According to the company the Rocks range of eye shadows can be used to create a spectrum of color possibilities that are impossible to find with the all-natural cosmetic products.
Although the company specializes in natural cosmetics, its creator and founder Kristen Leigh Bell says that current demands for color cosmetics that are unusual and stand out meant that it had to turn to synthetic to achieve the right look.
Based on a combination of mineral extracts and synthetic ingredients - hence the 'Rocks' name - the collection was created through a collaborative effort with Steven Morello, who actually conceptualized it.
"Aromaleigh customers have requested certain intense colors for years... but we could not produce them with our natural pigment range. Until we decided to think outside the box, expand our horizons and create a line specifically tailored to the needs of the more daring and experimental," said Bell.
The company says that the Rocks Sonic Eyes collection avoids unnecessary ingredients and still uses only naturally derived mineral pigments, but that it has sourced synthetic colorants to produce the intense, shocking colors that cannot be produced with traditional mineral pigments.
"This new collection is a true marriage of the natural and the synthetic," the company said, adding that the 71 shades in the collection provide almost endless possibilities.
Because the synthetic coloring allows the product to be intensely pigmented, it also means that less of the product needs to be used. Addirionally, the company says that all the colors are 'buildable', which means that a variety of looks can be achieved by using different application methods.
Likewise, some of the shades are even back-light reactive, allowing them to glow in the dark - an effect that could prove desireable to nightclubbers going to venues where backlighting is often used.
The company says that the Rock Sonic Eyes should prove to be the first in this line of color cosmetics, with Sonic Cheeks and Sonic Lips also due to be rolled out in the course of the year.
Aromaleigh's launch comes at the same time as the launch of L'Oreal's High Intensity Pigment collection, which is due to hit chain, drug and mass-market outlets throughout the US in February. It features the company's nano-based photonics technology to create a unique range of colors incorporated into lipstick, liquid make-up, bronzing powder and eye shadow.
A recent report from Mintel suggests that the world color cosmetics market is booming, with the number of product launches growing by 25 per cent during the course of 2004. Likewise, market researcher is predicting that growth could be even higher in 2005, as it reports strong activity in the eye and facial color segments.
North America has been the most active market, representing 53 per cent of all new products in the category during 2004.
"Companies are typically offering more varied colour options in their new make-up lines, and are diversifying their offer with products targeting specific age groups and occasions," said David Jago, director of Mintel's GNPD Consulting.