Youngblood Cosmetics Primps Out The Greenshows

By Author: pangsiyan
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While fashion week is in full swing at its new Lincoln Center digs, 40 blocks due south, the Metropolitan Pavilion has been playing host to the GreenShows. The three-day event highlighting the work of designers committed to eco-friendly practices—downtown favorite Samantha Pleet among them—has an exclusive and likeminded makeup sponsor in Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics. We caught up with Pauline Youngblood, the brand's passionate founder, to talk shows, new products, and the line's latest celebrity fan (spoiler alert: it's a dude!).

—Fiorella Valdesolo

How did you get involved with the GreenShows?

We chose to work with the GreenShows exclusively because we just felt that they understood and supported our philosophy the best, which is basically doing good for oneself while doing good for the planet. It was a perfect match.

Do you think the beauty industry has been moving in a more environmentally-friendly direction?

Yes. I think it's come a long way, and I think the industry is establishing more strict guidelines that brands have to meet to be deemed safe. But there is, of ...
... course, still room for improvement. Organic certification and sun protection ratings are two interesting areas that are being reevaluated, and they're making refinements that will eventually benefit the customer and raise standards all around. And while Youngblood is not an organic brand, we do pride ourselves on producing products with only the finest natural ingredients, which more customers than ever are seeking out.

The gray lip had a moment during the Fall 2009 shows, when collections like Rodarte's repopularized Angelina Jolie's Girl, Interrupted-era go-to pout color. But as much as we like the Mulleavy sisters and Brad Pitt's better half, it never seemed totally wearable to us.

The muted matte version makeup artist Carole Colombani whipped up at Suno yesterday, however, was another story thanks to a clever technique: It's an eyebrow pencil! she revealed backstage, pulling out MAC's Impeccable Brow Pencil in Taupe. The trick is to moisturize a lot before, she said of getting that perfectly flat finish, which was set off slightly by a glossy eye, courtesy of MAC's Mixing Medium and its pigment in Mauvement.
Her balm of choice? Homeoplasmine, a French drugstore product that Jessica Stam swears by and that we needed Colombani to spell out for us (twice). It gives the perfect amount of moisture without the shine, she said. Aquaphor is a good stateside alternative. Just blot with a tissue to remove excess glisten, apply your lip (or eyebrow) pencil of choice, and get ready to reap the compliments.