Every product in Fara Homidi’s beauty line begins with a story. The one behind her latest launch goes like this: ‘I was a young girl in the 1980s and we had a pool in our apartment complex. There were always these teen beauties and women in their twenties that wore the coolest bikinis and brushed their long hair with Maison Pearson-like brushes while applying Banana Boat tanning oil. I wanted to be just like them when I grew up! Every time they dipped into the pool and came out, with their slicked-back wet hair, I always noticed in that moment, their eyelashes were starry-eyed and glistening, and darker from being wet.'
Thus, Pool Slick Lash Lacquer was born, a volumising, high-pigment mascara in an acid-yellow tube that leaves lashes with a glistening, fresh-out-of-the-water effect. Homidi was a celebrated make-up artist before she launched her namesake beauty line nearly four years ago. Since then, the brand has garnered a cult following thanks to its tight edit of products developed according to Homidi’s exacting standards of perfection. Alongside the brand’s coveted Lip Compact, the new mascara exemplifies just how hard Homidi will work to create a product that mirrors her vision to the T – she started its development when she launched the brand.
‘Mascara is the toughest category because every variable, from the type of wand fibres you choose to the rigidity of the stem, all affect the finish massively,’ she says. ‘Beyond building the formula itself so that it’s a glossy, long-wearing, volumising, lifting, fortifying and gentle formula, I really had to [use] trial and error for the custom packaging to meet the formula and perform precisely how I wanted it to.’
The final result is a formula designed to vitalise and hydrate with plankton extract to stimulate hair follicles and help increase lash density; pink pepper extract to darken lashes over time; and pomegranate seed oil for deep moisture. Although long-wearing and smudge-proof, the formula comes off easily with warm water. The wand is curved to a degree that mimics the shape of lashes, creating dramatic lift and volume. The banana-yellow packaging, inspired by a motocross helmet, gives it a bold, playful look (and makes it very easy to find in your bag).
When it comes to what’s next, Homidi hopes to grow steadily, producing products that set a new standard for the industry. ‘I think I’ve set such a high bar for myself already for branding and product formulation and packaging [that] staying true to the brand's standards and leading the beauty world to new places, as the brand grows, is a feat in itself.’