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Nomad Cosmetics takes the colors of fall in the Hudson Valley and transforms them into a lustworthy makeup collection.
As any beauty lover knows, there’s nothing like the feeling of adding a new makeup palette to your collection. From the palette theme to the stunning hues, there’s so much to adore about incorporating an eye-catching addition that you’ll be excited to reach for each day.
That’s why, when we saw that Nomad Cosmetics launched a Hudson Valley-themed makeup palette, we were more than a little intrigued. So, we reached out to Nomad co-founder Felicia Rintanen to learn more about the inspiration behind the collection.
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Imagine our surprise when we found out that the world traveler who, with her partner Antti, has lived across the United States and Europe and traveled to over 70 countries, grew up right here in the Hudson Valley. Born and raised in Highland Mills, Rintanen has family throughout the region. Not only is her mom from Washingtonville, but the house in which her grandparents lived is now a B&B run by her aunt and uncle. (Check out The Dominion House in Blooming Grove for a peek at the property.)
“Our brand, Nomad, was created to combine our passion with beauty and exploration,” she explains, adding that each collection draws inspiration from a different destination. When it came time to plan a special fall palette that could celebrate the changing seasons, Rintanen knew that the Hudson Valley would be the perfect choice.
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“Everyone knows the northeast has some of the most amazing fall colors, but, having lived in so many other places and now in Texas, [I can say that] there is truly nothing like northeast foliage,” she says. “So, Hudson Valley became the destination and ‘foliage trail’ became the concept for the palette.”
With the concept decided, the next step was to choose the colors. Luckily, Rintanen already had ideas.
“We design and take pictures of all palettes on location in order to capture the colors and vibe of the place as we sense it,” she notes. “For this palette, though, since I lived so many autumns there, I wanted to do the full season. It seems typical autumn items (including makeup) stop right as the colors hit peak, but I really wanted to do the full season capturing also when it becomes cooler and crisper.”
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To do so, she divided the palette into three phases. The first section celebrates those fall foliage colors that embody leaf-peeping season in the Hudson Valley, namely burnt orange, sugar maple red, and golden oak yellow. In the middle, the shimmery hues celebrate the seasonal peak, when “the sun hits those gorgeous colors and the brilliance of the colors are beyond words breathtaking,” she notes.
Related: 8 Outstanding Places to Spot Fall Foliage in the Hudson Valley
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Last but not least, the latter section is all about the cooler tones that lead into November and December in the Hudson Valley. Think bare trees, serene rocks, and mountainsides covered with moss and lichen.
“Those shades aren’t always associated with autumn, but for me are the last glimpse of the beautiful season before snow blankets the ground,” she enthuses.
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All in all, the Hudson Valley makeup collection includes a 15-pan color palette, along with single shades of each shadow. Rintanen estimates it will be available for approximately one year, unless it sells out beforehand.
“It has been by far our best-selling launch, and that was great, but what meant the most were the notes we received from people in the Hudson Valley saying how much they loved it!” she says. “[It’s] always our goal to get that reaction from residents of the destination.”
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For Rintanen, the launch of the Hudson Valley palette is an extra-special occasion since it celebrates a place that’s near and dear to her heart. To coincide with its debut, she and the Nomad team created a “Hudson Valley Foliage Trail” guide to help others learn more about the beauty of the region. (Check out the palette’s website to download it.) For the first 500 orders, Nomad included a laminated printout version of it along with a scratch-and-sniff sticker with a pumpkin spice scent.
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In addition, for this palette, Nomad is donating a portion of proceeds to Scenic Hudson to help protect the Hudson River and surrounding lands. It’s part of the brand’s give-back efforts, which involve donating to what Rintanen terms “a Mother Earth cause” with each launch.
Want to check out the Nomad Cosmetics Hudson Valley collection for yourself? Find it in all its fall glory here.
