Fashion + Makeup Pairing? There's an App for That!

With company holiday parties, family dinners and get togethers with friends dotted all over the iCal for the next month, planning ahead is imperative. Amidst hostess gifts and Secret Santa presents, our festive outfits are at the top of our preparation list, and this year we’ve discovered something that will take the guess work out of our beauty and fashion pairings all season long. 

It’s the new Color Genuis app from L’Oreal Paris that helps you complement any outfit with just the right nail polish shade, lip colour and eye shadow to complete your look. Available for iPhone and Android users, the free app will see to it that you never find yourself walking the makeup aisles in vain again. We had the chance to preview the app at the L’Oreal 2013 Spring preview event and have been putting it to work in our closets ever since. 

Here’s how it works:

1. Take a photo of your outfit, accessory or a colour you love with your phone and let the colour recognizer find the closest shade.

2. Pick the colour square that matches your outfit, accessory or colour that you love.

3. Choose a look for day or night.

4. Match it to be perfectly coordinated, blend it for a more subtle beauty look or clash it to add extra impact according to your style preference. 

5. A selection of perfectly matching lipsticks, eye shadows and nail polishes are suggested with their names and description. You can add the items to your favourites list, or share them with your friends via email, Facebook and Twitter.

Just like that you have a carousel of expert-selected colour suggestions on stand-by for your next night out, or when you’re looking to change up your daily routine. 

Do you use beauty apps? Are you going to try Color Genius? 

-Daniela DiStefano is a Toronto-based freelance writer. Follow her on Twitter @ddeestefano or check out her blog, Making it to the Masthead