No cosmetics brand worked for her until she tried Bare Escentuals. That was the first time she was able to wear makeup in 15 years. She investigated and bought the ingredients used in Bare Escentuals, and began messing around with colors. That twiddling became a business on eBay. In January 2006, she launched her online store and Lumiere Bar was officially open.
What started as a small laboratory in a 10-by-12-foot room is now a 6,000-square-foot operation with a retail store in New Hartford, New York.
But the term “retail store” really doesn't explain what it is. What better describes the space is a kitchen for custom-mixed colors and fragrances.
A Place to Experiment
“I wanted to break up the concept of a makeup lady behind a counter,” Kim said. “So I made it all open. You can walk through, and you can shake up the colors, mix them, and create custom colors.” Visitors are given a ceramic palette to mix their minerals, then they can sit down at one of the stations to try their creations on.
“It's playtime for women,” Kim said. “Usually makeup is put on display and everyone touches it with their hands but no one wants to touch it with their face. Here, because they are mixable loose powders, you can test drive before you buy.”
This open-store format where exploration is user-driven captures the “bar” in Lumiere Bar. Lumiere has a beauty bar for makeup and a skin bar for skincare.
While a good number of products are available online, many of Lumiere's offerings are only available in-store. For instance, many of the body treatments and moisturizers can be infused with a variety of fragrances according to the customer's preference. That customization process cannot happen online, so while Kim plans to expand the Web site, her emphasis is still in promoting the in-store experience.
The Advantages of Loose Minerals
Most of Lumiere's beauty line consists of loose mineral powders and pigments. While handling a jar of loose powder requires a delicate hand, the form of loose powder gives the powder some star qualities unattainable in pressed makeup.
Pressed powders require a binding agent to make the compaction hold. This binder dilutes the color. Because loose minerals forgo binders, the colors are truer and adhere better to the skin. Highly pigmented pressed shadows carried in major cosmetics companies can achieve intense colors because of dyes that might not be natural, according to Kim.
And a final benefit is that loose powders can be mixed for a custom shade whereas that cannot be easily done with pressed powders.
Check The Epoch Times for a review of Lumiere Bar's products.
