Giella Custom Blend Cosmetics
May 4, 2007 by Shannon Nelson
Filed under makeup
Today I was visiting one of my favorite blogs, Glamour Magazine’s Beauty Insiders. Stephanie posted about Giella Custom Blend Cosmetics and mentioned how Giella Poblocki, owner of the brand, was able to custom blend colors to re-create a limited edition lipstick that Stephanie loved.
This had me thinking about all of the lipsticks that I have loved from long ago that looked marvelous on me, but were eventually discontinued. Those were the lipsticks you held onto for dear life and only brought out on special occasions so that you didn’t wear it down too fast. I’m sure there are many of you who have a discontinued lipstick or two in your makeup bag right now and know exactly what I am talking about.
So I popped over to Giella’s site to find that her entire company is about blending your own cosmetics and for discontinued lipstick, lip gloss and even nail polish, you can send your product in and they will match it exactly! And they’ll even return your original tube or bottle to boot!
So for now on, when I purchase a limited edition (or eventually discontinued) lipstick or lip gloss, I will worry no more about the day that tube will have to see the trash knowing that Giella will be able to re-create my prized possession.
Check out her site: www.giella.com
I hate to be a downer about this, but it is pretty easy to match discontinued lipsticks and such if you know what pigments to use. The color in the tube will match, but unfortunately it may not look the same when applied. It has to do with the chemistry and compound of the lipstick plus the color to make it unique. For example, if your shade went on sheer, and you ordered a color match, you might get very full, unexpected results. Now, I must say that I have never used anything from Giella, but I have used a few custom blending services in the past, and they never lived up because the lipstick/lipgloss formula was different.
I am glad Teri, was honest about this, I too have done custom colors and have not been totatlly happy. Now, I see the texture also matters. I am still going to try custom for foundation. So, who knows I guess I am just still hopeful. Not to mention I still have that tube of lipgloss I am looking to have replicated.
I have used Giella products, I had to go back after the first attempt and waiting in the hot climate known as Henri Bendels and the texture and quality of the stuff she uses is no where near as good as that of prescriptives, however she can make the more exotic color but just like the mac nailpolish I wanted recreated the polish was so thinned out. The lipstick half the time depending which counter girl you get is either being sloppy, doesn’t keep track or you can get a great match and like what happened with my friend and myself go to re-order and then get a color that is not the same as the original or the match so then you have to waste time and go back. Prescriptives is just a tad more pricey but the texture of their product is much better but there range of pigment is limited Giella has a broad range but poor quailty you have to constantly re-apply and re-apply with prescriptives you have to re-apply but only every few hours as they mill of their product is much finer.
Yes Giella herself is a nice, professional individual HOWEVER one of her staff of which Giella stands behind is prejudice. If you demand exact matches and you do not look like a barbie doll > shop elsewhere as Katrina who puts on her smile even when taking back incorrect match after incorrect match, when you complain about her to Giella who ALWAYS makes herself available, her help provide a lot less help. I myself pointing out the gross incorrect matches and received new product that was still not correct, had to send it to her via mail and 7 lipsticks later *as I kept all the incorrect matches as they are in the same color family and I can mix them* I still do not have an exact match, on top of which I was treated horribly by her staff because I came in baggy clothing and was not wearing my expensive jewelery as I never do whilst in the city, meanwhile her little helper who obviously makes many mistakes and does many re-dos and smiles and smiles could not afford my cheapest ring, nor should anyone judge a book by its cover, or weight, but apparently a counter girl determines just who Giellas clientèle are.
I was intending to sue both the store HB and Giellas company, but it is not fair to cost Giella (who is very nice woman) any hardship, other then loosing a very good customer and the pr and referrals I in the past gave. I prefer prescriptives for making lipsticks as the service is not prejudice and it costs the same and the product is higher grade. However, the only thing that sets Giella apart from other custom blends is her particular brand of micas etc for eyeshadow no BUT THEN AGAIN WHO CAN have products made while not there in person when trying to make a shadow color. Disgusting to have such a prejudice representative of ones brand although I personally know that Giella at least in a professional capacity is not of the same low manner as her counter girl Katrina. Whom I might ad is the sole person mixing all of the above mentioned lipsticks she does not copy down formulas right…she is extremely superficial
I cannot confirm nor deny the above comments about Katrina. I have met her personally outside of Bendel and she has been kind, pleasant, and non-judgemental (and I don’t own a piece of expensive jewelry at all).
What I can tell you is that a great, talented makeup artist/aesthetician/friend, Kristyn, of mine began working for Giella just about a year ago. She is adorable, easy to talk to, and the most non-superficial person I have ever met.
I curiously began trying out some of the products and have fallen in love with how great they work with my complexion. Even better than the lipstick matching is the ultra lightweight liquid foundation. I have oily skin and Kris was able to add a mattifying powder to the mix. It’s the kind of foundation that looks better with wear throughout the day.
These girls love makeup; It is their craft. They are more than just a counter girl and their products will leave you coming back from more. Take it from a girl who commutes from Philadelphia for her perfect shade of foundation and seasonal glosses.
lol You have met her outside of Bendels which means you met her in a social circle or setting so you are an associate. Someone being pleasant has nothing to do with whether or not they are superficial, nothing at all.
Secondly, I would rather commute, go out of my way then deal with a phony counter girl which is just what these girls are, some of those who work for giella do have a great love for the industry and aspire to be the like of kevin aucion however people the likes of Katrina seek to turn a fair skinned white person into a beige light skin Puerto Rican, I would much rather have complementing makeup instead of having shades put on that are too yellow or brown and nude making you look like death lip gloss or lipstick.
Her inability to be consistant goes along with many other girls who have worked at that counter, some of which have been in the industry but have no concept of what Giella is known for MATCHING aka nearly exact to match not different shades and hues in the same family of what you want.
NOT TO MENTION the QUALITY yes the consistency and quality of the product is very low grade, more power to Giella for making a hefty profit she has to be able to afford her lifestyle and family but honestly I would rather pay nearly THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY and have something matched by prescriptive’s or 3 custom because the mill of the product is better LASTS LONGER. Giellas product especially all the lip products after 3 months you basically have to throw them away because they bead and or dry out, I SHOULD KNOW I HAVE OVER 250 OF LIPSTICKS that were not exact but kept because the color family looks good on me ….that had to be chucked. That is because her base if you look in the test tube is just cheapo wax and she uses mica as pigment. He grade of mica mixed with titanium dixoide and whatever base she adds are very chunky I would prefer to buy BETTER shades and deal with LEARNING THE COLOR wheel and have fun paying so much less then paying 20 bucks a pop for hardly anything why bother go to TKB trading or anywhere in CA they have better mill of product and you can store them in drams you buy from container store. A sample of a color is $1.50 and is more then you get from Giella for 20 bucks and fill a 2dram vile and you have enough left over to mix colors I bought 125 different mica colors…much happier with a more natural product then a cheap non polished version for a 20 times more money.
Also I have had Katrina work on me personally and 4 of my friends, she knows color combinations and basic makeup application but her talent as well as several of the other girls is not artistry its something they do, its the difference between someone putting on something that looks good and something that is just putting on color in the places and going to a makeup artist and they apply product of any mill or quality and enhance you simply and apply things that really beautify you. At many counters you will not find a real makeup ARTIST just someone who sells makeup and puts it on.
Because someone works at the counters does not mean that they dont do editorial’s as well. I can personally tell you that most of the people at the counters at bendels are the people doing the make-up for many of the magazines you read or tv shows you watch. I dont know who helped me at the Giella counter but I was happy with the lipstick and foundation I purchased. I have worked in this industry for over 20 years now and my personal friend in pat mcgraths assistant and she has colors made at Giella for a lot of her fashion shows she does. If someone that high up in the make-up world likes the product then maybe you should give it another try. Prescriptive is no longer around so it cant be that great!