This world-traveler's passion for color launched a multi-dimensional make-up company.
We owe Napoleon Perdis' "Put your best face forward?" approach to makeup to his mother.
"My mother was the first face where I saw the splendor of makeup application, the results of skin care and the glamorous effect of fragrance -- she's the biggest glamour icon in my life," Perdis reminisces, adding, "My dad called my mom 'Cleopatra,' and when she got ready to go out, he referred to her time at the vanity table as 'Operation Christmas Tree.'" Perdis' makeup-loving mother also used to take him to department stores with magnificent displays. "[Those displays] would later inspire me to have my own oasis where I could transform and fuse looks," Perdis says.
Perdis began creating his oasis in 1992 with the launch of a small makeup studio in Leichhardt, Australia, which allowed him the opportunity to experiment with his own cosmetics. This led to the launch of the Napoleon Perdis Makeup Academy in 1993, designed to spawn other Napoleon Perdis artists and, in the words of Perdis himself, "Help achieve a global reach of transforming runway to reality by bringing out the celebrity in you."
That same year, launched a capsule collection of skin care products called the Auto Pilot Skin Perfection Collection, to compliment the rest of his make-up line. But it didn't stop there. Soon after Perdis' first concept store launched in Sydney in 1995, showing a full Napoleon Perdis line, which included foundation, eye shadows, lipsticks, lip liners and accessories. This spring, Napoleon Perdis is coming to America with a flagship store in Hollywood.
Its glamorous location is completely in keeping with the philosophy behind Perdis' line. "We translate from Runway to Reality, Celebrity to Reality, Music Video to Reality and Red Carpet to Reality," Perdis says, continuing to explain, that quality products and the empowerment of women is the brand's backbone. "Napoleon Perdis must always be the Oxford of Makeup Artistry."
With Napoleon Perdis to guide us, we're certain we'll always have our best face forward.
Napoleon's Top Tips
1. Always do your mascara first.
2. Make sure to prime your skin. "Not to prime is a crime," Perdis warns. "There are so many people that don't know the importance of priming!
Napoleon's Advice for Spring
To properly transition your look for spring, "Change to a warmer foundation color and top it with a loose dust to keep it there all day," he directs. To incorporate spring's beauty trends into your regimen, "You will need a Satine Matte Foundation with a thickening mascara," Perdis says. "Metallic eyes are coming back in as well. Plus, taupe-y lips are looking great for Spring, topped with a clear or pink gloss/lacquer. And as always don't forget to prime your skin since the sun will dry it right up!"
For more information on Napoleon Perdis cosmetics, including purchasing info and where to buy, please visit www.napoleonperdis.com.
