LESLIE BOYD
'Ingredient Nazi' endeavors to make makeup user-friendly

By Leslie Boyd

Published: January 15, 2007
Last Modified: January 15, 2007 at 11:45 AM

Good makeup artists adore a plain face. They'll say things like "I look at it like it's a palette" and "I have to tell my clients not to get upset if I'm just staring at them."

Hopefully, they'll also say things like "Blue eye shadow is so out, depending on how you wear it."

Amber Brophy is that kind of makeup artist. The 27-year-old licensed esthetician owns Cor Cosmetics, a local company that sells mineral makeup and offers all kinds of makeup aid, from wedding consultations to lessons on everyday application.

Let's be honest: With a makeup line for every combination of skin and ingredient lists that read like a table of periodic elements, you practically need a Ph.D. just to pick out products. Once you own the makeup, application is another task that seems to require advanced training.

"Makeup is ever changing, the technology and the ingredients. With that, the looks change," Brophy said. "Think about it from the '80s to now."

Brophy's business aims to make makeup more user-friendly. And there's another element that makes it good for local gals.

"People get really scared about their skin because of the climate up here," she said. "So I looked for something that is good for sensitive skin types but is well-rounded too."

Most of the products Brophy carries emulate mainstream brands, but the major difference is what Cor products are made of.

"I feel like I'm kind of an ingredient Nazi," she said.

Mineral-based makeups are riding a wave of popularity that isn't crashing anytime soon. And for good reason. They're natural, mild enough that they won't wreak havoc on your skin if you sleep in them and they typically don't include fillers or chemicals that you can't pronounce.

"Polymers, plastic and bismuth oxychloride," Brophy said. "It's scary."

Brophy sought feedback from her clients and started searching for products that were focused on Alaska's harsh climate and didn't cause breakouts. She researched for months and worked with manufacturing companies and chemists to find makeup that fit her criteria: a product that doesn't take a lot of time to apply, doesn't cost a lot of money and won't irritate your skin.

Of course, appearances are important too.

"Mineral makeup looks really pretty because it has that luminous glow without the cakey look," she said.

The Cor Cosmetics line includes eye shimmers that could rival MAC with colors such as mojito, sunset and martini ($11), edgy gel liners ($14) and 10 different shades of loose mineral foundation ($22) that range in shades aptly named after U.S. cities. There's Anchorage (think polar-bear white) to San Diego (a toasty, beach-sand tan) to Atlanta (deep, sun-baked brown).

Brophy brings the loose minerals to Alaska in bulk, which creates a lot of work measuring, packaging and labeling the individual products. But there are benefits. Brophy says she can customize foundation color for any skin tone.

"That's the cool thing about having someone based out of here," she said. "You can get someone with minerals who can match you exactly but can also offer the latest and greatest.

"(The work is) worth it," Brophy said with a laugh. "I'm saving skin."

Shop Cor Cosmetics online at www.corcosmetics.com or www.myspace.com/corcosmetics. Visit the Cor Cosmetics booth from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Anchorage Wedding Fair at the Egan Civic and Convention Center. For information about products, consultations and lessons, call 727-4220.

Leslie Boyd lives and shops in Anchorage. Reach her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .