Before you can buy something from Emotional Brilliance, the new Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics makeup line launching worldwide on July 21st, you need a spin of an emotional-colour wheel. You'll make your selection by choosing the first three shades that attract you when the wheel comes to a stop.
Creator Rowena Bird, co-founder and product developer for Lush, was inspired by what draws us to particular colours on different days, and why one just isn't enough. Her theory: we're attracted by colours that correspond to mood and emotion of the moment -- and wearing said shades can help us access the moods and emotions we need when we need them. So, when deciding on names for each Cream Eyeshadow ($22.95 each), Liquid Eyeliner ($22.95) and Liquid Lips shade ($22.95), Bird created a system of powerful, positive, colour-matched words signifying strengths, talents and traits.
If you're thinking this sounds a lot like colour therapy, you're not wrong. During the development process, Bird set her team up with the terms she'd selected, gave them Pantone colour books, and had them choose shades they felt best illustrated each of the words. Interestingly -- and independently (participants weren't allowed to consult each other) -- the team members often landed on the same shade for the same word.
I met the Lush wheel of emotional fortune (my term, not theirs) at the end of a particularly trying week. (Note: the wafty dry-ice centre comes out only for special occasions.) And, perhaps unsurprisingly, I chose colours that always lift my spirits. Also no shock: I chose three lip shades.
Apparently, my first choice (a vivid red called Strong) symbolizes a character strength. My second (an outgoing, shimmery orange called Vibrance) is about a subconscious need. The third (a hot pink called Passionate) is the trait or ability that will get me to my second choice.
The no-frills packaging is very Lush. Dropper-top glass bottles open to reveal eyeliner brush wands, or doe-foot cream shadow or lip-colour applicators -- or mascara wands.
Skin Tints ($18.95 each) serve as luminizer (Feeling Younger)...
...and cheek colour (Charisma).
Translucent Powder ($18.95) comes in one of these little pots, too.
I could tell you a whole bunch about ingredients, such as jojoba oils, cocoa butter, orange flower water, rose wax, cupuacu butter and more, but maybe it's best that I send you to the Lush website for that info. For photos of the full LUSH Emotional Brilliance lineup, including which colour is lipstick, which colour is liner and which colour is shadow, please visit the Beautygeeks Facebook page.
Let me leave you with this: the very-cool Nina Simone performing "Feelings" at the Montreaux Jazz Festival in 1976.
Are you a Lush fan? Will you check this new line of products out?
Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics is a UK brand, but most of what they sell in North America is made in Canada.
