Napoleon (Perdis) Invades New York
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

Napoleon Perdis is something of a makeup magnate in Australia, his home country. His eponymous cosmetics line celebrates its 10th anniversary in September. He has established a makeup academy, and as the makeup artist and a judge for “Australia’s Next Top Model,” he’s a face on reality TV, too.
Now he has his eyes (and eye shadows) set on American women. This spring, the Napoleon Perdis Cosmetics collection made its debut at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York and in Beverly Hills; the line is now available at 14 Saks counters nationwide.
Mr. Perdis says that what helps sets his line apart from the numerous others is his focus on giving women knowledge – not just colors – for self-expression through cosmetics. “Women always used to say to me, ‘You makeup artists know how to do it, but when I get home, I never know what to do.’ It was like the tricks of the trade were the secrets of the trade,” he says. “I wanted to make that knowledge available.”
Much of his product packaging includes professional tips. Some of them are more helpful than others, but it’s more information than you’ll get from many other containers of blush.
And the customized advice that Mr. Perdis’s salespeople give is based on a customer’s own tastes rather than celebrity- or fashion driven trends. “[That] takes it away from the drive-through service that exists with most cosmetic services,” he said.
Mr. Perdis is a big fan of color. “So many women play it safe,” he says. “But using a bit of color is fun. Women should look at makeup and think, ‘If I don’t like it, I’ll just wipe it off.’ The idea is to play, and feel like you’re in a candy store and try everything.”
Indeed, Mr. Perdis’s line boasts a candy-colored palette that’s brighter than some of his competitors’ counters. His picks for fall include Actif Ultra Pearl Palette ($75), a five-color eye-shadow compact that includes shades called Caribbean Green and Blue Velvet, and a cake-scented lipstick called Hara ($22) that’s traffic-cone orange.
With some of these shades, Mr. Perdis’s penchant for education could stand to be extended to video. This reporter loved the Hara lipstick when Mr. Perdis blended it with a dab of liquid blush and topped it with gloss, but found the look tricky to replicate with her own, less-skilled hands.
Not all of Mr. Perdis’s recommendations for fall require comfort with bold color. Starting with the face, Mr. Perdis offers suggestions to calm down skin that’s been overly bronzed (or sun-burned) from summer weekends. He advises prepping skin with a primer to “prepare the skin to accept makeup.” His own, called Auto Pilot ($35), includes chamomile, yarrow extract, and vitamin E.
Coverage continues with foundation – and it’s time to put away those dewy, light-reflecting tinted moisturizers. “The big trend is going back to matte foundation,” he says. “It’s not that ’80s, dehydrated matte; it’s a satin matte.”
Mr. Perdis recommends achieving the look with a foundation brush, which he prefers as an applicator to fingertips or sponges. “You get less waste and you can get into the little areas,” he says.
Using a foundation that is lighter than your summer makeup will help create a well-blended, even look. If you’re truly sunburned (shame on you!), choose foundation with yellow or olive pigments to counteract the redness. Mr. Perdis is introducing a new matte powder, Camrea Finish ($40), as a natural final topper, no matter what the condition of your skin.
Along with matte skin comes matte lips. “It’s all about lipstick in the fall,” Mr. Perdis says. So get out your liner and lip brush, and save the gloss for evenings – on top of lipstick, not in place of it. This fall, Mr. Perdis likes shades of deep berry, ruby, and yes, orange, for pouts.
If you just can’t give up your summer shimmer, he recommends keeping it confined to the eyes. His Actif palettes come in both Ultra Pearl ($75) and Colour Disc ($80) formulas and include shades of taupe, mocha, and sand. Skip pencil liner in favor of a smudge of shadow in the inner and outer corners for extra definition, but finish with lots of mascara.
His ultimate advice for the transition from summer to fall is to have some dramatic fun. “You’re taking your look from the beach to the city,” he says. “Be inspired by the summer you just had.”