I love visitors. Maybe it’s the “new” in my “New Yorker” title, but I love packing in tons of activities (and shopping, of course) into a short amount of time when people come to visit this city I call home.

So when my friend Jackie (who also writes a really cool blog you can read here) took the train down from upstate for a day of NYC adventures, I was beyond excited.

Of course, what’s a trip to NYC without a trip to Henri Bendel – for two 20-somethings with a love for all things sparkly, glitzy and glossy.

Pigments Used for Custom Cosmetics

Immediately after entering the store, we noticed a large amount of pigments and a mini-chemistry lab at one of the cosmetics counters. Intrigued, we had to learn more.

The setup for Giella Cosmetics at Bendel’s

“What was this godsend?” We thought to ourselves.

“Custom Lipstick and Gloss? Oh My!” we cried.

And there we found ourselves in the midst of a serious project. What did we want to make? What ever-elusive color was in our quest this sunny Sunday? A Red, Pink, or Gloss?

After choosing a reddish color, I worked together with the “artist” from Giella to come up with a shade that was right for me. Please note, this is not an easy task – there was lots of trying on, and wiping off. Come with ideas and examples.

Just look at this palette of colors – and how they changed as I tried them on and gave feedback. Some were too bold, others too red. But eventually we got there!

At $28, it’s about average for a luxury lip product – but since it’s an experience (takes about an hour) and you end up with exactly what you want – it’s worth it.