stays put and does not tend to travel or crease up (except on the most humid of our Midwest days). This may be thanks to the primer, but I'm not questioning it. They just look good. Eyeliner
This is cool! If you bought your shadow, you've got your liner. Well, almost. To explain: Paula Dorf sells a clear liquid called Transformer ($14). Put a drop on a smooth surface, dip your eyeliner brush in the Transformer, run it around the edge of your eye shadow pot and Voila! You've got waterproof eyeliner ready to apply. You can control how much color by how much shadow you use. Do a subtle thin line or bold dramatic line. It's up to you. I was a bit skeptical that I'd be doing just as well with water as with the Transformer (the main ingredient is water), but I've tried it both ways and found that the line disintegrated pretty quickly when I use plain old H2O, but lasted for hours when created with the Transformer liquid. A word of caution: The favorite technique Paula Dorf is to apply this line to the underside of the upper lash line for a subtle accent without an obvious line. I tried this for a couple of days. My eyes are dry and sensitive due to rosacea and for those couple days they burned like fire. I abandoned the under-the-lash technique, sticking to the more traditional application, and have had no more sensitivity problems. If your eyes are at all sensitive, I don't advise adopting this approach. Cheek Color ($18)
I'm a big fan of powder blush, so that's what I went for here, too. We chose Passion, a subtle taupy pink. [Note: A lot of rosacea sufferers shy away from using pink blush - or even any blush it all, for fear of adding any more red to their face. As long as you do a good job of evening your skin tone with concealer and/or foundation, there is no reason at all to skip blush. In fact, the face will look pale and monotone without it.] This is a nice, long lasting blush, but I really can't say that it is dramatically different from some less expensive products such as Almay Stay Smooth powder blush. It does go on nicely - not too dark - and the pigment lasts well, so it's worth a try if you're there and fall in love with a certain color. Cheek Color Cream ($18)
On a return trip, the makeup artist convinced me to try cream blush. We used it and I fell in love with it. I had always steered clear of cream blushes for fear of having a colored "stripe" on my face rather than the subtle controlled application I get with powder. This product has changed my mind. It is very translucent, blends well, and looks even more natural than my powder. I purchased a pot in Jazz and it is my new color "staple." Perfect Brow ($14)
This is a clear gel that is packaged with a mascara wand (it can also double as a see-through mascara) for "grooming the brows." It worked fine at my makeover, but since my brows aren't particularly unruly, I didn't think that there was much point in smearing them with clear gel. I passed on this product. Perfect Lash ($14)
This is a creamy sort of conditioner that they consider a "pre-mascara" to plump up the lashes before mascara application. We used it at the makeover, but I didn't really see much difference. A good volumizing mascara should do the same thing without the need for an additional product. With rosacea, the less I add, the less likely I am to have problems, and so I passed on this one, too. All in all, I was very impressed with the colors I picked up from Paula Dorf. My highly sensitive eyes and face have had no adverse reactions to any of the products (except for the under-the-lash liner fiasco!) and I look forward to picking up more at a their next makeover event. Paula Dorf products are available at fine department stores, or online at Sephora.com
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