Priti’s Kim D’Amato explains the range
Friday, May 21st, 2010
Could you tell us what inspired you to create Priti?
The idea for creating Priti NYC nails came during my pregnancy while I was sitting in a conventional salon. The smell of toxins and chemicals from all the beauty products became overwhelming, and I thought, “If I eat organically and use chemical-free household products, why would I not want to beautify myself in the same manner?” I began working on Priti NYC the next day.
Through doing research on all the various ingredients and products we expose ourselves to on a daily basis, I knew I wanted to raise my daughter in the healthiest and most natural way possible. Shortly after her birth, I went through an ordeal with skin cancer, which only re-enforced that I had no choice but to live a green and all-natural lifestyle, for both my and her sake.
Could you explain the ethos of Priti – why it’s important to you to be producing products that are environmentally sound as well as on-trend.
Many young girls dream to be the women they see on TV and in magazines. This is how beauty is represented in our society. Displaying green beauty products that are just as on-trend as non-green products in these magazines helps change the perception of what beauty is and our ideals creating beauty for the next generation.
What are the scariest facts you’ve uncovered about the ingredients used in cosmetics during the course of your research?
It’s no secret that most of the products we use in our daily routines contain toxic ingredients, and products are actually absorbed directly into our bodies through the skin. When I began doing research to create Priti NYC, I learned that women absorb several pounds worth of chemicals from cosmetics and toiletries alone each year. To learn that Formaldehyde, found in nail polish and many other beauty products, has been linked to cancer is very scary. Another common ingredient in nail polish is dibutyl phthalate, which has been shown to cause birth defects in animals. There is no question that we should not be putting these chemicals into our bodies.
Tell us how you came to invent the Soya-based Nail Varnish Remover – one of Priti’s most iconic products!
I knew that once I had created Priti NYC non-toxic polish, we had to continue to develop the product line to be all encompassing. Traditional nail polish remover contains acetone, among many other chemicals. When acetone particles are inhaled, there can be serious effects on our health. We were determined to find all-natural ingredients that could do the same job as nail polish remover and we did. The added benefit is that the combination of essential oils actually nourish the skin and hydrate our cuticles, as where acetone nail polish remover only contributes to skin dryness.
Could you pick out one nail colour from the range that you personally love, or that’s going to be this season’s must-have shade on everyone’s fingertips?
I love orange nails for summer. One of my favorites is ‘Snapdragon’, a fiery and bright shade we used for Rachel Roy’s Spring/Summer 2010 fashion show. Nudes and whites are also popular again this season.
And do you have an all-time favourite shade?
Right now, my favorite shade is ‘Blue Eyed Brunette‘. It reminds me of what a woman might have worn in Monte Carlo in the 1930′s as she made her entrance into the Casino de Paris.
Do you have any advice for people when it comes to choosing a shade to suit them – does skin colour, hair colour, personal style etc effect the choice of nail shade?
First and foremost before choosing a shade, always make sure you check the ingredients. Never buy anything that contains DBP, formaldehyde or tolouene.
For choosing the right color, you can take cues from your favorite lipsticks. If you look great in blue-based red lipsticks, then this will also be true for your nail polish and the skin tone of your hands. You can also choose the right colors for you based on your wardrobe – if you have nothing pink in your wardrobe and wear red a lot, then choosing a pink nail polish will probably not look as good as if you were to choose another shade. Also, shop for the right shade based on your skin tone. People with fair skin tend to look better in polishes with pink or blue undertones, such as berry pink. Olive skin tones look great with gold and metallics, and dark skin looks amazing with anything vibrant, such as a great orange or bright purple.
What’s it like doing the models’ nails backstage at fashion shows?
Doing the nails backstage during Fashion Week can be very challenging, yet entertaining. The hair and make-up set the stage for the looks, so we must work around them, which often has us crawling on the floor to paint the girls’ toes and not be in the way! Even though they are not as prominently seen as the hair and make-up on the runway, nails really complete the look of the overall presentation.
We don’t use acrylic nails on the girls – you have to remember that these models are running from show to show, and half the time arrive only a few minutes before the show starts. We have to be quick and methodical, making sure we get every girl’s hands and feet done before show time.
The beautiful young models always start off the week with perfect manicures, but by the time it’s all over, their nails are red and their cuticles are torn. I tell them to go home and soak their fingers in olive oil or use their favorite lip balm on their cuticles.
The funny part about the nails at Fashion Week is that you can tell what shows each girl was in based on the layers of different colors you see when removing the polish. Often times there will not be enough time to take off the polish from the previous show, so if we are using a dark color, it is easier to just paint over the shade they are already wearing. By the end of each day, girls can have up to 5 layers of different color polishes on.
How do you work on creating shades for different designers and films?
Polish is like an accessory – it can complete or compete, so we always attend the hair and make-up tests to ensure that the nails go in line with designer’s vision. I have had the opportunity to work with the best hair and make-up artists in the world and they are all very respectful of everyone’s role in achieving the designer’s dream.
Creating custom shades for designers and films is definitely a collaborative process, though the process is different each time. Many designers will play with the Priti NYC colors to formulate ideas and then I will perfect a shade for them on my end. Others will say they want a great nude and leave it up to us to deliver the best nude we’ve got. We created ‘Snapdragon’ for Rachel Roy based on the lipstick she had chosen to get the nails and lips to be a dead-on match.
‘Blue Eyed Brunette’ was actually made for the upcoming Martin Scorsese series Boardwalk Empire. That is of course very exciting because Martin Scorsese is such a legend and very highly respected filmmaker of our time. phoebe frangoul
I just read this piece of beauty news and I’ve got to tell you, it annoyed me. A new survey has shown that three quarters of UK beauty consumers don’t check the ingredients list of products because they perceive there to be ‘no need’.