MAKE-UP brand Pinch of Colour create high-end waterless beauty products and undertake philanthropic projects in communities with limited access to safe, clean water. Having experienced water deprivation as a child, Albanian-born and US-raised founder Linda Treska has a strong commitment to ensuring that this natural resource goes where it is needed, and not where it is wasted. To this end, Tresca launched Pinch of Colour in 2016, drawing on more than two decades of experience of working within the beauty industry; first working as a make-up artist and, then, eventually as an R&D product development specialist for major beauty brands such as Vincent Longo, Estée Lauder, Laura Mercier and others.
Treska’s inspiration for a Pinch of Colour is to create a range of beauty products formulated without water, instead using oils, butters and botanical ingredients to hydrate the skin and flatter the face.
For a while now I’ve been choosing not to use liner or mascara, as I feel more modern, and far less predictable, when I make up my face and lips but not my eyes, so this range of complexion and lip products is perfect for me. The quality and versatility of the individual Pinch of Colour products make it a fast and easy process to mix and match to create a look that is fresh, natural and dewy: pulled together, but not overdone, and of course, always with the option of a show-stopping red lip …
Pinch of Colour Honey Silk Waterless Tint in Marshmallow
Honey Silk Waterless TintÂ
Currently available in six shades (the lightest: Marshmallow, the deepest: Caffé), the Honey Silk Waterless Tint comes in a stick format with a built-in blending brush. The Honey Silk Waterless Tint is a sheer and soft, self-adjusting formulation that melts easily into the skin and gives a natural-but-better glow. I love the convenience of the stick format, and am impressed by how quick and easy it is to apply – I use the brush when I feel like being fancy, but it blends perfectly well with fingertips. A quick application of Honeysilk Waterless Tint leaves my complexion even and dewy. As I like to over-moisturise, I add a little Chanel Les Beiges powder on the t-zone – were it not for this personal quirk I could use Honey Silk Waterless Tint without the need for any powder at all.
Honey Silk Waterless Tint (10g) retails at £36
Pinch of Colour Honey Glow Waterless Balm
Honey Glow Waterless Balm
The Honey Glow Waterless Balm is a one-shade-suits-all product that I now can’t imagine living without. Packaged in a handy stick format, it is super versatile and easy to use – with just two fast swipes and a little patting in, my cheekbones are perfectly emphasised. The Honey Glow Waterless Balm has given a new lease of life to the more intense blushers in my collection, encouraging me to be more daring, both with colour – I’m now using all the strong, sheer reds, that have previously overpowered my fair skin – and with shape; playing with the hollows and the apples of my cheeks to create more dramatic effects. I can use Honey Glow on otherwise bare eyes to even skin tone and provide just a little emphasis, and in the summer or the evening it makes a good clavicle enhancer. As this is a universal product, I will be able to spread the love and purchase the Honey Glow Waterless Balm for my friends with no fear of picking the wrong shade.
Honey Glow Waterless Balm (9.5g) retails at £30
Pinch of Colour Matte Velvet Waterless Lip Colour in Mia
Matte Velvet Waterless Lip Colour
The essential quality of a good matte lipstick is that it delivers the opaque look while not drying out the lips: the confident dash of drama a matte provides is nothing without comfort and ease in wearing. Matte Velvet Waterless Lip Colour contains mango seed butter along with rosehip and jojoba oils: making it easy to apply, and ensuring that the longlasting colour isn’t achieved at the expense of your lips. Available in ten shades of rose, pink, berry and red, I have tested Mia: a bold, bright, and beautiful statement red that looks amazing on an otherwise bare face and Lola: a perfect example of elegant, understated posh-girl-pink, and so pretty and creamy that I sometimes work it into my cheeks for a touch of warmth and colour.
Matte Velvet Waterless Lip Colour (4.5g) retails at £20
Pinch of Colour Healthy Lips Waterless Lip Oil in Pink Crush
Healthy Lips Waterless Lip Oil
My aversion to lipgloss dates back to my early teens, and so I remained unmoved and disinterested as lip oils took the world by storm. However, having been so impressed by the Matte Velvet Waterless Lip Colour, I wanted to try the Healthy Lips Waterless Lip Oil … Reader, I married it. I have been alternating between the caramel nude of Cream Dream and the sheer red of Berry Bite, and loving my new look. The glossy tint this product lends to the lips is subtle and grown-up, healthy and understated. There is no temptation to lick the lips when wearing these oils, and they are comfortable to wear even in freezing, gale force winds. It’s fun to apply them on top of the Matte Velvet Waterless Lip Colour to change up your look – Berry Bite on top of Mia is pure Studio 54. A perfect gift for those that don’t like lipstick and a way to convert those (like me) who have never previously been fond of gloss.
Healthy Lips Waterless Lip Oil (10ml) retails at £18
Pinch of Colour Skin Therapy Waterless Face Elixir
Skin Therapy Waterless Face Elixir
Néroli is the star ingredient in this skin-boosting blend of oils. It’s an indulgent starting point for your Pinch of Colour face – a few drops of this beautifully scented oil pressed into damp skin in the morning makes for a sensually invigorating and deeply hydrating way to get your skin and your soul glowing and ready to face the day.Â
Skin Therapy Waterless Face Elixir (30ml) retails at £50
by Rachel McCormack
Pinch of Colour is available at Cult Beauty