Hi-Def Makeup

It has been an uber-busy week for us over here at Canadian Beauty, what with post-birthday partying ("...so sorry I could make it to your fete, lets celebrate now") that has led us into post-post-birthday detoxing. In any case, as we sit here drinking our lemon water, our nails have been filed and buffed and now China Glaze's Hybrid dries on our nails in a rebellious move against all those dark and bright polish colours. At this point, we prefer the nude shades, s'il vous plait.

In any case, on to the matter at hand. Hi-Definition Makeup.

We were among the lucky few women who had a chance to attend a mini-info session held by Sharp that aimed to educate us about High Definition Television. As we sat listening to the logistics about what really makes high-def picture (you need a high definition set, such as a pretty Sharp flat-screen, and actual high-def transmission, it turns out), we had a chance to look at the difference between regular TV and high-definition TV.

There were two sets side by side and both were playing Enchanted which features Amy Adams. Now, I wouldn't say that the difference between the two sets was night and day, but the Sharp High-Def picture was definitely clearer and that meant that we could see Amy Adams' every freckle. She's a pretty girl, so it didn't make a difference to us, but imagine if it was an actress who had recently undergone some surgery? I am sure that we would have been able to see that in an instant.


The presentation led me to think about all the Hi-Def makeup that's on the market these days. Cargo and Smashbox are both trying to cash in on the trend, and it's only a matter of time before MAC has its own High-Def collection, and Dior issues a high-def limited edition compact. Just you wait, we'll be seeing more of this marketing tool... and that's exactly what I think these makeup collections are: marketing tools.

What could possibly be the difference between high-def makeup and regular makeup? For makeup to be suitable for high definition TV, it would need to be almost full coverage, so that we can't see any of the flaws that regular skin has, and it would need to be almost skin-like so that the makeup itself is not perceptible by the eye. Silky smooth formulations that deliver a punch is what we would need.

But think about it for a second longer.

High-definition picture means that what you see on the screen is comparable to what you would see in real life. That means that any makeup that provides a high level of pigment but remains good quality and un-mask like is high definition makeup. High Definition Makeup then is all around us, it's really just a matter of finding the right kind for your skin and your needs.

I've checked out Cargo's Blu_Ray Collection "created especially for filming in high-definition" and honestly, I can't figure out what makes it different from other makeup products. The powder and blush only come in one colour and those colours are not universal. Both are silky in feel but they don't last a long time and there's nothing else that's special about them.

The Mattifier, as far as mattifiers go, is good, but again, mattifiers are a dime a dozen and I don't know what makes this especially suited for high-definition television. Furthermore, if I was working on a film that I knew would only be viewed in high definition, I wouldn't bother with a mattifier and would just apply more makeup after every take - and that's pretty much how sets operate. The makeup always looks perfect because it's constantly being touched up - and in a perfect world... no, nevermind, we would not want someone touching up our makeup constantly.

In any case, high definition makeup marketing is just beginning, and I think that we, the consumers, should be wary of any such endeavors to pull us into stores and to the makeup counters.

Sharp's presentation was wonderful in that it made us realize that high definition picture is definitely a way of the future, and if we were ever considering purchasing a high-definition flat-screen, Sharp would probably be the television we would get. When it comes to makeup, though, as always we go with the best colour match and whatever really strikes our fancy.