How many times have you loved a friend’s lip color (or blush or eye color) and tried it on only to grimace at the gash of color staring back at you from the mirror? Because we all have different skin colors and tones, makeup that looks brilliant on your best friend can make you look, well, a lot less than brilliant.

The solution is custom-mixed makeup, and Giella Poblocki was one of the first women to come up with the simple idea. Having spent a good deal of time in the cosmetic world— she worked at Henri Bendel for another makeup line for twelve years before developing her own line—Poblocki knew there was a niche that was waiting to be filled in the cosmetic industry.

Giella Custom Blend cosmetics (giella.com) includes eye shadow, eye liner, mascara, blush, powders, foundation, tinted moisturizer, lipstick and lipgloss, and anything else you may need for your face. A skincare line is even in the works. Each product, with the exception of mascara and lip and eye primers, is made to order. And it’s ready in a matter of minutes.

According to Poblocki, “Anyone can wear any color. Color is generic; it’s the shade that’s important.” Poblocki and her staff work with the three dimensions of color to determine what’s right for a client. They encompass undertone (warm or cool; or sometimes both), depth, (light to dark), and intensity (the level of saturation that determines how bright a color is). With an enormous selection of colors to choose from, the staff can be objective about which color looks best on you. You can even customize the components the products come in, choosing pots, tubes, pumps, etc. And all of these products are available at similar prices as those you’ll find in department stores.

Not suprisingly, brides are flocking to Giella for that perfect look for their wedding day. “Brides spend so much on photography, they should look perfect,” she says. “We can get very specific—we can match your nail polish to your bouquet.” A visit to a Giella counter is a great bridesmaid’s gift. “Lots of brides buy the empty containers and wrap them up for the bridesmaids. And we do bachelorette parties, too. The girls come in, get their makeup done, have some wine and cheese, and then go out on the town,” explains Poblocki. Parties are made up of about five to ten bridesmaids. A makeup application is $50, and you get $50 worth of makeup.

What are Poblocki’s favorites? “I love the foundations. It was a challenge to find the perfect sheer for the colors. And the nail polishes. We’re the only ones in the world that do custom nail polish.” Giella staff and products can be found at Salon Five in Fort Lee, 201-944-8011, and Henri Bendel, New York City, 212-247-1100.