Do you ever wonder why throughout the almost ten year run of The Bachelor only two couples managed to actually get married? One man, 25 women, certainly one’s soul mate must be among the bevy of beauties this lucky gent gets to choose from right? Wrong. No matter how attractive and eager these women appear, and no matter how dapper and successful the man is (yes they even had a gorgeous European prince one season), falling in love can never be scripted by a third party and what looks good on paper often falls short of real life chemistry. This is why the show is doomed to failure. One size does not fit all in the game of love no matter how hard we try to fit a square peg into a round hole. Now shift gears and think of your appearance and what unique features make you stand out apart from the other millions of people who inhabit the city of Los Angeles. The point of this analogy is to illustrate that our bodies, like our hearts, deserve the same level of personalized attention and customized treatment. We live in a fast food nation where mass production leads to mass consumption of one size fits “most” commodities. However from time to time, a true visionary comes out of the woodwork to remind us that we have options-that we are not all simply living in a matrix of standardized beauty such as over the counter hair extensions and press on nails. Chroma Makeup Studio in Beverly Hills is one such establishment whose beauty services, from custom brow shaping to custom foundation blending, are governed by the philosophy that true beauty is dictated less by popular trends (think sky high “Baywatch” arch) and more by the natural contours of the individual’s facial features. In fact, the expert brow shaping technique employed by the artists at Chroma is based on a customization of the shape of the eyebrow to the individual where every individual hair is removed by tweezing in accordance with the vision of the artist and the client.
It is this exclusive tweezing method, as opposed to waxing or threading that allows for a more controlled outcome. To illustrate, traditional hair removal techniques such as waxing do not allow for the same amount of precise control over the process as tweezing. According to the owners of Chroma, wax is “great for hair removal but not for shaping.” In other words, you want to be able to “pick and choose the hairs you remove.” In addition to its lack of precision, wax is often painful as it pulls the skin on the most sensitive part of the body-especially when so many products people use today contain retinoids and glycolics. Waxing can also damage the skin to the point that it leaves a scar. In essence, the limitations of waxing have less to do with the talent of the waxer and more to do with the lack of the control that results when the wax spreads. At $35 (or $40 with Michael Rey and Lisa Casino; co-owners and master artists), brows are groomed and shaped in such a way that maximizes the client’s natural beauty. At that price we can all afford to be highbrows when it comes to brow shaping!
At Chroma, customization of the client’s look is not limited to eyebrow shaping. Chroma offers personalized makeup lessons as well makeup applications tailored to the client’s look and lifestyle whereby the artists “encourage their clients to tell us about their vision” with the hope that they “leave with an understanding and knowledge of what look works best for them what is easily maintained as part of their daily routine.” Moreover, at Chroma, it is not about shrouding the art of beauty in secrecy, but rather about “imparting knowledge and empowering the client to look at themselves objectively.” In the two hour makeup lesson, the artist discusses the goals and vision of the client through the perspective of their lifestyle, time allotted for personal grooming and product preference. Further, the artists strive to stay within what the clients can realistically perform every day at home. In teaching the client about makeup application, the artist helps the client to objectively analyze what they love and don’t love about their look and what separates them and thus how to “bridge imperfections to perfections.” With the proper tools and makeup application technique, the artist can “create an illusion to all of their areas of improvement” producing a feeling of empowerment and confidence within the client. In the makeup application lesson, the artist does half the face and the client does the other half. The result of this hands-on teaching method is that the client is “not afraid, but excited about his/her look.”
Makeup can perform wonders. It can manipulate the facial structure eliminating the false sense of need for surgical enhancement or hours in front of the mirror. For instance, April Smith, best-selling mystery novelist and longtime client of co-owner Michael Rey, recounts how Michael has transformed her cosmetic routine total chaos to “a system that organizes her life in ten minutes with things she must do, must not do, and has the option of doing given the constraints of her busy schedule.” At $175 for a customized makeup lesson (or $200 with Michael and Lisa), this is a small price to pay for a lifetime of knowledge that can transform your entire cosmetic routine. Makeup applications are $90 (or $100 with Michael and Lisa) and on location services are available as well for those who desire surgeon like precision for their special day. Rates vary based on location, date and artist. Although the artists at Chroma will work with a client’s products of choice, the studio boasts an entire cadre of unique products-from lipsticks to custom blended foundations that help create the customized look clients rave about. Two products that clients routinely swear by are the “Liquid Highlighter” made in-house at the Chroma studio for a beautiful highlighting effect without appearing too pearlescent and the “Sheer Effects Powder” -a loose powder artfully placed by the temple and brow bone aptly nicknamed “Facelift in a jar” by all who use it.
Although we rely on conformity to provide a certain degree of tranquility in a world of chaos, the “Stepford” model of beauty does not have to govern our purchasing power nor do we have to look at the latest fashion trends and think if only that were me I could make it in this town. Chroma Makeup Studio prides itself on celebrating the individual and what makes our features uniquely beautiful to us. From custom brow shaping to custom makeup application, what makes you unique can make you stand out among the plastic carbon copies all vying for that one part-or that one man. Chroma Makeup Studio is located in Beverly Hills at 9605 S. Santa Monica Boulevard. Products and service information are available online at: www.chromamakeupstudio.com. To make an appointment call: (310) 274-2155.
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