THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 14, 1994 TAG: 9407140039
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CAMMY SESSA, SPECIAL TO THE DAILY BREAK
LENGTH: Long : 147 lines
WHEN I ANSWERED the phone Tuesday afternoon I was blown away.
``Hello, Cammy? This is Iman.''
Iman, the exotic beauty married to superstar David Bowie?
Iman, the famous model who, for years, was the darling of the world's top fashion designers?
Iman, the movie celebrity?
Calling me?
Not to mind, I was cool. ``Oh yes, I was expecting your call,'' I said as if she were a back-slapping buddy.
Iman, pronounced ``Eemaan'' had reason to be on the line. She wants her fans to know she'll be at JCPenney at Military Circle in Norfolk Tuesday to launch ``Iman,'' her new personal line of cosmetics.
Once, I didn't think she cared about such things. I reminded the model, whose photographs graced fashion magazines and advertisements for almost two decades, that I had interviewed her about 10 years ago and, overwhelmed by her luminous skin, asked what product she used to remove her makeup.
Her answer I recall was ``Crisco,'' the cooking and frying shortening.
``Oh no,'' she said. ``I told you I was using something that was as oily as Crisco.''
Actually, it's the greasiness in ordinary cosmetics that spurred Iman to give birth to her own makeup and skin-care line. She knows, firsthand, that women of color often have shiny complexions. So one of her favorite Iman products is a lotion called ``Under Cover Agent'' that controls oil and gives dark skin a basis for a matte-finish foundation.
``The biggest problem we have is controlling the shine,'' Iman says. ``With this combination, a woman doesn't have to powder her face all day long.''
Trying to cover shine with excess foundation and powder also causes pores to clog and skin breakouts to develop, Iman notes. ``It's always been a problem,'' she says, adding that her products will address that dilemma.
Her cosmetic line is not just for African-Americans like Iman, a native of Somalia, but others, including Asian-, Hispanic- and Native American women.
``Ah, yes,'' she says ``The Native American was the first American and has always been neglected.''
Iman knew early on not to neglect herself. During her modeling career, she kept her skin in tiptop shape by visiting a dermatologist and having facials regularly.
``Being a model, I could afford the costly prescriptions and treatments,'' she recalls. ``And I was privileged to be able to buy several different brands and shades of foundation. I was constantly mixing and matching to get one foundation and powder for my own skin tone. But what about other women who can't afford the luxury of so many products?''
Iman, of course, certainly could afford such luxuries. In an article about she and Bowie in the June issue of Vogue magazine, Iman reports that in her best modeling year she made $2 million.
Iman retired from modeling in 1989 but is still going strong as an actress. She'll co-star with Rosie O'Donnell in ``Exit to Eden,'' which is scheduled to be released in October. Some of Iman's other films are ``Out of Africa,'' ``No Way Out,'' ``Star Trek VI'' and ``House Party II.''
The Los Angeles home she shares with Bowie, also featured in June's Vogue, includes sumptuous furnishings such as a Tintoretto painting, a Mies van der Rohe Barcelona table and an Eero Saarinen ``Womb'' chair. The couple also have homes in the Caribbean, Switzerland and New York.
With all this, Iman could sit home and watch the soaps, so why go to all the trouble of starting a company then launching it with a back-breaking 15-city tour that includes Norfolk?
Why work at all?
``Because I'm 39 years old,'' she says. ``My working cycle hasn't finished yet.''
Besides, her mission, she notes, is to address the needs of women who heretofore have been overlooked.
``This idea came from my own needs. One day, I looked at the cosmetics in my bathroom and grouped them in different categories then asked myself, what did I want them to do?''
Iman answered her question: ``I did not want cosmetics to give me an `ashy' look, but I wanted an even skin tone. Also, I wanted the products to be non-greasy and give maximum coverage.''
That's why for her makeup line she developed 16 foundations that can be worn she says, ``from the lightest Japanese to the blackest African.''
As Iman speaks, she excuses herself several times to make an aside to someone else in the room. The polite interruptions spark my curiosity. I envision rocker David Bowie in full costume nearby, perhaps offering his wife of just two years a cup of tea.
``Are you talking to David?'' I ask as my celebrity-consciousness button hits ``go.''
``No,'' she laughs, ``my daughter.''
(Zulekha, a teen, is her daughter from a former marriage to basketball star Spencer Haywood.)
Iman exudes the enthusiasm of a teenager herself as she changes the subject: ``We were on QVC last weekend and women bought 5,000 of our kits. We sold out.''
That's quite an auspicious beginning, as the kits sold for $60 each. For individual products at JCPenney, prices will range from $7.50 to $35.
With her cosmetic line, Iman hopes to reverse her premise: ``Women wear makeup too early and take care of their skin too late.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Iman: helping women who have been overlooked.
JUST THE FACTS
What: Iman appearance.
Where: JCPenney, Military Circle, Norfolk.
When: 3-5 p.m. Tuesday
SOME TIPS FROM IMAN FOR WOMEN OF COLOR
AFRICAN-AMERICANS:
For you, there are 36 different classifications of skin tones, so
find a foundation that accurately complements skin color. Determine
an undertone - yellow, red, blue - to select a foundation that will
blend with skin.
Base or foundation placed on lips to cover discoloration will
alter color accuracy of lipstick. Look for shades that have enough
coverage of their own.
Light-skinned women look best in vibrant browns and earth tones.
Those with darker skin should chose shades such as plumb, wine and
fuchsia.
HISPANICS:
Although there is a wide range of skin tones among Hispanics,
many women look best with more vibrant colors like oranges, blues,
true reds and plumbs.
Select oil-free, oil-controlling products to produce a soft,
natural shine-free complexion.
ASIAN-AMERICANS:
Avoid foundations that are too pink or beige.
To give eyes more emphasis, place a darker color or liner close
to the lashline.
To keep blush from becoming overpowering, place it high on the
cheekbones.
Matte eyeshadows are a better option than frost ones. Rosy
pinks, lilacs, grays and other cool tones are well as blue reds are
very flattering.
NATIVE AMERICANS:
Look for blush that has enough color impact for red undertones.
Most shades are designed with a red base to impart a healthy glow to
skin.
Coppers, gold, corals, brick, dark earth browns and red browns
are your best color options.
by CNB