The forecast takes a more tactile approach to color inspiration than their traditional cards, offering a “bento box “of inspiration, including an inspirational mix of 3D objects and products. Each of the four trends featured for the season has a customized fragrance developed by the perfumers at Drom (which I think is way cool), as well as a nail polish and lip gloss that highlights the key colors and finish. These tailor-made products are complemented by an assortment of surprises that encourage creativity and a fresh approach to color application.
According to Executive Director and renowned color expert Leslie Harrington, “It’s time the industry had something more than pretty pictures and digital representations of color - what designers, developers, and marketers really need is to engage the senses - to experience the foreseen new palettes through their senses - to see, touch, and smell. It’s the only way to really design for the future.”
While color is always the backbone of the beauty industry, other elements help to bring these colors alive. Texture becomes an increasingly important aspect for application, leading to the inclusion of the playful objects accompanying the forecast.
The Spring/Summer 2013 Beauty Forecast, selected by The Color Association’s Beauty Committee, is driven by a range of colors available in naturally derived pigments and focuses on four different themes.
Oasis is a direct reflection of water. The ocean and all that surrounds it - the sky, greenery, plants, flowers, and birds - were key inspirations for this trend. Fragrance notes include freshwater, sea air, and crisp greenery.
Against the Grain reminds us of what spring is really about: rebirth and renewal. A range of warm autumnal colors brings a sense of warmth and luxury to the sunnier seasons, translating exceptionally well for hair.
Haze revitalizes the vampy movement with a softer, prettier edge. Moving forward into a lighter palette, but retaining an edgy quality, colors have a murky undertone, instilling an innate feeling of texture, incorporating the tints and tones of purple.
Jellies is the most interactive and fun story in the forecast: all about customization and playing with color, working well for every market, from youth to mature. Colors are sheer and meant to be layered individually or by mixing multiples.
When I read the press release, my first thought was that the Color Association has distilled the diverse trends we are seeing in spring and summer makeup palettes into a short description of spot-on themes. I'll be paying a lot more attention to their work in the future. What do you think? Can you fit this season into their themes?
There are a lot of things going on in the world of beauty blogging these days. I thought it might be a good time to explain the philosophy of Best Things in Beauty. Here are a few characteristics of my blog that you may or may not have noticed.
- I purchase 95% of what I feature. It is extraordinarily expensive (but wickedly fun). For that reason, I purchase what I think I will wear. That's why you will not see all colors or all brands represented equally here. Also, very often a reader will earnestly ask me to compare a product to one they have. Because I don't buy everything - I can't - or even see everything (e.g., Burberry is not sold in the DC area), I am disadvantaged in attempting to answer. I really appreciate it when my readers, like Eileen, jump in to help other readers because they do have the answers. I like to think of BTiB readers as a community.
- I will always tell you where I got the product I'm featuring. I do not hide it in a short comment about "editorial consideration" at the bottom of my features. I try to let you know early in the feature - as long as it flows.
- I try to focus on the best things in beauty, which is why most of my features are positive. When something is new, hot, and disappointing, I will tell you, but I don't go out of my way to criticize products that most of you won't consider anyhow.
- I do not publish sponsored posts. It may be a dirty little secret, but there are a lot of beauty bloggers who consider their blogs a business. They will do just about anything to make money (they are really "writers" who happen to like makeup or nail polish or whatever), and they publish what we call sponsored posts. That means someone else writes it, and the blogger gets paid to publish it. Good bloggers will disclose sponsored posts (it's also the law). What you should understand is that sponsored posts are simply advertising. As a postscript to this, some advertisers don't want their posts to be labeled "sponsored," for obvious reasons, so some come back after publication and bully the bloggers to change the characterization of the feature. It's a sordid world out there.
- Along those same lines, there are bloggers who embed their reviews with affiliate and advertising links for which they are paid. I have never been paid for a link within a feature and will continue to provide links only for your convenience.
- Many bloggers review only what they are sent gratis (free) - even bloggers I like. I think there's subtle pressure to give a good review to gratis products, even though all bloggers will deny that the free nature of the products influenced their opinions. When a company sends me a gratis product that I don't like (which happens rarely), I write them back (politely, I hope) and explain why I think it's best that I not review it. Often, these products are not those you will buy in department stores, so my readers aren't really missing much. I also must refuse many of the gratis products I am offered. I don't have time to feature all of them.
- I do delete comments that are personally critical of me and my readers and irrelevant to the feature - or that cross the line of what I consider polite society. The Internet brings out a lot of rude, ugly snarky, anonymous people with chips on their shoulders, and I'd rather they go somewhere else. I love my readers and find our conversations fun chats. I'm not going to let a few malcontents ruin what we have created together.
It's time for the Friday Forum. I love this part of our week. Did you take advantage of the beauty event offers at Neiman Marcus or Saks? What new products did you discover this week? Did you find any deals you couldn't resist? Are you using a fabulous product and want to sing its praises? Did you find a beauty product disappointing? Do you have a question others might be able to answer? Want to talk about skin care? What's new in your life? Just use the comments. Don't be shy. Just make sure to ask any question you might have over the weekend. By early the next week, most (not all) readers will have moved on.
This week's giveaway contest is fun: Tarte's Baby It's Bold Outside, a set for the eyes. make sure to enter at this link before tomorrow, Saturday, March 2, at midnight.
Photo courtesy of the Color Association
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