KROMA Makeup founder Lee Cristou, along with her husband Eli Rodriguez, who has added the creative support for the brand for the last decade, are delighted that two of the products in their portfolio have been short-listed for the 2024 European Natural Beauty Awards. This international recognition for the Florida-based brand is the culmination of 20 years producing health-conscious, customized products made with natural ingredients.
“I began producing makeup from natural products in 1999, long before it was on trend,” explains company founder, Greek-born Lee Cristou (KROMA means color in Greek). As an educator and celebrity makeup artist, as well as former model, Cristou’s first formulas resulted in a line of hypoallergenic makeup, but expanded to include a customized mineral makeup line, made from natural botanicals and high-grade minerals. Today, the KROMA products are made with organic-based pure natural botanicals and minerals, which she says are doctor-recommended and spa-approved.
“We are so excited about being short-listed for this award, especially because the European standards for ingredients are so high. And the ENBA only short-listed a handful of makeup lines.
“They chose our organic KROMA Botanical Concealer and KROMA Botanical Lip Gloss for their purity. The winners will be announced in Stockholm, Sweden in October.”
After two decades in Central Florida, where Cristou still customizes makeup for VIP clients like Orlando and Disney executives, the KROMA creator began thinking about expanding internationally, including into travel retail.
KROMA has exhibited at the Summit of the Americas for several years, where the booth has generated a whirlwind of attention.
Following the Summit this past April, Cristou has met with some of the major cruise retailers and is working with Ontario-based Cosper Distribution to introduce the brand into the Canadian duty free market. As a result, KROMA is now putting the finishing touches on a bespoke travel kit designed for both channels.
“I call the kit Skin Rescue and it contains three of our best-selling products in travel sizes. It contains our Vegan Vitamin C Serum, our Vegan Daily Moisturizer, and our Telia Lifting Primer, which is a nutrient packed moisturizer/ primer–in-1- cream. It can even be used as an after shave cream for men,” says Cristou.
What also sets KROMA apart from competitors is the high quality of the rich pigments, and durability of the high-grade minerals that go into the makeup, enhanced by natural preservatives safe for the most sensitive skin, says Cristou.
“It’s hard to find natural make-up that’s high performing, and that’s where we come in.
“Because we’ve worked for 20 years with dermatologists and spas, we have been in a lot of spas in the hotels, where we’ve done very well.”
The KROMA portfolio is made up of nearly 200 SKUs, 75% of which is makeup. KROMA also offers vegan skincare and was sustainable before that was in the public perception.
“We’ve been selling refills to our clients for years, and we were doing natural before it was popular,” says Cristou.
“I started with a hypoallergenic line back in 2000 and when we trademarked in 2004 we started full blown into natural. I think coming from Greece and being raised by the ocean, we were always eating a Mediterranean diet and aware of the how to live healthy. This is reflected in our products as well.”
For more information, go to https://www.kromamakeup.com
