Tip du Jour: The Color Purple

Purple eyeshadow is produced with two main pigments: blue and red. The color red or deep red, respectively, is called Carmine. Carmine is a dye used in cosmetics, among other things, to create a dark pigment in different shades of purple eye shadows as well as different shades of lipsticks with a purple hue. Most of you may not be familiar with this but, applying a purple eyeshadow in some cases, may cause an allergic reaction to the area of the eye. Itchiness and inflammation are some of the symptoms you may experience if you are indeed allergic to Carmine. The allergic reaction may or may not be severe, but to eliminate any complications, you may want to either discontinue using the product, or, make sure to have a good base on your eye with an eye primer before applying eyeshadow. In addition, lining the bottom of your eye, or drop shadow, with a purple eye shadow may increase your risk of encountering an allergic reaction. If you look closely, MAC packages their purple eyeshadows with a slip which clearly states the warnings that apply to the use of the product. Most individuals do look at these notes as just another "ingredient label," as many of us continue to do so or have done so in the past. Whether we choose to ignore or read these labels, the descriptions may definitely be beneficial to our health and overall beauty!