LEE GRAFF – Cover FX
Meet the Cover Artist
It is often true, as they say, that necessity is the mother of invention. The old adage was certainly the case for Lee Graff, who created Cover FX to fill an existing void for her clients dealing with skin conditions ranging from rosacea to vitiligo. During her 15 years as a corrective foundation artist at the CosMedic Clinic at Toronto’s Sunnybrook & Women’s College Health Sciences Centre, she saw time and again that a formulation that combined proper coverage, tone and ingredients for sensitive skin was missing from the cover cosmetics category. She enlisted the expertise of co-creator Jenny Frankel, a chemical engineer with over 15 years of cosmetic formulation experience, and the rest is makeup history.
What was your entrée into camouflage makeup?
Always being a person who wanted to help others, my entrée into this field came about as a result of stepping into a role that has kept me involved for almost 25 years. I was asked to be part of the CosMedic Clinic in a leading hospital in Toronto in 1985. The purpose of the clinic was to help people with visible pigment issues hide these concerns through the use of corrective makeup. For fifteen years, I mixed various brands that were available in the marketplace, but could never find products that offered natural coverage in a wide range of colours with safe & effective ingredients. My goal was to give people the means to control what was controlling them and restore their confidence and self esteem.
What makes Cover FX different from other corrective products on the market?
Cover FX is a revolutionary colour cosmeceutical brand that was born in a hospital and is Dermatologists’ 1st choice for flawless looking skin. Cover FX products are oil, paraben and fragrance free, contain UVA & UVB SPF, are water resistant and stay on all day. Our foundations are a new generation of coverage that look and feel like second skin, provide buildable cover, are available in over 30 global shades and are affordable. We are the solution for all minor to major skin problems from dark undereye circles to sun damage to skin redness.
Tell me about the science behind the brand.
We have developed several unique technologies such as:
- Derma Fix – A blend of ingredients that enable our foundation to bind to the skin and to itself, hence permitting buildable coverage
- Derma Veil – This technology provides a breathable veil for the skin, blurring fine lines and pores while creating a smooth-as-glass surface, ideal for foundation application
- Line Fill – Tiny dehydrated hyaluronic spheres that swell when in contact with water within skin tissues; water is time released back into skin for continual hydration
We believe in Healthy Skin and Healthy Makeup and our products continue to be tested on people with extremely sensitive skin, such as rosacea patients.
How did your partnership with Jenny Frankel come about?
Jenny is a chemical engineer who was a formulator for MAC cosmetics. We were introduced to one another by one of the originators of the MAC brand, to begin a project to create products for my patients. Jenny was able to create products that I could only dream about; we have a formidable partnership of experience and makeup magic that has lasted for almost 10 years.
What are your hero products?
Our primers – Skin Prep FX-anti aging, Clear Prep FX-anti acne and Brite Prep FX-anti UV with SPF 50 are hands down the best primers to deal with the concerns that they were created to address. Our new Conceal FX camouflage concealer - who doesn’t need the best concealer available in 6 shades? Our Big Cover Up Kit is the best introduction to our system of Prep, Cover, Set that works for all.
Do you have any swear-by beauty secrets?
I believe in staying out of the sun as much as possible, drinking lots of water, keeping my skin hydrated and protected with SPF. Primer, foundation, lip gloss and mascara are my must haves or I don’t go out the door. I love self tanners, especially for my legs!
Are you a mom?
Yes and a Nana to adorable Lily age 5 and sweet Sophie age 3.
What’s your favourite bag?
I love my caramel colored Michael Kors bag because it is has lots of interior pockets for my keys, cell phone and sunglasses. This way, not everything falls into the depths of my bag and I am not always rummaging around trying to locate my essentials!
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