One of my first memories of makeup is the iconic Presciptives counter. I loved the scientific look of the jars along with the familiar scent of Calyx. I was surprised in 2010 when the brand promptly shuttered their counters given so many people were devoted (note: the brand was still available online). In particular, people loved the custom blended foundation and powders. Turns out it was pretty expensive to have those highly trained master blenders at every counter.

After months of calls from distressed customers hankering for their custom blend, the brand launched a video chat to bring the service to a new generation of women. Last month, they officially launched Live Chat Custom Blend, offering “Color Printing” to customers everywhere there was an internet connection.

Always at the cutting edge, Presciptives now has the latest in digital innovation. I booked an appointment on prescriptives.com and pretty soon, Nikki and I were chatting face to face about what I wanted in a foundation. She asked me about current favorite brands and shades – and what I would change if I could about those formulas. We talked how my skin tended to behave (hello, redness). I uploaded photos of my bare face. I also sent over a shot of my bare face with my two favorite foundations striped on my cheek. She was able to tweak coverage, skin care elements, corrective color and desired finish.

While you can send back your initial recipie for correction, very few people require this step. I certainly didn’t. It might be hard for me to go back to any other brand (even my beloved Armani) because this matches my skin exactly. Exactly. Nikki’s formula for me was sheer, but buildable with a “breathable hyaluronic acid” for moisture and a touch of luminescence. And while I like powder, it wasn’t in the daily rotation – it is now. I love the perfectly toned finish and the way it sets my foundation and concealer. Nikki advised me on a touch bronzier shade of powder (which is almost undetectable) but it warms up my complexion beautifully.

And for those of you who already have your recipie, you are all set to go. Although the video chat is such a fun experience, you might want to do it anyway! And the site also has a ton of great “how to” videos here.

Still Christmas shopping? May I suggest a Prescriptives Gift Card?

AN EDITORIAL SAMPLE WAS PROVIDED BY THE COMPANY AND EVALUATED TO DETERMINE OUR OPINION OF THE PRODUCT IN THIS POST. PLEASE SEE THE DISCLOSURES PAGE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING OUR POLICIES FOR USING EDITORIAL SAMPLES.

images here, here, here and here