High Definition Makeup; sounds so futuristic right? When you think you’ve found the foundation or the blush, a product made with fancy technology has to come on the market to trump all others. With beauty brands such as CARGO  and Make Up For Ever  paving the way for HD makeup, we will be seeing more and more brands going HD (whether you think HD makes a difference or not).


What exactly is HD makeup? Michael DeVellis, founder of The Powder Group  and The Artist Summit Chicago/Miami, says: “From a makeup artist stand point, what we teach is that HD is a technology not a makeup product.” However, HD makeup is advertised as using “advanced technology” such as “photochromatic pigments” and “optical blurring” to give the complexion a flawless, natural finish under the magnification of HD filming. “I appreciate when people are honest when HD terminology is used. Brands have just created more HD friendly products to perform at the quality that HD requires”, says Michael DeVellis, official trainer for hi-def makeup/hair for CNN NY, Atlanta, and DC.

For brands like CARGO, founder Hana Zalzal, knew an HD line would be relevant to today’s makeup artist. “It all started with makeup artists filming in high-definition and wanting a bronzer that was matte. With the demands of HD, achieving makeup that looked natural was the biggest challenge. We began testing our new products on set and when celebrities started taking our products home we knew were onto something big.”


Is there really a difference between HD and non-HD makeup? Whether I’m doing makeup on a bride or on a fabulous TV host like, Ali De Bold*, I use a mixture of HD and non-HD products. In my experience, I’ve found a lot of my non-HD products to perform just as well as makeup that are labelled as HD. It all comes down to marketing. Products that aren’t advertised as “HD” doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t have the same soft-focus properties as their HD competitor. I’ve used Face Atelier Ultra Foundation Pro  for years; it is not marketed as an “HD” product but delivers the same results.

Zalzal agrees, “Some non-HD products work perfectly fine. Our Essential Eye Palettes are not under the blu_ray family, but they perform just the same. However, our blu_ray Pressed Powder for instance, contains photochromatic pigments so that colour stays consistent in all types of lighting.”

DeVellis says, “We train makeup artists to have an HD eye meaning they are able to see the things a camera or a monitor sees. Anything that distracts the eye is not good hi-def makeup. You can use almost anything in your kit with the exception of sparkles, anything with high-shine or super emollient products. There are some brands that claim their product is perfect for HD, but looks awful on camera. Then there are some brands like Make Up For Ever that know what HD needs and it just works”. Bottom line: look at the results of how the product works.


With so many HD products being offered, selecting the right product can be overwhelming. How do brands like CARGO compare to other lines like Make Up For Ever? “CARGO was the first to offer HD products. I haven’t tried the other lines, but I believe they offer similar results to our line. We believe skin prep is important and our blu_ray Polishing Cloths are one of the first products that triggered the HD line. It micro-exfoliates your skin, providing smoother more radiant finish. It’s the perfect primer”.

Along with the blu_ray Polishing Cloths, the collection also includes a mattifying primer, pressed powder, bronzer, 2 blush/highlighters, mascara, concealer, a gloss and a lip gloss quad.

While CARGO may offer some HD products that Make Up For Ever does not have, Make Up For Ever’s HD collection does include a line of foundations. Make Up For Ever’s HD Invisible Cover Foundation has 25 shades to choose from and rates very well on ChickAdvisor. It has a light-weight texture and covers skin flawlessly.


If you're wondering about the future of HD, it's here to stay. According to an article on Canada.com,  even personal HD camcorders are on the rise.  As long as HD technology is relevant, it only makes more sense for other beauty brands to jump on the HD bandwagon. It may be all hype and good marketing, but at least you can count on makeup only getting better - after all, HD makeup is not just for makeup artists but for everyone. Michael says, “Why wouldn’t you want to look HD perfect everyday? Even if you aren’t going to be photographed or filmed in HD, there’s absolutely no reason why you wouldn’t want your skin to have a luminous, healthy glow on an everyday basis”. I agree!

Have you tried a high-definition makeup already? What's your verdict?

by Joy David-Tilberg

* Editor's Note: 
Yes, I paid her to say that.  - Ali de Bold