The art of beauty: Aida's Custom Cosmetics tailors makeup for the individual The art of beauty: Aida's Custom Cosmetics tailors makeup for the individual (July 23, 2003)

By Camille Ricketts
Special to the Almanac

Standing over a palette of color, Aida Morano carefully stirs a concoction of what appears to be paint -- yellows, purples, even greens. She narrows her eyes as she searches for just the right brush, some too broad-tipped, some too fine.

When she turns back to her work, it's not a canvas she sees, rather a face, a woman tired of wearing the wrong shade of lipstick, creasing eye shadow, or orange-tinted foundation.

Ms. Morano is in the custom cosmetics business, countering name-brand department stores with makeup tailored for individual women. Through her company, Aida's Custom Cosmetics, located at 1146 Chestnut Lane in Menlo Park, Ms. Morano sells her own product line, blends personal foundation and offers lessons and consultations on how to apply makeup for that extra flair.

Walking into the shop for a consultation, you're first greeted by Hailey, Ms. Morano's little chocolate Dachshund, wagging her tail energetically. You take a seat on an elevated chair, next to a counter cluttered with brushes, sponges, eye shadow and blusher.

Looking closely at your face and skin, Ms. Morano points out the green flecks in what you thought were plain brown eyes, the natural blond streaks in your hair, the precise shade of pink that appears when she presses your fingertips, and she promises to use these colors to bring out all the features you never knew you had.

"I want to select colors from the face and body that enhance a woman's innate coloring," said Ms. Morano, a resident of Menlo Park. "It's amazing what a world of difference just wearing the right colors can make."

While she offers makeovers for special occasions such as weddings, proms, and even pre-teen birthday parties, Ms. Morano stressed that she wants to provide women with a makeup routine that they can use daily, whether at work or just around the house. For most women, this means a fresh style using a minimal amount of cosmetics.

"I consider women's different lifestyles," Ms. Morano said. "A mother raising kids doesn't necessarily want to look glamorous, just pretty. Her makeup routine shouldn't take more than 10 minutes."

During consultations, she mixes custom blend foundation to match skin tone using a spectrum of colors, even blue and green. Her customers get an initial one-ounce bottle of their personal foundation, and she records the recipe for the precise color on an index card for refills.

"The commercial lines don't provide the full range of colors," said Ms. Morano, who spent the first years of her career working behind department store cosmetic counters. "Plus most makeup chains need to sell people products even if they don't have the right shade for the person."

Accordingly, she invites her customers to bring their own makeup to consultations so she can advise them to apply their current products in a different, and perhaps more enhancing way.

"I know how expensive cosmetics can be," Ms. Morano said. "It's easier for my customers if they can use what they already have, and then buy my makeup just to fill in the gaps."

The price of Aida Cosmetics falls between drugstore and department store prices, she said. While consultations and makeup lessons range from $75 to $95, custom foundation refills cost $45, with eye shadows varying from $11 to $12, and lipsticks from $15 to $16. She also carries eye and lip pencils, blusher, mascara and an array of specialty brushes.

Ms. Marano said she has to find a delicate balance between the prices her customers can afford, and the amount she pays to handpick her products from private distributors before labeling them with the Aida brand.

"Especially with the recent economic downturn, women resist spending money on expensive cosmetics," Ms. Morano said. "But in a way, looking presentable is more important than ever, with job interviews and the need to make a good first impression. I think wearing the right makeup can really empower women in the workplace."

With close to 1,000 customers scattered across the country as far as New York, Ms. Morano said she hasn't experienced much of a dip in business because she places so much emphasis on maintaining a long-term clientele.

Before Aida's Custom Cosmetics opened on Chestnut Lane in 1998, she worked for 10 years at Color Style, another Menlo Park custom cosmetics shop owned by Carla Mathis. When Ms. Mathis moved Color Style into her home, Ms. Morano decided to set out on her own and develop her personal product line.

She currently shares shop space with Reflections Unique, a company owned and operated by her good friend Katherine Chernick Fauvre who designs jewelry, clothing and more.

A graduate of Woodside High School, Ms. Morano said she feels a real connection with the local area and the people she meets through her work.

"It's great to make women feel good about themselves," Ms. Morano said. "And what better way to live than to get paid for doing what you love."

Aida's Custom Cosmetics is open from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.