Elea Blake Cosmetics

Posted by: Rachel Johnson// Randi Vasquez Photography

When I first stumbled upon Elea Blake Cosmetics, I was a baby Chattanoogan strolling the streets of the city with my roomies. We accidentally walked into the most scientific makeup store that we had ever seen. Fast forward one year later and I'm sitting in the studio's makeup chair getting a color analysis by the beautiful Darin Wright, owner and founder of Elea Blake. You see, this cosmetic studio isn't another Sephora or Ulta (mind you, my paycheck loves those stores), but rather, Elea Blake is a revolutionary color studio, guaranteed to creating your perfect shade of makeup. And they do.

Before the makeup process began, Darin informed me that not only does she and her beautiful stylists actually make all of their products by hand, they have recently launched their own color line. She told me this took hundreds of research hours and is still a learning process for them. By using this incredibly complex color line (I barely passed chemistry so this is over my head), customers all over the world can send them a paint chip, and the "coloristas" can make that color into virtually any product. Most recently, Darin informed me that the team received a request for a lipstick in the shade, "juke yellow" which is the Nissan car here. Why anyone would want that is beyond me, but the point is that Elea Blake made it possible for that individual to have that funky lipstick specific to that shade.

All of their products are naturally made with no added fillers and also contain SPF 26. But beyond the beauty of the products, the inner beauty of Darin shines through when she takes the time to make you feel beautiful. While she matched colors and created products perfect to my skin tone, she constantly affirmed me that I looked pretty and made sure that I, an average young individual, felt just as spoiled as any celebrity that she has ever worked with. Yes, she's styled an extensive celeb list and quite a range of runway models. However, for Darin, every lady deserves the same special treatment.

When I asked Darin about how makeup became such a huge part of her life, she was quick to admit that she grew up on a farm with parents who would not have encouraged this type of career. After spending some years working in business, she decided to pursue what she was truly passionate about: makeup. She shared a story from when she was living in NYC and working as model. Before a fashion show, the makeup artist didn't show up, and all of the models started panicking. Darin rushed to her car and grabbed all of her makeup, proceeding to do all of the women's makeup for the fashion show. Years later, once she got married and had her twin girls Elea and Blake, she finally pursued her desire to create her own product line for all women to be able to have their perfect shade of makeup. Hence their slogan, "We've got your color!"

So whether you're getting married, attending a formal, or just want to treat yourself to your own color analysis, I highly recommend scheduling an appointment with Darin Wright at Elea Blake Cosmetics. It's sure to be a beauty treat you won't find in any retail store.

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