Makeup kits offer rainbow of colors

By Al Varela

Dear Al: Lately, I have noticed a variety of kits and compacts that include a palette of several eye shadows, blush colors and even foundations. Having access to a variety of makeup tools in one compact seems convenient. But, I feel forced into a group of colors that I may never use. What are the pros and cons of such makeup packaging?

Multiple colors are often eye-catching. After a spring rain, we always stop to admire the rainbow because it is so beautiful, and it is this idea that cosmetic companies bank on when they offer these types of color palettes. They are hoping that a customer will find many colors appealing and that they will use up all of their palette.

The fact is, though, that many women will chose one or two colors that they believe work best for them and will never use any of the others in that compact.

Often what happens is that cosmetic companies will take the colors left at the end of a production run of a blush, eye shadow or foundation and use that to fill out the palette in their all-in-one compacts.

Eye-shadow palettes are packaged in a range that either have a pink hue, yellow hue or a combination of both. Blushes and foundations run the same way. The color palettes are made up for the seasons -- winter, spring, summer and fall.

If you use a professional make up artist to help you select your colors, they will recommend the one or two that work best with your coloring and skin type. Because the professional will spend the time necessary to find the colors that are just right for you, it is likely that you will use that color scheme most of the time.

For some people, the all-in-one packaging will work fine. For others it could be a waste of money because they will never use those additional colors, and discard the compact once they run out of the color they "really liked."

I don't dislike these multi-colored compact kits, but I do think that it is important to know which colors work for you, so that you can purchase a kit that most fits your makeup goals.

If you find a kit that contains "your" colors, then it could be that pot of gold at the end of your makeup rainbow.

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