Making your own foundations - this sounds more like a test kitchen though. In the meantime however, there is modular system on the market which provides an easy and inexpensive method to prepare your own make-up. "dermaviduals® - deco" is KOKO's new program line for beauty institutes as well as for their customers with fluid foundations as the main item of the series of individually adapted products. They are the base mixtures allowing to prepare further fluid foundations as well as cream foundations and tinted day creams by adding supplementary colour shades. The individually prepared foundation provides every customer with a very personal make-up. The detailed colour chart considers not only the tones of the European skin but also the specific needs of Asian and Mediterranean skin. While toning is the significant topic for European skin, Asian customers rather focus on whitening and concealing effects. Fluid foundations may be used as a light make-up which is relatively liquid, provides medium coverage and can e.g. be applied on already creamed skin. The tinted day creams provide light coverage and are applied instead of or in combination with the normal day care. The base cream in fluid foundations as well as in tinted day creams provides the skin with caring substances. The composition of the base cream follows the principles of dermatological cosmetics which means that it can also be applied on problem skin - on dry and sensitive skin and even on skin with neurodematitis, psoriasis, couperosis, rosacea, hyperpigmentation problems or with a disposition for dermatoses.
The pigments
Basically, colouring substances are divided into colours which are soluble in an agent like oil or water and non-soluble pigments which are unable to penetrate into the skin even in case of minuscule particle size. Inorganic pigments in food quality are used. There is a difference between metallic luster and absorbing pigments. Metallic luster pigments reflect the light on their surface which leads to a luminous complexion and an optical reduction of wrinkles. Absorbing pigments however absorb a certain wavelength of the visible white light whereas the non-absorbable complementary wavelengths are diffusely scattered in all directions which generates a matte colouring effect. An essential raw material for the production of pigments is natural mica. It can be finely ground and coated with other pigments with the result of either bronze, copper, blue or red shades. Base shades are created by mixing different pigments.
Mixing base shades
The base shades are then used to mix the foundations. A covering base (filler) which increases the coverage on the skin and fills out minor skin depressions will then be added. The base shades are selected depending on the skin tone (warm or cool), the complexion (matte, glistening, light, dark), the colours (summer, winter, fall or spring tones), intensity of light (artificial, sunlight, evening light) and the desired coverage.
Mixing and blending
The base shades are moistened with jojoba oil and then mixed with the base foundation. Measuring spoon, spatula and beaker facilitate the mixing process of the recommended foundations. The mixture is then blended to homogeneity and creaminess and thus can be further processed to a cream foundation or tinted day cream.
Cool or warm
The respective mixture of pigments depends on whether a skin tone is cool-light, cool-transparent or warm-light. In case of a light and slightly reddish skin tone a peach rosé shade will be mixed. Bronze, beige and orange pigments in equal quantities are mixed for this purpose. In case of a cool and transparent appearance, bronze and blue pigments are mixed. There are more than ten different mixing ratios and there is plenty of room for one's own joy of experimentation. |